COMEDY REALLY IS A SERIOUS BUSINESS

Humour is not just about laughing and making others laugh. The level and quality of humour in a society is a very good indicator of the intellectual level of the society. Things that people find funny, joke about and are ALLOWED to joke about tells a lot about the mental progress the society has made.

Now days, when I see the things that go under the name of 'comedy' in India and I see people laughing at them, I worry about the future of the nation. The society has been collectively dumbed down and the downfall continues!! Political correctness is one reason but also the benchmark has been steadily brought down in the last 2 to 3 decades. Having grown up watching movies like 'Golmaal' (1980), 'Chupke Chupke' and listening to Pu La Deshpande (In Marathi), the only thing I find funny about most of today's so-called comedy is that people find it funny at all.

I remember watching serials like ‘Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi’ and ‘Wagle ki Duniya’ in my school days. The best part about these serials (and the comedy movies in those days) was that they did not make any effort to make you laugh. People just went about their lives and parts in these and you laughed because they brought out the humour so effortlessly. Like so many other things those days, humour was simple, effortless and effective. Where is that creative talent gone? Have we really lost it?   

British comedian Ricky Gervais says that nothing is above and beyond jokes. What he means is that anything and everything AND everyone can and should be joked about. That is the point of jokes. George Carlin too was of the same opinion. These two (along with many others) actually joked about everything that they could think of and did not face any repercussions more serious than counter opinions and harsh words. Will such comedians in India have the same luxury?

In British movies, the royal family has been the butt of jokes many times. ‘Yes Minister’ and ‘Yes Prime Minister’ both popular comedy TV serials in the 80s tore into the British political system and bureaucracy. Never once did they face any censure. In fact, they were the favourite TV programs of the former British PM, late Mrs. Margaret Thatcher. Similarly, the US president, the most powerful person on the earth, has been spoofed in so many Hollywood movies. (Not all of these depictions have been very flattering.)  How many film makers have been pulled up for this? Do you remember any Indian equivalent?

The sad part is, it is not just about humour in entertainment. Even in our day to day lives, people (myself included) have become so sensitive. I remember instances when I have said something that would otherwise have passed off as humour. The reaction of the people was taking offense and reprimanding me. I was left wondering what went wrong. I was supposed to be ‘sensitized’ about people’s sensibilities and not ‘offend’ them. All I intended to do was make them laugh. Have you also experienced this?

I fully agree that there are things that people (including myself) are genuinely sensitive about and their sensitivities should be respected. The problem is that the list of these things is growing longer and longer each day.  I feel that we have started taking too many things far too seriously. We need to loosen up a bit. Quality of humour in entertainment is just one part but ask yourself this, “Are we laughing less and less every day?” Many people will attribute their lack of laughter to work related stress and the pressures of life. This is so loaded with irony. Laughter is EXACTLY what they need to ease the burden of a situation like this. I have seen work places where they take their work, and ONLY their work seriously. The atmosphere is jovial and full of laughter. Guess what? These work places are far more efficient and productive than places where people go out of their way to look and act serious.

Well, I touched upon the standard of humour in our entertainment (Movies and TV) and our daily lives. The topic is vast and I could go on and on. BUT in the end let me say this, the two are related. Our choices in entertainment reflect our behavior in our daily lives. Think about it. (And laugh about it. 😊)