Symposium explores seriousness of humor
Symposium explores seriousness of humor
SEMARANG (JP): Noted cultural observer Umar Kayam expressed
concern that civilian and military officials, as well as
Indonesia's educated elite, offer society only "colorless and
humorless" jargon.
Speaking at a symposium on humor yesterday, Umar, who is also
an author and professor at School of Letters at Gadjah Mada
University in Yogyakarta, reminded the audience of the link
between humorless officials and a rigid regime.
"A rigid and insensitive regime is usually also one which
takes its power too seriously, one which sees power in a narrow
way," he said. "So serious is the regime that it's unable to see
other things."
He said a regime tends to turn language, the community's most
fundamental communication tool, into something "rigid and
austere". Something suited only to preserve power.
In such a situation, "it's difficult for a society which is
relaxed, patient, happy and loves puns to emerge," he said.
"Under such a regime, people will lose their sensitivity to enjoy
things which are not usual -- the absurd."
He warned against letting a stoic society grow.
"Surely we don't want a society like the one that existed in
Germany under the Nazis, or in Italy under Mussolini, or the
former Soviet Union under Stalin...a society which is too serious
and intolerant of humor," he argued.
Held by Diponegoro University, the symposium featured State
Minister for Population Haryono Suyono and other note figures.
The minister said humor should not be used to threaten national
unity.
"Humor can be used to laugh at the flaws occurring in
development and turn those flaws into cheap jokes," he said.
"This is really dangerous. Which is why humor should be separated
from the issue (of development)."
He said there are many ways humor can be used to benefit
national development. It can be used, for instance, to deliver
messages about development which are sometimes difficult to
convey.
Haryono was also quoted by Antara as saying that humor can be
used to "gift-wrap" important information which is needed to
educate the public.
Moderated by Jaya Suprana, who labels himself a
"humorologist", Moslem scholars Abdurrahman Wahid and Emha Ainun
Nadjib, and psychologists Djamaluddin Ancok, Utami Munandar and
Sarlito Wirawan Sarwono also spoke at the meeting.
Jaya Suprana called humor a safety valve to help society let-
off steam. Some of the speakers concurred, with Emha saying that
"humor is a manifestation of people's effort to avoid
repression".
"Humor is a method with which people try to escape pressure,"
Emha said.
Utami and Sarlito both reminded the audience that humor and
laughing are needed to keep a person healthy and able to
withstand adversities.
"Humor is an important part of a person's process of recovery
from a sickness. It also helps us gain a fresh perspective when
we are dealing with difficulties," Utami said.
Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, gave an elaborate
concept of humor, calling it a manifestation of people's protest
against many things, from the government to sophisticated
technology.
"Humor occurs because of a gap existing between those who
don't know and those in the know. In this case, it's always the
government which is considered the more knowledgeable, while the
common people are considered as those who know nothing," said the
chairman of the 30-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama Moslem
organization.
"What's more important, humor can also be a form of protest
against the wrong. Wise people protest something which is not
right through humor," he said. (har/swe)