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Ms. Mundaca's work has appeared in Harper's...e-rupture girl mouths off and doesn't get into a cat fightAs part of the Official Year of Stalking David Foster Wallace we here at e-rupture are pleased to bring you the latest in our attempts to get closer closer closer to that velvet and off-the-hook genius affectionately known as dfw. Various e-rupture staffers have positioned themselves at a number of DFW events since the beginning of '98, only to have their attempts thwarted by overly zealous bodyguards. Our buddy and occasional contributor Marie Mundaca is a little more subtle in her pursuit of that piece of cake: she decided to write a letter to Harper's Magazine, where DFW is a contributing editor. And guess what--the letter appears in the June '98 issue. Now, as Marie likes to say only a thin sheet of 40# white recycled gloss stock separates me from David Foster Wallace... an obtuse reference to the fact that her letter appears on page 9 and his name is in the staff box on page 6. We think. Below is the letter Harper's printed, and following is the unedited version with the snappy punchline, because never let it be said that Marie let a letter leave her hands without a punchline.The Seinfeld NazisI fail to see why Danny Hoch was offend when he was asked to do a Spanish accent of
Seinfeld ["The One Where Jerry Disses the Pool Guy," Readings, March]. Is an accent
inherently offensive? Does every crazy person on Seinfeld have to be white? No one
really likes Jerry and his friends--they're horrible, cruel, reprehensible--that's why they hang out
together. They are all stereotypes, which is precisely why people find them funny. Why
shouldn't the minor characters be stereotypes, too?
Here's the letter as it was written... February 24, 1998 Harper's Magazine
Before Seinfeld ("Recollection: The One Where Jerry Disses The Pool Guy," March 1998), successful television shows centered around people with whom you would like to be friends; you could have a clique of buddies in your living room while lounging in your pjs and picking your nose. No one wants to be friends with Jerry and pals, that's why they hang out together. They're horrible, cruel, reprehensible... need I continue? But that's their appeal, that's why people find them funny. Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer are stereotypes, why shouldn't the minor characters be stereotypes too? For Danny Hoch to get up in arms about doing accent for a character who is supposed to be Hispanic where does the problem lie, Danny? Is an accent inherently offensive? Does every crazy person on Seinfeld have to be white? Why does someone who uses accented characters extensively in his act think it racist when others do it? There is the separate issue of Danny Hoch blaming Jerry Seinfeld for the fact that his "university-trained, fabulously talented" friends don't get good roles. Hey, Danny, why don't you pitch something to NBC? I hear there's a slot opening up on Thursday nights. Marie Mundaca Marie would like it pointed out that she is chilean, giving her oodles more cache and street cred than white devil Danny Hoch. |