The Metro and Popular Humor

Parisians freely admit that they just don't smile very often in public. The M.O. on the Metro is a perfect representation of that - it is borderline funereal - avoid eye contact, avoid looking like you don't know what's going on (aka getting off on the wrong stop... like me), and above all don't attempt to start up spontaneous conversation. I've learned to adjust by avoiding counting the number of stops I have left on my "Streetwise Paris" map, pretending to stare out the window, or just visually doublechecking to make sure I double-knotted my Converse high tops (the Parisians love converses and levis).

So, you can only imagine my continued amazement at the state of french popular comedy. Two nights ago I had the misfortune of tuning in to "Asterix et Obelix contre Cesar." This was a movie that had not only Gerard Depardieu as Obelix, but also Roberto Benigni as a foppish Roman General named "Detritus" who has a powdered face and wears lavender robes. (To be fair, my host dad said it was complete trash.) Unfortunately, it doesn't stop at Asterix live-action movies. This is a country that idolizes Jerry Lewis. There are plenty of toilet jokes on french television, and movies such as the new "Un Ticket a l'Espace," some sort of astronaut comedy, are no better. Another movie on the way here is a spanish movie that's been getting a lot of press is called "Bandidas," starring Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz. They were recently interviewed on a french show I was watching. Both barely speak a lick of french, so as they were trying to follow along with the questions, the interviewer asks them "do you eat your boogers?" Everybody, but poor Salma and Penelope burst out laughing, who didn't understand the word. The interviewer repeats the word, saying "wait, you don't know what boogers are?" while the whole audience is in hysterics.

Anyways, I'm definitely going to have to see more before I delve into cultural anthropology, but I find it interesting that people who can be so serious in one medium can be so ridiculous in another (without making sweeping generalizations).