The Indian stand-up comedy scene is currently facing an upheaval that could potentially lead to a ban. Following controversies involving Pranit More's 'Rs 370 Ki Biryani' joke and Madhur Virli's 'Cuddle after rape' comment, a female comedian has now come under fire from social media users. An old clip from Comicstaan featuring Aishwarya Mohanraj has resurfaced on X (formerly Twitter), sparking debates about double standards for men and women in comedy.
The Resurfaced Clip
In the clip, Mohanraj joked about her brother's birth, stating that her mother wanted to cut his private parts and began crying when she couldn't. Mohanraj further joked that when she has a son in the future, she would fulfill her mother's dream. The internet has been debating the boundaries of comedy all week.
Online Reactions
Many users argue that if More and Virli cannot make crude jokes about women, then Dr. Sejal Pawar and Mohanraj should also be held accountable. One user wrote, "This isn't comedy, it's open hatred towards male children. Reverse the genders and the entire internet would explode. Double standards at their peak." Another added, "Feminist women these days are so blind in their hatred towards men that they won't even spare a child. Is this empowering? Why are people laughing at this? Talking about hurting male babies is comedy, but even consensual sex-related topics can get you fired."
A third user questioned, "Imagine a man saying he can't wait to hurt his future daughter because his father once wanted to. He would be destroyed publicly, lose his career, and rightly so. But when hatred towards men is packaged as feminism, even violence against male babies becomes 'dark humour' and 'empowerment'." Another simply stated, "Society is heading to hell. How can someone laugh at the chopping of a baby boy's genitals?"
Broader Implications
Beyond the gender discourse, the controversy has reignited the debate about whether modern stand-up comedy relies too heavily on graphic topics rather than genuine humour and wit. With internet users consistently digging up evidence on popular comedians, it appears that this debate may continue to dominate conversations, unlike many other cases that fade quickly.
