Seriously Funny: Mexican Political Jokes as Social Resistance

3. The Role of Political Jokes in Mexico

90 chapter three The Role of Political Jokes in Mexico One day on the news they announce that two Parralenses [people from the city of Parral in the border state of Chihuahua ] have shown up dead, shot to death while trying to flee from U.S. customs officials. The Mayor of Parral sees the news during his early breakfast, at 11:30 a.m., while trying to get over a horrible hangover with very spicy chilaquiles [a special tortilla dish] and a very cold beer. He leaves his house in a fury and skidding he arrives at town hall and he says to his secretary: “Mr. Secretary, get a hold of the Pentagon immediately.” “Where, Mr. Mayor?” “The Pentagon, dummy! Those damn gringos are going to pay for what they did to our people.” The secretary gets a hold of the Pentagon and asks to speak to the secretary of war of the United States, telling him that the mayor of San Francisco del Oro, Parral, is on the line: “Listen to me, you son of a bitch, I’m calling to let you know that the independent and sovereign municipality of Parral, Chihuahua declares war against the United States for the death of our fellow citizens who were assassinated by your customs officers.” “Excuse me, I don’t understand, who’s calling?” “Don’t play dumb, you asshole, the elected Mayor of Parral says you’re going to go to hell, you assholes.” “Excuse me, well, where’s Parral? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Look, you son of a bitch, don’t play dumb. I know that you have CIA agents infiltrating my government to destabilize me. Parral, if you don’t remember, is south of the capital of Chihuahua , Mexico.” “Oh, you don’t say. So you’re declaring war?” The Role of Political Jokes in Mexico • 91 “Yes, asshole. And don’t chicken out. We’re going to beat the hell out of you.” “Excuse me, do you know to whom you’re talking?” “You want to make me mad, asshole?” “Do you know that you’re declaring war against the most powerful nation in the world?” “Well, you son of a bitch, we don’t give a shit, asshole. We’re going to beat the shit out of you.” “Oh yeah? You have an army?” “Well, of course, we have the one from town hall that already has policemen on bicycles and some other buddies who deal with bud; they have their guns, but we don’t need more asshole. We’re men, asshole, and you’re going to go to hell this time.” “Well . . . you do know that the United States of America, in less than three hours, can launch a thousand missiles, send three hundred combat and bomber airplanes over there, seven hundred armed helicopters, and in addition, three hundred thousand soldiers supported by ten divisions of tanks and four of heavy artillery?” “Oh shit, excuse me, how many soldiers did you say?” “Three hundred thousand, what do you think?” “Oh shit, wait a sec, I’ll call you right back.” A little while later the phone rings again at the Pentagon: “Well, listen, you know, we give up.” “Didn’t you say you were very manly?” “We are men, you asshole. It’s just that they cut our budget, the harvest hasn’t been very good. Only a little corn sprouted and with the drought some cows died and there are no more hens, so how the hell are we going to feed the three hundred thousand prisoner soldiers that we’re going to take? But fuck you anyway!” Introduction If one analyzes the different forms of political humor in Mexico, one finds that jokes and cartoons are predominant. In June 2004, in Mexico City, the Consulta Mitofsky found that 38.6 percent of those surveyed remembered having heard a political joke in the recent past, and 38.5 percent of the jokes they heard were about Fox. Jokes are created and adjusted constantly, even though some disappear when the politicians they involve 92 • Chapter 3 leave the limelight; occasionally, these jokes are revived and adapted to fit other politicians. There are some jokes that last longer than others because they have to do with certain “appropriate” themes, and this might be true for the political joke. Schutz (1977:26) says, regarding the cycle of political humor...