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Women comedians up the ante in Indonesian comedy, politics
Indonesian women comedians have been polishing up their skills, commenting on social and political issues in the public sphere, and touching on sensitive issues unthinkable merely three decades ago.
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All the smoke: Comedian Rina Nose does an impression of Dasiyah from the series 'Gadis Kretek’ while making sarcastic comments about the government on Nov. 19, 2023. (Courtesy of YouTube/Najwa Shihab/-)
From television skits to social media clips, comedians have long used comedy as a tool for political criticism in the public sphere, but few women have participated in it until recently.
The recent “Gadis Kritik” (Critic Girl) segment on Mata Najwa on Nov. 19 is one example of female comedians emerging and taking the stage to criticize politicians, election candidates and their policies ahead of the elections.
During the 13-year celebration of journalist Najwa Shihab’s talk show Mata Najwa, established comedian Rina Nose performed a monologue as Dasiyah, the main character from Indonesia’s newest popular Netflix series Gadis Kretek (Cigarette Girl), only with a twist.
“The taste of tobacco cannot be manipulated, unlike the law in this country,” Rina said onstage while donning Dasiyah’s traditional outfit from the series.
Rina’s sarcastic comment was met with thunderous applause. It was one of the many moments in recent years when Indonesian female comedians felt more comfortable taking a jab at the government in their comedy.
Rina’s solo performance was hot on the heels of another female comedian Kiky Saputri, who has been making a name for herself through her “roasts”, a form of comedy targeting jokes at a specific guest to entertain the audience.
