George Lopez and Other Things

So to begin with, I have tried to call or write everyone to let them know how the last doctor's visit went, but I am sure I missed someone. Asa has been sick, I am frickin' tired, etc. etc. blah, blah, blah. So, to let the rest of the world know, we are having another boy and we are very excited. Or, to be honest, just as disappointed it isn't a girl, as we would be if it were a girl and we weren't having a boy. I feel like I dodged a bullet not having deal with a girl in puberty (I know what I was like), but no third generation Girl Scout either. I am estatic Asa gets a brother but I know 2 boys in puberty can eat a person out of house and home! What do you do? Dance to the music God gave you.

So, on to my thoughts of the day. I am admitting to world that I like "The George Lopez Show". I don't love it, and I don't watch it every night, but I find it far more entertaining than a lot of junk out there and do enjoy watching it every now and again. So when I tell my culturally enlightened husband of this, the first words out of his mouth were "Why, you aren't a Mexican?" Insert sigh here.
The show isn't just for Mexican's, for starters. One of the things I like about the show is how they discuss ALL countries south of the US border-there are acutally quite a few down there who speak Spanish, for those of you who didn't know. Second, just because I am not of a certain demographic, doesn't mean I can't watch a show. The censor at my house (Me, as I stated in a previous blog) is pretty accepting of things that might be different, whether it be on tv or otherwise. But what I really love about the show is that I can relate to it, and I'll bet if a lot of other people thought about it, they could relate to it too.
"The George Lopez Show" is culutural. Yes. But subsitute some of the jokes about tamales, or tacos, or any other food, for jokes about matzoh, kugel, or borsht, and it could be a Jewish joke. Subsitute perogi's or strudel and you could be talking about my husband's Eastern European family. The jokes about how hard it is to get along with your mother? That is just about everyone I know regardless of their ancestery. Holidays people can't pronounce or know nothing about? Ever ask someone what Yom Kippur is? They hardly ever know. And I had to ask a friend what Palm Sunday was. For all I knew it celebrated plants from the tropics. jokes about trying to get ahead at work, either because of a language barriar or stereotype? Welcome to being a woman, or disabled. People who are blind tell stories of being shouted at, and those in wheelchairs talk about how patronizing "walkies" can be.
The truth, in my mind, is that we all belong to NUMEROUS cultures. The culture of parenthood-who else wants to hear how your 2 year old crapped on the floor-again. The culture of different religions. I know as much about Ash Wednesday as my neighbor probably does about Passover-we can both spell it. The culture of disablities. I am legally blind without my glasses and will not swim with my children until they are in grade school because I can't see them if I take off my glasses. I can't do anything without them (Velma on Scooby-Doo was a wuss-I know by her lenses her vision isn't as bad as mine). Plus I hear from people in wheel chairs how difficult access to buildings can be. Jobs? Only teachers truly know that their job is not about summer vacation and only doctors can understand how frustrating it is to have people assume you can give out free advice on any health issue (ie. the story about the podiatrist, foot doctor essentially, who was asked by someone at a party about chest pains). My sister moved overseas to a country she doesn't speak the language-I'll bet she would get the jokes about not speaking the language right. And only a fellow reader will understand the joy I feel when I get a numerous books at a good price because the good lord knows my husband could care less.
So what I am saying, in a slow way, is that just because George Lopez isn't talking directly to "my kind", the show does talk about things that are human, and reminds me that while we belong to many cultures, we are all a member of the biggest one of all-the Human Culture. Plus the jokes about his big head are so true.