During the Robin Williams rage with his comedy album Live at the Met, I remember my English teacher raving about him. He was on Donahue and every other morning show including Geraldo. Even this Indian group from Ohio was raving about him. They came down to Atlanta to go to Florida or Jamaica with us around 1986 or 1987. Before we left, we went to a mall to buy cassettes and books. I bought the Robin Williams tape but another tape caught my eye. It was the Paul Rodriguez album You are in America now, talk Spanish. Wasn't sure to buy it but I did. A couple from the Ohio group laughed and thought I made a bad decision. They loved Robin Williams and asked if they could listen to it.
That left a choice of the Rodriguez album which I didn't think so highly but remembering a comment by my English teacher: "don't judge a book by its cover." 24 years later, its still my favorite album. Delirious by Eddie Murphy is probably the funniest album in terms of laughs but in terms of relevant social contents, this album grabs me by the balls. My first impression was that it was going to be a PBS style or PG style where he would talk about his Latino background to white folks sort of like George Lopez, a sterilized presentation like Toastmasters, trying to using negativity as a concealed weapon to move forward. Is that the idea? Act suburban?
Rodriguez was very proud of his culture even the negative ones which seem to inspire him. He talked about Mexican-American stereotypes concerning spray painting, stealing, jumper cables, and gangs without shame and with pride. Yet, he was able to satellite his Latin point of view and cover various subjects without losing his passion for each subject. My favorite was the Gilligan's Island comparison to his short-lived show Pablo. He admitted that his show was dumb but that Gilligan's Island was dumb too. "You got a professor that could make a radio out of coconut but can't get their ass off the island. Gee, I don't know?" " Why didn't the Skipper and Gilligan didn't go after Mary Ann." This where he brings the sexual power of Latinos and what they would have done if they were in that island. I can see Ginger and Mary Ann but Mrs. Howell? That's Paul or Pablo.
He will talk about negative stereotypes from other groups but will coincide with his own. Black, Asians, Jews, Whites, Jehovah Witnesses, and other Latino groups. However, he will make statements about the Middle East with no apologies to the French. or the Spanish. Very classic. Muammar Quaddafi passing for Hispanic? Bring on Hispanic gang members from East L.A. to take on terrorism? Comparing sodomy to Earl Scheib's body shop deals? Using a weed-eater for a Punk-Rock hairdo and charging extra for a gash? Burnout on the fame of Michael Jackson. Ridiculous airline safety rules and racial profiling in airlines before 9-11. Finally, him and cousins wanting to slap Boy George then waking up with women who look like Bo Didley when he thought it was Bo Derek?
My favorite segment was the Juan Valdez commercial about making coffee just about made me laugh with hysterics. "Every morning, Juan Valdez gets up early in the morning only to find the freshest God damn beans." And he takes his burro, Ramon, with him." Great line but the content and irony is when he talks about Juan Valdez planting coffee but his neighbors aren't. "But Juan wants to do it the legitimate way." Other great lines but these are just a few that you could make a skit from this album. "You look like Hitler's wet dream" when he told this white couple on stage.
After listening, I tried to convince my Ohio associates to listen to it. They never gave it a chance. I was self-conscious about telling my Indian friends in Atlanta about till I mentioned about the Gilligan's Island diatribe. That got them interested. Soon, every time I came by, they wanted to hear that album and one guy had "Delirious" in his house but he put that aside because of these lines. "You need 40 people to fight with you. Yes! Yes we do and you know what, I get beat up real seldom." Likewise, the Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson song "For All the Girls that I Loved Before" and all the diseases that I'm responsible for" brought repetitive laughs. Likewise, his put down of Willie's love life by saying "you mean all the farm animals and equipment."
Or, how he helped then struggling actor, Don Johnson, get that rolled up sleeves look from Miami Vice " due to his teaching of how to eat tacos and enchiladas at his mom's place. Another one was how he use to masturbate to Elly May from the Beverly Hillbillies till Jethro popped in the screen and scared him by using the Deliverance line "I'm going to make you squeal, boy." Tweet, tweet." The final part about women being psychic when men try to hit on them at clubs. Yes, it crushed me when women said no to me and I played it as I asked the time.
He show started and ended real strong by discussing racial tension of finding groups that you felt were inferior to you. Paul mentioned about his complex of his genitalia being inferior to blacks but to the Japanese, "watch out, Mr. Teriyaki." Or having big penis causes unemployment compared to the smaller ones. On a serious note, he joked that Vietnamese should do the hard labor that Mexicans use to do and they will lay off your pets? Point made about being in the middle of Anglo stereotypes where they seem to be at the top. "What gives them the right to cut the fucking lane, with their baby on board stickers and other messages." The Winnebago one with the old couple complaining about 47 Mexicans in a car in front of them and the 47 Mexicans complaining about 2 people in Winnebago. "What a waste of space."
I believe his comedy was inspired due to cancellation of his show on ABC from 1984 called Pablo. Very brief . He took shots at the entertainment business of being hypocritical without wanting to be accused of bias. He didn't care about who owned the business (he made light jokes about Jews and Hollywood with edit) but when they say that minority shows like his don't come up to par with Anglo shows like Gilligan's Island? He really had something to emphasize. Some of the segments were a bit dated but still relevant concerning U.S. military "Who needs Allies, they never help us." Now, the Israeli's, they are bad. Put on those yamakas and we are ready to kick some ass." Immigration, those birth certificates from the Cabbage Patch Kids.
My friends and I felt the same way about Anglo superiority until this album which educated me on my views. That album forced me and others who listened to it to think of what's real funny. I think Asian folks can relate when he says "can you imagine your parents getting down on each other." Unfortunately, many folks never listened to the album though I tried. Maybe his title of You are in America now, talk Spanish hit a nerve including mine and other minorities who aren't American. Robin Williams, a gifted individual (David Brenner accused him of stealing his jokes)? That tape is still collecting dust somewhere.
Quotes and Phrases from Paul Rodriguez album You are in America now, Talk Spanish from 1986. No intent to make money or for distribution. Simply to bring out the glory of Mr. Rodriguez's work.
