Johnny D. Symon
Joy is freedom
By Johnny D. Symon
(First published March 21, 2006)
I've recently spent some time reflecting on my many experiences in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
It is our great fortune sometimes to misinterpret our destiny when it is revealed to us. We often accomplish our ends despite ourselves. We try to avoid the swamps and jungles, we seek frantically to escape the wilderness or the desert, we attach ourselves to leaders, we worship the gods instead of the One and Only, we lose ourselves in the labyrinth, we fly to distant shores and speak with other tongues, adopt other customs, manners, conventions, but ever and always are we driven towards our true end, concealed from us till the last moment.
— Miller, on Destiny
Latin countries are the places to be if, like myself, you enjoy crazy humor. Recent annual Spanish carnivals serve as the finest example I know of in this respect: Anything goes! Groups of singers (Chirigotas) get together to ridicule well known celebs and politicos, and even local town folk. This year was for me far more interesting, carnival-wise, as some groups took a hit on Islam and Islamic terrorists. For instance, one group, in the city of Algeciras, dressed like Osama Bin Laden and composed unforgettable songs with titles like "The Magic of India." I guess they would have preferred to use Pakistan in the song, but it wouldn't have rhymed so well, and also it would have revealed too much of what they were trying to subtly put across!
Another group in Ceuta were less shy about their intentions, despite the fact that most of the Chirigota group were members of the local police department. They really tore into Islam and terrorism, so much so that the Muslim community tried to take out a court injunction against them.
But it wasn't just Islamic terrorism that the carnivaliers poked fun at. They also had a special dig this year against very gay celebrities. One group dressed up as a top Spanish fashion designer named Garcia. And each song they composed served to illustrate their idea of how Mr Garcia lived his private life. They poked fun at Garcia's night life and imagined him picking up a date late at night inside a public toilet! On another ditty, they had him wax lyrical on how best to use pepinos (cucumbers).
Carnival time in Spain is a momentous occasion and one of the finest social barometers on public opinion available. It's a unique mechanism for the people's voice.
In the town of San Roque a Chirigota mocked the Japanese and the English expatriate women who are trying to learn flamenco dancing and who all dress up in traditional costume. The Chirigotas in my opinion were making a strong point, and it's a point that the authorities in Rio de Janeiro are making this year also: They're banning all foreigners from dancing in the traditional street carnival, because most of the foreigners are so lousy at it, it turns the whole event into a type of farce. And that's what expatriate English and Japanese are doing in Southern Spain.
We don't know what we are doing, but we are doing it very carefully.
— R J Wherry, Personnel Psychology
A standup comedian last week pointed out the different microphone techniques of famous Spanish singers. He highlighted a peculiar habit used by a guy called "El Fari." This popular flamenco singer frequently holds out his mic toward the audience, waving it up and down during instrumental breaks. The comedian had noted that it was exactly like a Spanish priest splashing holy water over his victims! And sure enough that's what El Fari does.
El Fari is a little guy of about 60 years of age, grey suit and with an absurdly high and warbling voice that many TV shows poke fun at. A couple of weeks back one show dubbed an El Fari song over a Marilyn Manson gig, and it was so well done that I swear Manson's lips moved just like he was really singing that El Fari number. Manson was wandering around on stage holding a decapitated head while appearing to sing in a shrieking tone, "Tricky tricky tree, tricky tree tricky trow!" As for what all this means, don't bother to ask, I have no idea myself, though it's something El Fari includes in most every song in his repertoire.
The Spanish entertainment industry is best at music and song and satire. But they're pretty lousy in the drama stakes, and as for action movies and TV shows they're nowhere. The action stuff in Europe has recently been dominated by Germany and its TV channel RTL.
One of my favorite action series is called Alarm for Cobra 11 and is based on a real group of autobahn cops. The stunt action sequences and car crashes are superb, and the story lines are polished and professional. I always have fun picking out the technical stuff on the cars that very few of my friends notice, because to me it's apparent that the show crashes the same cars a few times over during a series, and they strip and rebuild ready for the next action sequence. I remember a Jaguar XJ40 in dark blue quickly heading toward the back of another car, and when it collided the front grill had turned into a Daimler one! An inside shot showed a Daimler steering wheel, too.
The two main stars of the show are about six foot one and five foot one, respectively. It's always interesting to watch the big guy jump out of the driver's seat: The little guy takes the wheel and his seat position and steering angle are perfectly set for his small frame! There's a lot of good humor in this series too, so if you ever get a chance to watch it, don't miss out, but I can't imagine what it would be like dubbed into English. I suspect that some of the Germanic humor would get lost in the crossover.
The humor thing is sorely lacking on TV in North Africa and the Middle East. They attempt to inject humor into their TV, but it just doesn't work. For some reason they can't cut it. I used to watch a soap opera in Cairo, Egypt, that had everything an opera should have, and the actors were perfect in their roles. The stage sets were highly professional, and the scripts were top-notch, but they still utilized a little trick like all the rest, to keep their viewers fixed on the show: not humor, but the usual beat-the-woman-up routine, and that's quite a common thing on TV and movies in North Africa and the Middle East. Sadly, I have to admit that the slap-the-lady-up routine is also a popular pastime on Latino TV series in Europe and South America.
The Zappo government is passing equality laws, together with new domestic violence laws against women: What Spanish TV is going to do now is anyone's guess! Possibly they'll order a violence-reversal program so that the women beat up on the men! If they do, I have a list of guys who need a good thrashing, so I might just nominate them.
I figure it's about time that Bill Clinton learned to act properly. Al Gore would be another suitable candidate. The truth be told, there's just too many on my list to mention here, but most of them have been involved in the acting game for so long, they would just fall into the job big time. I used to see 'em in newspapers, magazines and on TV, and became convinced that all of them had been heavily touched up with something like Photoshop Pro. Then I would bump into one or two of them in the street, or in a club or at a party, and realize that they didn't need an imaging program to make them look the way they do, because I could tell by their eyes that only they themselves touched up their own selves! And when folks do that kind of stuff, they all deserve a good beating. By goin' the whole hog and becoming fully fledged actors, either in Spain or South America, sooner or later I would be able to watch it all happen. But it's a dream reserved only for the West. I can't envisage it happening in the Middle East for a very long time to come.
It's my own personal belief that Islam kills humor. Most other folks have a whale of a time, but the Islamics lose out.
I once knew a guy who — to coin an old phrase — could sell sand to the Arabs. I only wish I knew where that dude was today, because I've had a business idea that only he could make a monster hit:
I have devised the world's first "3600 piece jigsaw puzzle of the Prophet Mohammed" and I figure it would go down a storm in the Middle East: I estimate that each puzzle would sell for around 35 bucks (or 40 if they wanted the autographed thumbprint version), and would take the happy purchaser nine months to assemble. And once it was all put together he would stand back to take a careful look at his handiwork and his prophet and think to himself, "I've spent nine whole months putting my prophet together, and I still can't see a damn thing!" And that's what's so unique about my idea ... I'd be filthy rich selling all of those jigsaw puzzles with nothing on 'em, and they'd be keeping Islamic law at the same time! Now that's what I'd call good business ...
For what shall it profit Imam? If Islam shall gain the whole world, and lose its own souls? [... and it's humor too for that matter! — JDS]
— From The Mosquel according to Garp 8:36
I remember years ago an American stand-up comedian, though I can't remember who, spent some time talking about the Hungarian people, and he said that they weren't interested in going to the movies to watch Four Weddings and a Funeral: They would only go if it were called "Four Funerals and a Wedding"! He added that it's a status symbol in Hungary to boast that you've bought your own graveyard spot, stone, and coffin by the age of twenty. I've met a few Hungarians myself and can vouch for the fact that there was not a trace of humor in 'em! Which brings me back to Islam and the subject of humor, or the lack of it in this case:
The present administration in Iran seems hell-bent on doing the Hungarian thing by ordering up their own graveside place ahead of time, and they have set out on their mission bereft of even one atom of that special human gift called humor, and I can't live with people like that, and they don't want me to live either.
So I advocate the wisdom of Lin Yutang, who said, "The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials." For me, gloom and doom and the graveyard spot are classed as nonessentials, and with a big smile on my face I would happily add Iran also. Let's not forget what John Adams said:
America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all.
But, true freedom can only be attained through a light heart, and a joyous soul ...
The whole vitality of body and soul depends on being happy. You should constantly center your thoughts on contemplating the root of all things. This is the source of all that is good and all joys. You will feel an overwhelming joy, because when one contemplates this root — which is wholly good — then everything good and joyous is merged into one and radiates with abundant light. Joy is freedom.
— Rav Nachman.
So my plan for this week is to eliminate all nonessentials from my life, and replace them with the contemplation and the practice of joy and freedom.
Have a great week y'all, Johnny D.
© Johnny D. Symon
(First published March 21, 2006)
I've recently spent some time reflecting on my many experiences in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
It is our great fortune sometimes to misinterpret our destiny when it is revealed to us. We often accomplish our ends despite ourselves. We try to avoid the swamps and jungles, we seek frantically to escape the wilderness or the desert, we attach ourselves to leaders, we worship the gods instead of the One and Only, we lose ourselves in the labyrinth, we fly to distant shores and speak with other tongues, adopt other customs, manners, conventions, but ever and always are we driven towards our true end, concealed from us till the last moment.
— Miller, on Destiny
Latin countries are the places to be if, like myself, you enjoy crazy humor. Recent annual Spanish carnivals serve as the finest example I know of in this respect: Anything goes! Groups of singers (Chirigotas) get together to ridicule well known celebs and politicos, and even local town folk. This year was for me far more interesting, carnival-wise, as some groups took a hit on Islam and Islamic terrorists. For instance, one group, in the city of Algeciras, dressed like Osama Bin Laden and composed unforgettable songs with titles like "The Magic of India." I guess they would have preferred to use Pakistan in the song, but it wouldn't have rhymed so well, and also it would have revealed too much of what they were trying to subtly put across!
Another group in Ceuta were less shy about their intentions, despite the fact that most of the Chirigota group were members of the local police department. They really tore into Islam and terrorism, so much so that the Muslim community tried to take out a court injunction against them.
But it wasn't just Islamic terrorism that the carnivaliers poked fun at. They also had a special dig this year against very gay celebrities. One group dressed up as a top Spanish fashion designer named Garcia. And each song they composed served to illustrate their idea of how Mr Garcia lived his private life. They poked fun at Garcia's night life and imagined him picking up a date late at night inside a public toilet! On another ditty, they had him wax lyrical on how best to use pepinos (cucumbers).
Carnival time in Spain is a momentous occasion and one of the finest social barometers on public opinion available. It's a unique mechanism for the people's voice.
In the town of San Roque a Chirigota mocked the Japanese and the English expatriate women who are trying to learn flamenco dancing and who all dress up in traditional costume. The Chirigotas in my opinion were making a strong point, and it's a point that the authorities in Rio de Janeiro are making this year also: They're banning all foreigners from dancing in the traditional street carnival, because most of the foreigners are so lousy at it, it turns the whole event into a type of farce. And that's what expatriate English and Japanese are doing in Southern Spain.
We don't know what we are doing, but we are doing it very carefully.
— R J Wherry, Personnel Psychology
A standup comedian last week pointed out the different microphone techniques of famous Spanish singers. He highlighted a peculiar habit used by a guy called "El Fari." This popular flamenco singer frequently holds out his mic toward the audience, waving it up and down during instrumental breaks. The comedian had noted that it was exactly like a Spanish priest splashing holy water over his victims! And sure enough that's what El Fari does.
El Fari is a little guy of about 60 years of age, grey suit and with an absurdly high and warbling voice that many TV shows poke fun at. A couple of weeks back one show dubbed an El Fari song over a Marilyn Manson gig, and it was so well done that I swear Manson's lips moved just like he was really singing that El Fari number. Manson was wandering around on stage holding a decapitated head while appearing to sing in a shrieking tone, "Tricky tricky tree, tricky tree tricky trow!" As for what all this means, don't bother to ask, I have no idea myself, though it's something El Fari includes in most every song in his repertoire.
The Spanish entertainment industry is best at music and song and satire. But they're pretty lousy in the drama stakes, and as for action movies and TV shows they're nowhere. The action stuff in Europe has recently been dominated by Germany and its TV channel RTL.
One of my favorite action series is called Alarm for Cobra 11 and is based on a real group of autobahn cops. The stunt action sequences and car crashes are superb, and the story lines are polished and professional. I always have fun picking out the technical stuff on the cars that very few of my friends notice, because to me it's apparent that the show crashes the same cars a few times over during a series, and they strip and rebuild ready for the next action sequence. I remember a Jaguar XJ40 in dark blue quickly heading toward the back of another car, and when it collided the front grill had turned into a Daimler one! An inside shot showed a Daimler steering wheel, too.
The two main stars of the show are about six foot one and five foot one, respectively. It's always interesting to watch the big guy jump out of the driver's seat: The little guy takes the wheel and his seat position and steering angle are perfectly set for his small frame! There's a lot of good humor in this series too, so if you ever get a chance to watch it, don't miss out, but I can't imagine what it would be like dubbed into English. I suspect that some of the Germanic humor would get lost in the crossover.
The humor thing is sorely lacking on TV in North Africa and the Middle East. They attempt to inject humor into their TV, but it just doesn't work. For some reason they can't cut it. I used to watch a soap opera in Cairo, Egypt, that had everything an opera should have, and the actors were perfect in their roles. The stage sets were highly professional, and the scripts were top-notch, but they still utilized a little trick like all the rest, to keep their viewers fixed on the show: not humor, but the usual beat-the-woman-up routine, and that's quite a common thing on TV and movies in North Africa and the Middle East. Sadly, I have to admit that the slap-the-lady-up routine is also a popular pastime on Latino TV series in Europe and South America.
The Zappo government is passing equality laws, together with new domestic violence laws against women: What Spanish TV is going to do now is anyone's guess! Possibly they'll order a violence-reversal program so that the women beat up on the men! If they do, I have a list of guys who need a good thrashing, so I might just nominate them.
I figure it's about time that Bill Clinton learned to act properly. Al Gore would be another suitable candidate. The truth be told, there's just too many on my list to mention here, but most of them have been involved in the acting game for so long, they would just fall into the job big time. I used to see 'em in newspapers, magazines and on TV, and became convinced that all of them had been heavily touched up with something like Photoshop Pro. Then I would bump into one or two of them in the street, or in a club or at a party, and realize that they didn't need an imaging program to make them look the way they do, because I could tell by their eyes that only they themselves touched up their own selves! And when folks do that kind of stuff, they all deserve a good beating. By goin' the whole hog and becoming fully fledged actors, either in Spain or South America, sooner or later I would be able to watch it all happen. But it's a dream reserved only for the West. I can't envisage it happening in the Middle East for a very long time to come.
It's my own personal belief that Islam kills humor. Most other folks have a whale of a time, but the Islamics lose out.
I once knew a guy who — to coin an old phrase — could sell sand to the Arabs. I only wish I knew where that dude was today, because I've had a business idea that only he could make a monster hit:
I have devised the world's first "3600 piece jigsaw puzzle of the Prophet Mohammed" and I figure it would go down a storm in the Middle East: I estimate that each puzzle would sell for around 35 bucks (or 40 if they wanted the autographed thumbprint version), and would take the happy purchaser nine months to assemble. And once it was all put together he would stand back to take a careful look at his handiwork and his prophet and think to himself, "I've spent nine whole months putting my prophet together, and I still can't see a damn thing!" And that's what's so unique about my idea ... I'd be filthy rich selling all of those jigsaw puzzles with nothing on 'em, and they'd be keeping Islamic law at the same time! Now that's what I'd call good business ...
For what shall it profit Imam? If Islam shall gain the whole world, and lose its own souls? [... and it's humor too for that matter! — JDS]
— From The Mosquel according to Garp 8:36
I remember years ago an American stand-up comedian, though I can't remember who, spent some time talking about the Hungarian people, and he said that they weren't interested in going to the movies to watch Four Weddings and a Funeral: They would only go if it were called "Four Funerals and a Wedding"! He added that it's a status symbol in Hungary to boast that you've bought your own graveyard spot, stone, and coffin by the age of twenty. I've met a few Hungarians myself and can vouch for the fact that there was not a trace of humor in 'em! Which brings me back to Islam and the subject of humor, or the lack of it in this case:
The present administration in Iran seems hell-bent on doing the Hungarian thing by ordering up their own graveside place ahead of time, and they have set out on their mission bereft of even one atom of that special human gift called humor, and I can't live with people like that, and they don't want me to live either.
So I advocate the wisdom of Lin Yutang, who said, "The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials." For me, gloom and doom and the graveyard spot are classed as nonessentials, and with a big smile on my face I would happily add Iran also. Let's not forget what John Adams said:
America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all.
But, true freedom can only be attained through a light heart, and a joyous soul ...
The whole vitality of body and soul depends on being happy. You should constantly center your thoughts on contemplating the root of all things. This is the source of all that is good and all joys. You will feel an overwhelming joy, because when one contemplates this root — which is wholly good — then everything good and joyous is merged into one and radiates with abundant light. Joy is freedom.
— Rav Nachman.
So my plan for this week is to eliminate all nonessentials from my life, and replace them with the contemplation and the practice of joy and freedom.
Have a great week y'all, Johnny D.
© Johnny D. Symon
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