Comedy or lecture?

Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter  

COMEDY, irrespective of the facet, is meant to crack ribs with bursts of laughter but what happens when comedy mimics boring lectures? Digital strategist, writer and blogger Larry Kwiriray has opened a can of worms, exposing how he feels comedians are performing below par nowadays.

In a Facebook post, Kwirirayi said there is a dearth in the comedy sector.

“I miss funny comedians. Nowadays, a lot of them just wanna lecture us,” he posted.

Without mentioning any individuals, he made his point crystal clear.

Chronicle Showbiz caught up with comedians who weighed in on the matter.

Umahlekisa Entertainment director Ntando Van Moyo said the problem lies with the audience.

“The problem with people is that they want bubblegum content that has no research or depth. Comedy should leave you with an afterthought on certain topics discussed. Stand-up comedians don’t lecture, maybe skit comedians do,” he said.

In a similar vein, Carl Joshua Ncube nailed the audience as well.

“The audiences are to blame. They get offended if you don’t explain the motivations behind the joke. The biggest challenge is with the culture of wokeness. It’s great to be woke, but stand-up comedians are there to highlight problems faced by people in society by placing them as jokes.

“It’s not always about me believing what I’m talking about, but rather, sometimes, I have to play the devil’s advocate or the devil in the joke for the joke to carry,” Ncube said.

Like any other artform, comedy is very subjective and can be confined to personal preferences. This then means a distinct level of humour must be met if one is to be called a laugh-a-minute. – @MbuleloMpofu