The Importance of Political Satire in Democracy
September 28, 2024
Political satire plays a crucial role in any democracy. It allows us to critique policies and the policymakers themselves, often using humor as a lens to express dissent or highlight issues. But how does humor fare in Curaçao? Honestly, I am not sure. What stands out to me is that when you land on the island, you aren’t greeted with a smile. Something is missing in our humor culture.
Years ago, we had figures like Eligio Melfor, who was immensely successful with his satirical performances, especially in theater, with shows like Beberin den Politika. Before him, there were talents like Shon Benchie and Frankie. However, comedic talent has always been somewhat scarce on the island. In the past 20 years, we have been entertained by comedians like Pachie Damon, Chokoi, Boskuiri, and a few others. Some performers also personify exaggerated characters, but this is mostly volkshumor—humor aimed at the masses.
Recently, we have seen an influx of humorous videos on social media, but no one here matches the level of someone like Freek de Jonge from the Netherlands. Our humor tends to stand out in a particular way: many of our male comedians dress in women’s clothing with large earrings.
As I have realized, one of the golden rules of a good joke is that it should not come at someone else’s expense. That is part of what made Mr. Bean so successful—his humor is rooted in self-deprecation. Here, self-deprecating humor is hard to find. Eligio Melfor was one of the few exceptions in this regard. Good jokes always have an underlying message or a subtle commentary.
Just recently, I left a venue, and a familiar face walked in as I was leaving. He joked and asked the owner, “Does everyone get to walk in here nowadays?” It was supposed to be funny but meant to exclude others humorously. You cannot say anything about it because you will be told you do not have a sense of humor if you do.
Miguel Goede
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