A US comedian named Chrissie Mayr has come forward to defend her friend, Jocelyn Chia, who is currently facing severe criticism from Malaysians. Mayr took to social media to express her admiration for Chia's jokes and argued that she doesn't need to apologize.
Its not the comedians job to avoid certain topics that trigger the sensitive- its their job to be funny.
— Chrissie Mayr (@ChrissieMayr) June 8, 2023
I really hope Jocelyn doesnt apologize for this great joke. pic.twitter.com/n6bHPihpqm
"It's not the comedian's job to avoid certain topics that trigger the sensitive- it's their job to be funny. I hope Jocelyn doesn't apologize for this great joke.," Mayr stated. However, Mayr's statement did not receive a positive response from Malaysians, who considered Chia's jokes to be inhumane. Some even labelled Chia as narcissistic.
Previously, Chia faced backlash from Malaysians after a video of her performing at the Comedy Cellar in New York surfaced, in which she made jokes about the MH370 incident.
Concurrently, the Singaporean government issued an apology to the Malaysian people due to the actions of the comedian, who was said to be of Singaporean origin. Singapore's High Commissioner to Malaysia, Vanu Gopala Menon, expressed his surprise at the offensive comments made by Chia during a recent stand-up comedy performance, as reported by Astro Awani.
"The Singaporean government cannot accept any words or actions that can cause harm or offend others, and Chia, who is no longer a Singaporean citizen, does not reflect our views. I sincerely apologize to all Malaysians for her hurtful words," stated Vanu Gopala in a statement on Wednesday.
In response, many Malaysians expressed their anger, drawing a parallel with how Americans would feel if comedians made insensitive jokes about the 9/11 tragedy.
They argue that Malaysians understand the importance of respecting sensitive topics and that the wounds from tragic events such as MH370 are still fresh in everyone's minds.
On the other hand, Americans are rallying behind Jocelyn and Chrissie, asserting that Malaysians do not understand the boundaries of comedy and that humour can serve as a coping mechanism for gradually moving on from tragedy.
However, many Malaysians strongly disagree, emphasizing that it takes time for wounds to heal and that certain topics should be treated with sensitivity.
The controversy has ignited a heated debate between Malaysians and Americans regarding the limits of comedy and the appropriate time to joke about sensitive events. The differing cultural perspectives and varying sensitivities between the two countries continue to fuel the ongoing dispute.
