1

SPANISH-AMERICAN HUMOR

by Don L. F. Nilsen

and Alleen Pace Nilsen

2

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1. What is the “miracle” of The Milagro Beenfield War (3)?

2. Why is it good for mice to be bilingual (6-7)?

3. To what extent to Cheech and Chong represent Chicano culture (8)?

4. Why does George Lopez think that the Joker in Batman is Latino (9)?

5. What is “Magical Realism” (10-12)?

6. Explain Mexican Humor and the “Corridos” (13-14).

7. What are Jeff Valdez’s brothers’ names? Why is that important (15-16)?

GUSTAVO ARELLANO # 1:https://asunews.asu.edu/20130918-humor-seriously

GUSTAVO ARELLANO # 2:http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=Eav5xJ1cfhk&desktop_uri=

%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DEav5xJ1cfhk%26feature%3Dyoutu.be

3

4

BILINGUAL ALLUSIONS

• In John Nichols’ The Milagro Beanfield War, Horsethief Shorty gives a forest ranger the following warning:

• “These people wouldn’t confide in you, in that uniform, Carl, if you was Cesar Chavez, Pedro Infante, Cantinflas, and Lee Trevino all rolled into one.”

5

BILINGUAL EDUCATION

• One young bilingual child defined “Bilingual Education” as follows:

• “That’s when the teacher says everything twice, but you only understand it once.”

6

A BILINGUAL KNOCK-KNOCK JOKE

• Knock knock.

• Who’s there?

• Kelly.

• Kelly who?

• Que le importa?

• (Spanish for “What’s it to you?”

7

A BILINGUAL STORYfrom Laurence Peter and Bill Dana’s The Laughter Prescription

• “There was un ratoncito, a little mouse, and he was hiding in his hole in the living room. He was very frustrated, because he knew where there was some queso, some cheese. But, he heard the ‘miao’ of el gato, the cat.”

8

• This was no ratoncito estupido, because he knew that gatos eat ratoncitos. So he waited until he heard “Woof, woof,” and he knew it was el perro, the dog. He knew that perros scare away los gatos, and also that perros don’t eat ratoncitos. So he walked out and saw, no perro, pero el gato!

• And el gato gulped him up and said: “iQue bueno ser bilingue!”

9

CHEECH AND CHONG

• Cheech and Chong (Richard Marin and Tommy Chong) have been described as the Bob and Ray of the scruffy drug culture.

CHEECH AND CHONG: UP IN SMOKE:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2pXxHW1DHs

10

IGOODESMAN AND JOO:http://cartoonando.blogspot.com/2008/04/1000-posts.html

11

12

GEORGE LOPEZ

• “I liked the original Batman because the Joker was Latino—Cesar Romero—but I thought Batman should have been Mexican because that car was way too nice for a white man to be driving.”

13

MAGICAL REALISM

• Magical Realism is a blend of exaggeration, fables and cultureal lore that is distinctly Hispanic.

• It can be seen in Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima, and in Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate

14

• Like Water for Chocolate gets its title from a Spanish colloquialism alluding to water that is agitated or ready to boil.

• Tita is the youngest of three daughters in a Mexican ranching family. She was born in a kitchen and therefore has a special affinity for food.

• So many tears were shed at Tita’s birth that when the tears dried there was enough salt to last the family for many years.

15

• When Tita is forced to bake the wedding cake to celebrate her sister’s marriage to the man that Tita loves, Tita cries so many tears that her sorrow is baked into the wedding cake and all of the guests become ill.

(Nilsen & Nilsen 145)

Groucho Marx and Funny Mexican Guy:

http://www.chonday.com/Videos/funny-mexican-guy-with-groucho-marx#.UfVbmBN44QQ.email

16

CARLOS MENCIA:http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/mind_of_mencia/index.jhtml

17

18

MEXICAN CORRIDOS

• Because Mexican “corridos” are about the “corridor” between Mexico and the United States, they are very bicultural.

• These Corridos make allusions both to Mexican folk heroes and to American folk heroes, whether they are real (like Jimmy Hoffa), mythological (like Pecos Bill), or superheroes (like Superman).

19

MEXICAN HUMOR

• Mexican humor is expressed in folk genres such as jokes, jests, and anecdotes. It is very bilingual and bicultural.

• Mexican proverbs are epiphenal, as in “En boca cerrada, no entran moscas.”

20

OFFENSIVE ETHNIC HUMOR

• Sometimes our sensitivities change. Bill Dana used to have a character named Jose Jimenez who used a Mexican accent to tell hilarious jokes.

• But this offended so many people that he had to stop using this persona.

• The same is true about the Taco Bell spokesman who spoke with an accent.

21

JEFF VALDEZ

• “My brothers’ names are Alfonso, Lorenzo, Ramon…[and me] Jeff. I guess that was right about the time my parents assimilated…right there!