The joke is so old it's no longer funny
Comedies are quick to mock popular stories and current events for a few laughs, but one particular gag has gone on so long it's sticking in someone's craw.
It all goes back years ago, to the story of Wanlee, a poor little girl in Samut Songkram who spent her school lunch breaks running kilometers to her home and then back to school in order to take care of her sick mother and her blind grandmother.
No one knew about the story until one day a teacher noticed Wanlee’s midday marathons and decided to help by alerting Thai Rath, Thailand’s biggest daily newspaper. The resulting article was an immediate sensation and Wanlee’s devotion to her mum and granny became the subject of a movie in 1985, “Wanlee Dekying Yod Katanyoo”.
The publicity brought Wanlee lots of help from individuals and organisations, but she eventually lost her mother. She kept caring for her grandmother while also studying at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University.
Some 30 years later, Wanlee remains grateful for all the support, but there’s a big problem – she’s still being mocked on TV comedy shows. The TV skits add a sick twist to the character, so instead of the heartwarming scenes of the running little girl in school uniform, gently caring for her loved ones, she’s depicted as a rude bully, force-feeding spoonfuls of rice to her granny. When granny resists, the evil mirror-universe Wanlee becomes impatient and angrily kicks the frail old woman.
The joke might have been funny or even cute at first, but it’s been going on endlessly, with countless TV variety shows repeating it.
Wanlee, now 46 and happily married with two children and a police lieutenant colonel for a husband, has had enough.
On Tuesday, she was back in the pages of Thai Rath, saying the skits have gone beyond satire and are incredibly hurtful.
She says: “Is it so funny for you to take care of one of your family members who is paralysed?”
Wanlee said she tolerated the parodies for decades, but now they are affecting her 21-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter, who are often teased. She wants the gags stopped, and has already sued three TV shows.
“It’s different now. In the past, the joke was over once it aired. But now it just keeps repeating on YouTube. I just want them to stop using my story and presenting it in such an obnoxious way. I don’t want anything else – just stop and apologise.”
Ghost shoe on other foot
Actor Sirachuch “Michael” Chienthaworn made his debut playing a sly ghost in Songyos Sukmakanan’s haunted boarding-school thriller “Dek Hor” (“Dorm”) in 2006.
He faces a new challenge in the upcoming film “Phee Thuang Khuen” (“The Return”), in which he’s a security guard who has a spooky encounter.
“It is my first time to play the guy who sees the ghost. I’m very excited,” Michael says.
Working under director Sakchai Deenan, Michael says it was a bit tiring. “It requires a lot of action, particularly the scene when I see dead people,” he says without feeling the need to say “spoiler alert” beforehand.
Aside from Michael’s brush with the spiritual realm, “The Return” also has another landmark claim – it’s among the first Asean Economic Community films, with cast members from four countries – Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
From Laos is Sakchai’s regular actress, Khamly Philavong, while Cambodia is represented by actress Thon Lakana, a popular TV host. Myanmar’s talent is Nutchnat Srithong, hailing from Shan State.
“The Return” opens in cinemas next Thursday.
