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Comedian Kaya Yanar as "Ranjid": Still contemporary and funny?
Photo: United Archives / ZIK Images / imago images
The discussion about the alleged "Cancel Culture", the freedom of art and the need of those affected not to be made a mockery is currently experiencing a new twist.
German entertainers worry about what they did in the past - and whether they would still do it today.
You could call it progress.
In the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", Anke Engelke welcomed "that we have a different consciousness today" and says: "Blackfacing, yellowfacing - I would no longer do some parodies".
Bastian "I want to buy a wool rose?"
Pastewka and, a few days ago on the show "Walulis Woche", also Bernd Hoëcker and Kaya Yanar.
Hoëcker had already practiced blackfacing in the past, Yanar still plays the character of the Indian "Ranjid": "Can I continue to play Ranjid or is that now a taboo?" Asked Yanar on Facebook: "What do you think? Would be interesting before especially the opinions of Indians or Germans with an Indian migration background on the subject. "
Everything about this question is interesting.
"
Ranjid
" himself, the "
I
", the "
now
", the "
taboo
" and the fact that Yanar is "
above all interested in the opinions
" of those who may be affected - even if only those who follow him on Facebook anyway.
The inquiry - and the answers to it - also show the eerie nature of this debate.
There can be no question of a "taboo"
The "
I
" is a 47-year-old comedian from Frankfurt who has completely made his own migration background disappear.
His work (especially with the program "Was puckst du ?!" on Sat.1) was multicultural from the start and paved the way for comedy based on ethnic differences in Germany in the first place.
In addition to "Ranjid", "Franceso" (Italian and gigolo), "Hakan" (Turk and bouncer), the nameless "Sirtaki man" (Greek) and the fortune teller "Olga" (German) were also part of his repertoire.
In later broadcasts he dedicated himself to clichés about Germans ("Is it still possible ?! Kaya's week").
The "
now
" is not entirely accurate.
Black or brown facing was not really okay before.
The only difference is that those affected themselves - or their moral lawyers with a fraudulent mandate to protest - can "now" make themselves heard better.
However
, there can be no question of
a "
taboo
" which a self-appointed humor police would ensure that it is observed.
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Comedian Yanar: Made my own immigration background disappear completely
Photo: Malte Ossowski / Sven Simon / imago images
The overwhelming to overwhelming majority of the more than 3000 responses on Facebook are in the affirmative, they range from "Absolutely, my son-in-law is Indian and thinks you are great, so Ranjid has to stay" to "I am Indian (my parents from Punjab) and I have don't mind if you want to continue playing Ranid (...) I never saw that as discrimination! "
until "Just because a couple now want to save the world with their attitude, humor can still remain".
Its creator has
now diversified
this "
Ranjid
", just as corporations do with successful products.
There are now more "Ranjids" than the multiethnic state of India has ethnic groups.
Among other things, "Ranjid" was already a cleaner, agent, "computer Indian" and recruit - for which Yanar just needed a sympathetic, but, because culturally alien, slightly ignorant protagonist.
Yanar himself writes that there have been "not a single complaint" in 20 years: "Even from Indians so far there has only been encouragement. Was even invited to Indian weddings ...".
All alone he problematizes what no one has accused him of.
Why?
"This whole discussion, which I think is great," he told the SWR: "It forces us comedians to reflect. Think about it: What were we actually doing there? Which is not that easy. Because 20 years ago completely different things were true social standards. "
Basically, Yanar continued, "the whole zeitgeist that prevailed back then had to be attacked".
more on the subject
Dispute over Lisa Eckhart: Cancel Culture for BeginnersA column by Margarete Stokowski
Icon: Spiegel Plus "Cancel Culture" in the USA: The Great DitchBy Philipp Oehmke and Tobias Rapp
Icon: VideoJan Böhmermann on tweeting: "I had to introduce the excuse category"
Not all Indian is the same in comedy, and he is seldom portrayed by an Indian.
The blueprint for almost all the following Indians in western representation is the wandering film statistic Hrundi V. Bakshi, whom Peter Sellers - including Brownfacing - embodied in 1968 in "Der Partyschreck".
Probably the most powerful Indian in pop culture is probably the figure of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon in "The Simpsons".
The manager of the Kwik-E store was the only migrant of Southeast Asian descent to be seen on US television for decades, and is actually quite a smart figure.
Nevertheless, this representation was also problematized (including in the documentation "The Problem With Apu", 2017) that it would encourage racist bullying through humor.
Is "Ranjid" still showable
and
funny?
Apu is still part of the "Simpsons", whose makers dealt directly with the problem in one episode - and failed: "Something that was hailed decades ago and was not considered offensive is now politically incorrect. What should you do there Lisa asks helplessly.
Yanar's inquiries on Facebook are commendable because he is apparently insecure himself, initiates the discourse himself and does not, like some of his colleagues, portray himself as a persecuted artist.
However, the answers are not representative, at most valuable for the comedian as market research on their own behalf.
Yanar could just as well have asked the Indian embassy or himself whether his Ranjid is still up-to-date
and
funny.
Nobody forces him to sacrifice his Indian to the zeitgeist.
But if the fictional character is really good at something, he should plunge himself into the current discourse and be able to contribute something.
Instead of commenting on computer games on Twitch with a "funny" accent, as is the case in their current shrinkage level.
Icon: The mirror
