the extent of comedy

BECAUSE SHIT HAPPENS

Somuch is being said about this issue on national television, the social mediaand every other media that we have at our disposal today. It only leaves usmore vulnerable to think about the issue further.I am choosing this platform to do thesame.

I have been following it quite closely and I see there are many aspects of it that unfold as you read and think about it. I am outlining some main ideas through my perspective here.

A REMINDER:

Even before we begin, we should remind ourselves about who we are talking about. She is the woman whose songs our parents and grandparents have romanced to. THAT is her stature and we ought to keep that in mind.

Perhaps the English language has no direct substitute for the word ‘buzurg’. It’s important to remind ourselves that its not ‘COOL’ to forget such words under the name of being urbane or liberal. One of which is here-

We seemed to have fixated ourselves to a false notion of being modern. Treating elders with respect is one thing that absolutely doesn’t qualify for being modern.

COMEDY:

Iam no comedian. But, I am definitely a loyal fan. One article read how important it is to protect his freedom of expression because comedy is the tool of the powerless. If that is true, it means it’s something that the aam-admi uses against the powerful - who abuse their power. I see no reason why these two legends should be the target. I see no ghotalas or scams by them, I see no shitty lyrics produced by them, no crappy politics, no exploitation of any sort, no demeaning art or sport, no abuse of manpower or whatever. I find it difficult to believe why such people should be the target.There isn’t one reason that any sane person can think of.

I am all up for using comedy to talk about the problems. Comedy SHOULD talk about all the injustice or the fouls of the social system that are taking place in the system. However, this is neither funny nor does it have a purpose. I am attaching purpose to it because the industry of comedy HAS given it a purpose, which goes beyond making people laugh;a purpose to help bring about a change – a much needed social change. They have taken a jab at many people but there was no serious criticism about it – perhaps because the ones being laughed on deserved it. Perhaps the sarcasm and satire had a deeper meaning that everyone agreed to. And hence, I believe that no one, no personalityshould be immune from criticism. However, there is one exception- except the ones who have earned It., in the right way. It is needless to mention that the people talking about are self-made honest people who have taken their respective genres to the next level. I don’t want to talk about their greatness because it is so obvious.

PUBLICITY:

Somecritics say that this was for publicity. Now I absolutely refuse to believethat. AIB has always created great content - in terms of the message and thenature of its persuasiveness. Their honest series and on-air with AIB takes a sarcastically acrid take on the social conditionof the Country like nobody else ever has. They are immensely popular. And I am trulyand completely on their side for standing up, literally, through their comedyfor people who most need it. It is almost educational, enlightening even! I sometimes feel the immense supporters of Tanmay are the ones who are such fans of AIB that they feel obligated to support him consciously or subconsciously – knowingly or unknowingly.They have a huge fan following,especially, amongst the younger generation.But none of us have the luxury to let that come in the middle of our judgment of right and wrong and our basic and intuitive human understanding of morals and culture.

THE LINE:

A huge debate revolves around where the line should be drawn. There seems to be a consensus among everyone (who unfortunately had to watch the video) about how un-funny it is; it is in Foul taste and absolutely purposeless. However, in its defense, I also feel this is the most obvious thing to have happened after words like these...

”Glossy lips, uffyeah tricks,
Baby lagdie killer,
Oh yeah oh yeah
Katal karetera bomb figure.”

I haven’t used the word lyrics because they hardly qualify as them- they don’t …Such words are not lyrics.

It’s because this is the kind of shit that has been produced in the industry and popular culture in this country that the legends have to hear this kind of shit.

It is argued that people who don’t like such comedy should not watch it. Let the oneswho find it funny enjoy it. That argument is as rubbish as saying that people enjoy porn so the media should broadcast it on national television. People who find it offensive should stay away from those channels. I also feel something is off about people who enjoy such kind of clips funny. Perhaps we have done a bad job raising our kids and giving them a sense of what’s right and what’s wrong. Perhaps we haven't equipped them with a better sense of aesthetics, good comedy, and art.

BHARAT RATNA

It think it’s a coincidence that they are both Bharatratnas. But at very humanitarian levels its wrong to joke about any body'sage or features. It’s the worst kind of content for jokes or subject foranything I think when we talk about subjects that are sensitive and have to do with the natural process of living a normal life.

ROE

This argument is driven completely by personal interests, I observed. We are all up for freedom of expression. We are all standing up for his freedom of speech because we are desperate to keep ours in place. We want to do anything and everything to make sure that nothing I took away from us. Freedom of expression comes with something else called the responsibility of what it is that is being expressed. I can do random shit because I have some XYZ right. We are expectedto act and behave under certain guidelines that come naturally to us along withour human bodies. People who do not understand self-censorshipdon’t deserve an equal freedom of expression.

THE ROAST

I really think all the political aspects at are being angled into this massacre. I really think it’s the fallout of what they couldn’t achieve during their protest on the AIB roast. People are cashing in on this opportunity to father their interests that couldn’t be fulfilled earlier.

OVER REACTION

I hardly think this is an overreaction. Perhaps we would care more if he had manhandles someone. Human beings have this problem in general. We don’t tend to pay enough attention to anything that isn’t physical or tangible. Just because that abuse is mental, threatening human values – we choose to call them over reactions. This isn’t any less of an offense than manhandling of the weak by the stronger.

PRIORITIES

I agree completely with everyone who suggests this isn’t really the need of the hour. Maybe India has better things tolook after. I agree completely. However, it’s important to point out that not all of India is growing at the same pace and not all residents in India have an equal socio economic status. We live in a country that isn’t progressing at the same stage.

Fore.g. last year, there was a debate about people wanting to kiss in public. That might be important to people living in urban areas and watching ‘too many English TV shows’, I guess. But that stands nowhere in comparison to the other more important issues. This issue like the one I just mentioned isn’t as nearly as important as farmer suicide. However, it does matter because it touches what is most human – the aesthetics, the art and the morals that make are what we are –human – thinking and feeling – not just surviving. Since all people have a different background we the priorities are also different and so are the issues. One ought to understand that one thing can’t be left over the other.

THE SAME BRUSH

This is perhaps the only thing that matters. Neither are the legends getting affected, and neither is the news or the politicians remember this past a few days – weeks, tops. AIB, EIC, and TVF along with a lot of others are doing great and meaningful comedy. No man in this country has to be explained about the adversaries that are a parent in each and every part of the country. Every intellectual cares about them.However, no one has made people conscious and brought about a social revolution like we these guys have done. I have mentioned this and I am saying it again, the honest series and on-air series are educational in the way they capture the senses of the problems,they are using to take action and making us more aware without being boring.The budding genre of comedy has single handedly brought about a reaction at none of us could otherwise.

However,this one incident takes unnecessary bashing at everyone trying to make a different where it matters the most. Politicians and governments and Bollywood and everyone else that these people criticize because they rightly should be, get a chance to paint everyone with the same brush. The comedians have put a lot on the linewhen creating really harsh but true content. It's sad how these intellectual comedians had to take a hit are bear the heat unnecessarily because of one person who chose to do soothing out of the line. It is a small community and it’s obvious that they would have to bear the brunt of anyone who goes wrong. But I wish this doesn’t harm they social movement and revolution in any way. That is the saddest part of it all.

My veracity is of a capricious nature at this point in time. This is my take on the topic; I do not mean to declare this as the ultimate reality for the subject. Please refer the experts in the given field to get a more comprehensive understanding of the same. All brand names and photographs belong to their respective copyright owners.