Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me

I was initially very annoyed at the recent incident at the Crackhouse Comedy Club involving the couple who allegedly performed and then posted an online video of a so-called comedy routine during an open mic night.

I was annoyed because not only did I not find what they did funny, but it was also downright distasteful.

And then the couple’s recent social media past started to resurface, I just saw them as two people who were really desperate for attention and who would do anything to get it.

So when the two of them were remanded for investigation, I didn’t think twice about it at first. But then, my sanity slowly started to reveal itself.

I have always been a believer in fighting words with words. Violence or extremism has never been in my books when it comes to disagreement or differences of ideas. I don’t mind arguing aggressively with my voice, or even the banging of tables, while in the heat of the moment. But that should be the extent of it.

I guess that’s why I really enjoyed myself as a debater throughout my secondary school and university years. I was always the first debater and captain of the team, if I do say so myself. I love arguing and trying to prove my point, sometimes even when my points might be wrong!

(Sidenote: Here, I would like to take the opportunity to make a public apology to my wife Sheril A Bustaman for just being the way I am. Sorry, sayang! However, she was a good debater too during her university days. So you can imagine the intense screaming matches at home. And, here I would like to make a public apology to my neighbours).

Not taking things seriously

Now back to the couple. So annoying! They asked for it, didn’t they? But then, many people are annoying, and it shouldn’t be against the law to be annoying. At worst, you would be one of those people who won’t have friends and are oblivious about the reason why.

People also shouldn’t be punished for being provocative or edgy when it comes to freedom of expression, especially in the arts such as stand-up comedy. It is called comedy and satire for a reason - you aren’t supposed to take things seriously. Or even if it is a serious issue, it’s supposed to be in jest.

There are many comedians I don’t like because either I don’t think they are funny, are annoying, or just plain distasteful. I don’t like comedians like David Letterman, John Mullaney, Iliza Schlesinger and Ali Wong. I don’t find them funny but, instead, very annoying. But I’m okay with them continuing with their comedy. It’s their right.

It’s like that with film too. I review films, and there are many films and filmmakers that I don’t like, such as Syamsul Yusof and his blockbuster hit Mat Kilau. I have even written about it here on Malaysiakini. But, it is nothing personal, and I acknowledge his freedom of expression, and it is his right to have his say in his film.

If there are any parties who disagree, then by all means, argue and counter it by voicing out. Like when Dave Chappelle performed a stand-up routine and talked about transgender issues or when Ricky Gervais performed and discussed his annoyance with “wokeness” culture, many people disagreed.

These people who disagreed would voice it out and express their opinions. There would be a certain extent of public discourse and debate. All kinds of opinions, ideas and perspectives are brought out and highlighted. Some people will be persuaded, and others won’t. Then they move on.

Time to review the laws

Now, all these ideas have already been brought up.This leads to people and society being exposed to these different thoughts and perspectives. Agree or disagree, at the very least, they know more and understand more. Isn’t that a good thing for the maturity of our society? I believe so.

Look, I understand that issues surrounding race and religion are very sensitive. I don’t believe in demeaning and insulting race and religion. I also do understand that there are specific laws in this country that govern issues like these. I can even understand, depending on the context, why it is there in the first place.

Maybe, it is time to review the implementation and execution of these laws. Isn’t that supposed to be what our society, government and lawmakers in Parliament do?

They were quite rational and sensible when they reviewed the mandatory death sentence and decided to abolish it. That gave me some satisfaction in my voting.

I also quite like how, after public discourse and debate regarding the usage of cannabis and marijuana for medical reasons, the Health Ministry announced that they are welcoming academic research on it. In fact, they will be releasing a framework for registering cannabidiol products next year.

The stand on the banning of cigarettes is also something that shows that the government is quite progressive and in tune with what is right. The Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill was recently approved by the cabinet and will be brought to Parliament soon. That will see all those born after 2005 banned from buying any cigarette, tobacco or vape products. Good!

So how about relooking at the laws that are related to freedom of expression and speech? I believe that Malaysian society has come a long way and, in general, is a pretty decent lot.

My logic in thinking is that our society needs to be mature enough to practice societal censorship instead of systematic censorship.

Intense debate is good

What happened with Mat Kilau is a good example of how society is handling it well. There is a divide between those who like and support the film and those who don’t. They are all very vocal on social media and also in the mainstream media. Everyone has been spewing out their opinions and feelings about it.

The opinions and feelings have been very divided, and the debate has been quite intense. But it has remained a public discourse and debate. Everyone has been given the opportunity to do so, and everyone has been heard. That is what a good piece of artwork (in this case, a film) is supposed to do.

The film has sparked a discussion which has allowed society to see all the different perspectives. All the arguments and counter-arguments are out there for everyone to see and evaluate for themselves.

And like I mentioned earlier, society benefits from this because it is an opportunity to mature and be better. Kudos!

At the very least, if you don’t like something, then don’t watch, listen or engage with it. In the internet age, if you ignore something, it can get lost.

So if society believes something is not worth consuming, just ignore it, like the thousands of YouTube channels that only have single-digit views and no subscribers.

It isn’t hard to leave them to die in obscurity. So, for the couple who now have been charged for what they did at Crackhouse Comedy, it could just have easily been a case of society arguing and commenting on what they did as being distasteful and insensitive and then moving on to ignoring them and letting them disappear into obscurity. - Mkini

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ZAN AZLEE is a writer, documentary filmmaker, journalist and academic. He has waited so long for a change in the system, and he is not willing to settle for a half-past-six change. And then the Sheraton Move happened. Visit fatbidin.com to view his work.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.