Feel Free to Laugh before Laughter Is Banned

The authorities’ response to humor is a reflection of how they care for democracy. The exaggerated action of the police against Ismail Ahmad who uploaded a joke by Gus Dur about honest policemen should not recur.

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A painting of Indonesia’s fourth president, K.H. Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid, decorates the wall of a coffee shop on 30 May 2020 in Karang Tengah district, Tangerang City, Banten.

The authorities’ response to humor is a reflection of how they care for democracy. Therefore, the exaggerated action of the police against Ismail Ahmad who uploaded a joke once told by Gus Dur about honest policemen should not recur.

The humorous words from Indonesia’s fourth president, Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) about honest police officers wasn’t considered funny by Sula Islands Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Muhammad Irvan and his ranks. Ismail Ahmad, 41, was thus summoned to the police office and asked to apologize for what he had uploaded on Facebook.

Ismail readily apologized. He explained to the media, though, that he felt it was acceptable for him to post the jest on his Facebook because it was already decades old and frequently told by Gus Dur.

“Only three police officers are honest in Indonesia: a police statue, polisi tidur [speed bump] and general Hoegeng,” Gus Dur said, referring to Indonesia’s fifth National Police chief, Hoegeng Imam Santoso, who served from 1968 to 1971.

Only three police officers are honest in Indonesia: a police statue, polisi tidur [speed bump] and general Hoegeng

Until today, although it has become folklore, this joke continues to make people smile. Gus Dur’s claim is illogical. Just imagine that two objects and the former National Police chief are seen as parallels. The other illogical aspect is certainly that out of around 470,000 police officers, there must be those maintaining honesty and integrity.

However, as indicated by language philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein in his theory the Language Game, a word or sentence has meaning only as a result of the rule of the game being played. This rule of the game can be interpreted as the context and agreement of relevant users.

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A screenshot shows a graphic post that Ismail Ahmad, a 41-year-old resident of Sanana in Sula Islands regency, North Maluku, posted to Facebook on Friday (12/6/2020). The Sula Police questioned Ismail about the message, which says, “There are only three honest police in Indonesia: Police statues, polisi tidur <‘sleeping police’, the colloquial name for speed bumps> and General Hoegeng .”

Yet the Sula Islands Police chief might not be joining the game, so he didn’t think Gus Dur’s jest was funny. The problem is that there is an imbalance of power, so he felt authorized to tell Ismail to apologize. Here, a division between humor and politics occurred. Like a black market, humor in politics always happens, not only among ordinary people but also among elite members.

In Indonesia, the expression, “feel free to laugh before laughter is banned”, is known as a slogan of the comedian group Warkop DKI, comprising Dono, Kasino and Indro. Thanks to the three’s intellectual background, the trio of University of Indonesia (UI) students formed in the 1970s were articulate in speaking of political issues. They were frequently intimidated by the New Order regime. So, they predicted that laughter was going to be prohibited before long.

Politics and humor

The figure considered most articulate in talking about politics and humor was Gus Dur himself. He even wrote the foreword of the bestselling political humor book Mati Ketawa Cara Rusia (Russia Dies Laughing) in 1986. Gus Dur was not only an expressive speaker and a ruler who upheld democracy, he was also able to understand that the sense of humor of a society reflects its resilience in the face of adversity.

“The ability to laugh at oneself is an indication of the presence of balance between the demand to fulfill needs and inner feelings on the one side. Bitterness due to suffering is balanced by clear recognition of the necessity to accept suffering without losing the enthusiasm to survive. In this manner, humor is a sublimation of the wisdom of a society,” Gus Dur wrote.

Of all the subjects of humor, politics is most often a prime target. Regarding this matter, Jaya Suprana, a good friend of Gus Dur, in the foreword of the book Humor Politik (Political Humor, 1989) wrote that politics had indeed become the butt of humor. This is because humor actually thrives in a contradictory and hypocritical atmosphere, where reality is inconsistent with and even the opposite of what is being aspired to.

KOMPAS/ARYO WISANGGENI GENTHONG

Achmad Gozali drew a mural of KH Abdurrahman Wahid as a symbol of tolerance, diversity, and freedom of expression on the walls of a community park in Bali Mester Village, DKI Jakarta, Sunday (5/6/2016).

When politics creates a condition of disparity between those in power and those governed, humor serves as the easiest means of democratization.

“It’s because the laughter of rulers is not much different from that of commoners. Only perhaps, one can laugh out loud and the other has to do it stealthily,” Jaya Suprana wrote.

Humor serves as the easiest means of democratization.

Humor can be subsumed into folklore. Indonesian folklorist James Danandjaya also a professor at UI, said political humor arose because of the public need for political criticism. Meanwhile, in Indonesia’s tradition, frontal criticism is disliked. Its advantage, according to Danandjaya in his book Humor dan Rumor Politik Masa Reformasi (Political Humor and Rumor in the Reform Period, 1999), is to allow listeners who are annoyed by the political situation to enjoy a brief reprieve.

Commenting on the case of Ismail Ahmad, Alissa Wahid said for Gus Dur, political humor constituted criticism directed at those holding power.

The powerful elite are not always the government, but they can also be other authorities. The case involving Ismail Ahmad worries Alissa because that kind of pressure on critical remarks has been noticeable lately.

“It was just a joke that was turned into a huge issue. How would they respond to serious criticism? In fact, rulers have to be criticized,” said the eldest daughter of Gus Dur.

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Alissa Wahid

Humor allows its listeners to critically reflect on reality and avoid being robots of the system.

Cultural observer Garin Nugroho, who often scrutinizes political humor circulating on social media, described jokes as containing criticism, self-reflection and togetherness through the culture of hilarity.

“This is the nation’s greatest asset in facing a crisis. So, the response and reaction of government institutions to humor is a reflection of their way of viewing and caring for democracy. If government institutions act that way [in Ismail Ahmad’s case], we’re losing the essence of democracy,” said Garin.

Not only institutions have recently been intimidating. Social media comedian Bintang Emon was recently subjected to verbal intimidation by fellow citizens. In fact, perhaps like the Sula Islands Police chief, they were not aware of the Language Game taking place at the time.

Nonetheless, humor is not funny when it has to be explained. For this reason, it’s enough to close this article again with Gus Dur’s humor written in the foreword of Mati Ketawa Cara Rusia.

If government institutions act that way [in Ismail Ahmad’s case], we’re losing the essence of democracy.

One day, unpopular president Gonzales from the Republic of Banana was taking a trip on horseback. When crossing a bridge, his horse was startled and so president Gonzales fell down and drifted along a strong river current. He was helped by a fish angler. President Gonzales was so grateful that he told his own story lengthily and praised the angler for his great merit.

Then he asked what reward the angler wished to be granted. He would give whatever wanted. The angler replied in a naïve fashion.

“Only one your excellency: Please never tell others that I helped your excellency.”