BENGALURU : After weeks of uncertainty, Donald Trump this week grudgingly agreed to initiate the transition of power to his winning opponent Joe Biden. After months of watching the President of the United States make wild, dismissive claims about the pandemic, scientists, his political opponents, and the news media, Trump has finally relented. At the end of his tenure, it made me reflect on Trump’s impact on an unspoken industry – standup comedy. For four years, Trump provided us with lots of material, week after week. He brought in a certain absurdity that we expect from seasoned Indian politicians.
Four years ago, when Trump first threw his hat into the primaries ring, I had assumed it was a PR exercise. Gradually, he began to gain significant leads over his opponents, culminating in the surprise victory over Hillary Clinton in the final leg of the race. While a lot of Indians were watching him speak for the first time, I must confess I was a fan of Donald Trump before he occupied the White House.
Many years ago, I had decided that I wasn’t sharp enough to get into Science, or vague enough to get into Arts. I found that people who had chosen Commerce as their stream were rather chilled out in life. Enter a senior who befriended me and encouraged me to read about stock markets and economies. He made me subscribe to business magazines, and would regularly discuss economic updates at college. Having never seen such passion in a Commerce student, I was suitably impressed. It was only later that I realised that he was trying to seduce me into a multi-level marketing scheme.
However, he had got me hooked to the reality television show – The Apprentice. A show produced and hosted by Donald Trump, where he grilled aspiring professionals, and the winner got to work with Trump on his projects. I watched a few seasons of the show, and it helped me later in my career. Not because I rose to the top of corporate hierarchies, but because when I got fired at various jobs, the phrase ‘You’re fired’ did not sting as much.
When politicians are terrible, nations suffer, but standup comedians thrive. At comedy shows for the last four years, Donald Trump was an icebreaker, perhaps ironic considering his views on climate change! When there were foreigners at a show, we eased into our acts by slipping in a Trump joke. We didn’t understand a lot about US politics, but as Indians, we knew a thing or two about absurd politicians. Every time Trump made a ridiculous statement on the pandemic, or racism, or his opponents – we lined up our coffers by spinning his lines for monetary and artistic benefits. While the journalist in me was scandalised by his behaviour, the comedian in me was thankful for his existence.
Perhaps the greatest proof of this was when Trump visited India. When Maria Sharapova claimed ignorance about Sachin Tendulkar, the nation outraged. But when Donald Trump pronounced his name as Soocheen Tendoolkewr, we churned out memes and laughed about it. We comedians were confident that we could recycle our jokes for eight years, given the usual trend with US Presidents.
But alas, it wasn’t to be. While some celebrate the exit of Donald Trump, I would like to thank him on behalf of the comedians of the world. You made our cold winter nights warmer; you increased our standards of living considerably. Now excuse me while I go write some jokes on Joe Biden!