Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Nicaragua take 1: Lights, Camera Action!!

Nicaragua take 1: lights camera action!
Political humour must represent social reality in order for its critique of institutions of power to be legitimate. Case in point:
There is a muppet show featured on local television entitled Los Hulosos written and produced by one of Nicaragua’s cartoonist Manuel Guillén.. In one episode he had the muppet character President Bolaños responding to critics at a muppet press conference declaring that we ought not to worry about the national debt and the state of the country. As soon as he says this, there is a power cut and total darkness in the scene. The president comes back with a candle and continues talking about how things are going so well in the country and commends the increasing affordability of candles. So I think…haha pretty funny.
Two days after I see this episode I go to the local club Chamán with two friends. It’s a Saturday night, the music is pretty good, its loud, everybody’s dancing, drinking and having a good time. Everybody is singing along to the song “Rompe, Rompe, Rompe” and then all of a sudden the lights go out and the music stops…I kid you not, there was a power cut at the club. I am sitting there like a typical foreigner shocked out of mind but then I saw the workers light the candles at every corner of the club and continue serving beer. Not only were they prepared for this but also everybody just continued talking and chilling like nothing happened. Twenty minutes later the lights come back on and the party continues. I guess Manuel Guillén was on point. Say it with me: W-O-W!

If you speak Spanish the link to Los Hulosos is: http://www.canal2.com.ni/
The shows’ episodes is on the right side of the page
In the mean time, Nicaragua take one: Lights..ahh lights??…ahh LIGHTS?!!

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