Not Again Podcast Episode 150 - Reggy Hasibuan

This week, I have an exciting conversation with pioneer Indonesian Comic Reggy Hasibuan! In this lengthy and informative episode, Reggy breaks down how Indonesia has been coping with the situation and how their government and ministries reacted to the pandemic. He notes the rise of jogger and riders who don’t wear masks and how even international news can’t compare to national scandals.

He shares what the comedy scene in Indonesia is like and how extensive and widely beloved the art has become over the recent years. He reminisces on how he became the first Indonesian and English speaking comic on youtube, how the comments sections initially traumatise him and how his comedic heroes inspired him to go on and develop his own style of comedy.

He also breaks down how the stand-up and comedy scene blew up in Jakarta and spread to the other provinces, the multitude of backgrounds and characters of the comics and how Stand-up has given everyone, especially those who come from poverty a voice and chance to share their story. He explains how difficult it is to rise in ranks and how much harder it is to stay relevant in mainstream entertainment, the persisting drug problem and the amount of effort it takes for both comics and audiences to get to a comedy show.

He gives me the rundown of taboo subjects in the country, shares a story on how a group of comedians almost got arrested because of dates, how religious Indonesia is and the strong influence Islam, and its various teachings have and how it affects the country, the comedy scenes and their entire way of life.