Tasya: Women can be comedians too
THERE are not many Malaysian comediennes, and this is largely the result of a long-held misconception that they might lose their femininity if they were to become one.
Nevertheless, Joanne Kam and Jihan Muse have made it big as stand-up comediennes, and Nadiya Nisaa and Yana Samsudin, who usually take on serious roles have shined being funny on the big screen.
For Nor natasha“Tasya” Hamzah, 25, being a comedian is not a job that is solely for men, as women can be just as good, if not better.
The accountancy graduate from Labis, Johor, is following in the footsteps of her elder brother, Nasir “Achey” Hamzah, into stand-up comedy, but more importantly, wants to prove a point to women who love a good laugh.
“No, women don’t lose their femininity once we take the ‘plunge’ into comedy,” said Tasya at the launch of Astro’s comedy challenge Gegar Lawak in Kuala Lumpur recently.
“In the United States, female comedians who are talented yet feminine are aplenty,” she said.
Tasya, the youngest of 10 siblings, is one of two women in the running for the comedy challenge’s RM50,000 grand prize. The other is 26-year-old Sabahan Nik Amira Syahira Nik Zaini.
While her brother, the Bintang Mencari Bintang 2013 winner, is an extrovert, Tasya says she is shy.
“Achey is always the funnyman. His ability to make us laugh came naturally. Since I am his biggest fan, he imparted some of his knowledge to me,” she said.
When Achey encouraged his sister to crack her own jokes, she developed greater self-confidence and began socialising more. She gained a lot of “raw material” for stand-up comedy.
“Achey told me that being funny doesn’t mean being silly. Making others laugh requires selfdiscipline — it’s easier to put people off than to entertain them,” said Tasya, who looks up to fellow comedians Jihan, Joanne, Datuk Afdlin Shauki and Douglas Lim.
Tasya said every joke has to be well thought out to ensure that it does not offend people.
“People like comedy that contains lessons in life — the best joke reminds them of personal experiences, and memories of childhood,” she said.
Gegar Lawak features eight solo comedians, four duos and two trios. It airs on Astro Warna at 10pm beginning Jan 19, for 10 weeks. Contestants are judged by a three-member jury headed by Lim. Marks are determined by the jury (70 per cent) and viewers’ short messaging service votes (30 per cent). By Dennis Chua