Black Humor and Dictatorship in Argentina. Alberto Olmedo's Disappearance

MELISA REDONDO

Austin

Congreso; International Society for Humor Studies Conference; 2019

International Society for Humor Studies (ISHS)

Many argentines consider Alberto Olmedo (1933-1988) a personality that expresses fundamental elements of the national culture who still remains as one of the most important comedians in the country. The analysis of his figure allows an access to some of the aspects that questioned his audience both in reality and in fantasies. In 1976, two months after the coup d'etat that initiated the most repressive dictatorship in Argentina, the actor faked his own death in the first broadcast of the year of the successful television series that he starred, El chupete. When the program was to begin, an announcer informed the audience of the "sad disappearance" of Alberto Olmedo. Although the news was denied a few minutes later in the same broadcast, the joke costed the show its cancellation and those involved got a penalty. With the analysis of the massive impact of this fact in the newspapers (including a letter from the artist apologizing to his audience), this paper explores the possibilities and limitations that black humor finds in a dictatorial context.