‘Any publicity is good
publicity’ they say. Quite literally! In
the past few years, I have noticed Indian consumers enjoying abusive /
aggressive shows and have now taken to a new genre which is insult comedy.
There is a hint of verbal violence in most youth oriented shows in the recent
times. Roadies, to begin with, featured Raghu who could not mouth a sentence
sans an explicit. Then came
‘Bigg Boss’ – a show so loud and abrasive where contestants put one another to
shame by their histrionics. It is worth noticing that the most crass, foul
mouthed contestants and hosts are remembered for the longest time. Let me list
down some:
- Raghu and Rajiv the bald twins who enjoy belittling contestants
- Infamous Dolly Bindra who shook up the Bigg Boss house with her nasty and loud comments
- Himesh Reshammiya and Ismail Darbaar’s outrage and walk outs in Sa re ga ma
- Rakhee Sawant, well, in almost every show that she is a part of. But one cannot forget her squabble with our very own Mika paaji
And this is just the tip of the
iceberg.
Very recently, groups like the AIB
(All India Bakchod) and The Viral Fever that create parodies on topical issues
and (consumers all time favorite) the Indian film industry have been in the
news for their sarcastic sense of humor and abusive content. However, their
comedy sketches have been superhits with the consumers today! What I wonder is
how has our otherwise conservative society taken to such offensive and
antagonistic shows.
These insult-filled attacks are
buttoned up under the garb of entertainment and comedy, but what I find
interesting is how these channels and groups manage to feed such derogatory
content to their viewers. What amazes me further is the willingness of viewers
to enjoy such abusive shows…What do consumers like about these shows? What is
it about today’s consumers that makes them revel in such satire? What about explicit
comments and belittling people do consumers today find funny?
Over the years, Indian consumers
have become much more aware therefore evolved. Improved quality of education,
increased exposure as well as opportunities and accessibility through technology have
changed the way consumers think. Social networking sites have provided
consumers with a platform to express their views with utmost honesty – if you
don’t like it state it, if you are feeling hurt write a status, you do not
agree with what is happening around you publish a comment - thus making them
more tolerant and accepting of sardonic content. Perhaps they are conditioned
towards reading or hearing disparaging content. So if a show like AIB knockout
or videos by pretentious movie reviews or mockery by The Viral Fever have
explicit content, it does not evoke revulsion – it probably is what they are
accustomed to. Sarcasm seems to have become the choicest genre of humor.
Let us delve deeper into what has
brought consumers to enjoy sarcastic humor…Humor has been a topic of interest
for cognitive neuropsychologists. Theories suggest that comprehension of humor
lies in the lobes of the brain, frontal lobe being the key area that processes
humor. Some neuropsychologists reckon that the frontal lobe as well as the
areas around play a pivotal role in comprehending different kinds of humor.
Sarcasm activates brain networks engaged in language processing and mentalizing
(involves inferior frontal gyrus and prefrontal cortex). Research also suggests
that the brain regions (especially the frontal lobes) become more complex and
richer as humans evolve. Given the amount of exposure that the current
generations possess, the ability of today’s generations to comprehend satire
does not come as a surprise. This is perhaps what show makers cash in on.
Sarcasm sells big time with the newer generations! Perhaps the new age
comedians should thank the complex and ever evolving frontal lobes for this.
Let me be honest at this juncture
and express how much I have enjoyed watching these caricatures. Be it the rib
tickling burlesques of Arnab Goswami and Kejriwal put up by TVF (The Viral
Fever) or the witty yet jocular skit by AIB about Alia Bhatt’s general knowledge.
What prompted me to write this article were the other skits by TVF and AIB
where actors like Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor, Karan Johar, Parineeti Chopra
and Shahrukh Khan have willingly allowed show makers to (for the lack of better
words) whip their asses! The AIB knockout event had a turnout of 4000 viewers –
an enthused battalion gathered to see two famous celebrities stripped off their
dignity. Well, I will not deny that it was funny. I thoroughly enjoyed the do
(though I did not watch it Live). But what I wonder is why would consumers today
(and when I say consumers it includes me as well) get a thrill out of
humiliating someone…and mostly celebrities?!
Gossip is not the essence of this
genre of shows. While consumers enjoy watching shows that reveal scandalous,
incandescent secrets of the film fraternity, the shows that we are talking
about today are much different. They are a lot more intense and demeaning than
gossip shows. Some theories that I would like to put forth to explain the
success of the shows with abashful content especially towards celebrities:
·
Aspirational versus relatable?
Celebrities are no less than demigods for the cinema loving masses. They
are believed to have it all – money, status, power, luxurious lifestyles and
multitudes of followers. It is this sort of life that people aspire to live.
Most would give an arm to be in the shoes of their favorite celebrities. However,
this makes celebrities more aspirational than real; therefore, if I may say so,
distant and unrelatable in some ways. Shows like AIB knockout and TVF insult
comedy videos highlight the negatives of these celebrities. It conveys to the
consumers that these celebrities that they worship are real people who make
mistakes, whose lives are not as perfect and who also get spoken to the way
normal people do. When consumers see Arjun Kapoor or Ranveer Singh (the youth
icons) use abusive language to defend themselves, they connect with them
instantaneously – Arre yeh toh apne jaisa
hai! Therefore, it won’t be incorrect to say that insult comedies make
celebrities more relatable and bridge the farcical gap between their lives and
that of the consumers.
·
Subconscious need to inflict pain?
Consumers strive all their lives to earn a decent living. Most celebrities,
on the other hand, are believed to be born with a silver spoon in their mouth.
Glamour associated with the film industry and being a star overpowers the
efforts that go into becoming one and living up to the set standards or
expectations. Consumers lead stressful lives owing to the rise in competition.
There is constant pressure to convert opportunities into businesses and please
clients and the management at the same time. In spite of putting in their heart
and soul, most consumers feel underappreciated. This feeling of not achieving
as much as one should makes consumers resentful of those who have overachieved
(in their opinion). I am not trying to say that celebrities are overachievers
but they are definitely more established than our corporate consumers. These
consumers are not contemptuous of celebrities but of people who win accolades,
who earn much more, who get appreciated for their work and who seem to have
more relaxed lifestyle as compared to theirs – in their minds they could be
juxtaposing their boss’, classmates or their subordinates with celebrities. Therefore,
consumers actually enjoy shows that haul criticism at the successful – perhaps helps
them legitimize their own efforts.
·
Sadistic traits?
‘Everyday sadism’ is very common. Every individual has sadistic
tendencies. Research suggests that internet has played a large role in
sharpening this dark side of our personality. Sadism is said to have a strong
association with trolling tendencies and enjoyment of trolls – a very common
internet behavior. Therefore, internet in a way is habituating consumers
towards unfriendly and insensitive content. Everyday sadists, it is believed,
exploit others for personal pleasures – could be de-stressing, just having a
hearty laugh, brainless fun. We as people, enjoy watching somebody else being
the butt of the joke and who better than celebrities
The
aforementioned theories are not proven and should not be confused as facts.
These are just fragments of my mind. Considering all that I have written so
far, evolution is the key culprit that has encouraged rise in derisive content.
I won’t be surprised if comedy becomes murkier than what it is now. Only time
will tell whether this new sphere of entertainment is a virtue or a vice but as
of now (in my opinion) there does not seem to be anything wrong with it…
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