MALAYSIAN MEDIA
Written by Nur Batrisyia & Farah Hana
The rise of mass media has
introduced us to various icons, each representing different professions in the
world of media.
Harith Iskander and Louis
Székely are notable comedians, specializing in stand-up comedy.
Harith Iskander is
a local comedian, born in Johor Bahru and raised in Kuala Lumpur. At the age of
18, he pursued his education in Australia. Of Malay and Scottish parentage,
Harith was often teased by his peers. In an interview with Jacqueline Ann Surin for “The Nut
Graph”, Harith explained his sense of humor developed from being called “cendol”
and “celup”. He never felt anger, but instead acknowledged the insult. Harith
has been involved in the entertainment industry for nearly 23 years, starting
his career in the Klang Valley circuit. From his first show standing in
front of 6 people at a lobby lounge bar, he has now performed in countries such
as Australia, Indonesia, India, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea. Despite
his profession as a comedian, he is also a passionate actor, producer and host.
While most comedians uses profanity as a major part of their act, Harith's materials are based on his own observations of human nature. His punchlines which are not sexual, political or racial based is a breath of fresh air. In addition, he is not afraid to use new materials and often performs spontaneously. As a prestige comedian, he is a proud representative of Malaysia and lives by the trust that humor is a universal language, regardless of culture and religion. His reputation as a successful comedian has already landed him an admirable legacy – earning the title of “Godfather of Malaysian Comedy”.
Harith Iskander still remains modest despite his fame. He inspires people of all ages to think critically and creatively. Such attitude is extremely influential and uplifting.
"As a comedian, I can't complain when someone else does what I do - but does it better. I wish I was a Malaysian taxi driver instead." - Harith Iskander
Louis Székely, professionally known as Louis C.K. is an American
comedian. Born in Washington, D.C., he moved to Mexico at the age of one, and
moved to the U.S. again at the age of seven to live in Boston, Massachusetts.
His interest in television sparked when he grew up watching monotonous TV
programmes. Soon after working as an auto mechanic, he moved to New York to
turn to comedy. Louis had a tough life - unsuccessful audition, financial
issues, serious accident and cancelled shows before rising to prominence when his
show Louie – which he writes,
produces, directs and stars in, won several Emmy awards. He has since performed in numerous shows and traveled to many countries.
Louis is still a relevant comedian to this day due to his modern sense
of humor. His punchlines are universal and relatable, often relating to social
matters. Although he uses foul language in his materials, Louis is respected
for defending same-sex marriage and avoiding political insults. His work ethic is exceptional as he drops all his existing materials and starts over every year, new and improved.
In spite of several struggles in life, Louis remained motivated and
passionate. He worked his way up from being a staff writer to a producer of his
own comedy series. As said by Louis himself, “failure is the road to becoming
great”. His story inspires people to chase after theirs dreams and face all
challenges with positivity.
"The meal isn't over when I'm full, the meal is over when I hate myself." - Louis C.K.
MALAYSIAN MEDIA CHALLENGES
Malaysian media has said to be inadequate. Controversies
involving singers choosing to be based overseas, film industry lacking
imagination and news media restrained by the government are some of the
challenges faced by the local media industry.
Artists based overseas are usually more recognized.
Expanding horizons increases fame and possibilities, which ultimately spreads
high perceptions towards our country. With that being said, local singers based
overseas should be honoured instead of criticised. For example, Yuna Zarai, who
is originally from Alor Setar has been reprimanded for choosing to be based in Los
Angeles. Despite the insults, she remains mature and gave her response via Instagram, of which one sentence stood out, “Alhamdulillah I get
to travel and meet people and I think about how lucky I am to be a Malaysian Muslim
and spread positive vibes to those who need it regardless of their race and
religion! I'm blessed to be able to learn so much about life, God's green earth
and Islam more than I did back home.” Which goes to show, we should not
restrict ourselves from experiencing and exploring. Travelling benefits us in many ways, including learning about other cultures while teaching ours. As the
saying goes, “Seek education, even if it takes you to China”.
The Malaysian film industry is known for recycling ideas and
plots. The lack of originality has diminished the public’s interest in
Malaysian movies, draining the support the film industry needs to screen more movies. Approaching different genres of movies will create
more variety for the public. Also, fresh ideas should not be turned down in purpose of
maintaining the conservatives’ support. Instead, we should promote diversity
and include story lines that are not always related to religion. Our film industry should be
able to expand our minds to different concepts and not allow our society to
stay in a bubble for the rest of our lives.
Portraying ordinary characters instead of unrealistic beauty
is important to install acceptance. Fictional characters with standards that are impossible to reach should be discontinued. Icons should also vary in sizes, race and religion, thus eliminating the concept of "perfection". On the contrary, the film industry should
consider eradicating stereotypes when it comes to certain races. For example,
Chinese people are usually characterized as gangsters, Malay people are
depicted as illegal street racers and finally, Indian people are painted as
drunks. These stereotype beliefs encourages our country to stay divided instead of blending with one another.
Source(s):
https://instagram.com/p/6wi6dlujK7/?taken-by=yunamusic
Researcher: Averille Goh
Editor: Farah Nabila
Researcher: Averille Goh
Editor: Farah Nabila
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