Dr. Kofi Dankyi Beeko
8 August 2007
opinion
THERE SEEMS to be a universal contention, that humorists tend to have an IQ, which likes miles ahead that of ordinary people. In other words, it takes ingenuity to create jokes. The question is, does it take as much of ingenuity to understand jokes as well?
That is the problem. A couple of examples might throw a little bit of more light on the issue. It is also alluded to that, humor; those who deliver it as well as those who receive, or (perceive) it, benefit tremendously health wise. In a dictatorship for instance, or in the wake of natural or man-made disasters, (e.g. events such as floods or famine, just like in war situations), jokes emanate, which tend to give the citizens an emotional leeway of some sort, and unpublished studies claim to have observed less of heart diseases, and stroke, in the wake of such events, and humor galore, that serves as a "soother".
Indeed, societies from the orient have sprung up lately, where members converge, at best at the end of the day's travails, "to laugh it off all".
Decades ago, it was the situation in a Middle East State, where now and again, elections were held, and they were supposed to be free and fair, but in reality, only on paper. The "Yes" votes were each almost one "hundred percent." A young man having been "fooled once" decided all of a sudden to test his grade of courage by challenging the "Yes" vote, which was always so high, and he did not believe a word of it. He told his lovely spouse, "Listen, Miriam; this time around, I am going to vote "No". His wife though, gripped with fear yelled at him, "No, you won't, because they will come for all of us! Please, don't do this to us!" But Adel, with his mind and courage both set, wouldn't let go. He was as determined, as a warrantable stag. The polling date came, and Adel found his way without his wife to the place, because, women were deprived of the right to vote.
Hours later, the gallant young man returned home with a smile on his face, having seemingly achieved something Napoleon could not do. "How did it go?" inquired his very anxious wife. "But I told you, Miriam, I told you this time around, I would for sure vote "No". So I did!" Adel stomped on the concrete floor in confirmation. Thrown into a state of hysteria, she rushed into the family-kitchen, and as she resurfaced, splashed the contents of a bucket into her husband's face. Adding, I warned you, they would finish us all. Please, go back and change it."
The young man could not watch his lovely wife shiver so much any further. He decided, as his wife demanded, to find his way back to the "polling-station", and try, if he could make amends.
Let's watch what happened next: "Sir", facing the uniformed officer in charge of the ballot boxes, and shivering somewhat, he continued, "I was here this morning to vote, but I now realize I made a mistake, and I have come to correct it." Looking at his face, the officer with the most non-genuine smile on his face reassured Adel, "Don't you worry. We have already corrected the mistake. My very wise piece of advise to you dumbbell should be that, you make sure you don't repeat the damnable mistake next time around."
Then there was an occasion, Saddam Hussein at the one end of the telephone connection, talking to G. W. Bush Sr, when it seemed as though, there could be a non-pugnacious solution to the first Gulf crisis, unleashed by Saddam Hussein's invasion of "little but rich Kuwait." Nobody seemed to know how much English the Iraqi leader had a command of. Rumors abounded however, that it was not much. But this was direct line with the President of the United States of America, the most mighty country, whichever way you would like to look at it.
At the end of this conversation, Saddam's fate could be sealed. Nearby in the same room was the then Iraqi Foreign Minister, Tareek Aziz, a Christian, and a devout disciple, in which all along, and now and again, George Bush would yell at the Iraqi leader, "'Keep quiet, Saddam, keep quiet!" It is said that, two dozen times would have been the very minimum of times, in which George Bush would have asked Saddam to keep quiet.
When it was all over though, the Iraqi Dictator turned to his trusted Lieutenant, otherwise best known as, Foreign Secretary, bending over affectionately, such that the tips of their noses almost touched, and he said, "Tareek, I have been telling you and again that President George Bush likes me very much. He kept telling me a little while ago, to keep Kuwait, Salam alaikum!"
An African Business man cum politician arrived in Germany, twenty five years after the "inferno of 1939-1945." He was so overwhelmed by all that one could buy in virtually every shop; motor cars, electrical appliances, textile items, and please, let's include everything under the sun. Everything though, you did not get any message across, speaking only English.
So, the honorable African Dignitary politely asks his German aide-de-camp, "Tell me, must I learn German here?". To which came the very polite answer, "Sir, if you want to sell something to the Germans, you must, of course, learn German. If on the other hand, you want to buy something from them only, you don't need to learn German."
We started with humor, and we will not deviate. On arrival of the group to Germany which I was part of in Germany, the most delightful thing was to own a vehicle as a student, and of course, write home about it. One of us who had acquired a VW Beetle, (called Bug in America), experienced something the Americans refer to as, "a rude awakening". He was visited by the local police, for the offence that he was cleaning his car on a Sunday. A neighbor had called the law-enforcing organ. Such an act was forbidden in West Germany then. This was a country still wearing t mask of guilt for what the world had watched them unleash to a race that held the Sabbath so high.
A couple of years ago, when the flamboyant Gerhard Schroeder was Chancellor of the federal Republic of Germany, the newly reformed African Union, (AU) had a plenary meeting in Egypt, with the European Union. It was the first of its kind. In Egypt however, just like in most Islamic countries, the five mandatory prayer times must appear daily on television.
As it turned out though, the Airbus Jet carrying the German Chancellor landed at the Cairo International Airport, just as the microphones of the minarets were blasting out the call for the Isha prayer time,) the fifth, and the last of he day).
The cameras of the national Television were all turned on President Hosni Mubarak, with his guest from Berlin, marching on the red carpet, to the tune of their individual national anthems. The Imams were of course not enthused at all, that the prayer time was not screened, so they took on the management of the national Egyptian Television.
To be continued
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