Master of Comedy

 

I lived in Osaka in the beginning of the 2000s. I wrote scripts for young semiprofessional comedians. I had an opportunity to observe a closed rehearsal, where young comedians were nervous because they invited a famous “master of comedy.” The great old master of comedy had dignity. He was not friendly.

He watched the young comedians’ skits and jokes and then gave them some advice. He sharply criticized some of them. Some of the comedians almost cried.

Then a weird incident happened.

A young comedian sang a popular song while playing his guitar. Unfortunately, the master did not know the song. He assumed that it was original and criticized it.

The young comedian tried to explain that the song was not originally his, and he was stunned that the master kept complaining about the bad lyrics.

It was so hard not to laugh because I was also young then. Recently, however, I came to understand the master of comedy because I am middle-aged already. I don’t know the hit songs nowadays. And even if I listened to the newest hit song, I would not understand why it is so popular.

At that time, as an observer maybe I should have whispered to the master, “Master, he is covering a popular song.” But I did not because he was so scary.

We cannot stop ourselves from growing old, but we can avoid becoming a scary old man. I may not become a master in any field in the future, but I would gladly accept that and be loved rather than be respected but feared.

Picture by Hanaboo