Comments on: No Humor Please, We’re Thai

By: Khon Kaen

Khon Kaen — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 10:50:52 +0000

Thais know only one kind of humor – slapstick. The three stooges would be heroes over here.

By: Mark Lamerton

Mark Lamerton — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:43:38 +0000

ThaiDude: Totally agree. Sometimes, when I listen to a group of Thais talking, for example, at a restaurant, satire, mocking, ridicule and cynicism is all there seems to be. There are very few serious conversations about anything. When there are, views tend to be polarised into the atypical red/yellow boxes according to the social group they belong to.

By: ThaiDude

ThaiDude — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 02:23:37 +0000

As a Thai, I wonder how well you foreign observers have delved into Thai conversations. Maybe it’s because most of the time we’d rather not talk about it, but trust me, satire, mocking, ridicule and cynicism exists pretty plainly amongst the puns and penis jokes.

By: BangkokDan

BangkokDan — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 04:02:11 +0000

laura, I adore Thai humor, this piece is more about the subconscious variety. TC & Mark: True, once you open your eyes there's irony and satire everywhere. With the difference being that this time around Thailand takes exceptionally long to find again her balance. BangkokDan

By: Mark Lamerton

Mark Lamerton — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 01:57:39 +0000

Interesting post. The difference between Jon Stewart and Thai TV news reportage is that the U.S. audience understands that it is satire – there is even a disclaimer at the start of the show for less informed minds.

One of the main issues regarding the reporting of all news events in Thailand, particularly by the well-established TV news “stars” is the common practice of mixing fact and opinion. Depending on which news program you watch, a pro-government or anti-government stance will emerge, complete with widespread rumor and gossip being presented as news. (For background search for this article on the Bangkok Post website: “The anarchy of our television reportage”).

What people think is often determined by what some prominent person has said, or if any money has been paid. Last week, for example, hundreds of thousands of people queued for hours on Thursday to pick up their 2,000 baht handout from the so-called democratic government – then on Friday tens of thousands from the same group collected another (smaller) cash handout to put on a red shirt, march to government house and demonstrate. Now that’s irony.

By: laura

laura — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 15:55:11 +0000

Gosh you can be so mean Dan … wouldn’t a little tactfulness be in order? I mean you’re spot-on but … hmm … well … maybe I’m too polite.

By: Posts about Jon Stewart as of March 29, 2009 » The Daily Parr

Posts about Jon Stewart as of March 29, 2009 » The Daily Parr — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 08:43:10 +0000

[...] to Jon Stewart to handle investigative reporting. Few people exit a coffee shop with an empty mug No Humor Please, We’re Thai – absolutelybangkok.com 03/29/2009 One of the great wonders in the kingdom of Thailand is when you [...]

By: ThaiCrisis

ThaiCrisis — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 06:44:52 +0000

“Nothing real is really real anymore”. Many of us feel the same thing… Something is seriously twisted.

I use the “Rabbit Hole” expression. To smile. And “Orwellian Doublespeak.” For politics.

But it’s basically the same idea.

You’re right with Abhisit and Thaksin. Both are reversing logic. Both are shaking our neurons.

“Nothing real is really real anymore.”

As an anti-dote, the Thai society will probably change a little bit … And it won’t be nice.

No one can play like this with people’s minds and basic common sense, without serious consequences …

And last point: We can notice exactly the same phenomena … well … worldwide.

Obama is against the bonuses for bankers … but give them bailout.

Obama is against the war in Iraq, but send more troops to Afghanistan. And increase the army budget.

Etc. Same scary and totally twisted Orwellian doublespeak with Sarkozy, Brown, Bernanke …

Difficult to keep the sense of humor in those conditions …

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doublespeak