Thai Comedy

[NightOwl888]

I recently saw a double feature Thai comedy called "The Bodyguard" and "The Bodyguard 2". While I usually second guess using movies as a way to learn about a culture, there was something very interesting in the sequel that caught my attention.

There was a scene where the main character and his (obviously exaggerated) overbearing Thai wife forced him to go to a fortune teller. The fortune teller started by making fun of how goofy his face looked (as was done throughout the movie), and then proceeded to put his bare feet on the main character's face. Not just a mere touch, but he covered the face entirely with his feet, rubbing them all over his cheeks and forehead.

While this scene was very funny regardless of the culture of the viewer who watched it, I couldn't help but to think that it had particular significance to the Thai who are insulted by being touched on the head by another person's feet. In fact, the whole movie was filled with demeaning comments that were obviously chosen to make the characters lose face.

This made me wonder if someone causes another person to lose face, do Thai onlookers think the situation is comical?

[RY12]

No, i think only when it's intended to be comical, otherwise, it's embarassing for everyone.

the actor u discribe is 'mum', he's from Isaan (Lao), a people who are popular in thai comedies, often playing the part of hapless country yokels. I guess the conservative chinese-thais in bkk are easily impressed by creativity and looseness of isaan people, who are in general more good humoured than their urban kin.

I think thais are skilled when it comes to losing-face comedy, something the west really didn't start doing until recently, will ferrel movies being a good example (acting like ur cool but not being too good at it).

I dunno, i think this whole 'face' thing is a big downside to asian culture, it's like a totally irrational and misplaced pride in yourself that just perpetuates a primitive class heirarchy.