Kumar: Now I can say 'porn' and 'sperm' freely

Kumar: Now I can say 'porn' and 'sperm' freely

After more than 20 years in the business of eliciting laughs, Singapore's most famous stand-up comedian and drag queen Kumar says his fellow countrymen are finally loosening up.

"Singaporeans are definitely more open now than they were a decade ago," he told The New Paper in a phone interview last week.

"I can talk about sex on stage, I can spout the words 'porn' and 'sperm' freely. They are no longer taboo.

"With exposure to media and the Internet, I think people know a lot more about these things than before."

The flamboyant 46-year-old, best known for his bold, hilarious cross-dressing skits, performs at Hard Rock Cafe at Cuscaden Road every Monday from 10.30pm.

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Kumar, whose real name is Kumarason Chinnadurai, started his stand-up comedy career in 1992 at Boom Boom Room, a now-defunct club at Far East Square.

Currently, besides his regular Hard Rock Cafe gig, he performs on most Friday and Saturday nights in the Chameleon Lounge Club at Dempsey Road.

Age might have crept up on the funnyman, but one thing hasn't changed: he gets his ideas for his live shows by consciously connecting with the ground, heartlander-style.

"I live in an HDB flat and there are just so many people to observe in my estate, whether they're my neighbours, or people hanging out at void decks or coffee shops," he said.

"Besides observing, I use social media for inspiration, too.

"There are many things to talk about, from foreign talent issues to human behaviour... I will never run out of ideas."

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ROBIN WILLIAMS

The death of Hollywood comic genius Robin Williams in an apparent suicide stunned the world in August.

It was also a hard-hitting reminder that the silent killer that is depression can eat at anyone, even the funniest people on the planet.

As a fellow comedian, Kumar says he empathises with Williams' long-running mental struggles.

"For most comedians, doing comedy is kind of an escape outlet from all the s**t in their lives," he said.

"I know I'm the happiest when I'm performing. When I have a fantastic audience, I'd rather be on stage than be alone."

However, Kumar, who became Singapore's first celebrity to come out of the closet in 2011, stressed that he did not go into comedy because of depression.

"I started doing stand-up shows for a very practical reason," he said.

"Back then, I wasn't making enough money and a friend introduced me to the job."

While his comedy shows are often no-holds-barred affairs, there are still topics he would never touch.

"I won't joke about major disasters and tragedies, for example, earthquakes or the Malaysian Airlines crash," he said.

keeyunt@sph.com.sg


This article was first published on Nov 3, 2014.
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