It is 11am on 20^th May 2012.

A year ago, I had blogged on the theme of “un-deifying” our TV news readers, making them more human to TV viewers and also bring out excellence in humour (which Indian audiences surely need more of!)? I had then wondered and asked - how about getting all the main news readers of various Indian TV channels into a room once week, and ask them to read the breaking news that they had reported during the week, but using a different context and making a parody of the situation!.

But a year later, I am wondering if I have been far ahead of our times! The furore, last week,  in India’s Parliament over a cartoon that was published 60 years ago lampooning some statesmen of those times, makes me doubt if we do indeed have the maturity and the sense of humour to implement my suggestion. Perhaps, it requires more lateral thinking to win over our politicians and get them to show more maturity and have better sense of humour!

Yes, Robert Frosts’ words are as true today as they were when he penned that he still has miles to go before he sleeps. I think we need many many more cartoons drawn and jokes shared before we learn how to laugh at ourselves.

Wishing you a great week ahead.