About Me
On Monday, 31 December 2012
I did a post about my list of shows and stuffs I look forward to every year.
The lists and a new assassin.
And I realized that there's no local shows. Why is that? Maybe it's because the Malaysian film industry is filled with slapstick comedy-horror and love flicks or maybe I'm just a jerk who doesn't appreciate his own country. Lupa daratan.
But I'm not going to write a complaint in this post--no--I'm going to write about a show that I do look forward to every year; to embrace what Malaysian artists has to offer. Seniman.
Comedy is one of the best selling genres in Malaysia. Heck, when in doubt of trying to a new genre (Superhero, for instance), comedy is always the safest move they'll make. Most of the comedy films are slapstick and I'm not fond of shallow jokes and constant hitting. But I do like the comedy of what 'Maharaja Lawak Mega' has to offer. It was a reality show that started out as an audition for--well, I would like to say newcomers but most of the contestants are people who had no experience in stand up; trying to turn their life around. It later evolved into a competition for local titans in the industry. Imagine a show where Adam Sandler, Lonely Island, Damon Wayans, Jim Carey, Robin Williams and Rob Schneider had to compete one another. It's not actually a stand up show. It's more to a stage show.
When I heard this show came out, I was intrigued by the idea. Sure, to some, it is a rip of The Last Comic Standing but it's still awesome to me. The idea of having popular comedians competing is certainty entertaining and a bit different than The Last Comic Standing. I hate that show. Tak Lawak langsung!
What I love about the show
What else could it be? Of course, it reflects Malaysian culture! Something that I can always relate and laugh about. Watching this show somehow brings a nostalgic feeling to me. I don't often watch local shows at home but that habit goes away when I visit my hometown. I guess watching local shows together with cousins has somehow became a nostalgic routine.
The concerning flaws
Even though the show has evolved with a better gimmick and more experienced comedians. It still has some very concerning flaws. It's not some mistake or writing issues that varies according to the taste of the viewers. The flaws could end the series very soon and I don't want that to happen!
It doesn't lives up to it's name
The word Mega and the hype of having the industry's titans battling it out with each other should produce a very satisfying show from every contestant. Sadly, only two to three groups are really funny (Most of the contestants are in a group). Doesn't that sounds disappointing to you? To make the disappointment even bigger, the show also has comedians from Indonesia and Singapore (The amount of actual funny performances are just so limited, I even forgot about the whole International competition thing). I admire the fact that they let the seniors of our industry to perform. The move seems like a way of respecting them while trying to get the more older viewer's attention. Sadly for them, most of the audience are young and their old school jokes aren't just working out with them. They need to be up to date with the latest trends. It's a must because even I'm having a hard time of laughing at their jokes. It's hard to make people laugh, I know, but at least I'm writing a few possible pointers that you could think about in order to improve. First, a more casual and more to the typical habits of Malaysian society has to be emphasize more. Like the old shows during the late 90's, their posture, timing and a combination of a half formal, half casual dialogue is still present in their performances. Second, it is most definitely the interaction with the crowd. Groups like Jozan has a very good relationship with the crowd. As an audience, I can almost feel like I know them both, Johan and Zizan. With better interaction, it will produce inside jokes. What is an inside joke? When something funny happens between friends and family, only a few will understand. It makes a better joke and bond.
The memorable traits
To some, my comments about the show might be too harsh. Well, I don't care because the amount of the positive side is more then the negative. What this show offers to me, films like The Dark Knight Rises or video games such as Assassin's Creed couldn't, is the family bond. I can share the laughter and enthusiasm with my cousins and siblings. I don' know, it's just a personal thing for me. I prefer to keep my passion for films to myself at often times.
Laughing together beats laughing alone
I just find it much easier and better to laugh at jokes, specifically Malaysian jokes, that are performed in front of a live audience. It's the sincere laugh (and not some prerecorded and unrealistic laugh) and the lively atmosphere that make it more jolly and fun. Perhaps, it's a matter of taste but I just find it hard to laugh at their prerecorded shows even if Jozan is in the show. But I do like to watch it because of the light story (I don't laugh though...not much).
Spin Offs
The phenomenon of this competition gave birth to Super Spontan! I love that show! Live comedy shows has become a favorite for Malaysian viewers and it should stay that way. The difference between Maharaja Lawak Mega and Super Spontan is that Super Spontan is an unscripted show. They have to come up with jokes on the spot and thankfully, most of the contestants are funny! That is something what Maharaja Lawak Mega should be producing. It's not exactly a spin off but most of the contestants are the same people from Maharaja lawak Mega. Karoot Komedia is also another show that I think it was inspired by Maharaja Lawak.
Opportunities/ Cultural phenomenon
Well, the show didn't only inspired some new reality shows. It also made it to theater, films and TV shows. Contestants like Zizan and Nabil had been in many films. Jozan and Boboi (Afdlin Shauki and Harun Salim Bachik at the time) had made a theater show at Istana Budaya. Quite an achievement if you ask me.
An example of their performance but this was at Istana Budaya though.
So, by the end of this post, you could say that there's two local shows that I look forward to every year; both Super Spontan and Maharaja Lawak Mega.
This show sort of gave a boost to Yasmin Hani's popularity.
I prefer this logo though because it is much simpler.
This show sort of gave a boost to Yasmin Hani's popularity.
And this is my last post for 2012. Wow! How time flies by very fast huh? Has it already been a year for this blog? I don't know. I didn't bother keeping track. From silly sketches to my artworks for my studies, the posts I did has been very much satisfying in terms of writing. I get to write loads of stuffs regarding my thoughts and tastes in the entertainment world. And writing about a local favorite for my last post of 2012 is definitely, to me, the best way to end it; considering how little I write about any local films. Thank you for those who reads this and any other post I did.
Hoping and praying for better days,
Salam and may your 2013 be splendid!
