The Witty Stride

   – Satyakam Ray

Here goes a 100% true story. Once, an IAS officer, respected for his work ethic and integrity, retired from service. His phone, emails, and social media accounts were inundated with congratulatory messages. But one question kept asking him what he would do to kill time. All the questions were intended for good, although they bothered the recently retired bureaucrat. One day, a well-wisher asked him the same question again. The soft-spoken civil servant answered that he would search for his obituary in the newspapers. The former was momentarily dumbfounded before regaining his composure. In the meantime, the bureaucrat was calm, as if nothing had happened. That is a typical example of dark Humor.

What’s Dark Humor?

Dark Humor is also known as black Humor or gallows humor. This form of comedy addresses difficult or taboo subjects. Examples include death, violence, sexuality, or discrimination. While dark humor has broader themes, gallows humor focuses more specifically on death. Studies indicate that individuals who understand dark humor have higher IQs and are less prone to extreme behavior. Appreciating dark humor requires guts.

It’s a natural human instinct. It is often practiced among people in professions related to dark subjects. These include firefighters, funeral workers, soldiers, and medical staff. The morbid reality seldom concerns these individuals, who are accustomed to observing daily events. The calm demeanor of these individuals may leave ordinary people who rarely witness death up close bewildered. For obvious reasons, they keep the joke to themselves. 

English professor and humorist Paul Lewis warns about dark Humor. It depends on the context. The context changes depending on whether the victim or someone else tells the joke. Minor sensitivity is also required in dark comedy, which is often dangerous and unacceptable.

A dark joke goes like this: If one door closes and another opens, your house is probably haunted. A reader might think that after the door opens and closes. The second line could be “You will find a way.” The reader might also expect other optimistic lines. God has a solution for every problem, or something else. But the dark Humor catches you unguarded with a twist.

Dark Humor: Examples in History

The most famous dark story belongs to a criminal in 1825 whose last wish was to play nine-pin bowling before execution. When the game was about to begin, and the criminal stopped to bowl, the executioner struck the fatal blow. The head dropped into the culprit’s hand as he raised himself, immediately aiming at the ninth, considering the head as the bowl. All nine fell, and the head exclaimed loudly, “I have won the game.” That may sound gruesome to almost everyone, but the executioner had the best laugh of his life, and so did the culprit (the last one!)!

During the French Revolution, Georges-Jacques Danton told the executioner, “Don’t forget to show my head to the people; it’s well worth it!” Danton had smallpox scars. Gary Gilmore, a convict, told the firing squad, “Let’s do it.” Inspired by that moment, Nike, the sports shoe company, created the tagline.

Indian Perspective:

In the Indian context, dark comedy becomes relatable in light of the many coronavirus deaths. Imagine if the dead bodies found on the Ganga riverbed could talk to each other. In their newly acquired afterlife state, they might discuss whether they were numbered in the COVID death registrar. 

We might not find dark comedy funny or even consider it an art form. Nonetheless, the dark Humor will survive as a substitute for overly positive vibes, offering self-deprecating, morbid jokes. The Indian mentality is too regressive. It’s better to use it after a review of the audience. 

The comedy clubs in every corner of metropolitan cities have sprouted up. They now employ dark comedy to entertain urban audiences. It belongs to the blue comedy genre but is classified as dark comedy. The jokes are mainly based on the sexuality of both genders. It’s encouraging to see young men and women expressing themselves openly. They are exploring many taboo subjects. These subjects have never been heard of in Indian households. Dark comedy is informal sex education for some. Still, some comedians face criticism. They are labeled as amoral, disturbed youngsters by those who pretend to be the guardians of our “lost” culture.

In Western countries, dark comedy has long been established as a distinct art form within the broader field of comedy. Roasting is a type of dark comedy where participants can comment on sexuality, intimate relationships, work, and even race. The roasting often crosses the line, and the situation becomes ugly. A liberal attitude and thick skin are essential to withstand criticism without becoming offended. Indian comedians don’t enjoy the same privilege as their foreign counterparts in the dark comedy genre. A few years ago, AIB, an Indian comedy group, organized a roast that drew severe criticism before it was released online. Many Indian celebs enjoyed the show to the fullest, though.

Indian roasting is all about body shaming, as seen in many comedies or talk shows. It’s a form of body shaming that comes under dark Humor. On The Kapil Sharma Show, the master entertainer, Mr. Sharma, often jokes about body fat, height, skin color, or even the size of his lips! Artists practicing dark comedy are usually afraid of getting booked by any religious or right-wing group. So, they hide all the armor (jokes) while presenting it to the Indian audience. It will take years for the Indian audience to enjoy dark humor.

For now, dark comedy clubs can run only in the dark. If a Myntra logo is a disgraced, pervasive creation, then appreciating proper dark comedy is a distant dream.