關於 experiences or possessions ，我們在網路上蒐集到這些相關的討論、資訊與評價

“On the contrary, most local comedians who do their shows in English or Malaysian-English tend to resort to crude, rude, insulting or racist humour which many would find offensive and in poor taste. While a specific audience may find this amusing, they would not appeal to a broader audience.”

The above is an excerpt from an opinion letter to The Star by A Moreton-Shabirin of Kuantan written on 7 November 2018. The title of the piece was “Offensive humour is not funny.” Link attached.

Firstly I want to put it out there that I appreciate the opinion and more so, the desire to discuss the state of comedy in a national paper. Lord knows we could use the publicity! Thank you so much. Back to the opinion piece— it is a valid opinion but one that I find myself unable to fully agree because ‘offensive’ or ‘rude’ felt like a generalisation here. So here are my thoughts.

This matters to me because I am part of the young but hungry comedy scene in Malaysia. 10 years ago, there was only one show a month, TimeOut KL Comedy Thursday, with only five to eight regular aspiring-comedians. Presently, while comedy venues/clubs are closing down in regional Singapore and Hong Kong, Malaysia has Crackhouse Comedy Club, operating at least 5 days a week, on course to celebrate their fifth birthday in 2019 and another full-time comedy club, Joke Factory. We are thriving, baby!

Number of comedians have risen close to the sun as well. I worked on a stand-up comedy TV show, Sedapnya Mulut, produced by my friend Shamaine Othman, where 42 comedians, new and haggard, were involved in. That’s 42 comedians okay-ed for the Malaysian TV masses!

As a storyteller, comedian, person, one of your most accessible yet valuable possessions are your stories and experiences. The writer wants to hear them all— BUT CLEAN! I think that is non-starter approach to comedy. My favourite comedian, Mike Birbiglia, said, “All jokes are offensive…to someone.” in his special ‘Thanks God For Jokes’ which by the way, is an ESSENTIAL viewing for the writer (it is on Netflix and I implore you to watch it when you find the time). Birbiglia was addressing the Charlie Hebdo incident where 10 satirist/comedy writers were murdered.

Comedy always has a victim. Wait, victim is a strong word but I can’t think of another at the moment. Sorry. Anyway, I’m going to prove this fact. The writer names Jim Gaffigan, Michael McIntyre, and Jerry Seinfeld among others who has achieved immense success without the need to be offensive. Great list of comedians. In Gaffigan’s latest (and very good) special, Nobel Ape, (available on Spotify), he has a fantastic bit on massages. It goes, “What do we really know about massage therapist? They like to rub strangers for money, while listening to the Avatar soundtrack. That’s a red flag. Those are the traits of a serial killer.” In this joke, the target, TARGET! That’s the word I was looking for, not victim. The target in the joke are massage therapists but even when put in the context of a comedy show, told by a wholesome father of five, can anyone guarantee no one will find it insulting (offensive)? Not a chance. Micheal McIntyre has a bit on the sport of tennis and cricket having too much ‘faffing’ and goes into a potent physical act-out of all the ‘faffing’ that goes on. The target there are tennis players and cricket players. Comedy always has a target.

Seinfeld swore on stage early in his career but decided to stopped. He discussed this in yet another ESSENTIAL viewing for the writer— HBO’s ‘Talking Funny’. On the flip side, Pete Holmes, another comedians refrained from swearing on stage to be ‘wholesome’ and ‘clean’ but finally found his stride when he let loose and started swearing (like a sailor). He discussed this on Mike Birbiglia’s recent podcast, ‘The Old Ones’.

I have seen crude, racist, dirty or insulting comedy on the Malaysian stage. I don’t agree with all of it but I understand because I started there too. I thought a joke was more likely to land when you draw from a shared pool of knowledge. For me, the shallowest, closest part of the pool would be our multiculturalism— Chinese are like this, Malays are like that, Indians are forgotten.

Eventually I grew out of it, and pride myself a clean comedian for many years. But this year, I caught myself swearing on stage. I was a bit upset but it also felt natural to me. Swearing existed in my psyche, in my thoughts, so why shouldn’t it exist in my words given the right circumstances like a comedy show marketed to 18-and-over only? Did it hurt anyone? I don’t know. Is it a big deal? No, I don’t think so.

Maybe the comedians the writers had watch here were aspiring comedians like myself, 10 years ago. Green and unsure of their voices yet. That’s okay. But I want to assure the writer that while the stand-up comedy stage is the closest semblance to freedom of speech, we draw lines that cannot be crossed. I have seen people get thrown off the stage for performing chauvinistic, bigoted material. Back when I started and operated the once-a-month comedy show, there was a bigot who’s whole set was women-bashing and so we pulled him off the stage. Months later he came back, told us he had a ‘new set’ and that he learnt his lesson. We let him back on stage and he had replaced women-bashing with Muslim-bashing. Alamak!!! What did we do? We banned him from ever performing on our stage. (Comedians of 2010s, remember this buttface?!)

I really like that the writer is a comedy fan. I don’t even know all the comedians he’s named! The vastness of knowledge is such a beautiful thing.

But I have to say that this difference in opinion is in some ways our doing as well. Whenever someone says “comedy in Malaysia”, the sad sad truth is what it really means is “comedy in KL/PJ”. After all, Crackhouse is in TTDI KL, Joke Factory is in Publika, KL. The myriad of open-mic shows are all in KL/PJ. Why haven’t we in the last 10 years been able to built a sustainable route to more cities around the country? This is a conundrum that upsets me and one I hope to fix.

I do want to do my part so here’s a promise: The one-hour show that I wrote this year, Electric Butterflies, has been booked to perform in Adelaide and Edinburgh in 2019 but I have also started putting together a national and regional tour route. I promise the writer, I will bring the show to Kuantan! Please come! But, be warned, comedy always has a target!

Till next year, don’t stop watching comedy. Trust me, like the rest of the world, you WILL grow to like our jokes.

Jenhan

Wanna hear a true story based on a true life experience?

I've always learnt that life is a learning experience. I grew up having so many amazing people who some taught, showed, lead and even inspired me on how I should perceive what living in this world would be all about. Some may not be as close to me now but they left a positive mark. The negative ones become a light as well. Many who are very close to me now are the ones that bring sunshine and glitters to my life. Thanks for loving me! My experiences has shaped me and having gone through much pain as a kid with a broken family background and betrayals in my early adulthood made me realised that nothing stays the same. It's meant to either be dissolved or grow for the greater. Just like a plant. It grows if we nourish our soul. It dies if we put the wrong soil. At least that's the science of life. And at some point we've gotta make a choice, stand for ourselves and start living the kind of life we want to build. To embrace it as our own, based on our strong believes. And hence a lot of my life experiences has taught me positive and valuable lessons, opened my eyes and mind to the best possible beauty of it's mystery behind many miseries.
Some people questioned where do I gain my perseverance or tolerance? My ability to make peace or always being the one that's willing to accept people or learn in any situation. THAT, made me. I'm not and never a saint or perfecto. I'm just a broken soul. Simple, I was broken many times. And that's the beauty because you get fixed, restored after every crashing (metaphorically speaking. not car crash).
It somehow shaped me. But having to be so open and willing, I learnt the hard way that we should not succumb to people's objectification or patronisation. No one has the right to no matter how powerful they are. I've learnt that it's important to stand firm for yourselves and be able to live based on your values, the vision one has in their mind and passion within their hearts. To represent yourselves. It's makes you a being. More than a being, a soulful empowerment with great vision or mission to define your life and sole purpose of why you do the things you do.
Now we've all got the science of it because it's all being formulated and laid upon us that 1+1= 2 and for some people they live by their treachery ways having believe that - 'THIS is the way. The only way'. And force their way to make people follow their ways. Trust me, I've heard it so many times and sorry to say this even we religious people preaches the same. But aren't we all lost souls who are losing our grips seeking for a saviour or at least something to hold on? Hope ? A light in the tunnel? Money in our empty accounts so we can live comfortably? Investment so our future won't be weary? Fuel to drive our cars? Nice outfits to look good and to cover up our vulnerability? Relationship/friendship to fill our lonely hearts? Curry or gravy in our plain rice ? We are all the same. Everything is a whole and it has connection to it. It's not a separated formula that you call it a subject. It's a whole. We are all the same trying to survive, we are made to fight, rebel and survive. Not generate the art of slavery. Or objectify others based on our statuses. See, the thing is our perspective do make us.
Are we all breathing because we need to or because we want to ? I may be crazy for saying this, but it does make a difference. I don't want to survive, I want to live. I believe we all want the same.
At least we must look also at the artistic side of life (which many of us neglect).

My point is, don't judge. Don't name the value of other's worth because we think we know so. The truth is we have no idea on the cost everyone of us have to pay to be where we are today, still breathing the same air all of us breathe. If you need food to fill your hunger, so does everyone, regardless whether they are short, fat or thin or whether we think their ugly. We are still a body that will one day rot to our flesh and turn to dust. If you need money and finance or wealth, so does everyone. We are no saints nor gods to create what's the 'Shall be' pathway for people. We share our light and fire so everyone could find their way while others found theirs. We share our darkness while some are lost in it so that it could be a guide. Building a dream and our own life perspectively, is what we ought to do, a legacy that would make the world a better place for everyone and not just ourselves. That's an empire of pure joy and legacy. If in the midst we find people rejoicing and being generously helpful with your pursuit, that's a blessing. A family. A unit. Be it permanently or temporarily. They may not stay because we need to move on and they need to move on as well. It's sharing life together as seasons change. We were never meant to destroy each other. We're supposed to help each other to go through seasonal phase and battles so each and everyone of us could find our own way. It is greed and the yearning of power/authority and our deceitful pride that binds and blinds us. Sadly many of us could not live without the pride we have now such as our material possessions, fame, convenience or even authority. As we are inhaling too much of these hazed airs, it becomes toxic within our lungs. It clouds our mind with dusty thoughts, then vaporises it into dirty deceitful acts. I would never want that. As I see many who steps others down to climb up or use others as a benefit, I would long no more for such destructive manner of life. Is that all we've got as humans? I don't believe so.

Am thankful to all whom played a role in my life. Each and everyone of, you are my inspiration. And I thank you. Because of our imperfections and constant struggle to find meaning in life has lead us towards a pure acceptance that strengthen us. It is your tears, joy, story, passion and honesty that motivates me. Today I've pondered upon my own phase of life. What I don't want to be and it has to stop. For it to stop it takes a firm stand. "It just HIT me. I guess I'm broken." Hence it inspired me to write.

*Sorry for the long post. I just had it in my brains and it has been within me for the past few days as I am mentally and physically unwell due to exhaustion or I would say it's definitely an emotional breakdown. I'm in need of a remedy. One that could set me free to take me to greater heights.

*Love yourself and never be afraid to move yourselves to an unknown place for it will widened your capacity. Believe in yourself and never be ashamed of your weaknesses. What have we got to hide ? For every weaknesses shall turn to strengths, hardship and brokenness to empowerment, hard work to success, imperfections to beauty and passion becomes a breathing life.
Live a meaningful life, out of superficiality. That's what we call a rich life.

Cheers :)