THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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Hanuman’s letter to all, including the social media

Hanuman’s letter to all, including the social media

I’m not writing to ask why it is that I can appear in movies featuring Ultraman and Kamen Riders without any fuss whereas the Ramayana bad guy, Thotsakan, can’t make Thai pudding without causing a gigantic uproar. I understand that he’s big and I’m small

I’m not sulking, if that’s what you think. Actually, I’m writing just to say thanks to everybody. Of course, the ones who started it deserve the most criticism, but hey, there are always two sides to the coin, aren’t there? For once, Khon is being discussed more than Pokemon Go on the street and online. Without people protesting the tourism-promotion video, today’s kids wouldn’t be able to tell Thotsakan from Shrek – or me from Caesar in “Planet of the Apes”, for that matter.
Traditions need controversies in order not to be forgotten. I’d like to say “Well done!” to the social media for standing up against efforts to make Thotsakan untouchable. No Khon character should be untouchable, in fact. And before you start saying that the anti-video camp was actually trying to protect the sanctity of Khon, not Thotsakan, I’d like to state here that both the original Ramayana and Thai Khon share the same status. They are cultural artefacts.
However, don’t think for a minute that I’m fully supporting the idea to “de-Thotsakan”. I’m a monkey, remember, so my thought process is like my behaviour. My brain fidgets all the time, just like my body.
The Ramayana features spiritual values and great imagination. Countries embraced the epic and retooled it with their own versions. The Thai mask play originated in the Palace, so it has been understandably associated with sacredness and royalty. Naturally, Thotsakan, the main villain, assumed god-like status in Thailand (although I challenge you to go to India and find out who is worshipped more over there, me or him).
The irony is that the word “Khon” is always used negatively in Thai metaphors. When people say someone is wearing a “hua Khon” (Khon mask), they mean that someone is acting out a role unwillingly or deceptively or insincerely. When you remove a hua Khon, you become your true self.
Which brings me to a saying beloved of the Japanese. Everyone has three faces, according to them. The first one is shown to the world, the second to those closest to us, like friends and family members, and the last is the one we have when we are alone. In other words, all of us wear masks, unless nobody is looking.
So, here’s what bothers me. What “face” were people wearing when they jumped into the Thotsakan video fray? Everyone has something to say when it comes to that controversial tourism-promotion gag, but are they saying it because the world is looking, or do they really mean it?
As a key Khon character, I know it’s ironic for me to have to ask these questions. Liberalism is highly rated nowadays, so much so that it takes some guts to be a conservative. Well, I’m not saying I support the mindset of those offended by Thotsakan portrayed as a fool who runs around and does some cooking. I am merely questioning whether those conservatives mean what they say.
Some think we should preserve traditions rigidly. Others think any tradition should be flexible. I guess what needs to be flexible in this case is every single person commenting on the Thotsakan video controversy. True flexibility means the ability to continually cross the line between conservatism and liberalism. Trust me, liberals are calling conservatives out for being too rigid, but the liberals can be very rigid themselves.
It’s true that art and culture must provide room for new ideas. But there are people who fear a slippery slope and we should at least try to understand their opinions. Some traditions do disappear if we don’t watch out for them. Again, I’m not saying they are untouchable. It’s how you touch them that matters.
That should be all. Thank you, everyone, for not just thinking about us but also making us suddenly popular in this new age. Thotsakan is my enemy in the Ramayana, but he deserves my protection when it comes to cultural complexities. I have joined the fray, so to speak, although you can’t blame me for not being so clear about which side I’m on. I wish it was as simple as having to get Sita (or should I call her Sida?) back to where she belongs. Real life is much harder than fiction, you know.
Yours sincerely,
Hanuman
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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