In defense of the d*ck joke

In a column in this very publication writer and arts administrator Deepa Gahlot had plenty to say on the subject of adult explicit comedy Short version if Narendra Modi woke up as Rahul Gandhi one morning he could not have more contempt for himself than Deepa Gahlot has for a crotch jokeItrsquos a contempt that strikes at the heart of my trade as a comedian and I take some issue with her words In case you need references ldquoHilariousrdquo said NH7 of my work ldquoThe poster said Russell Peters thatrsquos why Irsquom hererdquo said Piyush at the bar Let me be clear though I do not take issue with the fact that Ms Gahlot has an opinion and that it is different from mine As a comedian it would be hypocritical and also silly of me to have a problem with the fact that someone has a different worldview from mineAnd Irsquom not angry or offended because thatrsquos exactly the sort of delicate mindset that makes doing comedy incredibly difficult in this country I just find it a bit worrying that an arts administrator at a prestigious art center would denounce an entire form of theater because itrsquos not to her taste I disagree with Ms Gahlotrsquos disdain for the dck joke and I take issue with the place from which much of this disdain comesThere are 800 words in Miss Gahlotrsquos piece some of which make valid points ie standup comics in India have it relatively easy and there is such a thing as successful clean comedy But there we come to the problem People most often split comedy into two types clean and ldquothoda adults hai uska jokerdquo Itrsquos a distinction Ms Gahlot makes quite clearly in her column leaving no doubt as to which of the two she prefers ldquoFor a really intelligent comedian there is lot of material out there our leaders celebs stars socialites deserve to be lsquoroastedrsquo pity that so many comedians still choose to focus on their crotchesrdquo she writesFor starters therersquos the implication that only a comedian who finds other material out there ldquoleaders celebs stars socialitesrdquo is a truly intelligent comedian If your jokes are about sex and genitalia yoursquore a lower life form unintelligent by comparison Never mind that Louis CKrsquos meanderings on masturbation are a better portrait of urban loneliness than any book Irsquove read in the last ten years If we talk about our dcks we must all be Grand MastiMiss Gahlot also mentions the necessary lsquoroastingrsquo of leaders celebs stars and socialites Fine as they are those subjects are not a measure of intelligence if anything theyrsquore an even lower common denominator the template for every single Tonight ShowMovers amp ShakersLate Night monologue in history Theyrsquore the softballs we lob at the crowd in our first five minutes because they require no insight greater than a newspaper headline to comprehendThey key word in that quote from Miss Gahlot though is lsquoroastingrsquo She seems to have based her entire critique of vulgarity in English standup in India off the Weirdass Tandoor of Ranvir Shorey and Vinay Pathak a celebrity roast in the style of the New York Friarsrsquo Club Roasts of popular American celebrities And by doing that shersquos done herself and her readers a disservice Was the roast sexist vulgar offensive and smuttyYes because itrsquos supposed to beI know and have worked with every single person who was on the roast that night Irsquove seen them destroy audiences with tales about a weird day at the gym and potholes in Mumbai and the idiocy of Miss World and the tyranny of management graduates all of which had not a single ldquodirtyrdquo joke These comedians werenrsquot sexist misanthropic and filthy at that roast because thatrsquos all they know they were professionals performing a form of theater in the way it is meant to be doneTherersquos irony in the cruelty of a roast when you say something filthy on one yoursquore not oblivious you and the subject of your joke are hyperaware of the vulgarity of the premise Itrsquos the difference between swearing at someonersquos mother and telling a Yo Mama joke One is meant as insult to YOUR mother The otherrsquos just a celebration of entertaining wordplay A roast without dirty jokes is like a ballet without toesAlso so what if I just want to tell a dirty joke No subtext no higher purpose If itrsquos funny why is it a crime A comedy stage is the opposite of a sacred space The most liberating thing about it is that you can talk about whatever you want And if itrsquos a leader or a celebrity so be it But by that coin if itrsquos about sex so Be It If I spent four years talking about sex in college theyrsquod give me a psychology degreeWhy is it so galling to you if I do it at a comedy show A joke lives or dies on its own merit not the subject If itrsquos a great joke theyrsquoll laugh If itrsquos terrible they wonrsquot If itrsquos pointlessly offensive the audience will try and then execute the comedian on the spot death by silence Irsquom tired of defending my right to tell a ldquononvegrdquo joke to an audience that understands I mean no harm Irsquom also tired of them being called ldquononvegrdquo jokes Theyrsquore jokes not a tenant some people wonrsquot rent a house toRohan Joshi is a writer and standup comedian who likes reading films and people who do not use the SMS lingo You can also contact him on wwwfacebookcomtherohanjoshi