The saddest part of seriousness is that it’s grim. And the stupidest myth about it is that serious somehow means important. Like school. Somewhere along the line for reasons which completely escape this writer the concept of study got heavily overlaid with a total absence of joy.
At the same time about the only thing we remember about school with any degree of fondness are those classes where this one teacher would sashay into the room and immediately light up our dismal days of learning with absolutely electrifying humour. It was almost as if the person was actually enjoying the task of teaching. And you know what? Those are the subjects we ingested best to this day.
Or like literature. Carve this in cobalt if you will but they’re never going to let history consider P G Wodehouse for instance an important literary figure. There’s simply too much unnecessary fun in his writings for him to be considered by posterity to be a sombre man of letters who delved into the mystery of the human condition or the nature of reality.
Shakespeare’s not spared either. Okay the man’s a genius dammit so even his comedies like As You Like It have to be called great. But with this essential critical caveat – not as great as his relatively mirthless “dark” comedies such as Measure for Measure which critics think of as far more profound.
Or like newspapers. Editors are not fools. They realise comics are a necessary evil so the best they can do is to hide them away behind page 400. Can they ever grace the front page? ARE YOU INSANE? Is there any person in the world who would willingly want to start his or her day off with a laugh, chuckle or even a wee tee-hee?
(Okay let’s cut them some slack here; if the comic is a pocket cartoon dealing with something topical or political then, yes, it can be front paged but don’t expect Beetle Bailey or Calvin & Hobbes to debut.)
The front page is for top or breaking news – whichever is more distressing that particular day. And as far as the editorials are concerned the comic relief comes at the end, if at all, or as a “non-serious” middle. The main edits are only reserved for momentous issues of utter cheerlessness so that readers can add a hefty dash of solemnity to their lives.
Or like Buddhism. A Buddha is a person who discovers the true underpinnings of all existence through years of study, investigation of the various religious practices of his time, and meditation. Amen.
The laughing Buddha? Oh he’s just a happy half drunk potbellied guy with a sackful of sweets and toys which he distributes to children as he roams the countryside. Distributes sweets to children? You’re kidding, right?
(This piece first appeared in The Economic Times)