Monday 21 August 2017

An issue of individuals rather than a defect of societies

I like real people, with real problems, and real answers to face these same issues... I am not so inclined to believing that the problems we see nowadays in the world have one colour only, one cultural spectrum only and one approach diagram only. 

My very favourite comedian, George Carlin, could tackle the hot-steamy-stinky society issues with loads of class and intelligence. And I honestly believe that as a communicator, thinker and comedian he lacked no predicate whatsoever. But times change, routines are altered and the world needs newer, fresher approaches. 

I've been listening to Bill Burr recently, and I have to admit he is becoming the comedian that got me to believe in clever, authentic, intelligent, contemporary comedy once again... for the guy is a real person with a real vision on things. Bear in mind I know nothing else of this dude, just his Netflix special and nothing else. But on this special he covers loads of interesting day-to-day behaviours that really divert from the expected norm. For example, in regards to racism...

One of the toughest and most walking-on-glass topics for any branch of thought in the entertainment world is Racism (alongside lesbianism, gay tendencies, feminism, abortion and gun control). But like myself, Bill sees racism as it is, an issue of individuals rather than a defect of societies. Individuals can be racist, not the entirety of the cultural background they emerge from. 

Being a member of a family composed of dark-black people (my sweet grandma that I love so much is a great example) and very pale-white people (my blue-eyed awesome grandfather that I cherish incredibly), with a vast encompassing spectrum of tones of skin in the middle, I understand Bill easy!

I come from a country that once had over 60% of the world in hands. After colonisation was rightfully abandoned and assumed as a crime against humanity, the people that were 'touched' by the Portuguese returned to Portugal and live now as one, in the most peaceful country in the World. Not Iceland. Yeah Iceland, it's easy to be number one when it's so cold outside that no one really goes out and finds another soul in the streets. So take my word, Portugal is the most peaceful country in the world; chased by Iceland :P as a close second. In Portugal, people really respect each other... as a whole. Occasionally, certain individuals come out of their racist nests and disrupt that peace, but there's nutters everywhere, they actually represent the standard deviation that actually make the norm abide to the statistical rule.

These are individuals, not the whole society nor even the 'small majority' of our nation. These are the ones that ferment these jokes as they are in fact the joke on themselves.

As to Institutional Racism, that's a different thing. In that sense, yes, Portugal is light years behind the best socialist European countries. Try to be an African descendant and climb up the ladder in any governmental entity/institution in Portugal, you'll know the physical meaning of 'impossible', Seldom, Rare. I personally don't know a single case. And that is because years and years of Institutional segregation has been in place against those who were once the colonised ones. And this my friends, is statistically undeniable. A Black, Mollato, Gipsy, Asian man reaching even the middle of the company/governmental hierarchy is like never-to-be-seen. Let alone on those multimedia companies (TV, web, newspapers, etc) where 'they' could gain influence and represent a menace to old customs. In that sense, that is just a mirror of the racism that lives within these particular citizens for whom TV, in particular, and media, in general, are made. 

Yep, I could debate this matter for hours as I experienced this first-row for many years in person and as a third party.

For now let's just relax and hear old Bill explain it in a more interesting fashion.

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