Comedian Aishwarya Mohanraj has become the latest stand-up artist to face intense public backlash online after an old comedy set focusing on "male babies" resurfaced on social media. The renewed scrutiny comes directly on the heels of the ongoing controversy involving fellow comedian Pranit More, whose recent crowd-work video sparked massive outrage for its insensitive nature. Social media users are actively digging up past performances of various internet personalities, accusing them of masking derogatory commentary as humour.
An old video of Aishwarya Mohanraj from the first episode of Comicstaan Season 1 on Prime Video has resurfaced on platforms like Reddit and X, triggering an intense debate over selective outrage in comedy. The viral video has also renewed questions regarding the line separating creative humor from insensitivity.
In the viral clip, Mohanraj jokes about her brother’s birth, stating that her mother wanted to cut his private parts but was unable to do so. The comedian adds that if she has a son in the future, she will fulfil her mother’s wishes.
Social media users called out the audience and her fellow comedians for laughing at the joke, with many slamming the “double standard”. Some accused that if a male comedian made that joke, they would face legal consequences.
Social media is furious:
{{/usCountry}}Social media users called out the audience and her fellow comedians for laughing at the joke, with many slamming the “double standard”. Some accused that if a male comedian made that joke, they would face legal consequences.
Social media is furious:
{{/usCountry}}An individual posted, “I don’t know where the humour is in all this? And there are whistles and claps for this crap?” Another expressed, “Honestly, I don't care what is spoken by a comedian. If the comedian is not funny, maybe look for another job where they are useful. She is not funny and deserves to be booed off stage.”
A third commented, “How is this even remotely funny?” A fourth wrote, “This is just a bad attempt at humour.”
Ripple effect of “ ₹370 biryani’ row:
Himanshu Jangra’s remarks during Pranit More’s show led to his termination from his job. Both he and More faced legal consequences, with the comedian later publishing a public apology in which he stated that he deserved the online backlash he was receiving.
Following this, the spotlight shifted to Madhur Virli, who faced backlash over a performance he did two years ago. He later deleted the videos and apologised following the row.
“This is to apologise for a video of mine that is currently being shared online. The clip being circulated is from a performance I did around two years ago. Soon after performing that bit, I understood how wrong it was and took it down at that time, long before the clip started circulating again recently,” Virli said in a statement.