If you grew up in the 90s, you probably spent a significant portion of your childhood screaming "Shikaka!" at the top of your lungs while trying to make your hair look like a cockatoo. It was a weird time. But among the endless slapstick and Jim Carrey’s rubber-faced antics in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, one phrase stuck to the cultural ribs like glue: "Eqinsu Ocha."
The "White Devil."
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It’s one of those movie moments that’s basically burned into the collective memory of anyone who owned a VHS player in 1995. But honestly, looking back at it thirty years later, the "White Devil" gag is way more than just a funny translation error. It’s a bizarre window into how 90s Hollywood handled—or completely mishandled—cultural satire.
The Scene Everyone Remembers
You know the one. Ace is in the jungle, flanked by his reluctant guide Ouda. He’s trying to broker peace with the terrifying Wachootoo tribe. Ace, being Ace, thinks he’s a master diplomat. He tells Ouda to tell them he "comes in peace."
Ouda turns to the tribe and says, "Eqinsu Ocha."
Suddenly, spears are leveled. Faces are snarling. The vibe shifts from "intercultural exchange" to "we are going to kill you" in about two seconds. Ace, noticing the word popped up a few times, asks Ouda what it means.
"White Devil," Ouda deadpans.
"Well, tell them I'm not!" Ace fires back.
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"This is how they know you," Ouda replies. It’s a perfect comedic beat. Short. Punchy. It works because it flips the "white savior" trope on its head before that was even a common phrase in the cultural lexicon. Ace thinks he’s the hero; the locals just think he’s a nuisance with bad hair and a louder-than-necessary voice.
Is Eqinsu Ocha a Real Language?
Let's get the big question out of the way: No.
"Eqinsu Ocha" isn't a real phrase from any African dialect. It was made up for the movie. Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls was filmed primarily in South Carolina and British Columbia, far away from the "Nibia" setting it claimed to represent. The "tribal" languages used by the Wachati and Wachootoo were a hodgepodge of gibberish, exaggerated sounds, and ad-libs by Jim Carrey.
Actually, the word "Ocha" sounds vaguely like "Ocha" or "Oka" in some Bantu languages, but in the context of the film, it’s 100% fiction.
Interestingly, the concept of a "White Devil" does have real-world roots, just not where the movie puts them. In Cantonese, the term gweilo (ghost man) is often translated as "white devil" or "foreign devil." It’s been used for centuries to describe Westerners. But in the world of Steve Oedekerk (the film's director), it was just a spicy bit of dialogue to make Ace look like a total idiot.
Why the "White Devil" Joke Still Sticks
Why do we still talk about this?
Maybe it’s because Jim Carrey’s performance was so physical that you didn't need a translation to get the joke. When he’s trying to speak the language later in the film, he’s basically just making animal noises and rhythmic grunts.
The humor comes from the contrast.
Ace is trying to be "at one with nature" and respectful of the "sacred bat," but he’s actually just a bull in a china shop. The "White Devil" label is the tribe’s way of acknowledging that he’s an outsider who brings nothing but chaos.
And chaos he brings. From the "Circle of Death" fight—where he gets spears through both thighs and shouts "It's in the bone!"—to the infamous rhino birth scene, Ace is a walking disaster.
The Trolling Translator Theory
There’s a popular fan theory that Ouda, played by Maynard Eziashi, was actually a master troll.
Think about it. Ouda is the only one who bridges the gap between the British consulate and the tribes. In several scenes, he "translates" Ace’s peaceful messages into aggressive declarations of war.
- Ace: "War is hell! The last thing we want is a fight!"
- Ouda: "I want a fight, so go to hell!"
Is Ouda a bad translator? Or does he just hate Ace? Most fans lean toward the latter. Ouda spent the whole movie being treated like a sidekick to a lunatic; making the "White Devil" look like a warmonger was probably the only way he could vent his frustration. It’s a subtle layer of comedy that makes the movie hold up better than some of its more "of-the-time" gags.
The Darker Side of the "White Devil" Plot
Beneath the slapstick, the movie actually has a weirdly cynical plot about colonialism. The villain isn't the "warlike" Wachootoo. It’s Vincent Cadby, the British Consul General.
Cadby is the one who stole the Great White Bat. Why? Because he wanted the tribes to go to war so he could move in and claim the bat caves for their guano (bat poop), which was worth billions as fertilizer.
When the truth comes out at the end, Ouda points at Cadby and screams, "Eqinsu Ocha!"
This is the only time the phrase is used seriously. The tribes stop fighting each other and turn their spears toward the actual "White Devil"—the man trying to exploit their land for profit. It’s a surprisingly heavy theme for a movie that also features a man talking with his butt.
Is It Still Funny?
Comedy ages like milk. What was hysterical in 1995 often feels "cringe" in 2026. Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls definitely has moments that make modern audiences squirm. The depiction of the African tribes is a collection of every "savage" stereotype in the book.
However, the "White Devil" joke escapes a lot of that criticism because the butt of the joke is always Ace.
He’s the one who is out of his element. He’s the one being ridiculed by the "natives." When he tries to join the "Circle of Death," he doesn't win through bravery; he wins because his pathetic whimpering makes the Chief laugh so hard he lets him go.
The movie recognizes that Ace is a ridiculous figure.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Rewatch
If you’re going back to watch this classic, keep an eye out for these details:
- The Ad-libs: Pay attention to the scenes where Ace "speaks" Wachootoo. Much of that was Jim Carrey riffing. You can see the other actors struggling to keep a straight face.
- The Ending: The movie ends with the two tribes uniting not in peace, but in their shared hatred of Ace after he... well, disrupts a certain "virginity" requirement for the royal wedding.
- The Sound Design: The way the word "Shikaka" is whispered every time it’s mentioned is a parody of how "sacred" items are handled in adventure films like Indiana Jones.
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls might be a product of a different era, but the "White Devil" sequence remains a masterclass in how to use a single phrase to build a recurring gag. It turned a meaningless, made-up phrase into a piece of pop culture history that still gets quoted at bars and on Reddit threads decades later.
Next time someone tells you they "come in peace," you know exactly what to call them.
Just make sure there aren't any spears nearby.