A really funny sense of humour

FUNNY. It’s a funny word. In this case, it means strange, or weird.

You could call Douglas Lim funny because he makes you laugh, but when you tell someone “don’t try to be funny”, that’s another thing altogether.

Now, we have a woman who literally tried to be funny, but with an unfunny joke that included doffing some clothes.

The joke she started, like the Bee Gees might say, has got the whole country crying out loud.

The thing is, there was nothing comical about what has happened; and the Crackhouse Comedy Club, which gave the woman her three minutes of fame, has now descended into infamy.

The club has been closed, through no fault of its own – although Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) now claims it is a licensing issue – and the woman and her boyfriend who uploaded the video are facing jail terms.

Personally, I think it’s overkill. The couple needs a strong sounding out, maybe some counselling and rehab. But jail time? One can only hope the courts will be magnanimous. Stupidity should not be a jailable offence.

The problem is that in Malaysia, we need to be sensitive. There are many who are triggered by many things, especially when it comes to race and religion.

And there are many who brazenly demean the race and religion of others.

Already another case is brewing, with netizens digging up an old video of the club’s co-founder making jokes about his fellow Malays’ lack of interest in other languages.

The man made his joke in stuttering Tamil and pointed out that some Malays would not understand it even if he were to repeat it in English.

The audience guffawed. It was Malaysians laughing at themselves over the ever-declining standard of our English.

But online, he has earned himself a lot of hate and that has now flowed over.

Hate seems to be a common commodity, and many do maliciously make demeaning statements about other races and religions.

There was one guy who told children that Indians were black, like devils (hantu), so they were the same. Not at all funny. An Indian woman, speaking perfect Malay, told him off.

That, I think, was the correct response. No need for violence and vitriol.

The biggest offenders are usually the recently-converted religious types. For them, their favourite targets are often those of the religion and race they had originally been born into.

These people, more than comedians whose jokes fall flat, need to be stopped.

But those within the communities also take too much liberty, believing they have the right to criticise their own.

There is this Indian filmmaker who recently produced a poster for a documentary she made in Canada, showing the Hindu goddess Kali smoking a cigarette and waving the Pride flag. Many were not amused and she has been summoned by a Delhi court.

But again the critics have gone too far with death threats and abuse. The organisers did the right thing by just not screening her show. That should hit the artiste where it hurts most.

There is no reason for death threats, abuse or even jail.

It has happened in Malaysia too. A singer made a grand entrance into a smoky pub full of people, dressed as the goddess and belting out her new “devotional number”.

She lost her job. Last I heard, she had moved to Singapore. It’s a pity really. She was a very good singer.

Hindus are known to take liberties with the idols of their deities. Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, is depicted in murthis (statues) showing him on a swing, napping, playing the mirthangam (Indian drum) or blowing on the nathaswaram (a wind instrument similar to the oboe).

These are often laughed off, even accepted as they build a relationship between the faithful and the deity. But dressing up as a deity smoking and waving the Pride flag? I think not.

It has also happened during Thaipusam when kavadi bearers take on “avatars” as the deities, complete with cigars and large machetes. These too have been banned in Malaysia during recent times.

Talking of kavadis, even the Umno deputy president has not been spared. He put his foot in his mouth when comparing the Hindu religious ritual with the “burden” his party has had to bear since the electoral defeat of 2018.

I have been a kavadi bearer for more than two decades and I know that the contraption can weigh anything from 30kg to 40kg, but you know what they say: “It ain’t heavy.” When carried with devotion, it becomes almost weightless.

Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (or Tok Mat), I am told, is a very likeable person who has the support of all races and faiths in Negri Sembilan. But he really should not have used as an analogy something he had no knowledge about. To emphasise his ignorance, he referred to kavadis during Deepavali instead of Thaipusam. His ignorance is laughable and something to laugh off.

Instead, there are some Bersatu (Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia) guys who want him to apologise and the cops are investigating him.

It’s also funny how this bit of controversy broke. He had given an interview to the Asia Times portal, but this portion was not reported. He denied the story that did come out; the portal then released a recording of the full interview - and he got outed on the kavadi bit.

It really is funny how the universe works. And often, it is not funny at all. We just have to know the difference.