Not So Funny

Have you seen the 'laughter challenge' programmes on Indian TVs? its the buzz I guess these days. All sorts of comedians are trying their luck and showing their skills on television. Our Pakistani brethren too are taking their share of limelight on Indian TV.

Is it just me or did anyone else also feel that pakistani comedians are vulgar? In fact I find them horribly vulgar. I do not watch these programs regularly, only when I am channel hopping. Earlier I thought that the Indian TV is so pathetic (and their comedy level so low) that comedians have to resort to innuendos and double entendres. Then I started realizing that its the Pakistani comedians that do this often. I swear... earlier I used to check whether there was a pakistani comedian on stage so that I could enjoy listening to him... now when I see a pakistani comedian.. I just keep my fingers crossed in fear that he'll spit something... if he does then I have switched that channel. I feel so ashamed. Honestly.

Indians have a gem of a comedian in Raju Shrivastav(?). Whenever he comes on stage... it is just a masterful act. Absolute genius. Just like Omar Sharif in our case.

What does this tell us about the level of stand up comedy in our country? Is it jsut the same as I have stated? has it always been like that and we saw only the 'clean' acts? You feel the same too?

Prudent Broadcasters

It is heartening to read the news that Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) has agreed to desist from showing scenes of violence and terrorism. It had to be realized sooner that displaying gory images on screen does not help at all. If you want to grab the audiences then there are others ways of telling the story. Not just violence and terrorism, I was horrified when I saw the full footage of a person dying on screen on a private TV channel while covering the 2005 Earthquake. Prudence should have been observed there as well. What the hell was Aaj TV thinking? What was the chief reporter Talat Husain thinking?

I also want the PBA to ban commercials that are racist in nature e.g. all the 'skin fairness' advertisements in which the girl is told that since her skin is dark so she will not be able to get married and by using such and such product she can have a 'white' skin and hook a person (frankly this makes males look even more dumb-ass). How horrible can advertisements get?

Lord of the Medieval

I just cannot understand how can anyone oppose administering polio drops to children in connection with vaccination drive. The religious scholars in NWFP are notorious for such acts. Swat is especially known for this - a certain Mr. Maulana Fazlullah, who ironically uses FM Radio transmissions (an infidel West's made device) to deliver his sermons! How can anyone be so cruel to let children suffer this deadly disease by citing frivolous arguments not to immunize them? Health workers have been attacked who went in these areas to carry out immunization drive.

But I guess these religious scholars (Maulanas) are really... very cruel. Citing the argument that these immunizations are just a conspiracy by the West to control muslim's population - they hit they roof of idiocity. Further, that if a child gets a disease.. this how God intended it to be. This is insane. Why do these religious scholars wear warm clothes in winter to protect them from cold? has not God made cold to be felt as it is? Why wear a helmet on a motorcycle? is it not for protection from serios injury?

What is with these people? Why cant this segment of our society think straight? Why our people and 'religion' is hostage to them? What on earth has religion got to do with it anyways? Poor poor us...