Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1367395
9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 MAY 2021 INTERVIEW that's just 'funny'… But not to others, evidently…. I guess not. Anyway, I actual- ly got a message from this guy – who found out who I was, ba- sically – which was… let's just say, 'borderline threatening'. The sort of thing I almost felt I should report to the police, but… not quite. How did you respond? Oh, I lied, naturally. I said: "What the hell are you even on about? I don't know who this good-looking fellow you're talk- ing about is; but if I were you, I'd leave him alone…" Interestingly, though, your most intimidating experience came not from a political party supporter, but from a village festa enthusiast. And Malta is full of other, similar issues which people feel very strong- ly about. Do you ever feel that you might be unwittingly ex- posing yourself to danger, over things that you yourself don't take seriously at all? I don't know; it's like, my naïve side always says… 'Oh come on: it's just an article!' But then again, it's one of those things where… yes, people in this country do tend to be very passionate, about one thing or another. And I appreciate some of it myself: there is a certain beauty in all this passion. And besides: the country would be kind of dull without it, too. In fact, if it wasn't for all the – let's face it - weird stuff out there, this place would be pretty damn boring… But to me: as someone who was never really in that culture to begin with, even while grow- ing up - in a house where poli- tics was never spoken about at all, incidentally - to me, I find a lot of that to be just… total- ly baffling, to be honest. Like 'mass-meetings', for instance. Or the way [Transport Minis- ter] Ian Borg's supporters al- ways rally to his defence, when- ever he is criticised… [Pause] It just… baffles me. I find it almost medieval, in a feudal sort of way: like Ian Borg is their 'lord', and they're his… um… 'serfs', or something. It just doesn't look right… Now: as a football fan myself, I can understand being obsessed with football, to the point where you feel compelled to defend 'your' club, no matter what. But… to defend a minister? And, to boot, the most powerful minister in Malta? I don't know. I find it kind of sad, and pathet- ic, really… You said that 99% of the time, your intention is to 'make peo- ple laugh'. But there seems to also be an undercurrent of political realism. For instance: the one about Gozo (and hunt- ing) Minister Clint Caruana 'de- nying claims of bird massacre while covered in blood and feathers', also contained real (or at least, believable) sta- tistics for illegal hunting this year… Oh, they're real. I took them from news reports… So wouldn't you say that part of your aim is also to highlight these (ultimately serious) is- sues – not just hunting, but also immigration, etc? Hence, possibly, the name 'Bis-Ser- jetà' to begin with? Yes, I suppose… but that is al- so what marks out satire from other types of humour. Behind the laughter, there is meaning… there is a 'point'. And what I myself love most about satire, is that it gives you the ability to say things, without actually say- ing them. Tell you the truth, howev- er… I can't actually remember why I named my own web- site 'Bis-Serjetà'. It must have been one of those things that just came to me, at the time. I do, however, remember why I chose the name 'Karl Stennieni- barra'. Because that was my pet name for Karl Stagno Navarra ever since I was a kid… when he was on TV all the time. The funny thing, though, is that he didn't have quite the same reputation 10 years ago, as he does today. If I were to create a new fictitious journalist now, I'd probably go with another name… Doesn't that tell us something about the nature of Maltese politics, though? Karl Stagno Navarra used to be a NET TV presenter; today, he is doing exactly the same thing, only with the Labour Party station instead. And suddenly, it's a big 'no-no'. Isn't there some truth to the perception that La- bour supporters are somehow considered more 'legitimate', as targets, than others? I can see what you're saying, but… in my own case, I obvious- ly criticize Labour more because they're in government right now. And this is something that some people here don't seem to understand. There's always been this thing in Malta, that if you criticize one side, you have to, 'bilfors', criticise the other equally. But that's not really the case. If one party is government, I'd say it has to be more of a 70- 30 split… or 80-20, or whatever. But when it comes to 'legiti- mate targets' for satire: I'd say it's anyone who is in the public eye; and anyone who is… ridic- ulous, really. Having said that, I do my utmost not to target private individuals; with the exception, perhaps, of Aaron's mum… But the thing with Aaron's mum, is that… she was com- menting in public so much, that people starting knowing her name. She became a pub- licly known figure, commenting publicly, about public things. And that, to me, is fair game… And yet, among the many re- actions to this type of satire – aimed, as rule at the more 'quaint' of typical Maltese tra- ditions (or even 'Malteseness' itself, so to speak) – there are some who might describe it as 'classist'. Have you ever been called that, yourself? And is it a concern when writing satire in such a polarised environment? I don't think anyone has ever specifically called me 'classist', in as many words: but yes, it is something I have to watch out for; even because, in my own view – and it's something I re- ally do try to stick to, myself; though I admit I don't always succeed – satire should always be about 'punching up'… never 'punching down'. Ideally, sat- ire picks on the strong, not the weak. And as a screaming Left- ie myself, I can only agree with that… But it's not always clear-cut. With politics, you know you're always going to be 'punching up', no matter what. But I can understand how some people might feel about picking on, say, Santa Venera village festa enthusiasts… Which I've never really done, mind you. That joke about San- ta Venera getting COVID… it wasn't aimed at the villag- ers themselves. It was aimed, for starters, at religion… and let's face it: you can't possibly 'punch any higher' than that if you tried. Who else is there to even take a swing at, higher and more powerful than God him- self? But still: I do think there's space for criticism… or ridicule, if you like: if not of the people themselves, at least of the more absurd aspects of our society in general. And besides: most of this criticism - this ridicule - actually comes from a place of the heart; and place of love and sincere affection. I really mean that, by the way. It's just like 'making fun of your friend'. And… come on, what's the harm in a little banter be- tween friends? "Who else is there to even take a swing at, higher and more powerful than God himself ?"