In the sea of present political madness, the currents are strong and directionless. We find ourselves slowly drowning, grasping for extending hands, awaiting a voice of reason to pull us toward open sky. Surprisingly, that voice comes from a zany online TV programme which somehow finds a sublime balance between lunacy and intelligence.
Jow Kow Tuen (Inside Shallow News), hosted by Winyu "John" Wongsurawat and Nattapong "The Shaman" Tiendee and scripted by Winyu's older sister and Nattapong's wife, Janya Wongsurawat, is farce, satire and scholarly messages cloaked in craziness. It's also probably the most reasonable news show that deals with the current political situation.
With more than 120 episodes and a combined viewership of over 30 million, Jow Kow Tuen has lashed its witty tongue at cultural, social and political issues through educated research and sharpened, no-holds-barred opinions, making the programme as a firm favourite for those in need of intellectual stimulation.
If you think Jow Kow Tuen is a serious news analysis programme, think again _ it's more like a comedy sketch show with serious messages folded neatly inside, a political satire gig with heavy intellect waiting to be picked up like fresh dry cleaning.
Think Jon Stewart, or Egypt's Bassem Youssef (who was once threatened with a jail sentence, see his story on Page 9). Despite his half-American good looks, Winyu never holds back with comedic gestures, verbal acrobatics laced swear words.
Nattapong, dressed in a ridiculous white voodoo doctor outfit with unexplainable beads, bounces off Winyu's verbal landmines, creating perfect synergy.
Winyu is like Jon Stewart on crack. He once interviewed a political guest shirtless to drive home his neutral position. On another episode he superimposed his academic father's face on the screen, Japanese game show style, as an affirmation for a knowledge source. The way the show's hyper-stylised graphics and cartoonishly topsy-turvy camera works alongside its bizarre presentation style and high sarcasm seems as though it would lessen its authoritative tone. Instead it has gained the trio a cult following, from hapless teenagers to professionals and political academics, some of whom have appeared as guests on the show.
"The craziness is just a surface," said Nattapong. "If you know the issues, you'll get to the core, which always has serious substance."
Janya added: "If you know what you want to touch on, you've got to have all the information, and you need to make sure you've got all angles covered. As for the recurring lunacy, it happens very naturally. These two are plain crazy. They've always been like that. No one has told them to be this way."
The brilliance _ and controversy _ of Jow Kow Tuen is more evident now than ever. The way the trio ploughs through one political issue after another, challenging the amnesty bill and questioning the People's Democratic Reform Committee and its "shutdown" of Bangkok, has kept the public guessing as to which side they are on. But they will never be able to place the show in a box or pin it to a colour, because the group's opinions are dictated by occurrences and issues rather than a fixed political ideology.
To put it simply, they lambast everyone and everything that irk them _ Suthep, Thaksin and the rest. Everyone is fair game, some might say. Fickle, others think.
"Especially now, I feel that everyone has to be classified into two boxes _ your box or my box," said Winyu. "When there can be thousands and thousands of boxes.
"There are many subsets, not just two. Two boxes are impossible. There aren't many people who try to attack me openly. Let's say, on a daily basis, there might be 1,000 people trying to reach out to me on social media sites. It would be 20 out of 1,000 [that harshly criticise me]. Initially I was a bit paranoid, but then I realised those people didn't have enough details or refined knowledge on the issues to judge me. We live in the cyberspace age, so we can't limit what people say.
"I don't engage with people who make arguments on an emotional basis.
"In a way these kinds of interactions actually create dialogues among the public. Sometimes I don't even have to answer any queries as the viewers take it upon themselves to clarify points."
Winyu, Janya and Nattapong agree that many misunderstandings stem from selective viewing _ the fast-pace of technology allows clips to be captured, cut and edited to form manipulated messages. Viewers are advised to view each episode of Jow Kow Tuen in its entirety from beginning to end.
The team said sensitivity and balance are key, and editing _ those superfast jump cuts and farcical effects _ is a great help and an exercise in self-censorship, as they often run with scissors while filming.
''Sometimes we get carried away while filming and cross the line. There must always be a line somewhere, and we are very careful not to be insensitive,'' said Winyu.
''It's like we're riding a motorcycle on a wall of death. We must stay on the edge to keep the audience captivated, but we must not fall, as there are people waiting to step on us if we do,'' Nattapong said.
The Jow Kow Tuen team is aware that they obviously benefit from more press freedom, but they are also cautious, treading the line lightly.
''We don't need to go through the censorship board, but we're well aware that the authorities are monitoring us. I believe that there's a veiled desire to control online media,'' said Nattapong.
But in Thailand honesty can sometimes earn you a visit or a shush request from a dark power.
''I haven't really thought about it,'' Nattapong said. ''So far, nothing like that has happened yet. I think I'd continue if my life or my properties were not threatened. The authorities I've met are quite open-minded. They say 'we're not laughing, but keep on doing what you do'. I think they want to slap us, but they won't. I think it's quite civilised in a way.''
Jow Kow Tuen has had its fair share of online backlash, which is closely monitored for illegal activity. Physical attacks on press personnel are not unheard of, either _ and on the current political battlefield, violence is bubbling, waiting to erupt. Winyu admits that when he's out in public he often leaves his smartphone video on, just in case.
''If I got harassed in person, I would at least have a clip to use in my show _ maybe I'll wear Google Glass next _ but honestly I don't think we're well-known enough to illicit that kind of reaction offline,'' he said.
''Sometimes I don't know what we're fighting for. If someone's willing to risk his or her life for his or her [political ideology], or willing to strong arm other people to think like he or she does, that person should jump into politics and be a player in the system in hope of change,'' said Nattapong. On a personal level, the trio avoids confrontation when it comes to political differences.
''We have a big family,'' Janya said. ''There are a lot of members and we're all diverse. For elder family members, we just smile and nod and talk about other things. With friends, I just don't jump into debates. Of course I get frustrated, but I think at this point it's pointless to [try to] convince anyone because it has gone beyond rational reasoning.''
Jow Kow Tuen has recently secured hard-hitting guests _ Chaiwat Satha-Anand and Kanit na Nakorn, for example _ and taken on a more serious tone, since, as Winyu puts it, ''we can't monkey around that much with established guests''.
''We just want to have guests. We never design who to put on, but it's more like who would be willing to be on our show. Of late there are quite a lot of academics because of the current situation,'' said Janya.
''To have guests on the show is a kind of social service because they can offer other viewpoints besides ours.
''I believe that it's very beneficial to have different guests on.''
Asked for their thoughts on media impartiality, Winyu was the first to respond.
''I still believe in exploring issues. The more refined you get, [the more clearly] your points of view are expressed. I think that's the job for the media.''
Nattapong said he believes the idea of an impartial media is out of the media's hands, but hate mongering needs to be controlled.
''Impartiality doesn't exist. What is impartiality?
''There are so many facets of facts, and we have selective presentation of facts. Every media has its own inclination and its own political shade. The audience must be aware and make their own judgements,'' added Janya.
