Leticia Neria PhD thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText ...

those differences, 126 or we think that something is ridiculous though we ourselves are
not. Therefore, our reaction is to judge them with laughter. 127 We already established
the differences between members of society and figures of authority. However, there
can be great pleasure in portraying those who, in fact, the reader might feel greater
difference, namely foreigners.
In order to laugh about foreigners, we can consider Zupancic’s idea on
universalization. When someone from a specific nationality is portrayed with particular
features, we ascribe those characteristics to ‘all the people’ that the character represents.
For example, a Spaniard is usually represented in the Mexican folklore with thick
eyebrows, wearing a beret and smoking a cigar. 128 Through this image we generalise
about Spaniards and we assume that the description of this character will belong to all
of them, becoming part of the social imaginary. This is what we call a stereotype.
Image unavailable
due to copyright
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Image 3.7. ‘Gallego’. Eduardo del Río ‘Rius’, 2010. Ni
independencia ni revolución (2010) (black and white), p. 32.
Stereotypes are exaggerated and absurd. The way that a stereotype works is that there is
a feature –or a series of features- which are chosen and emphasised in order to recognise
the character we are referring to and to make him/her funny. However, laughing at their
differences and ridiculing them is an act of superiority, 129 and even if those foreigners
126
Critchley, On Humour… p. 69.
127
Bergson, Laughter. An Essay... p. 136
128
This stereotype is repeated in some of the sources, such as Calzonzin Inspector and El Águila
Descalza.
129
For example, in February 2011, TV celebrity Jeremy Clarkson was criticised because he referred to
Mexicans as lazy, feckless and overweight among others characteristics. He argued that he was ‘just
120