In bleak times like the Covid-19 pandemic, humour can sometimes cheer people up.
Malaysian comedian Douglas Lim has tried to do just that with a parody of the song Summer of ’69 by Canadian singer Bryan Adams.
While the original US hit is about a dilemma between settling down or trying to be a rock star, the latest version portrays life in a pandemic — the rush for face masks, Zoom calls with co-workers and empty shelves at the supermarket.
That is not all. Lim shows appreciation for frontliners such as nurses, doctors, delivery riders and others. Named Bummer of C-19, the video not only shows the realistic situation the world is going through but the time post-outbreak.
Speaking to malaymail.com, the Kopitiam actor said that everyone is required to self-isolate while frontliners brave danger zones and fix things. It may be like a war situation with soldiers but with the people removed from that scenario.
Lim lives near a hospital, so he sees what goes on every day. The comedian has created some skits about Covid-19, including one making fun of the recent Women, Family and Community Development Ministry suggestion for wives to use a Doraemon voice when asking their husbands to do chores during the Movement Control Order (MCO).
As a comedian, Lim is an advocate of a good laugh, especially during traumatic situations. He recalled that when Wuhan was in lockdown, humourous videos of people dealing with the quarantine were released and comedy was used to help people cope with the issue.
Lim feels that life will never be back to normal once the pandemic is over but he encourages people to keep hoping for a solution. He adds that if he jokes about a situation and nothing changes then it will be a bitter joke. Noting that everyone is looking forward to a cure for Covid-19, he says that is why he ended his parody with a promise of hope and solution. /TISG
