The real news


Embed link doesn't seem to be working, so here's the link to episode 1: http://video.toggle.sg/en/video/series/the-noose-s8/ep1/335769

The noose is back and as hilarious as usual. This is probably the only mediacorp show I would actively recommend to anyone.

There's something very interesting about the noose actually. It is that this short 20 mins comedy fake news actually...provides more real news in certain areas than actual news agencies. It's very interesting politically. The two main media organisations in Singapore, MediaCorp and SPH, are under the tight rein of the ruling party. There is not a single mainstream news that would honestly dare to report on certain things the way the noose did in just one episode.

It's satire of course, and satire is the employment of humour as a vehicle for social-political commentary. It's just interesting that the noose being a show produced by MediaCorp could get away with it. It's humour, it's comedy, so it's not a threat? Perhaps.

There are a couple of pointed jabs AT the ruling party which honestly I would never have expected to hear from a show produced by MediaCorp. The treatment of Amos Yee is one, and that is one that I of course would expect The Noose to report on some way or another since it is current affairs, just like how I fully expect them to report on the train breakdown.

The Potong Pasir one though. Wow that one was a real swipe at both the ruling party and the actual news agencies, clearly intentional precisely because there was no real reason to suddenly report on it. Shots were fired man. The message in that segment is the message that alternative news has been accusing actual news agencies of for the longest time, but who would have thought you would one day hear such a thing from mainstream media?

Before 7th of May 2011, you cannot pass by a day without talking about Potong Pasir yah, two decades we were always in the news, always got something, but now ah...now they don't even mention in the classified.

They stolen our thunder, no lightning all these, it's all AHPTEC this AHPTEC that.

And that's part of why I like the noose. It's not just plain stupid humour to entertain you. Instead, the satire game is strong with this show. It's real, it reflects the sentiments of Singaporeans. It resonates with the people much more than any national education attempt has managed to.

I honestly feel that there's an entire study to be done in political science in the topic of Singaporean politics and humour. Singaporeans have developed a very interesting kind of civil disobedience, one that has permeated through especially this generation - the use of humour in political commentary and criticism.

I enjoy it. It has become a part of our national identity. Of course, the ruling party would never promote it for obvious reasons, but all the same, it is a little thing that makes us Singaporean.

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