Slap stick comedy accused of being racist

A Singaporean Indian actor was disgusted over his role as an Indian NSman in Jack Neo’s ‘Ah Boys to Men 4’ comedy. He was told by the director that he was not Indian enough, without the Indian accent that the director wanted in the comedy production.

This is from a post in the statestimes.

‘A Singaporean Indian actor was told by the casting director of a new conscription-themed movie by Jack Neo, that he is “not Indian enough”. Actor Shrey Bhargava took to Facebook and said that he put up with the director’s request and felt “disgusted” playing the role of an Indian Singaporean with thick Indian accent. The actor wrote his thoughts about why the state propaganda movie emphasize the need to play on racism to create jokes, and questioned the morality of the Chinese Singaporean majority who find these jokes funny.’

Jack Neo’s comedy is what it is, catering to the masses with the kind of stereo typing not just for Singapore Indians, but for Singapore Chinese, the Chinese educated and the bananas speaking in a contrived English accent that most Singaporeans don’t speak that way. To the little group of baba English educated Chinese, mostly bananas, that is the correct way to speak baba English, oops, that is Queen’s English to them.

In this particular case, the director could not understand that time has changed and the Singapore Indians no longer speak with the Indian accent of olden days or like the Indian Indians that arrived here recently. The 50 years of social integration and growing up together has evolved a generation of new Singaporeans that speak in a common accent, be they Chinese, Indian or Malay. They have a similar accent, very Singaporean and only Singaporeans can undertand and identify with.

The director of the comedy is still stuck in the past, playing on the queer accent and mannerism of the various races as humour. Suck slap stick humour has its own audience and attractiveness, maybe just to churn up the ticket sales but may, like in this case, becomes unpalatable and even be seen as being racist.

Jack Neo and his team should change with the time and reflect the real or new Singaporean mix, the new Singaporean young are different from their parents and grand parents. They have all acquired the Singaporean accent. The new Singaporeans are a new breed from our rojak society. Maybe the director may want to cast the new citizens with their queer accent from their motherland and how they cope with being the minority among the Singaporeans in NS.

There is definitely a distinct difference between the new citizens and the original Singaporeans, Singaporeans born and bred in our multi racial society. When the new citizens open their mouth, it tells instantly. This could be the next theme of Jack Neo in ‘Ah Boys to Men 5’. But beware of being accused of racism as playing up on the new and strange accent, behaviour and mannerism may not go down well on those who are more sensitive than the norm, especially the new citizens who have this obsession that Singaporeans are racist. Do not give room or reason to be accused of racism even if it is a comedy for commercial interests.