Achmed the Dead Terrorist: Finding humor in the stupidity of racism.

I was a Sesame Street baby, still am. I've been in awe of puppets ever since I got my first Rubber Duckie for my bathtub sessions.  I liked Ernie so much, I mimicked his silly laugh and declared my red and black striped shirt with matching suspenders my official uniform for any type of party.  My brothers have pictures to prove that.  A neighbor constantly ridiculed me and asked where Bert and his pigeons were. Anyway... when I understood the mechanics of the puppets, I had to get my own puppet.  I told my papa and he got me a Nog-Nog boxing puppet. If you were a kid who lived in the Metro Manila in the 70s, you know what I'm talking about. I enjoyed that for a while, and as expected the novelty quickly wore off. Then I got interested in ventriloquists and their puppets.  

Ventriloquists are hilarious people.  I've always thought their sense of humor bordered on the perverse and twisted since they represent themselves as individuals who could make a conversation work even if the conversation is between him and another inanimate puppet made animate by his talent.  You get what I mean, I'm sure.  You've seen ventriloquists since you were a kid. I you haven't, then you must have lived under a rock.

The hilarity of ventriloquism took on a new meaning when I saw Jeff Dunham on YouTube.  I thought, this guy is in serious trouble for his racist jokes which he projects on his character Achmed the Dead Terrorist. True, the jokes are racist but I think it made fun of racism and attempted to transcend the stupidity of racial prejudice. Consequently, it also somehow diffuses apparent tensions across ethnicities.

I'll shut up now...I might over analyze this and defend humor for humor's sake.  Twisted? Maybe...maybe not. I think I've outgrown the naivete of Sesame Street.

CHANGE.... not just sukli

My eldest niece, Janice, was such an energetic bundle of energy when she was a youngen. She still is.  At a very tender age she was already a "straight shooter" with her opinions yet she never offended anyone as her remarks had an endearing combination of intelligence and humor.  Now she's all grown up, happily married, taking care of 2 boys (Mike, her husband and Ikaika, her son) and working as a registered nurse in the state of Florida.  Based on her writing style, I can tell that she's definitely a nurse who is a genuine people person with a lot of (at the risk of sounding corny and cliche'-ish) HEART and SOUL. I did not have the great privilege of seeing her mature intellectually. She grew up mostly in Florida, while I lived (and still growing up albeit married) in the City of Paranaque. But one thing's for sure...we're all very proud of her. I'm reposting her blog here with her permission. CHANGE It's more than just a presidency... it's more than we can comprehend, unless we allow ourselves to think openly on all sides. I talked to one of my patients today... a black guy... as we watched the news about the election and what not. I told him, " I'm proud to be part of this .. this piece of history. I appreciate it because it makes me realize that damn, this is what you've been going through?" Racism is alive and well people.. and it takes something like this, this election, these candidates, to bring it to the forefront. We've noticed that people are more willing to share their opinions on having a "black president" when there are others with them to oppose it. Ignorance loves company just as misery does. Damn, folks. I also had a patient today who chose to degrade "foreigners" in front of me, an Indian doctor, and a Puerto-Rican secretary. It took so much for me to not tell this old man off, but I maintained. When he asked for a wheelchair to leave, I told my manager... "He needs a wheelchair to go downstairs, but I can't take him because I'm a FOREIGNER." I walked away and cooled off... So check this... It's not just about black and white... all of us in the middle have to realize that racism and discrimniation covers all gray areas as well. When we think of CHANGE...it's more than just time to change presidents. When he says CHANGE, I think time to change the way we think, as individuals, as families, as a nation. CHANGE our close-mindedness, CHANGE how we teach our children of people not exactly like ourselves. It's easy for me to say, in casual conversation, that everyone is a "little bit" racist... no one is surprised to hear it because they agree. Maybe it's time to CHANGE that thinking also. Picking our president should not have to be about what color he is. To me it's should go to the one, not necessarily with the most experience, but with the one who can inspire congress to work across party lines to do better for our country. If he can also inspire individuals in this world to do better for themselves and their families, then cool -- bonus. Damn people... it's time to CHANGE in more ways than I can enumerate in this blog.  Originally posted at my niece's Facebook account. I hope she creates her own blogspot or website soon *HINT HINT*.