Humour
The digital networks teem with jokes, satirical videos and memes,
from politics to the absurd new world leaderships. Humour is a coping mechanism
that can balance out overwhelming circumstances, neutralize aggression and heal
relationships. It is also a means of expressing criticism of society that
escapes social or legal restrictions.
The court jester could get away with saying things that an
ordinary critic would be beheaded for. With the end of traditional kingships,
the court jester transformed into the stand-up comic, holding the mirror to
society’s weaknesses
Dark “gallows humor”, coined by the
Germans during the 1848 revolutions for the persecution of liberals is, as
Antonin Obrdlik says “an index of strength or morale on the part of oppressed peoples”. Humor
can be used as a weapon for mass resistance.
The Italian’s used the slogan “Una risata vi seppellirà”, during
protests against the Ancien Regime, which translates as “It will be a laugh
that buries you.” Telling jokes was made
illegal by the Nazis and a person could be sent to concentration camps or even
executed.
But most humour is joyous and intended to elevate the
spirits. Theorist Martin Armstrong, who
wrote about the function of laughter in society, wrote, “For a few moments,
under the spell of laughter, the whole man is completely and gloriously alive:
body, mind and soul vibrate in unison… the mind flings open its doors and
windows… its foul and secret places are ventilated and sweetened.”
Laughter seems to be a fundamental human experience. Infants begin
to laugh in response to actions of others from 4 months on. Laughter is a
universal expression, which sounds the same from one culture to another. It
creates a sense of well-being and exultation and what Thomas Hobbes called
“sudden glory”. Laughter can be infectious even when there is no cause for laughter,
and has become a form of therapy.
Comedy is a billion dollar industry from sitcoms, to standup comic
theatre, comic strips and newspaper cartoonists. Being able to tell a joke, gains
attention, makes speeches more memorable, and is an effectively tool in
advertising. Sociologists get valuable
insights of a society through how humour is used. The Lahore based 70s comedy programme
“Sach Gup”, can be seen as a reflection of a society in transition to
sophisticated urbanism.
Unlike ordinary humour, wit is an intellectually acquired art that
has barely survived into the 20th C . One of the reasons may be that
wit is dependent upon a refined use of language, its nuances, ambiguities, and potential
for double meaning.
In Pakistan. comedy faded out of television dramas in the 90s.Possibly
partly due to the sobering impact of regional
wars and their aftermath in Pakistani society, including the influx of religious extremists, but also
arguably with the demise of elegant Urdu, so beautifully expressed by Agha Nasir’s Taleem e Baalighan, Jamshed
Ansari ‘s Hasnat Bhai, Kamal Ahmed Rizvi’s Alif Noon, Athar Shah Khan’s Jaydee, Anwar Maqsood and Shoaib Mansoor’s Fifty
Fifty and the more recent Loose Talk,
and Grips theatre of Imran Aslam, to
name a few. Mushtaq Yusufi was the last in a line of witty writers and poets
from the subtle humour of Ghalib, the
more overt humour of Akbar Allahbadi and the substantial list of mazahiya or
humourous poets. Even the shocking
poetry of Miyan Chirkeen earned serious
critical appraisal from the renowned critic, Shams-ur-Rehman Farooqi, because of his intelligent
use of language.
People who encounter more
stress are more receptive to humour which provides immediate relief as highlighted in Robin William’s
irreverent broadcasts in the film “Good Morning, Vietnam”
Being a great comic is not without its own heavy price, as many
comedians, such as Robin Williams, Spike Milligan, Jerry Lewis, or our own
Nanna ( Rafi Khawar) struggled with depression
and their dark side, the sad clown.
McGhee and Goldstein write “ The Circus
clown mediates between cultural order and natural disorder, between the adult
and the child, between joy and sadness”
Probably the best national
humour is that of the British. From
Shakespeare, to Monty Python and PG Woodhouse, its self-deprecating subtle
satire, full of puns, innuendos, and dead pan presentation has delighted
generations.
Spoonerisms, named after Reverend Archibald Spooner is a form of unintentional humour where words
get switched. Shaggan Apa. the wife of Jamil Ansari ,editor of Dawn, once said
to our great delight, “ghar sahib bemar thay aur mein mian badalnay
mein masroof thi” .
Pakistanis love a good laugh whether the butcher announcing “Begum Sahab
ka qeema nikal do” or the humourous verses on buses and rickshaws, our love of actress Mira’s struggle with
English, Qandeel Baloch’s phrase “How em looking?” or adding Gullu Butt to the
lexicon. Pakistani memes are arguably
the wittiest from Maulana Muneeb’s efforts at sighting the Eid moon, to
“fasting and furious politicians”. Irreverent humour is our way of gaining back
control, and not succumbing to the bewildering chaos of our times.
Peter Derks expresses it perfectly: “Life, it has been said ,
would be meaningless without art. Perhaps it would be too meaningful without
humour”
Durriya Kazi
15 October, 2018
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