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

to have dinner in the kitchen, later abandoned on the street in the middle of the night to
make their way home by themselves.
Although nobody is hurt, their rights have been violated. They were taken
against their will, and required to perform without being asked and without payment.
The abuse of authority is clear. Perhaps the abuse is not equal to that inflicted on
Ruperto Tacuche in La Familia Burrón, but nonetheless, one actor made reference to
the abuse of his cousin, and another believed they would be killed. These scenes
reinforce knowledge of the existence of these practices. A truth has been expressed. The
situation is not in itself funny but there are some moments of comedy that break the
stress. That does not mean that we do not feel anxious for the artists, but with humour
inserted in the narration, our ego is convinced more easily by the super-ego not to be
frightened. The first comic moment comes when the actors are forced to go with the
agents. One of the agents is struggling with an actress dressed as a little boy:
Agent: ¿Es usted hombre o mujer?
228
Chapas (actress): Soy más hombre que usted, y más mujer que su
chingada madre, güey. 198
Various mechanisms help us deal with the women’s abduction. Although Chapas’ rights
are being transgressed, and she is insulted about the way she looks, she makes an
unexpected and disrespectful comment which turns the situation through humour. As
Freud suggests, the insult makes the joke possible. 199 Chapas gains power by degrading
the abductors, setting herself in a superior position at least momentarily. This accords
with Critchley’s view that jokes make us powerful. We confront our fears while taking
revenge. When the actors are in the car and discussing the possibility of being killed,
one of the abductors turns on the radio and a children’s song is broadcast. The
unforeseen event disrupts the stress. Moreover, the sketch they perform for El Hombre
198 Arau, Tivoli, 1974.
199 Freud, El chiste y su relación… p. 136.