Guest Post: Where is Pakistan Government’s Sense of Humor
Spy Buddy provides us with this wry commentary:
I am disappointed with the Pakistani government because they have banned the new Bollywood comedy movie, “Tere bin Laden.” This movie is about a Pakistani TV journalist who interviews a fake bin Laden double to secure to promote his career and a U.S. visa to pursue his dream of breaking into American TV.
This is pretty odd, since the government allows Ali Saleem to air his show, Late Night with Begum Nawazish Ali. Here, Ali Saleem is the cross-dressing Pakistani socialite version of John Stewart. Despite being asked provocative questions and being exposed to Begum’s criticism, politicians line up to be on his show.
I always thought the Pakistani government had a sense of humor beyond some Asian version of Benny Hill, not just because they tolerate Late Night with Begum Nawazish Ali but in the way the government pisses all over its close ally, the US. (And this is comedy). For example, Pakistan claims to be an American ally and receives billions of dollars in aide to fight religious extremists in their country while the same Pakistan government generously redistributes that aide to the Taliban, al Qaeda, and other religious zealots who are responsible for terrorist acts in and outside Pakistan (including killing US soldiers in Afghanistan or the 2008 Mumbai Attacks). Just recently, Pakistan has taken US aid to subsidize its recent purchase of two 635 megawatt reactors from Beijing for its plutonium production complex where Pakistan continues build nuclear weapons so they can blow up their arch enemy India or sell on the global black market to another terrorist organization.
I guess some things just aren’t funny – like Tere bin Laden!
Haha a cross-dressing Jon Stewart! I wish I spoke Urdu or they’d subtitle that!