Right Wing Red Meat
One of the main characters of the play is Lou Becker. Becker hosts a Phoenix right wing talk radio show called “Take Back America” and literally anyone who has ever managed to make it through five minutes of any right-wing talk radio show in America will instantly recognize his patter. Nothing of any logical or factual consequence, just red meat for racist carnivores painted in tired metaphors:
“We are just sick of paying for all those illegals that come to our country and state to live and breed like cockroaches.”
Or, You Know…Whatever
One thing about the world that you hardly ever get the chance to notice: people who don’t behave like racists are almost never seen defending themselves against charges of being racist. From that truism one can logically extrapolate, of course, that the opposite would also seem to be true:
“People call us racists, but we just really love this country. I’m a patriot, not a racist. I don’t want this country to go to the pits, the dogs, hell-in-a-hand-bag, or whatever you want to call it.”
Ernesto’s Mission from God
Ernesto comes under the radar of Lou Becker’s not-racist view toward cockroaches coming into the country illegally because he leaves water out for those criminals to drink so they don’t, like, you know, die of dehydration or whatever. An argument ensues and the Christian conservative radio talk show personality gets upset with Ernesto for bringing God into the conversation with what appears for all the world to be without a single trace of irony. Making the irony all the more apparent is Ernesto’s metaphorical framing of his action:
“Laws, like men, are flawed, so God has told me to do this, and until God tells me to stop, I will continue.”
Ernesto’s Parting Shot
Rather than proving himself a madman by continuing to try to reach a different conclusion by trying the same thing over and over again, Ernesto engages the better part of valor by leaving rabid racist conservatives to agreement amongst themselves, taking his leave with a final parting metaphor…or two:
“I just hope that one day you see the light, but hopefully not before you...finally see the light.”
Simile or Statement?
A simile is a form of comparison between two things using “like” or “as.” But you probably knew that already. So you look for that “like” or “as” and a comparison being made because then you know you’ve come across a metaphor, right? Except that sometimes it is difficult to tell whether the comparison being made is really metaphorical or literal. That’s when similes get really cool:
FEMALE GUARD: You’re in a detention center.
SANDI: A detention center out here in the desert?
FEMALE GUARD: It’s kind of like jail, but it’s temporary.
So, what’s the verdict here? Is “kind of like jail” metaphorical or literal? Be careful when answering because the answer one gives might well be an indicator of where one’s sensibilities lie…closer to Sandi or closer to Lou Becker.
