Tying satire back into the film screening, there were many key points to be taken away. Although the introduction begins with a woman waking up flustered as she does not know where her Mexican husband has left too, the dramatization sets the tone for what is to be an informative parody on immigration issues currently taking place in the U.S.
The main purpose of the film was to portray how the U.S. economy would be deeply affected if the U.S. were to eliminate illegal immigrants. However, the film points to the work these immigrants do and how their contributions without a doubt outweigh the "cons" of allowing immigrants into our country, specifically Latino immigrants. Although the film touches on aspects of Latino contributions, it makes note that in whatever case, immigrants in this country are not as derogatory as they are helpful.
On a final note, whatever the scene may be, the points to be made were that without immigrants, and specifically Mexicans, the economy would be seriously hurt. Despite controversy over "illegals taking Americans jobs," the film shows how the economy is very well off distributing the jobs they do to these hard-working immigrants. Whether by calling these illegals, "aliens" or calling a Honduran or Guatemalan a Mexican, the film addresses these issues by showing the widespread ignorance of Americans, specifically in California, who fail to see the large contribution that these immigrants make to the U.S on a daily basis. Contrary to popular belief, without their contributions, Americans probably would not fill the void to be left from eliminating these immigrants.
On that note, I would like to conclude by mentioning one last time how effective satire/parody is in the academic arena. I specifically found "A Day Without A Mexican" to be very informative and a lot more interesting for the way the ideas were presented. I strongly believe that films should be introduced to all courses in this manner. By presenting important issues is a satirical manner, helpful, interesting knowledge can easily be attained.
3 comments:
I agree with your response to "A Day Without A Mexican." Although the film was funny and sort of ridiculous, there was some truth in it. I feel like by exaggerating the situation, the directors were able to get their point across and make people realize the Mexican immigrants' role in society and how the problem of immigration is not so clear cut.
It also highlighted the beliefs of some whites in our country. For example, the actress was glad that all the Mexicans were gone, until she realized her friend was Mexican. Then, she dismissed her as not Mexican because she is just like her. There was also the celebration BBQ that the man took his son to. Although these thoughts are also severely exaggerated, there do exist people who think this way. I think the film did a good job of bringing the audience's attention to this.
Although this film is a comedy, it effectively raises issues in a way that provokes people to think about things in a different way.
I have to agree with both of you on this. The idea of a satire is an amazing concept in order to inform others of issues (case in point, "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report," among others. The reason why satire works is because it seems over the top at times, making it memorable. There are certain instances in "A Day Without a Mexican" that seem over the top. For example, the idea of the Pink Fog outside of California. We all know that this will probably never happen, which makes it funny. It serves as a medium to pass on message. If we something as over the top or funny, it makes it more memorable. But the important aspect is that it passes on this message. Much like you, I am not one to watch CNN on a regular basis or anything like that. But I can watch "The Daily Show" for entertainment, and still I learn something about what is going on in the world. If you make the method in which the message is delivered enjoyable, then people will listen.
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