MEXICO CITY – Televisa is cutting all “nonessential” kisses from its soap operas. A song called the “Influenza Cumbia” is climbing the charts. Cringe-worthy swine flu jokes are spreading faster than the illness ever could.
As Mexicans lock themselves inside in fear of the virus, they can’t help but have a little fun with it as well.
The surgical masks that Mexicans have donned by the millions have become canvases for creativity, with some adorning their protective coverings with painted-on monkey mouths, outsized mustaches or “kissy lips.” Newspapers offer smiley cutouts for people to paste to their masks, and some drivers have fashioned masks for their cars.
Dog lovers walk the streets of Mexico City with matching masks for their pooches, though doctors have yet to confirm that chihuahua-to-chihuahua transmission is a major public health threat.
Mexico’s ebullient, spontaneous culture is still trying to adjust to the new anti-flu campaign, in which kissing, hugging, handshakes, eating on the street and standing in crowded places — all part of daily life in this city of 20 million — are now discouraged.
There might not be much traffic on Mexico City’s streets, but gallows humor about what some call “The Aporkalypse” has been circulating around the metropolis.
“Did you hear that Mexico has become a world power?” goes one joke. “When it sneezes, the whole world gets the flu.”
Mexico’s music culture has also embraced a lighthearted approach to the epidemic. The band Agrupacion Carino came out with the song “Influenza Cumbia” just two days after the health alert was issued. The lyrics are not the most sophisticated, with references to Superman and Indiana Jones. “It’s better to commit suicide with tacos,” the singer croons to a bouncy synthesizer. “They say it’s the perfect flu. They don’t know Mexico City folks live in the smog.”
And like swine flu, dark humor has spread beyond Mexico’s borders.
A U.S. company has rolled out T-shirts featuring a pig-shaped Mexican flag. “I went to Mexico and all I got was swine flu,” it reads.
And of course the Internet is alive with dark, swine-flu fun. In a game called “SwineFighter,” players blast viral-looking piggies with a hypodermic needle.
And what global catastrophe would be complete without its own Facebook page? Actually, “Swine Flu” has several pages on the popular social networking site. The most popular — set up April 26 with a profile picture of a cute white pig — has accumulated more than 20,000 fans. The page’s creator, who identifies himself only as John, boasts on the page: “There’s more people infected on Facebook than in real life.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090501/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_swine_flu_humor
laughter is the way forward!
Not can be … along with a positive attitude it is.
Did you know that happy people have a better and more reactive immune system and that they recover from injury & illness much quicker than dour people ?
slaughter is the best medicine
laughter is SO the best medicine….and this is no joke, i had a flabby abdomen, laughed for 20 minutes heartily every day and in 3 weeks I had MUCH firmer abs…it actually works out ur body!!
My grandpa died laughing because of his lung disease.
Laughter is always the best medicine. When you are laughing it makes you forget about your problems. Laughing makes you happy. When im not feeling to happy I like to watch funny movies.
Yes.
Yes, it is and it’s free too!
Not only can be — but is.
I think that all you have pointed out puts things in a perspective that this is just another challenge to overcome. All these things work to bring the flu to a manageable level for people and reduce the feeling that they can do nothing to protect themselves.
On a deeper level, this response points out the resiliency of the human spirit and the fact that we can handle anything.
Absolutely it is.There is a thing called ”laughing therapy” related to Yoga that is supposed to brilliant for you.
My kids do things daily that make me laugh and I always feel better for it.
Must tell you tho-The biggest laugh I had on here was your answer to the nasty names Q.
Were you were accused of being a BNP member.I imagine there is not a high level of BNP membership in Mumbai.
And you didnt know what it was —lolololololololololol xxx
i feel sorrow for those who have died from swine flu and hope that those who are infected recover and that doctors and scientists are able to minimize the risk quickly. it is a serious issue, but it is also very important to keep one’s sense of humor in difficult times.
people sometimes ask me why i smile and laugh so much and a lot of times i answer “because if i weren’t smiling, i’d be crying.” people are resilient…we’ve dealt with a struggling world economy, the threat and reality of terrorist attacks, climate change and dubya, but our laughter keeps us afloat. it’s so much healthier to laugh about the world’s problems and work together toward solutions with a positive outlook then to panic and have a doom&gloom attitude.
Why yes, I do.
Sure.
Why not?
Look in the real world.
Decode this lyrics “So Sad”
Will be laughing all the way to the graveyards with a smiling face.
While the mourners in attendance will be at loss and blurred with “Sadness”
Luke 21.30-36
Luke 6.39-40,41-45,46-49
Luke 9.25,55-56,60
1 Timothy 6.7
Matt 22.17-21,32
What do you think?
yes… ..
We stretch muscles throughout our face and body, our pulse and blood pressure go up, and we breathe faster, sending more oxygen to our tissues.And laughter appears to burn calories, too!!
That is so funny!!!!
Credit to you for that,but has anyone else noticed that in between “cryptic” text, WMOB actually gives an answer?
Credit to him/her!
Yes, I really think it’s true. It takes their minds off of the illness and makes them feel better.
Laughter has been the best known medicine for years,yes. x
Yes, definitely – a little bit of gallows humour can definitely help.
laughter is infectious you start and every one will join in laugh and the world laugh,s with you cry and you cry alone