Media Device # 10 :)

This is a video of comedian Carlos Mencia, who is Hispanic. Mencia frequently makes fun of different races, ethnicities, and common stereotypes. This particular video is of the war in Iraq, and how we aren’t over there fighting a war, we are over there trying to conform their society to the American way of living. He mentions a few different things about bringing over restaurants, shopping centers, and commercials we have here in the United States. A few references he makes are, McDonalds, Arby’s, Target, and the infamous wal-mart. Carlos also makes a reference to the native Indians who were here and how the whites came in and transformed their land into something that they (the English) wanted.
This video could be related to the chapter we read by Ronald Takaki titled “The Tempest In the Wilderness: Rationalization of Savagery” (chapter 2). This chapter talks about different plays in history and how they relate to racism, and different cultures. One of the stories they analyzed was The Tempest; this is a play that “masquerade for the creation of a new society in America.” It also visualizes the “English expansion not only as imperialism, but also as a defining moment in the making of an English-American identity based on race.” After talking about the plays, Takaki talks about how the English, invaded the Indians, and destroyed their villages, and forced them to become their workers.
My first impression of this video was that it was funny, I have to admit, I laughed. However, after re-watching it over and over I think that it’s embarrassing how people might have these views about Americans. Then you take in to consideration the history of the United States, and how the English forced the Natives of the land to conform to their standards, and customs. I do not agree with everything Mancia talks about in his skits, I do believe there is some truth in this particular observation. I do believe we are in the Middle East for good reasons, and to keep our country safe, but you also have to wonder if there would ever be a McDonalds, or strip malls with Starbucks’ on every corner with out the American influence. Those are the questions you have to ask yourself. But as fast as Carlos Mencia jokes about these ideas and concepts, they are slowly becoming reality. This closely resembles the first invasion white man had on another country, and group of colored people.