Dame Edna’s ethnic slurs not funny

When all is said and done, where do you draw the line between
comedy and blatant offensiveness?

Here’s where I’m drawing it.

The February issue of Vanity Fair Magazine which features the
lovely Salma Hayek on the cover, contains an advice column titled
“Ask Dame Edna.” Now, I love satire and comedy as much
as the next person. However, because I am of Puerto Rican and Cuban
descent, ethnic slurs regarding any minority do not bode well with
me.

Sorry. Not finding the element of humor.

In the advice column, Torn Romantic, from Palm Beach asks Dear
old Dame Edna, “I would very much like to learn a foreign
language “¦ but every time I mention this people tell me to
learn Spanish instead. They say “˜Everyone is going to be
speaking Spanish in 10 years. George W. Bush speaks Spanish.’
Could this be true? Are we all going to have to speak
Spanish?”

To my surprise Dame Edna answers with, “Forget Spanish.
There’s nothing in that language worth reading except Don
Quixote, and a quick listen to the CD of Man of La Mancha will take
care of that”¦Who speaks it that you are really desperate to
talk to? The help? The leaf blower?”

Dame Edna’s classification of Latinos as “the
help” and “leaf blowers” is merely perpetuating
an inaccurate stereotype which many must fight against daily.

Incidentally, in the same issue Salma Hayek shares some
interesting challenges she has encountered in Hollywood, such as
apprehension on the part of casting agents, due to the fact that
they were afraid she might remind some white female audience
members of their maid. Are you seeing a pattern or perhaps a
conflicting message?

I can’t seem to comprehend why Vanity Fair’s editor
would put a Latin woman on the cover and have her discuss the
stereotypes, prejudices, and other various obstacles she and other
Latin-Americans face on a daily basis in the lead article and also
have a white Australian male comedian, who dresses in drag and
takes on the persona of one Dame Edna, make such racially offensive
remarks.

What if these comments had been directed towards
African-Americans or Jews?

I strongly believe that if this article were written about
African-Americans, I would have seen the good Reverend Jesse
Jackson and Al Sharpton on every single channel, from the five
o’ clock news to the eleven o’ clock news.

Let me provide some background on Dame Edna Everage as I came to
learn it just recently.

Dame Edna is actually Australian comedian and actor Barry
Humphries. His “bit” is performing in drag, taking on
the persona of this much older woman who apparently adores wearing
formal attire, as well as calling people “possum.” She
has a full history which includes a best friend, children and a
deceased husband. Humphries tours the country with his act and was
honored with a Tony award in 2000. He has done several television
appearances and, if I understand it correctly, has hosted his own
television show as both Humphries and as the persona Dame Edna.

Humphries is not a drag queen. He is in fact married. This is
just a comedy routine.

Dame Edna’s persona is not intended to be a racist white
woman but an eccentric housewife from Melbourne Australia who was
given the title “Dame” by England’s prime
minister and made it big.

If it was supposed to be something along the lines of Humphries
taking on the persona of a racist white woman, I would get the
humor. It still might not be funny, but I would at the very least
see that Humphries is doing something similar to what Andy Kaufman
did with the chauvinist wrestling routine (see Jim Carrey in Man in
the Moon for easy reference).

Here is a recap if you are just tuning in: according to Dame
Edna or Australian comedian Barry Humphries Latinos are “the
help” and do gardening work.

Maybe I just didn’t get the humor at first. This Dame Edna
really is a laugh a minute.

Varona is a third-year English student. Email her at
[email protected].