KUCHING, May 12 — International comedy icons such as Dave Chappelle, Trevor Noah, and Ricky Gervais have shown that stand-up comedy is more than just a form of entertaining audiences — it is also a platform for delivering social and cultural commentary through satire and open expression.
In Malaysia, comedian Rizal Van Geyzel shares a similar approach, but he believes that those in the industry must always exercise caution, especially in the age of social media, where statements can easily be taken out of context or distorted.
Rizal, whose full name is Mohamad Rizal Johan Van Geyzel, said stand-up comedians face increasing challenges when jokes delivered in a live setting are turned into material for online attacks.
“In a comedy space, audiences come expecting uncensored entertainment and they understand the context in which the jokes are delivered. But on social media, the jokes can easily be twisted,” he told Bernama.
He said certain parties deliberately create what he described as “manufactured anger” on social media by manipulating sensitive issues for their own interests.
“When I’m on stage, I often use cultural and racial references in a friendly way. But some people distort it until it appears as though I’m trying to insult others, which was never the intention,” he said.
Rizal said the controversy that engulfed him in 2022 – when several clips from his stand-up performances went viral and were accused of touching on religious and racial sensitivities – became a turning point in understanding the risks of the digital landscape, although it did not fundamentally change his style of performance.
Instead, he said the incident made him more cautious about content shared online.
“Stand-up comedy is not an easy career path because opportunities remain limited. On top of that, comedians face language and cultural barriers in trying to appeal to a wider audience.
“The culture of buying tickets for live entertainment performances also has yet to fully develop in Malaysia, even in Kuala Lumpur. It’s not just stand-up comedy but theatre and musical productions face similar challenges as well,” he added.
Rizal also said that his passion for comedy was inspired by Western comedians as well as the late actor and writer Jit Murad, who was known for boldly addressing social and political issues through humour.
“Comedians often say the things many people think about but are afraid to express. That’s what I admire most about stand-up comedy.
“Personally, I see comedy as a way of transforming painful experiences and life’s challenges into something positive while entertaining audiences,” he said.
In July 2022, Rizal was charged at the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur with three counts of uploading and initiating videos on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok that allegedly touched on racial sensitivities.
The videos sparked widespread reactions and criticism online, and also led to police investigations. — Bernama
