DEAR POLITICIANS WHO ARE SLOWLY TRYING TO TAKE THE INDEPENDENCE AWAY FROM HUMOUR, This open letter is for you. Watched the NEWSHOUR last night. The subject (under the yelling) seemed to be ‘Can Politicians/Institutions take action against humorists’? The panel is an esteemed collective of idiots and people who act foolish for a living. There’s also some great comedians on the show. The ‘censorship debate’ is a long one, and it’s honestly wasted on our current political crop. I’d rather spend time explaining how a humidifier works to a squirrel. That seems like a better to spend my time, not that I know how a humidifier works, or know any squirrels. But like it or not, official or unofficial, censorship is growing, fear is spreading and the amount we talk about it openly….is reducing, so here goes: Dear Politicians/Prudes/NewsEditors/CorporatesWhoControlEditors/PoliticalPartiesWhoControlThoseCorporates/InternetTrolls/Bhakts/Followers/Fans/PILFilers/RTIAbusers/OldGuysWhoAreJustGenerallyAngryInLife, Would you like to censor humour and regulate humour across all mediums? Yes. Here’s what you don’t know: YOU…..CAN’T….DO…IT. It’s impossible. And you’re welcome to try. Here’s why: Satire is a profession based on Human Nature, on an ingrained biological reflex action that has existed for thousands of years. As long as the reflex exists, so will the profession. Your logic is backwards and flawed. It’s like trying to ban onion farming because of farting. I’m not making fun of people when I go on stage. I’m talking to them. My show is about how my audience feels, all I’m doing is trying to see if I can make them admit it. If they laughed it says more about how they feel about you, rather than what came out of my mouth. Try listen to them, if not to me. I’m a humorist, and than means I’m human. I have a moral compass which lets me take responsibility for everything that comes out of my mouth. Don’t worry too much about punishing me. Here’s a newsflash, if I say something horrible, disgusting, reprehensible and offensive….the audience…will….not…laugh….and that is way worse than anything you could do to me. I have a microphone and 3000 people at each show. But I also have a twitter account, a facebook page, an email account, a cell phone, friends, colleagues, a mouth, a language, pen, paper, books, newspapers, magazines and whatever the hell ‘Tinder’ is. You’re committed to destroying my opinion? Good luck. My show isn’t about you, My show is about me. It’s about me standing in front of thousands of people willing to humiliate myself to any extent so that I can see a smile on their face (and also for cash). I spend 2 minutes saying funny things about you, I’ve spent a life time saying them about myself. Every second of embarrassment you’ve felt, I’ve felt worse. You want me to be respectful and decent? Hey…when you think about it…I treat you better than I treat myself. I love what I do. I love it so much that I’ve NEVER listened to the naysayers, or to any negativity that stood in my way because I knew this was my dream. You’re a leader right? You love this country? You love what you do? Prove it. Prove it by being strong enough to deal with the ranting of a fool like me. Maybe if you can deal with jesters, you’ll someday learn how to deal with voters. And finally, Please know that, you’re not the first to try and you wont be the last to fail. Governments come and go, censorship rises and falls, careers are made and broken…..humour stays. It will find a way, it’s like light. Whether it is retweeted by a million people, or whispered by a few, watched in theatres, or acted out in living rooms, televised during primetime, or conversed during downtime…..it lives and always will. So on 15th August my hope is that all of you will laugh. Just laugh uncontrollably at all the shit you’re not supposed to, at all the stuff that troubles you and at all the people that scare you. The jury is still out. Comedy in today’s India may or may not retain its independence, but laughter will always always be the best form of freedom. Happy Independence Day! Rajesh Raj K
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 07:13:59 +0000
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