Pictures of a giggle

In a world where what’s good for us changes from week to week, seemingly on a whim, no one, at least to date, has taken a pot-shot at laughter, hailed as one of the best remedies for all kinds of problems. Humour, experts insist, can be found in everything, which is probably why even the corniest jokes or the most stupid of game shows have us in fits.

And now we have an exhibition dedicated to humour. “Utsa Ha Kam:Phlit Khum Thum Ngern”, which roughly translates as “Humour Business”, got off to a giggly start last week at the Thailand Creative & Design Centre (TCDC), and sets out to show us that humour is in our lives to a much greater extent than we ever imagined.

A collaboration between the TCDC and local publishing group Bunluesan, “Humour Business” explores the possibilities of humour as a communication tool and driver of business and is destined to draw the crowds. Indeed at the opening last Thursday, visitors and guests queued up to meet cartoonists from Bunluesarn Publishing, not for their autograph but for their portraits, which were obligingly drawn on the cover of long-running comic magazine Kai Hua Ror.

Comedy and its various incarnations in Thai culture is extensively covered in the exhibition, with space devoted to a video made by movie director Chayanop Bunprakob, in which the sole actor dresses up as different characters, bringing to mind the popular comedy “Shaolin Soccer” by Stephen Chow’s and the robot girl Arale from the Dr Slump animation.

There’s Thai literature too including “Raden Lundai”, a parody poem written during the reign of King Rama 3, examples of “Phleng Patipart” (Dialogue Songs) such as “Lamtat”, the Thai-style antiphon common to merit-making ceremonies where singers and songwriters verbally outwit each other with the help of an ensemble cast. Further examples are “Kharuehat Suad Sop”, the funeral parody performed during the reign of King Rama 5 and Likay.

Space is also given over to influences from the west, which first found their way to Thailand through print, mainly satirical cartoons focusing on politics and social problems. The West also inspired such humorous novels as “Phol Nikorn Kim-ngaun” and songs like “Phooyai Lee” with lyrics that joke about the communication gap between civil servants and people in 1961.

But it is show business that has played the biggest role in bringing humour to the masses. Comedians first started appearing on the stage during luk thung (Thai folk country) music performances and it wasn’t long before they were superstars, showing off their skills in different media including films, TV dramas and TV shows. In the 1990s, comedy cabaret venues – known as cafes – were springing up in every part of town with troupes hopping from one venue to another to keep audiences entertained. On show in the main part of the exhibition is the Chernyim comedian band’s gag notebook from the shows, which reveals how they developed their gags. Visitors might well be surprised to discover that they employed a youngster known as a “gag boy” to jot down notes during the show as a check on whether the audience was made up of the same faces or newcomers. 

Humour can also be found in product lines, such as Propaganda’s household objects and utensils such as its Mr P collection.

And then there’s the movies. Would the all-time top grossing film “Pee Mak Phra Khanong” have been such a hit had it not taken a humorous look at the folk legend? Probably not, which director Banjong Pisanthanakun confirms in the showcase of his post-it board that reveals how he used comedy to draw viewers closer to the character. Another example is portrayed through the works of the Phantamit dubbing team, who have lent their original scripts filled with their scribbled notes that add current hot topics or headline news to make the films relevant to Thai audiences. Among their most successful works are Stephen Chow’s deadpan comedy movies.

One of the highlights is the stand-up comedy corner of prominent comedian Udom “Nose” Taepanich. In one of the exhibition boards, Udom insists that he is not a funny man and his comedy shows stem from his extremely serious take on nonsensical stuff, which crystalises into messages that tickles the audience’s collective funny bone. Also on show are the story photo boards he prepares for his shows.

He and other comedians and directors also appear on the large screen in interview clips.

The social networks have created a new platform for laughter, and the exhibition has picked several Facebook pages as an example. One of the funniest is the “Pim Thai Mai Dai” page, which uses karaoke-style English spelling to post comments on Thai stories.

The next room is devoted to Bunluesarn Publishing company, which has been producing comic magazines and books for the last 60 years and the popular magazine “Kai Hua Ror” for 43 of them. Hundreds of their comic pieces decorate the walls, covering everything from daily life to gags. Their most memorable characters include the wife and their editor Vithid, a comic tough guy always chasing after them to meet his deadline. Now published in pocket-book size and available online, as an eBook and as an app, “Kai Hua Ro” is using the exhibition to invite members of the public to draw their gags in the Flash cartoon corner, and submit the original copy in the box provided nearby. Vithid will consider all entries and if he likes them, will not only publish then in the magazine but also pay for them!

The last room is devoted to a variety of humour initiatives including the Dream Doctors Project, which trains professional clowns to become medical clowns in Israel, and bumper stickers, including “True love is no match for a (Mercedes) Benz”.

And there’s more laughter at the exit of the exhibition where giant speakers play the sound of laughter. 

 

FUNNY BUSINESS