Arletta

This is a review of art, because comedy is an art form, and so is not about an individual person, but about a performance which has made it to video.

What this is not is a statement for, or against, illegal immigrants, legal immigrants, any certain race or ethnicity, banning persons, or etc. So let’s be clear about this: This is my personal opinion as inspired by a comedic routine by a certain performer.

Now, I should tell you, first of all, that I grew up being somewhat in love with George Lopez. i found him refreshing, funny, personable, reasonable, mature, and all sorts of other things one does not generally find in a comedian. I liked his stand up acts, when I saw them on tv (I have yet to see anyone’s stand up act live), I liked his tv show.

Never, in all the decades that I have been a fan of his, have I ever seen him say anything truly abrasive, mean spirited, overly shocking, horribly racist, or otherwise just nasty.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I found out the performance for ‘George Lopez: America’s Mexican’ was all of those things! Not to mention treasonous, libelous, crude,juvenile, and hypocritical. Who knows? Maybe the fact that he actually is an American citizen, not one of “us” that he claims to be when he’s talking to/about illegal immigants, is supposed to be the funny part?

Whatever the case, I was not amused, nor was anyone else who was watching the video with me. Nor would have been my neighbor down the road, who is also, like Mr. Lopez, an American but of Mexican descent with family here who are illegal immigrants, as well as family still in Mexico.

I can say this about her because I know that she 1) Never calls me “that white woman” despite the fact that she is not white. It would never enter into her head to do so, because she is a nice, mature person who cares for people and when she judges them it is by individual merit, not by skin color or place of birth. 2) We’ve had mild discussions about the illegal immigrant situation. She says it’s hard because she is an American, she knows they are breaking the law, etc. but she also can see the point of view of persons who are here, legally or otherwise, that want to help their families. In seeing both viewpoints, we tend to agree. 3) She is respectful of authority and would never, despite that she does not vote, ever call the President a filthy name like that. Nor, in fact, would she call anyone a name like he used. 4) I know, because she told me, that she is tired of people from Mexico harassing her as to how she has to speak Spanish and should be ashamed of herself for not using it. For, as she said “I’m not Mexican, I’m American. I was born here and I speak the language of my country.”

I was very insulted and shocked by this video. Some would say that is the job of art. But, remember, this was a comedian, and a comedians job is to make the audience laugh, whether the joke is on them or not. I found nothing funny about anything said in the first 15 minutes or so of the video, so I turned it off in disappointment. I feel very sorry for Mr. Lopez’ audience during that tour! Only racially prejudiced persons of Mexican descent would find anything worth hearing, I imagine. In fact, the routine, what I saw of it, reminded me more of a stand up routine ala Hitler than anything I’ve ever seen from George Lopez up to now.

Unless an apology is quickly forthcoming, or has already been issued, for this terrible alleged comedic hate crime, George Lopez will go on my list with Howard Stern, Jerry Springer, Marilyn Manson, Courtney Love, Paris Hilton, Michael Jackson, Eminem, and Madonna; which list is for the sort of performers who may , indeed, have talent and some of them in more than one field, but whom have shown themselves to be so distastefully disruptive to society, and/or rude and ridiculing, and/or hypocritical, that I would never knowingly commit either my time or money, again, to being entertained by them.

Though, to be fair, in Michael Jackson’s case, it is more that he appears to be a man who would have had a better life with less money and less Yes Men at his disposal.