At a time when the official message about COVID-19 fails to raise public awareness, some comedians and comics have produced funny messages. Such messages, sometime also criticism, is remembered well by internet users.
By
INSAN ALFAJRI
·4 minutes read
Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro
A billboard advertises the #DIRUMAHAJA (stay at home) public campaign on Thursday (2/4/2020) at a mall on Jl. Jend. Sudirman in South Jakarta. The government\'s call for all citizens to stay at home to work, study and worship while practicing social distancing to cub the spread of Covid-19 has caused a dramatic decrease in congestion and daily activities, contributing to an improvement in the capital’s air quality.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS -- The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn concerns from many parties, including comedians or comics. They produced content about COVID-19. Internet users see the content as effective enough because the information is conveyed through jokes.
South Jakarta-based private worker, Gina Mardani Cahyaningtyas, 23, remembered content created by comic Gusti Bintang or Bintang Emon. Using a Betawi accent that is familiar to the residents of the capital city, Bintang\'s call on people to stay at home amid the outbreak is fairly effective. "People in the capital city who mostly access social media are familiar with that approach although it is peppered with stories that are sometimes excessive," she said on Thursday (2/4/2020).
In the two-minute video, Bintang Emon appealed to people to take care of their health and not leave their homes. He criticizes people who keep going outside and states that their lives are in God\'s hands. In fact, if they get infected with COVID-19, not only does that individual bear the impact but also those around him or her will also potentially get infected COVID-19. Of course, the criticism is packed with humor and laughter.
"Surely, our lives are in God\'s hands, only we have to work on it. There are endeavors before submission. Well, that\'s why you must not play card game during religious class. You won\'t be able to understand the lesson," Bintang Emon said in the video.
Besides Bintang Emon, comic Fiko Fachriza also promotes education about COVID-19. Several days ago, he wore a face mask depicting the picture of the new coronavirus. This “coronavirus” told people to live healthily so that they don\'t multiply. He also criticized people who hoarded the face masks and antiseptic liquids for personal gains.
A motorist drives past street art on Thursday (2/4/2020) beneath the Jl. Latuharhari overpass in Central Jakarta. Graffiti artists and talented locals have responded to the public health emergency by painting murals and graffiti to raise awareness and urge togetherness, as well as to cheer on medical workers on the front lines of the outbreak in Indonesia.
Handriva Fauzi, 27, a social media user, sees a consolidation among the comics to create content about COVID-19. They later share the content with each other\'s followers. This makes the content spreads widely.
"The theme was aimed to educate people who are stubborn and are still going out the house amid the pandemic," he said.
Through their funny videos, he said, the informative messages regarding COVID-19 are easier for people to remember. "In the midst of a tug-of-war between the central government and the Jakarta provincial administration, the impression that the government is too slow in responding to this outbreak and the persistently confusing information or data from the government, what they [comics] are doing is quite frontal. So it can be said that it is very effective to educate the public [especially young people] to comply with the government\'s instructions," said Handriva.
The theme was aimed to educate people who are stubborn and are still going out the house amid the pandemic
As for Cindy Silviana, 31, the humorous content regarding COVID-19 is interesting even though there are no data to show how effective was the message conveyed to the public. She said saw the message from Bintang Emon and Fico on various social media platforms.
"They [the contents] are shared more than the appeal of [Health Minister] Terawan, ha-ha-ha," she said.
REUTERS/DADO RUVIC
A mobile phone screen displays the WhatsApp logo. Social networking applications and platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook have become more than just a means of communicating or sharing information, and simply a way of staying connected as countries the world over impose social distancing, self-quarantine and lockdowns to halt the COVID-19 pandemic.
When interviewed via Twitter direct message, comic Fico Fachriza explained that the initial intention was only to entertain the people who work from home. Who knows, the content that he created can reduce boredom.
The process of making the video was not long. The night before going to sleep, he thought of the narrative that he was going to convey. The next day, he began recording videos and upload them to the social media.
"Maybe it\'s not very effective as a medium to deliver information. More precisely, I want to increase awareness that this problem [COVID-19 pandemic] does exist. In the end, if the awareness already increased, public behavior would be better," he said.
On the other hand, he acknowledged that COVID-19\'s campaign was very intense. The information regarding the disease caused by the new coronavirus are spread everywhere. "For us [comics], especially for myself, I only do what I can. In my opinion, it\'s time to work together," he said.
The content also brings impacts on his social media account. Aside from being happy that his content can entertain people, he is also happy because the reach of his account becomes wider. "Because so many people follow, retweet or like my posts," said the owner of a Twitter account with 322,000 followers.
