Parents, BeerBiceps and India's Got Latent: Victims of Tragedy Porn

Raj Shamani right now..

I gained some time today, by doing all the necessary routine that I am obliged to; be it attending my coaching classes, courses, or doing my language lessons, researching here and there (and the remaining fodder that everyone adds up while summarizing their day). So, I sat idle for a while, ruminating, listening to Lata didi actually, then I thought of journaling but I could not (HELP, I HAVE RUN OUT OF PROMPTS NOW!). So, naturally, I opened my laptop and scrolled through my footnotes, when I developed the desire to write into a matter that has recently ignited fervent discussions across our nation—the controversy surrounding the YouTube show ”India’s Got Latent” (an idea similar to the show “Kill Tony”) and some guy who calls himself as “BeerBiceps”, who owns a podcast too, called “The Ranveer Show.”

First of all, it’s so fantastic that a YouTube show could get this much influence, and relevance, in an ever-growing age of OTTs. It’s commendable of Samay whom I have always loved for his chess streams, witty comebacks and edgy one-liners, that he could reach to the level he is today. I remember Samay when he first appeared on Carry’s stream, playing PUBG along with Tanmay Bhat (Good old lockdown days!). His growth is very much visible and I must say I very much love and enjoy his content and his humour, a lot.

Now, this show, which is essentially a domain of edgelord comedy, is suddenly at the epicenter of various debates concerning the limits and morality of comedy, or sensitivity, and most importantly, the responsibility of content creators. It is evident that Ranveer made crass remarks that were not only explicit but vulgar, as the mainstream media says, and I agree, but to a certain extent (NO, not yet, hold your beers). I personally do not know who that girl is and what is her stature among the gen Z audience, but I found her asininely desperate for attention, judging from the “comeback” she made (I know it is wrong and I should understand the context first, but I am simply not interested in watching the whole conversation). The backlash was very swift, and netizens were very fast in labelling them as “perverted” and “distasteful” (As was I, seconds ago with that girl. So misogynistic of me! Who cares though, not me of course). Why? Because, somewhere along the way, laughter turned into discomfort. Humor turned into harm. Somewhere between the jest and judgement, the line got blurred. I must say, the people known for their sharp wits would now be answering sharp questions from law enforcement, after the summons.

So, where do we draw the line? Can comedy ever be truly free in a world where every word can offend, every joke can be a battleground? Let us be honest, satire is not new. It has existed for centuries, poking fun at power, exposing hypocrisy, making us laugh at the time of absurdity of life. But today, where outrage spreads faster than wildfire, where being offended has almost become a sport (Hey, gender-fluid people! I hope this finds you well…)—how do we navigate this landscape?

Well, let us address the cancel culture first. I think what is happening in our country at this moment is very unfortunate. I have never seen the ruling party and the opposition together, sharing a similar stance on a particular matter, from a very long time, not even on crucial factors such as foreign affairs or security (Except when amending the FCRA, duh). I am astonished how the left parties, the extreme right, the political centre and even the regional parties are together, when criticising certain element. People of India were truly not ready for this (Ranveer included, lol), that Indian politics could ever transcend ideologies and ideologues. Sadly, this is of no use, as everybody merely wants to have a share in the ill-spanned limelight, while the Titanic sinks for Samay. I assure you that the Indian audience will forget this in no time (Just like husbands do when their wives ask them to bring the groceries home), India suffers from selective dementia and it will continue to do so, but the event remains serious.

The next aspect is the comedy. Jokes. Humour. It is not always your words, but how you present yourself. Humour is not desperate, it is rather calm, lingering, makes you laugh at the same thing more than once. That is how it should be, there should be a comic build up and not an insult. This is legally prohibited, too. I remember the Harsh Gujral controversy back in 2019, when he made the stereotypical judgement about Russian women in India spark again, which not only was totally inaccurate and but also idiotic. Its consequence was wrongful stereotypical normalisation about rates of Russian women in India, which resulted in compromising of their character in the minds of people. Study shows that people between the age group of 13-28 usually enjoy jokes like these, which are quick, offensive, insulting and at the same time, downplaying. Here, I would like to share my opinions, watch Dave Chapelle, Chris Tucker, Louis CK, or even Kevin Hart, look how they present their jokes on the most controversial issues ever known, in a less insulting and acceptable way. This is comedy, and not some Indian female comedian saying “I won’t marry someone as per my mom’s choice. I watch my father daily, what rubbish choice has my mom made, Hahaha!” (Funny how this could be a punchline. Oh damn, I said funny!). I still am struggling to find it funny, and to my discomfort, the delivery was bad as well. (I think she was either foolishly delusional or aggressively gaslighted by her peers, wasn't her only mistake though lol)

Let us come to the social implications surrounding the scandal. The question arises that, should comedians, artists, and creators walk on eggshells, terrified that their next sentence might be their last on the internet? I mean, we just had the worst crash out ever in the history of the internet, Kanye West tweeting some days back. It is still so, so, so fresh (Man, Ranveer really said “No one man should have all that power!”) Let us not pretend that art is meant to be safe. Some of the greatest works of literature, cinema, and comedy were controversial in their time. Lenny Bruce, for example, he was arrested, banned, and socially condemned. Yet, today, people revere him as a pioneer. But here’s the difference. His controversy sparked conversations that led to change. His words had purpose. It was just reckless for the sake of being reckless. And that, my friends, is where the responsibility of the creator lies. Not in being afraid to push boundaries, but in knowing why they are pushing them.

More importantly, as an audience, do we want our entertainment to challenge us, normalise objectification, stir controversy and farm engagement? Or do we just want something safe, something sanitized, something that never dares to cross the line? Because if we say we want freedom of speech, we must also accept that some voices will be silenced. (As of me, I enjoy both)

And that, ladies and gents, is the paradox of our times. So tell me, would you watch your parents—Woah, woah! (Chill man, goddamn!) I meant would you watch your parents go through a breakdown? Hmm? And I ask you, what kind of world do you as a parent want to live in?