CRITICAL AREA: Humor for Everyone

It’s not the same a domestic joke, more or less intimate done in a public space. Cuban humor is healthy; although still has a few weak points...

Humor Promotion Center is not responsible for some of the situations that occur in cabarets and night clubs of this country: humorists, or supposed humorists that support their performances with mockeries to minorities, jokes of a lousy taste, bad jokes… Far from the extraordinary tradition of stage humor we are so proud of in this country.

There’s no need to look hard to find to those responsible for those shows. First of all, the humorists themselves who many times don’t even have the slightest credentials. And after that, those in charge and administrators of those places.

It’s not the same jokes made at home, done in a more intimate space than that made in a public space. It’s possible that indeed people laugh, but stage humor should not be content only with an easy laughter. It is, it should be, art. Therefore, it must have a clear aesthetic calling. As well as ethic, needless to say.

Clearly regulatory guidelines are needed. The cultural politics of the nation is only one. Tourism and gastronomy places cannot have the license to put on stage what someone thinks which many times don't have the capacity neither enough culture.

Of course, it doesn't mean we have to establish a retrograde censorship on the topics, the approaches of humor. Humor, by nature, is irreverent, it can even be acid. And, who will doubt it? It is a valuable tool of social critic.

But we must promote the good taste, the responsibility and quality of shows, things that don’t oppose each other, of course, with the amusement of the proposals.

Cubans cannot live without the humor. That wit, that sharp mind is part of our idiosyncrasy.

Of course there is talent, but we need to channel it better. And that is something the Humor promoting Center is doing, but it’s not enough. We must think of course in the training of those humorists who are, also actors. We must think of the quality of the shows. And we also need to encourage critic in the media on the humor shows.

The work of many excellent humorists in Cuba is evidence that good and excellent humor can be made… and people have a nice time with that humor. It is not necessary to make jokes of those born in Pinar del Rio, blacks and gays.

Amilkal Labañino Valdés / Cubasi Translation Staff