Gangnam song redefined the way social media was being perceived. It had repositioned social media in the communication map. All India Bakchod, AIB, Youtubechannel, recently in news, though for all wrong or rightreasons, is an outcome of this social media saga.
Psy is the South Korean dancer used to performGangnam dance which could hardly be recognized outside his city. He was not very popular figure in his own town. One day, his experiment with Youtube, uploading the repackaged Gangnam song attracted the attention of the world. People who could hardly connect with the song, or understood the language, too liked the song. Somehow, the song clicked, went viral and made Psy the global icon within six months of its upload on Youtube during 2012.The Youtube company had to re-write its own algorithm to add new counter to accommodate an ever increasing viewers for the song. The dance was even emulated across the Pacific, post world cup victory by the cricket players from west-Indies. What a viral saga!
The world had noticed and realized the power of Social Media. Many tried to emulate the Gangnam model and succeeded as well. Social media thereafter evolved asone of the important media and communication platforms for dissemination of information. People started uploading their local content on Youtube to get the global acclaim, which they received too!
Year 2010 onwards saw the initiation of dedicatedyoutube channels where people could upload relevant videos and started gaining views and following. The concept of dedicated channel, made the people owner of their own broadcasting channel virtually, on the internet space. People could create the content, repackage it and broadcast to the world in the form of Audio-Visual. The alternative to electronic medium was evolved, with the advent of technology. All India Backchod, AIB, was one of such channels started on 29th January, 2012.
All India Bakchod, AIB, is India's edgiest comedy collective. AIB believes in edgy, politically incorrectcomedy. The promoters of the channel regularly perform stand up shows at auditoriums around the country. This led to huge popularity of the channel making it one of the most viewed channels of Youtube. The present video views for the channel are nearly 65 million and rising.
Riding against the wave, where TV channels first established their presence on the electronic media and later on brought themselves on the social media to encash upon the rising social media popularity, AIB had started its journey on youtube first. It started its dedicated channel onyoutube with all kinds of comic shows/ programmes/ animations and parodies making available for the people. The channel staged the comic shows as well, which were either shown live on youtube or were recorded, repackaged and uploaded for public consumption, with adult warning messages before the video streaming. These types of shows have created its own following and liking for the channel.
Riding on this format, with ever increasing popularity, celebrities too could hardly keep themselves away from the show. Post “Comedy with Kapil” on TV, I think, AIB is the sensation which even the celebrities could not resist to explore. Karan Johar show is one of the recent attempts in this direction.
Karan Johar show, uploaded on the AIB youtubechannel on 28th January, raised alarms bells. Alleged nasty content with porn language has disillusioned many people across the corners, raising the controversy over content of the video. The event was attended by nearly 4000 people, including men and women. Few of the celebrities too were seen enjoying the show. The show was hosted by KaranJohar with participants as Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapooralong with other cine stars. The video got viral with crossing 5 million hits collectively (part 1,2 and 3), whichwas subsequently removed by the owners of AIB, due to its controversial content.
The show saw tweets from Maharashtra’s cultural Minister and one of the censor board members against its content. The tweets and support thereafter followed on the social media, some supporting freedom of speech and expression whereas others criticizing the content of the video, supporting the censorship of such content for publicviewing. The show raised some basic issues which need to be deliberated upon for better sense prevailing in the society.
I think the issue in hand gives an opportunity, to discuss, deliberate, learn and unlearn myths and realities of social media, freedom and responsibility dynamics of the communication! As some says “great power comes with great Responsibility!” then how come the rising power of Social Media traverse without any responsibility?
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By Santosh Ajmera, IIS
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