A comedy show by Funoon TV has been criticized as insulting to migrant expats in Kuwait. I watched the part of the show that was claimed to be insulting to migrant workers, an excerpt I managed to find on YouTube where the actor was trying to imitate an Indian or Sri Lankan maid. The actor said he broke a bowl at home and ran away from his employer. I find such kind of stereotyping wrong and pathetic. We watch sickening scenes of imitating cooks from India, Nepal, Philippines or Timbuktu all the time. I do not know who makes these serials and comedies and why do they think they are funny?

There are many other things we can joke about besides insulting the culture of other nations. I understand that all countries make fun and mock at other nationalities but they do it with utmost care because there is a thin line between mockery, comedy and sarcasm. Especially in the West, you can be sued for defamation. It does not exist in our vocabulary, culture and social system. It is not the first time in Kuwait we use mockery in our comedy shows, be it in theatre, TV series or animation. We often run down and brand nations as if we are the perfect nation chosen by God. Last year a TV serial mocked Moroccan women as being easy, cheap and using black magic. I wrote about this ridiculous accusation at that time.

Don’t think that I do not like to joke or watch comedy. I love comedy shows but they have to be well-written and skillfully done where you do not hurt the feelings of others and you don’t run down nations, religions or sects. Actually, it has become a habit to mock expats, maids, cooks or drivers, something which is un-educational for our kids. Also, it goes against the teachings of Islam. We are putting in the head of our children that discrimination is ‘adi’ (normal). No it is not normal. I will be upset if I go to another country and they mock Kuwaitis and brand them as being lazy or anything else. In exactly the same way we feel upset and we feel that our dignity is hurt, so are other people from other nations and strata.

To my amazement, some of the editors heard me talking about the topic and said, “Adi. It is just a comedy.” Do you get my drift? This is exactly the effect of such TV series on all of us and our children. The more you watch them, the more you stop respecting nations. And who are we to judge others? Are we better than anybody else? Why don’t we laugh at ourselves and leave others alone. With Ramadan coming, I hope that we do not see any of these silly TV series on air and we abide by the teachings of our beautiful religion Islam.

If all of you comedy directors are short of ideas I will give you some – I would like to see a comedy show about our parliamentarians and how for many years they did not do anything for the country. I would like to see a show on the development plan and Kuwait Airways, about water shortages and the education system. I think this will cover you for a couple of years to come. I am sure that such comedy shows will be hilarious and much funnier than the one about a runaway maid.


badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net
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