III - WHY IS THE KO-TAI SO POPULAR?

Summary

In our analysis of the ko-tai sketches, we have shown that the skits portray problems, issues, and concerns that the younger generation can identify with. The younger generation can also relate to the popular songs rendered. It is therefore not surprising that the ko-tai is popular with the Malaysian-born Chinese youths in urban Penang. In fact, the ko-tai is so appealing that even when it rains large crowds come with their umbrellas. In contrast, even children sometimes do not come for the puppet shows in the streets, when it is not raining.

In addition to its appeal through content, the ko-tai also attracts large crowds through its improvisatory nature as a result of which the audience is drawn in to participate more actively. Comedians who emphasize spontaneity, making up lines as they go along, often involve the audience by asking them what they should do next in the middle of the performance, as, for example, when they are looking for a certain person, or if they are trying to find out who is making noise. Examples of scenarios involving audience participation are as follows:

1) Comedian A, who is a servant, is looking for his master. Actually, his master is in the same room, asleep in the corner but A looks everywhere else except in the room. His search is fruitless, so he turns to the audience and asks, “Where is he?”. The audience points to where the master is and shouts, “There!” But A points somewhere else and asks, “Is he in the garden?” The audience answers “No, there!” (pointing in the right direction again). The comedian asks again, “Where? Is he in the kitchen?” The audience again answers, “No! There!” The clown then goes through a long list of places until he realizes that the audience is pointing to the man behind him in the same room.