Comedy is subjective. Violence is not.

Standup comedy is back in the news for the wrong reasons. Frankly, it’s always in the news for the wrong reasons. Which is sad but true. Which is also a great song by Metallica.

Let’s address the ‘controversy’ first

Let’s be fair to the politician - the joke was not funny.

Let’s be fair to the comedian - the reaction to that joke broke the law.

The thing with political comedy is that it is the hardest to pull off. If you don’t land a good joke, you land yourself in trouble. And if you land a good joke, well…….you land yourself in trouble. 

Though ‘trouble’ makes the content go viral. So not sure who wins in the end! The smart reaction would be to not react at all or, at best, say it’s unfunny. I am pretty sure 10x more people saw the video simply because of the controversy. 

A little secret: telling a comedian you’re not funny hurts more than filing legal cases..

Is this outrage surprising?

Hell no! Throughout history, across cultures, comedians have been targeted by those in power. The perk comes with the job. We all know it.

Also, let’s not kid ourselves with stuff like the free speech argument: Free speech does not exist - End of argument. Forget politicians; even corporate shows have a list of 40 things you can’t say on stage. So, let’s not pretend it’s just a political issue.

There is a huge difference between the ideals of art and the reality of our times. Ideally, there should not be any rules in comedy. That’s the very essence of the art form. Reality— in India, religious and now political jokes are an absolute no-no. You can accept it or go against this reality, but there’s no ambiguity that it will land you in the company of mobs and lawyers. Everyone is aware of these risks, even comedians who have faced trouble. It’s not a surprise; it is a choice.

Comedians make that choice, hoping that if it comes to that, it is just outrage and not violence!

Don’t take comedy too seriously

Some people take comedy / jokes too seriously. I personally have zero respect for such people. It’s a guaranteed mark of an insecure human being! If you don’t understand the difference between a joke and a TED talk - the problem is you!

These controversies, though, stem from a deeper reason. Now, jokes don’t live only in the room where they’re told. They eventually find their way onto the internet. When they do, two things happen: one, that viewpoint accumulates a following, which they fear; and two, everything one says can be misinterpreted or taken out of context, which comedians dread.

I bet every comedian has a joke that could turn into a disaster if taken out of context. Forget comedians - all of you, at a party, have said something that could end your career if taken out of context.

The context being: where it was said and with what purpose. A joke can be funny or unfunny. It cannot be evil. That is never its purpose.

I don’t like vulgar comedy. My view is that when a cuss word is used as a punchline - it isn’t comedy - it’s lazy writing. It is what you write when you don’t have the talent or the grit to write better. A cuss word is a weak comedian’s strongest weapon. So my reaction to vulgar comedy is - I don’t watch it. I don’t recommend it to friends and I don’t do it on stage.

That is all you have to do. Ignore the comedy you don’t like.

Standup comedy is the closest the performing arts can come to a meritocracy. There may be talented comedians who never achieved fame. But I’ve never heard of an unfunny comedian becoming successful.

So, relax and let the audience decide. You don’t need to break chairs for that. If they’re unfunny, those chairs will be empty soon.

And that brings me to you…..the audience.

Art is reflective of the society in which it exists

Admit it - you love controversies. You love tamasha. You reward shock value!

Cheapness & controversy sells in our country. That is why our entertainment is becoming louder, cruder, and more sensationalized. For an artist, there is hardly any incentive in being decent or controversy-free. I am not saying thats the only way to build a career, but it sure as hell is the easiest way.

I have witnessed posh crowd, in a posh venue laughing their hearts out at a comedian using the most offensive language. These are the same people, who at parties, outrage over cheap comedy. Don’t blame comedians for giving you what you want.

Hum ko jo taane dete hai
Hum khoye hain in rang raliyon mein
Hum ne un ko bhee chhup chhup ke
aate dekhaa in galiyon mein

We are playing without a playbook

We, comedians, do not have any playbook for pursuing this art form of standup comedy. We are all learning. We will all probably die learning.

Of course we will f**k up once in a while.

To be the only person in a room with a microphone who’s allowed to talk is a risky job and that is why standup comedy is an alpha job (not a male job - an alpha job).

Some would like our work. Some would hate it. We are fine with it. You know why? Because comedy is subjective.

But nobody should be allowed to resort to violence. You know why? Because comedy is subjective, but violence is not.

Love & hugs

A