I worry there is something broken in our generation, there are too many sad eyes on happy faces.”Ever since I read these lines by Atticus, it has stuck with me like a curse I refuse to carry. Alas! That’s not quite how it all functions.But in our desperate attempt to seek the ‘happy’, the ‘laughter’, and the ‘extraordinary’, we are driven to content (because let’s agree that’s where it’s all ‘happening’) that can ‘shake us up,’ literally! YouTuber and podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia’s (better known as BeerBiceps) comments on Samay Raina’s ‘India’s Got Latent’ just did that! We, as a civilised collective, are complaining, of course.‘Did Allahbadia think twice before asking a contestant on the show: Would you rather watch your parents have sex every day for the rest of your life or join in once and stop it forever?’ ‘What was he thinking?’ ‘Oh, was he even thinking?’ ‘Cringe cringe!’Was that what ‘comedy’ is?As a genre, yes, it’s debatable—there is humour, slapstick, dark comedy, and satire, and needless to say, the audiences decide what good comedy is. The catch is, aren’t we the audience divided? Does that explain the instant applause vs the subsequent trolling? Let us pause and ask: how much is too much when holding someone accountable for an offhand remark?Allahbadia’s comments were, to put it mildly, far from polished. They were tone-deaf, possibly thoughtless, distasteful, and lacking the nuance expected from someone with a substantial following.The backlash was swift.Much of what he said seemed to reinforce the ‘cool culture’ we are quick to boast about, reflecting a lack of awareness of what possibly can ‘sit well’ in a country wired to its culture.But as a society, are we expecting too much from influencers and public figures, or simply too eager to cancel people over moments of immaturity? And where to draw the line between free speech and edgy content?
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