Meet The Mallu Analyst and Gaya3: Malayalam YouTubers exposing regressive pop culture

We may be in the 21st century but content creators in the Malayalam small screen industry still haven't evolved in their views about the world. However, this provides the best material to a new crop of socially conscious YouTubers who are calling out serials, comedy sketches and even cookery shows in Kerala, for simply refusing to progress.

For Dubai based YouTuber Gayathri Babu, it was the popular cookery show Annie's Kitchen which led her to create the YouTube channel 'Get Roast with Gaya3'. This was around the time that Annie - the show's host, who is a former actor, was being called out for casual sexism. The premise of Annie's Kitchen is based on the host's firm belief that a good homemaker (woman) or 'Kulasthree' had to love cooking.

"I saw a lot of articles in the media calling out the show and then watched a few episodes. What triggered me the most was the episode with IAS officer Vasuki and her husband. The host's nerve to ask Vasuki, who is the former Thiruvananthapuram Collector, if she liked to cook and then judging her made me so angry. In a sense, Vasuki's episode is what led me to make that first video," Gayathri tells TNM.

The hilarious 7-minute roast of Annie's Kitchen episodes with Navya Nair, Tovino Thomas and Vasuki became an instant hit, getting over 1 lakh likes within hours. This was in May 2020. Since then, the YouTuber’s channel has garnered over 1,30,000 subscribers and many viral hits. She now does weekly videos and is popular for her 'socially conscious roasting' style.

These episodes aren't limited to sexism alone. "When some of these TV programmes offer a whole package of regression, why limit it to just one topic," she asks. One of Gayathri's recent roasts was of the wildly popular comedy sketches aired on TV channels in Kerala. The episode exposes the offensive and dated humour in these sketches, which include homophobia, racism/colourism and the occasional rape joke. Sample this: The storyline of one of these sketches is a man wishing to abandon his dark skinned wife for being dark, and thinking of running away with a fairer woman. A clip from another show, which features AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists) members, gets disturbingly casteist in its attempt to make a poor joke.

To add perspective on why these jokes don’t work today, Gayathri ends with a quote from the American standup comic Jeff Garlin, who explains that at best, politically incorrect comedy is just lazy. At worst, it offends and abuses the already oppressed.

While the Dubai based YouTuber offers a light and funny take on these issues, a Facebook page called 'The Mallu Analyst' dissects similar content with clinical precision. Created by Dr Vivek Poonthiyil Balachandran and his wife Vrinda - a psychotherapist and scientist living in Germany, The Mallu Analysts regularly releases matter-of-fact videos  on socially relevant topics, scripted by the couple. An episode on 'comedy shows in Kerala' on The Mallu Analyst explains the individual viewer psyche that accepts politically incorrect humour, such as jokes on dark skinned people.

"There's a fair bit of superiority complex when it comes to colour in India. Since we are all of different skin tones, teasing a person who has a darker skin compared to the audience members elicits laughter. The humour in this case comes from a sense of superiority, where the viewer believes he is more desirable by virtue of his skin tone being lighter," Dr Vivek explains. The episode also attempts to argue why humour is better off when it is politically correct.

With 7,70,000 subscribers, The Mallu Analyst is a much respected digital space for intelligent discussions on Malayalam cinema and pop culture. Both Gayathri and The Mallu Analyst have scores of young Malayali viewers who catch each episode as they release. But does this help effect positive change in the wider demographic which views small screen content?

"Change happens but the rate is slow. A majority of the viewers have a worldview which is moulded by the content they have so far been exposed to. They find it relatable, funny or entertaining and this demand prompts creators to deliver similar material. Even under my videos, there are many trolls who are offended by my take on issues. Truth is, it is easier to get more hits by catering to the majoritarian view. To stand by what is right and deliver socially responsible content is more challenging" Gayathri adds.