-Satyakam Ray
Imagine entering the 90s, when there was only one mode of entertainment: Doordarshan on TV. The kids and their parents sought relaxation and enjoyment. They were captivated by the charm of Jaspal Batti and others’ witty, comedic acts. This golden generation of artists relies on content. They have perfect comedic timing. They use specific social occasions to elicit laughter from the audience. Then, comedic acts were pure, devoid of double-meaning jokes and vulgarity. If reference is given to any sensual act, it would be a euphemism only. The audience was sober and engaged in a meaningful conversation about life through a comedic lens.
Skip to the current scenario of Stand-up comedy shows. Most stand-up comedians can’t crack a joke without using vulgar language. Only a small number of speakers use genuine content and humor to entertain the audience. Many roast shows have been running online that use dark humor as a medium of entertainment. A well-known comedian has been embroiled in legal disputes. This happened after they sparked controversy on India’s Got Latent for promoting vulgar content. Such content is punishable under the IT Act.
Then a natural question pops up in the mind: What happened in between? Why such a drastic change? The journey began with Jaspal Bhatti’s witty humor. It moved to the laughter challenge and comedy circus. And now, it has reached dark “would you rather” questions. The answer lies in demographic change and shifting cultural preferences among the audience. The boomer, millennial, and elderly generations often prefer older stand-up comedy. Still, the new Gen Z and Gen X favor cringe content. Under the freedom of expression privilege, everyone can engage in and enjoy comedic entertainment. Comedians should not abuse others’ modesty to enjoy stardom in the name of comedy. They should learn basic decency. They should also know some civic sense.
The fundamental question arises: What subjects can comedians use in punchlines and in criticism? Of course, politics, sports, general public life, and day-to-day life activities can be considered when writing jokes. Before the sprouting of so many comedy shows online, comedians were also using these types of subjects to crack jokes. Still, many stand-up comedians today do clean comedy. They criticize government policies or controversial topics. They do this to challenge authority or to elicit laughter from the audience. The only issue concerns the use of offensive language, often intended to provoke laughter. Stand-up comedians have become so predictable. An audience member can actually guess when the abuse will come out of a comedian’s mouth. It has become a filthy show with zero accountability and poor taste in words and manners. The standards have decreased so much. Now, teenagers watch stand-up comedy shows to learn vulgar words. They hear explicit, abusive language and pick up questionable behavior.
What about the audience who consumes this type of content? People who go to comedy clubs generally laugh spontaneously at the slightest hint. They even laugh at nothing at times. This behavior makes it appear as if everything is scripted. One can question the authenticity of these laughs. It’s a natural tendency to laugh when we are in a comedy club. “Hasna tha kya” – is the most commonly used comment under these shows’ videos. Stand-up comedians lack humor and wit. They resort to abuse and roasts to fill the void. They do this to conceal their shortcomings. It was adequately explained by the Bollywood lyricist and Writer Javed Akhtar.
Many people enjoy the Kapil Sharma show. It’s a family comedy with significantly less abusive or objectionable content. There are a few body-shaming comments. Billions of people love this show, and many celebrities come to it to promote their movies or shows. Still, the show entertains the audience through miming. It also uses varied character portrayals. The artists’ improvisation on stage adds to the entertainment. A few may argue that the show has drawbacks, but its clean comedic image has been maintained.
Stand-up comedians can’t make excuses; they are doing comedy, keeping the audience’s demands in mind. A certain level of messaging should be available to promote decency and reduce sexual content in the jokes. The Supreme Court has asked the comedians and panel members of the Latent show to seek an apology. This demand is due to the vulgar content and hateful speech used against disabled persons. No one can come and vomit their intrusive sexual cringe on stage while performing stand-up comedy. The trend among comedians must be channeled appropriately for entertainment purposes only. The verbal pornography content must stop now.
The Witty Stride 