 |  |
Update Nicaragua
Newsletter Archive
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Essay Archive | November 30, 2003 |
ADAM AND EVE
Nicaraguan Humor
Four men of differing nationalities stood together in an art gallery gazing at a classic painting of Adam and Eve. The men, an American, a Frenchman, an Englishman and a Nicaraguan, began to ponder deeply the great work of art. The painting had raised critical questions: Exactly where was the Garden of Eden? Or more personally, what nationality were Adam and Eve?
The American said:
“Look at their perfect bodies: she tall and slim and he with that athletic body of well defined muscles. They have to be Gringos.”
Immediately the Frenchman reacted:
“I do not believe so. It is clear from the eroticism that both figures display, she so feminine, and he so masculine, that soon temptation will be felt. They must be French.”
Shaking his head in disagreement the Englishman commented:
“I beg to differ. Note the serenity of their faces, the refinement of pose, and the soberness of gesture. They could only be English.”
After a few seconds of contemplation, the Nicaraguan exclaimed:
“No way. Look closely: Adam and Eve don’t have any cloths, they don’t have any shoes, they don’t even have a house, they have absolutely NOTHING and they still think - stupid clowns - that they are in Paradise. Those are Nicaraguans.”
Translator’s note: Nicaragua humor is normally ironic and at times self-depreciating. The joke above exhibits the Nicaraguans’ critical view of the world and themselves. While the other three men see the beauty of the human race and the finer qualities of their fellow countrymen in Adam and Eve; the Nicaraguan sees the poverty of their existence and their own ability to go on loving life to its fullest in spite of it. It is this critical view that makes Nicaragua one of the least nationalistic countries on earth, as this ability to harshly dissect information carries over to the country as a whole, and in particular to the Nicaraguan take on politics and politicians. In future newsletters I will highlight Nicaraguan’s political humor, some of the most brutally ironic political satire in the world.
Copyright © Richard Leonardi