Blurring Lines in Humors

An edited image of Jesus Christ in Makkal Osai Newspaper

(source :www.infernalramblings.com)

There are several ways to warn others through extraordinary caricatures or sarcastic jokes, but the most important thing is to mind involved parties while doing so, as people might find us offensive or simply rude while doing so. A Tamil newspaper published in Malaysia, Makkal Osai, was suspended for a month after putting a picture of Jesus Christ holding a bottle of beer and cigarette in both hands. Considered to have trespassed the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 under materials that could threaten public security, harmony, and morality (The Star, 2007), the newspaper was banned for a month. Public apology was addressed by Makkal Osai’s editor in-chief, along with the statement that the picture was a technical mistake. Others who do not go against the picture believe that it is only a way to tell people that there is a way out of sins.

On a second thought, the pictures could be taken either in a good connotation or the bad ones. As people perceive text differently according to one’s personal believes, and whether we like it or not, humor, irony, and sarcasm are inseparable parts in texts (Walsh, 2006). What matters is not whether the picture creators get the punishments or not, but it is more to how we can deal and defend our personal stance about certain controversies as we live in the freedom of speech era, where borders and limitations are getting more and more blurry.