Comedian Sharul Channa isn't just here to make you laugh

Sharul Channa might be a comedian, but she’s not just here to make jokes. Channa made headlines earlier this year after she called out a former Nominated Member of Parliament for making “inappropriate” comments during an online interview: Viswa Sadasivan was said to have asked Channa why she was wearing a rose brooch; she said it was to distract from her patterned shirt. “It would be more distracting if you were wearing only that rose,” Sadasivan replied.

The innuendo shocked Channa. She proceeded to call Sadasivan out in a Facebook post: What followed was an online storm of virality, vitriolic comments, and a renewed discussion on the insidious misogyny that women face on a daily basis – even in Singapore.

“It’s warped – really warped,” she says. “I was upset to see how many middle-aged men were rattled. I got so many derogatory messages in my inbox.”

But as Channa shows, she is not a woman who is easily cowed by pressure: She shows up to our interview wearing the same rose brooch that started it all.

“I had to bear the brunt of certain things, and that created trauma for me,” she admits. “But I’ve worked through it, and now I feel like: ‘Bring it on.’”

It’s been a few months since the incident happened. Looking back, what are your thoughts on the way things panned out?

I think the negative part of it is that suddenly, the Indian community – for most part, middle aged men, so many middle aged men – came on my page and would either troll me or say negative things. They said things like, ‘Well, what’s wrong with what he said? You’re a comedian. You can do dirty jokes on stage, but we can’t say these things to you?’

It’s like this, I can touch myself, but you have to ask me permission. So it’s something they just don’t understand. I think Singaporeans struggle with basic consent, understanding it.

[Sadasivan] said other things also, during that interview. The last thing he said on the call was very interesting. He asked me: “Would you like to say anything to people out there?” So I said: “Yeah, I think if I wasn’t with Rishi, it would take a lot for an Indian man to accept me as their wife, because I think they are very backwards.”

Now by this point, I was really angry. And he said: “Yeah, you don’t look like a woman who would serve your husband dinner on your knees.” [scoffs] But men like that say these things.

So it’s warped, really warped. And I was upset to see how many middle aged men were rattled: I got so many derogatory messages in my inbox.

And how did you feel about that? Did you regret speaking out?

I had to bear the brunt of certain things, and that created trauma for me. But I’ve worked through it, and now I feel like: ‘Bring it on.’ But I know that if I were not in stand up – if I was just another regular girl – I would’ve just broken. In a very strange manner, I’m glad this happened to me, and not anybody else. Because I feel that I have really thick skin.

I feel so bad for all the other women who have been through this. What must they have been through? I will say that my career prepared me for what happened. But the good thing is that the conversation has moved up a notch. I think that’s very good, for a start.

I think men, and people in general, need to understand that being a feminist doesn’t mean you hate men; it just means that you’re looking for equality. And it’s about recruiting men into understanding that.

Even before the controversy, you’ve always been very open in speaking about social issues, whether in your stand up shows, or in other projects. Why’s that?

Stand-up, as you know, is a very self-indulgent art form. So I really want to make sure that even if I’m creating work, it’s about a social cause. Because I think that art can make a huge difference. Art can be used for entertainment, but also education, to bring about social change. I think it’s an artist’s responsibility.

And as a comedian, you can say so many things and get away with it. There’s so many things that make statements that are provocative at times, like, ‘Every woman should experiment with their body and be able to try new things.’

As it happens, sexuality – specifically, female sexuality – is also another big topic you bring up often in your shows. Why?

Because I’ve been a prude all my life. Rishi was my only boyfriend. So I never really got to experiment with my sexuality. Later I realised: “Maybe don’t marry your first boyfriend.” It’s not that anything is wrong with him. You just feel like there’s so much more to life – but I was just not aware of these options.

I was a prude because of my conditioning, because my mom drilled it into me that your virginity is your jewel – something you don’t just give away. And these are things you get taught as a young Southeast Asian girl.

How I realised? It always begins when your friends start talking to you about their own experiences. And it’s important to have these conversations, because it’s also linked to female empowerment. Empowering a woman in one way helps to make them feel powerful emotionally, and mentally, and psychologically.

I hope by talking about these things, I can help open women up, to make them honest; not to everybody, but at least to themselves. To make them think: “When was the last time I was happy? When was I given what I wanted? When was it when I was in control of the situation?” Because so many women are not.

Photography Joel Low

Styling Gregory Woo

All jewellery Tiffany & Co.

Styling Assistant Adelynn Wong

Hair Peter Lee using Wella Professionals

Makeup Wee Ming using Nars Cosmetics