I hope Pea doesn't misunderstand George Lopez.
Last night, I got to watch comedian George Lopez’s special, Tall, Dark and Chicano, on HBO Canada. I’d been looking forward to the special for a few weeks, since I saw the rather funny promos running between Entourage repeats. Last night seemed like the right night to watch… after all, it had rained all weekend and I needed a laugh heading into the work week. So I turned on the PVR and away I went.
For those of you that don’t know of George Lopez, he is an American comedian of Mexican descent. His brand of comedy looks at the holes and gaps that exist, culturally, between Latinos and, well, everyone else. It’s as funny as it is stereotypical and well worth the watch. Be warned though, you’ll probably snort at some point, so it may not be first date material.
Oddly enough, much of George Lopez’s appeal to me is that I can actually relate to most of what he is saying. Yes, I am about as white as they come (nicknames like Casper and Powder have dogged me thanks to my pale complexion). But the Pod is of South American descent and much of what Lopez talks about is familiar to me because of the time I have spent with her family.
When the Pod and I first started dating, it took us a while to realize that we are, in effect, a mixed-race couple. She, a first generation Canadian. Me, a longstanding French-Canadian. Thankfully, this has not been “an issue” to anyone we know. But who knows if, at some point, someone wanted to come forward to judge us, or judged from afar.
Now we have a beautiful daughter together and for the first time I am realizing that Pea may well face social situations I was never concerned about.
Sure, she has my last name (lucky lady). And, thus far she has a lighter complexion that will probably mean SPF∞ for the rest of her life. But the Pod and I will raise her to be proud of her heritage, and people are bound to find out that she is South American in background. Sadly, even in this day and age, she is bound to encounter at least one person with a bias or prejudice that has never been a concern to me.
The fact of the matter is that being in the minority means being the majority in Canada, and Pea should be proud of the different parts that make her whole. George Lopez goes out of his way to highlight and mock these differences, as do a bunch of other comedians… Russell Peters, Sasha Baron Cohen and Sugar Sammy come to mind. They mock these differences to show us how ridiculous they really are and to indirectly tell us that none of it matters.
In the end, as always, I think Depeche Mode said it best.
For those of you that don’t know of George Lopez, he is an American comedian of Mexican descent. His brand of comedy looks at the holes and gaps that exist, culturally, between Latinos and, well, everyone else. It’s as funny as it is stereotypical and well worth the watch. Be warned though, you’ll probably snort at some point, so it may not be first date material.
Oddly enough, much of George Lopez’s appeal to me is that I can actually relate to most of what he is saying. Yes, I am about as white as they come (nicknames like Casper and Powder have dogged me thanks to my pale complexion). But the Pod is of South American descent and much of what Lopez talks about is familiar to me because of the time I have spent with her family.
When the Pod and I first started dating, it took us a while to realize that we are, in effect, a mixed-race couple. She, a first generation Canadian. Me, a longstanding French-Canadian. Thankfully, this has not been “an issue” to anyone we know. But who knows if, at some point, someone wanted to come forward to judge us, or judged from afar.
Now we have a beautiful daughter together and for the first time I am realizing that Pea may well face social situations I was never concerned about.
Sure, she has my last name (lucky lady). And, thus far she has a lighter complexion that will probably mean SPF∞ for the rest of her life. But the Pod and I will raise her to be proud of her heritage, and people are bound to find out that she is South American in background. Sadly, even in this day and age, she is bound to encounter at least one person with a bias or prejudice that has never been a concern to me.
The fact of the matter is that being in the minority means being the majority in Canada, and Pea should be proud of the different parts that make her whole. George Lopez goes out of his way to highlight and mock these differences, as do a bunch of other comedians… Russell Peters, Sasha Baron Cohen and Sugar Sammy come to mind. They mock these differences to show us how ridiculous they really are and to indirectly tell us that none of it matters.
In the end, as always, I think Depeche Mode said it best.
I may not know what my Pea will become, but I hope she doesn't misunderstand George Lopez.
Oh, she'll be proud...and confuse the hell out of people, seeing as she's a total mini Casper! ADM!
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