Social Spoilers

India’s social media influencers were once hailed as the harbingers of a new digital age, democratising entertainment and giving voice to fresh perspectives. Instead, a growing number of them are devolving into social spoilers and peddlers of crassness masquerading as content creators. The latest controversy, involving YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia and a handful of others, is a stark illustration of how so-called influencers are cheapening public discourse under the guise of humour.

The controversy erupted over a tasteless remark made by Allahbadia on comedian Samay Raina’s YouTube show, India’s Got Latent, which has long revelled in its brand of vulgar banter. During the show, Allahbadia posed a grotesque dilemma to a contestant, forcing them to choose between witnessing their parents in an intimate act every day or joining in once to put an end to it. Predictably, public outrage followed. Assam Police swiftly filed a case, and multiple complaints were lodged across India under laws meant to curb obscenity. Allahbadia, whose reach extends to millions, issued a limp apology, admitting the comment was neither appropriate nor funny. An understatement, to say the least.

But he is hardly an outlier. The rise of stand-up comedians and social media personalities thriving on crude humour has normalised a culture of tastelessness in Indian entertainment. What once passed for wit and satire has been replaced by a brand of ‘comedy’ that is neither clever nor subversive, only cheap and desperate for shock value. The likes of Kunal Kamra, Munawar Faruqui and others routinely push boundaries for the sake of it instead of wielding sharp humour as a critique of power and hypocrisy. Indian stand-up often resorts to foul-mouthed potshots, personal jibes and sexist innuendos.

Streaming platforms (OTTs), once heralded as a creative alternative to formulaic Bollywood, have only amplified this trend. Unrestrained by censorship, many shows revel in excess and vulgarity for its own sake, as if that alone constitutes artistic daring. The industry’s defenders argue that audiences have matured, but if maturity entails tolerating expletive-laden monologues, one must question the standards of this supposed evolution.

The concern extends beyond aesthetics. Today’s influencers are shaping the aspirations of a generation. When millions of children and teenagers consume such content, what values are being instilled? The influencer economy rewards visibility above all else, and if controversy guarantees clicks, many will gladly indulge in the lowest common denominator.

Here, regulation is not the only answer. Societal rejection must play a role. The market must dictate that there are limits, and advertisers and platforms must be held to account for whom they choose to elevate.

The alternative is a cultural free fall, where banality and crassness dominate the national conversation. India has a long tradition of sharp satire, from the political jibes of R.K. Laxman’s cartoons to the biting wit of Jaspal Bhatti. If today’s influencers cannot rise to that standard, they should at least refrain from dragging popular culture through the muck.