‘It is becoming difficult to make a joke these days’

KARACHI: Journalists Zarrar Khuhro and Fasi Zaka in a panel discussion titled 'Reality catching up with Satire', moderated by Nadeem F. Paracha, talked about how the modern day sarcasm, especially online, is taken way more seriously than necessary and people make 'satires of satires'.

The panel discussion was held on the second day of the Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) here Saturday.

The crowd jeered and rolled with laughter as the satirists took a jab at the current political environment in the country, among other things.

Fasi shared his experience of dealing with online trolls and how he tried to troll them for being a troll and got blocked.

In a highly humorous environment, the panel tried to reflect on how important humour and sarcasm was to say the things that couldn't be said without the risk of offending someone and losing one's life.

Khuhro shared, "Satirists can always get away under the cover of 'just joking'. It is a safe way of playing and not getting killed in the process."

Times have changed for satirists. "Today it has been overshadowed under a xenophobic narrative and a religious narrative," said Fasi Zaka.

People appear more sentimental than logical in an increasingly divided society that we live in. Therefore, it is becoming difficult to make a joke at something without offending someone's values; religious, moral, social.

The panel concluded with an insightful discussion about healthy satires and how it reinforces new ideas and questions among the minds of the masses.

It is a tricky way of saying what can't be said and even more so when the world is connected through Twitter and anybody who has any rumour/doubt about anyone can find them and start trolling them as it is the easiest way of feeling validated and responsible.