Should the Tanmay Bhat Face Swap be Worth the Probe?

What's the right reaction?

21 March, 2018
Should the Tanmay Bhat Face Swap be Worth the Probe?

So, the country's going just a tiny bit nuts about Tanmay Bhat's Snapstory that has Tanmay Bhat as Sachin Tendulkar talking to Tanmay Bhat as Lata Mangeshkar, with the two arguing with each other in almost Yo Momma-esque fashion—coupled with some altogether frightening visuals (as is often the case with Face Swap) to match.

The video, originally posted by Tanmay, and later removed and then REPOSTED by a Facebook page and removed yet again was finally unearthed (you may thank me later) on Youtube. Watch it first, in case this is the first you're hearing of it. 

[youtube ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6a1nCQnlF8" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="">

Now the thing is, there's been a huge amount of celebrity backlash, calling the video 'abysmal' 'appalling' 'disgusting' and the like. And I must admit, Tanmay, not your best work. Not a patch on your feminism video, which surprised me with how succinctly you summarised the misconstrued concept of feminism, and still managed to make some Lolz. 

Here, however, you're not top speed. Which is sad, because you're usually one of the guys making a point and doing it hilariously. 

It should, however, be mentioned that the amount of uproar it's caused seems next level. Much like the Knockout Roast incident, it seems a curtailing of freedom of speech over everything else—and for there to be police investigation involved? That's just bothersome altogether for a multitude of reasons. Bear with me as I list them.

#1. He may not be particularly funny here, but that's besides the point. It's his Snapchat. If he wants to be tedious and create low-grade humour, he can. Again—it's called freedom of speech.

#2. WHY are we so sensitive about celebrities?! Making a joke or two about celebrities doesn't have to mean slander and end up in swords drawn. It speaks to the larger issue of people being unable to take a joke. You don't have to like it. You don't even have to find it funny. (It actually isn't, in this case). You just need to live and let live to a certain degree, unless something actually defames a person or changes public perception about them.

#3. Lastly, Tanmay, like everyone in the world, has a right to personal space. True, he's in the public eye, and you can possibly only hold him responsible for his Snapchat followers at best. But apart from that, his social media should not be under the public scanner. If you take away the man's social media, there is exactly zero amount of spaces he can say what he needs to say without coming under heavy fire. You wouldn't hate on this story if some rando had done it on any given Thursday would you?

However, opinions vary and differ. The only thing I can safely say I endorse is the idea of free speech not being subject to this kind of opprobrium​. It's freedom of speech that even lets me write this article. Just (freely) saying. 

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