No More Laughing at Pain? Broadcast Authority Considers Banning Programs That Use Pain for Laughs
According to an article on NHK, the BPO (Broadcasting Ethics & Programming Improvement Organization) has decided to deliberate on the production of programs where hurting the performers is used as fodder for laughs, considering the impact this may have on young people. The organization says that it continuously receives complaints on such programs with opinions like “It makes me feel uncomfortable” and “It promotes bullying.” Although the article and the organization does not mention any specific shows, those on social media immediately thought of the impact this would have on the popular New Years Eve special featuring the comedic duo Downtown, “24 Jikan Waratte wa Ikenai” (Basically “You can’t laugh for 24 hours”). The show features the comedians going through different set situations where they are surprised by something or someone. If they laugh in these situations, they are then beaten by the show’s staff of masked enforcers with a swift bat to the butt. (Their’s is not the only example on Japanese TV of people being put in painful situations to illicit laughs put certainly the most popular.) Countless clips of Downtown shows and other programs have made their way on to YouTube and other social media, gathering a fanbase outside Japan as well. One clip that came to mind was one from Downtown’s Gaki no Tsukai TV show from 12 years ago. The clip, mislabeled in English as a “Japanese Game Show", shows the comedian cast of the show trying to get through reading an event title which is basically a tongue twister. If they fail, they get hit in the groin. (Of course, humor from pain is hardly a genre that is exclusive to Japan. Just ask Larry, Moe, and Curly.)
It’s hard to know if the BPO will really go ahead with a ban on such programs (or even if they have that power), especially since they remain so popular (Downtown’s New Years special draws huge ratings every year) but the reactions of some on social media were pretty entertaining and at times thoughtful. Here are some of the comments in Japanese and English.
笑ってはいけない＼(^o^)／ｵﾜﾀ
Waratte wa ikenai＼(^o^)／owata
“Waratte wa ikenai” is finished!
芸無し芸人が笑い取れなくなるけどいいの？
Gei nashi geinin ga warai torenakunaru kedo ii no?
Comedians without any skills won’t be able to get laughs. Is this okay?
誰も傷つけない笑いがあるので不愉快な笑いしか取れない芸人は消えていいと思うよ
Dare mo kizu tsukenai warai ga aru no de fuyukai na warai shika torenai geinin wa kiete ii to omou yo.
There is comedy that doesn’t harm anyone so I think it’s okay for the comedians who can only get laughs by hurting others to disappear.
昔OKだったパワハラも今じゃ無理だろ？それと同じこと時代が変わったら価値観も変わるのさ
Mukashi OK datta pawahara mo ima ja muri daro? Sore to onaji koto jidai ga kawattara kachikan mo kawaru no sa
The power harassment that was OK in the past is now unacceptable, right? It’s the same thing. With the changing times, values change as well.
昭和の頃から指摘されてたのに今さら？ やっぱBPOはズレてるわ
Showa no koro kara shiteki sareteta noni ima sara? Yappa BOP wa zereteru wa
This has been pointed out since the Showa era and their talking about this now? Man, BPO is out of step.
