Eshetu Melese performed in front of a sold-out crowd at Gonder University during an Easter Holiday event late last month. In front of a mixed audience of students and professors, he discussed media professionalism, rising living costs, and lingo-cultural diversity, all in the context of relocation. The young stand-up comic, unsurprisingly, made more sense and offered more substance to the arguments than the swarm of political activists and commentators who have become normal on our television screens.
Today’s political commentary on television is filled with more lies than truths. Eshetu Melese performed a well-informed, intelligent, and elegant political comedy. He appears to be aware of the delicate balance that exists between Ethiopia’s contending political forces and what appeals to young people.
He experimented in touchy subjects like ethnic strife and came out unscathed. This is at a time when politicians are finding it difficult to discuss historical, cultural, or political topics without alienating one another.
