Comedian Basuki finds the humor in life<\/p>\n
Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
If we could choose our path in life, it is almost certain that we
\nwould be born wealthy, have a carefree adolescence, die
\npeacefully and go to heaven, just like the local saying that goes
\nlahir kaya raya, muda foya-foya dan mati masuk surga.<\/p>\n
However, not all of us have the privilege to have those grand
\nchoices, and neither did comedian Basuki, if he could wish that
\nwhen he was still young.<\/p>\n
Hardships have been a close companion for him since his
\nchildhood. Although he has conquered a lot of his past, he has
\nlearned from these experiences.<\/p>\n
When he was younger, he would pedal his bicycle for three
\nkilometers to take his parents to work at dusk and later to pick
\nthem up late at night. This was his routine in addition to doing
\nhis homework and babysitting his younger siblings.<\/p>\n
His parents both worked at night as performers at Sri
\nWanito, a wayang orang (Javanese dance and opera based on
\nRamayana and Mahabharata epics) group in Semarang, the capital of
\nCentral Java.<\/p>\n
Basuki joined Srimulat group in 1980 after his father, Suwito
\nHadiwiryono, quit the wayang orang group when modern
\nentertainment won over audiences.<\/p>\n
Suwito later joined Srimulat group and was popular with his
\nstage name Pete (a kind of bean with a pungent odor, widely eaten
\nraw or cooked).<\/p>\n
As the eldest in his family, the young Basuki had to help his
\nparents to survive. He left high school in his second year due to
\nfinancial problems. He started a career as a dancer at the wayang
\norang group where his parents used to work.<\/p>\n
Being a comedian, however, turned out to be his real cup of
\ntea. His reputation was established there and his career took
\noff.<\/p>\n
\"That's what I call jodoh (soul mate). We never know until
\nwe're in the middle of it. I live when I am on stage,\" he said
\nrecently in an interview.<\/p>\n
After he became successful and popular, he still finds it hard
\nto answer the question why he became a comedian.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know whether it was a calling, innate talent or if it
\nwas in my veins.\"<\/p>\n
Spontaneity and creativity is his main ammunition to keep on
\ntrack and be counted. He confesses though, that he is always
\ndreaming about being more organized with his joke ideas, which
\npop up \"anywhere they like\".<\/p>\n
\"Frequently I come across an idea for my jokes but it's too
\nbad I don't jot them down because when I go to sleep and later
\nwake up, the idea disappears,\" he smirked, probably recalling his
\nunborn jokes.<\/p>\n
In Srimulat group, he is paid Rp 5 million (US$555) for a
\nsingle episode, which is shown weekly on television, and gets
\nmore for commercials and other appearances.<\/p>\n
He drives a Nissan Terrano and lives in the upmarket Cinere
\narea, a far cry from his early days in Jakarta when he was
\nrenting a room and earning Rp 1,500 per day.<\/p>\n
He never charges for his appearances but \"my manager does,\" he
\nquickly adds.<\/p>\n
\"I was recently paid with six glasses when I performed at the
\nMarine Headquarters. I like the glasses anyway. They have the
\nMarine logo embossed on them.\"<\/p>\n
Compared to the money he earned in the 1980s, Basuki only
\nlaughed and said that he only got Rp 275 an appearance and that
\nwas so valuable to his family.<\/p>\n
\"It was the first time when I learned about professionalism,
\nand how I have to be responsible to make audiences laugh, because
\nthat is what they paid for. I always felt that I had to make them
\nfeel comfortable where they were sitting in order to enjoy the
\nshow, and to give them a cheerful feeling, leaving their stress
\nbehind when they went home,\" said Basuki, now a father of three.<\/p>\n
Basuki now turns 46 and is considered an old face in Srimulat
\ngroup, but he is one of the leading characters that enlivens the
\ngroup. He said that he benefits from the absence of younger
\npeople joining his group.<\/p>\n
\"Perhaps rejeki (fortune), is still ours. It's not us that do
\nnot support the younger generation. We wish there were new faces
\nthat could replace us,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Young comedians, he criticized, were not coming up with
\nauthentic and original jokes for audiences and some were only
\ndoing gags with big fake moustaches, strange hair styles and
\nclown costumes.<\/p>\n
The ups and downs of life on the stage has also made him
\noutgoing and being social with his fellow artists.<\/p>\n
\"You will never find me sitting alone or with friends in a
\ncafe because that's not me. I am very much a family man. I go to
\nwork and go straight home after work,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Fishing and playing badminton are his passion.<\/p>\n
There is a price to pay for his rocketing popularity and
\nappearing regularly on Indosiar's Srimulat show and his
\nnoteworthy character in Si Doel Anak Sekolahan (Si Doel, the
\nstudent) sequels.<\/p>\n
The annoying but also lovable characters are in contrast to
\nhis serious and reticent traits in real life.<\/p>\n
His true character obviously causes him to be distant from his
\nchildren, he said. The good thing is, he has gained respect from
\nthem and he rules the household with an iron fist to ensure his
\nchildren grow up as good people in this crazy city.<\/p>\n
\"I rarely see my children because of my professional career. I
\noften feel a bit guilty,\" he said, adding that his children, who
\nare now teenagers, might understand his situation.<\/p>\n
If living well and being popular has affected him, the
\nSurakarta-born Basuki has chosen not to feel bleak, stuck in
\npoverty, suffering from severe illness and feeling deserted, like
\nso many of his seniors.<\/p>\n
\"I don't want to grow old and poor and have to beg for help,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/comedian-basuki-finds-the-humor-in-life-1447893297",
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