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Comedians bring laughter to palace
Joko and the jokers: President Joko Widodo (third left, back row) hosts a luncheon with stand-up comedians at his office in Jakarta on Thursday
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Joko and the jokers: President Joko Widodo (third left, back row) hosts a luncheon with stand-up comedians at his office in Jakarta on Thursday. It was the second day in a row that the President entertained comedians.(Courtesy of Presidential Office/Laily Rachev) (third left, back row) hosts a luncheon with stand-up comedians at his office in Jakarta on Thursday. It was the second day in a row that the President entertained comedians.(Courtesy of Presidential Office/Laily Rachev)
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span class="inline inline-center">Joko and the jokers: President Joko Widodo (third left, back row) hosts a luncheon with stand-up comedians at his office in Jakarta on Thursday. It was the second day in a row that the President entertained comedians.(Courtesy of Presidential Office/Laily Rachev)
President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo invited groups of comedians to the State Palace over two consecutive days, as he apparently wanted to take a break from his daily state activities. Some said he wanted to make light of the brouhahaha at the House of Representatives.
Although the two gatherings were part of Jokowi's initiative to invite art communities to non-formal gatherings, the presence of the comedians indeed lit up the palace.
Veteran comedian Indrodjojo Kusumonegoro, better known as Indro from the legendary Warkop trio, Roni Immanuel or Mongol Stres, Raditya Dika and Ge Pamungkas, were among stand-up comedians who attended a lunch at the palace on Thursday.
'I'm am confused about whom I am representing here. Since the seat is now empty, I'd say I'm representing the Dewan Perwakilan stand-up comedians,' Indro joked during the lunch.
Indro's statement, which was made with the national spotlight on the House, or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, provoked laughter among those present, including the President.
Representing the stand-up comedians, Indro mostly told Jokowi about stand-up comedy history and development in Indonesia, which has risen in popularity in the past couple of years.
Presidential Chief of Staff Teten Masduki, who accompanied Jokowi during the lunch, tried to crack a joke by saying, 'well, there's nothing comical here'. And the crowd giggled.
The short conversations continued before Jokowi invited them to start eating, while the palace began asking the media to leave the scene.
After the lunch, Indro told reporters that the stand-up comedians indeed enjoyed the lunch, adding that Jokowi even told them a funny joke about his experience during his early days as Surakarta mayor.
'He [Jokowi] was leading a ceremony. He did not know that the person who ordered the participant to hand-salute him could only lower his hand after Jokowi lowered his hand. So, [both of them] were waiting for each other to lower their hand. And it took a long time [before he realized that],' Indro said.
Indro added that he appreciated Jokowi giving the group an opportunity to speak their minds.
The dinner on Wednesday brought more laughter, as one by one the comedians ' some of whom were veterans, including noted monologue performer and comedian Butet Kertaradjasa, Toto 'Tarzan' Muryadi and Tri Retno 'Nunung' Prayudati ' cracked jokes continuously, while Jokowi also appeared to be unable to contain his laughter.
'This is a symbolic event that makes us feel secure in our profession, although we are not as funny as Mahkamah Kehormatan Dagelan,' Butet said, cracking a joke about the House's ethics council, or the Mahkamah Kehormatan Dewan.
Most of the comedians told Jokowi that they were surprised to receive the dinner invitation, while some made jokes about it.
Tarzan asked Jokowi to regularly invite them to the palace. 'Make it official by issuing a regulation [to regularly invite comedians]. It can help [you] secure two terms in office.'
Ari Dwipayana, a member of the presidential communication team, said the reason behind the move to invite the comedians to the palace was not because the President was worried with the existing problems and issues at the House but was part of plan to gradually invite art communities to hold discussions with Jokowi, instead.
