Insult comedy: Why we don’t find it funny anymore —People speak

Comedy is an incredibly powerful tool for conveying a message or strong set of opinions and when done well it can be educational. There are countless talented comedians out there today using comedy as a way of bringing people together and using humour to shed light on topics that need to be spoken about. In fact, the comedy industry in Nigeria has become a multi million naira industry with many using the art form to become notable personalities within and outside the shores of the country. However, in recent time, comedy has been used as a tool of communication to address salient national and local issues. However, there is a massive difference in addressing a difficult issue in a way which is tasteful, witty and empowering than doing so by preying on vulnerability and using humour to cut somebody down. That is the art form.

With the harsh economic condition in the country, many try to keep their sense of humour and laugh the stress away by attending comedic events hosted by their favourite comedians. It is often said, even by medical practitioners, that one of the fool-proof ways to combat stress is by laughing and having a good time. And though comedians do a great job at cracking their audience’s ribs with exciting, innovative jokes that keep one wondering how one could come up with such, it is fast becoming a trend where some comedians, even A listers, overstep their boundaries thus, trampling upon the toes of their audience by making them the butt of their jokes.

Some comedians, especially those that may not have prepared any material for their big event, fall back on the characteristics of their audience to make fun of. In Perpetua Ohacho, a radio presenter with R2fm, “People can’t give what they do not have. If one’s lifestyle and conversation is riddled with abuses, curses and swear words, one should not expect more even in comedy. Not many people are very intelligent. It takes intellectual prowess to be intellectually funny. Some people see comedy as a cover up. A place to hide their inadequacies. Off stage, try to engage some of them, you will wonder”.

According to Patrick Okechuckwu, a banker, “A common piece of advice which is often given to young children is to not say anything at all if one does not have anything pleasant to say but this is far from the lips of a number of comedians. They pick on the body type, religion and ethnicity of a member of the audience and end up making very offensive remarks which desist from being funny but rather distasteful. The line between funny and offensive is remarkably thin so it is so easy to get on people’s nerves. I was at a family comedy event recently and a popular A list comedian was reeling out sexually explicit jokes! Imagine my shock when he asked us not to be offended as he was speaking under the influence of ‘Ogogoro’ in his system. I was disappointed. To think that anything goes as a comedian in the name of jokes is appalling”.

Women are known to be the more sensitive gender as compared to men. Comedians occasionally prey on women to make jokes. They make jest of their dress sense, body weight and complexion. Some go as far as making rude comments about their marital status. Women’s insecurities are like a pot of gold for comedians to make more money off of without paying attention to how such thoughtless and uncultured behaviour would make the audience feel. They also make sexist comments just to stir controversy.

Another way comedians offend their audience is by succumbing to tribalism. More often than not, comedians enjoy pitching tribes against each other, all in the name of being funny. Yoruba comedians put their tribe in the best light while putting down other tribes, just as how Ibo or comedians from other tribes do the same. It is always funny when such banter is subtle as Nigerians love to do that in their social groups but comedians often go overboard with it by attributing bad characteristics to certain tribes. As a result, members of the audience who belong to the insulted tribe become agitated and offended.

“I was at an event recently in Lagos when, while wanting to interpret a joke, a comedian pointed to a plus sized woman seated in the audience, saying that her husband/boyfriend needed not to worry about her being ‘snatched’ because plus sized women were less attractive to men. The couple quietly left the event moments later”, said Hassan Mohammed, an insurance broker.

A comedian, Mc Rapindady, in his reaction, said, “Personally I don’t like it, I know a few guys that are fond of insulting people on stage and it has now become a reflex action. There is a big difference between a joke and an insult. I don’t do it even if I am not a saint. But I think courtesy and common sense has a role to play. There are parts where jokes that sound a bit like an insult can come in…but it has to be about an abstract character, not necessarily pointing to a particular person. It is like NTBB on radio, it is not right to say some words on stage”.

Also, religion is an element of life that people, especially Nigerians, hold very dear to their hearts. The recurrence of instances when comedians have disrespected their audience’s religion is common place.  It is not uncommon to see comedians who have made fun of religious practices and doctrines. In fact, earlier this year, some churches outlawed the engagement of comedians during services, a move which generated heated debates.

So, where should comedians draw the line?  In Nike Adelowo, a banker’s submission, “What principles govern an entertainer’s performance? Or because he is given the mic and a stage platform he can say anything? A comedian, at an event, while on stage announced to us to tolerate his performance because he had been paid already and it didn’t matter if we found him funny or not. Of course, he was not funny that day. There should be contracts by show promoter’s guiding events and content”.

Jokes are supposed to be light-hearted fun but they should not be used a cloak for more sinister messages of commission, omission or indifference causing extreme offence to our common and civil humanity. Jokes can be risqué, for adults only, suffused with dark humour but that in itself should offer no artistic license to celebrate abuse, denigration or atrocious stereotypes. In this case, we must broadly agree that jokes about paedophilia, pederasty, sexual abuse, rape, domestic violence, disability, racism or the Holocaust cross the line of decency into other worldliness.

In an online report, a writer once submitted that, “No matter how good the joke is, we must have a filter that triggers when such jokes are played for laughs appealing to the basest elements of our humanity. That care and discernment not applied to what we entertain may mean we inadvertently acquiesce to and by unfortunate response appear to endorse the most reprehensible of views.

We, as a society obviously have to decide if excusing barbaric behaviour in innocuous jokes is what we are as people or we have decided that every means possible be deployed to condemn, repudiate and correct such behaviour with the comedian going beyond just the apology to working with NGOs serving victims as a means of restitution and an example to others”.