Learning to Laugh at Myself—A Lesson from Mexico
/The wonky cake is revealed with a cry of, “Nailed It!”
The main host bursts into laughter and exclaims, “It looks like Jesus on the cross!”
I clap my hand over my mouth to avoid spitting out my diet Coke. I look over at my boyfriend who is laughing—both at the comment from the television host and at my reaction.
We are watching Nailed It! Mexico—a baking show where amateur bakers compete against one another for the hopes of winning 200,000 pesos (about $10,000 CAD).
“Did he really just say that?” I ask. “Isn’t Mexico a heavily Catholic country? And he said that on television? What the heck?”
My boyfriend grew up in Puebla, Mexico and moved to the U.S. as a teenager. As I would soon discover, to him, this type of humour was nothing new.
“Mexicans don’t take themselves too seriously,” he told me after he stopped laughing. “They poke fun at each other all the time; you just learn to develop a thick skin.”
A dessert falls into pieces
Now, don’t get me wrong—I understand that in this context, we are watching a baking competition, and the judges have to make comments to help the contestants improve.
But often times, they didn’t just give constructive criticism; they made fun of them blatantly. According to my boyfriend, this is all in good fun, and not done in a malicious way.
As someone who is used to the G-rated competition shows from Canada and America where they are afraid to be too harsh for fear of offending someone, watching Nailed It! Mexico was a completely new experience.
Now, don’t get me wrong—we have Gordon Ramsay and Simon Cowell and others who aren’t afraid to be harsh. But this struck me as different. Maybe because it wasn’t just criticism but more of a mocking humour.
I have to say, though, after a few episodes, it did start to feel normal, and yes—funny.
A man laughing
And there is something to be said for the contestants because they always take it well. They laugh right along with the judges when their creations are teased.
I’ve never seen someone cry or get upset or take it to heart. Perhaps it’s the style of show because it’s meant to be fun, silly, and outrageous. After all, you don’t ask an amateur home baker to make a three-tiered cake and expect it to turn out well!
And while people’s feelings should certainly be taken into account and comments that go too far and equate to bullying are not okay, I feel that the Nailed It! Mexico show strikes a good balance.
I appreciate the brazen nature of the Mexican hosts and also the good-natured attitudes of the contestants. It’s kind of like, “Hey, you have to be able to laugh at yourself, right?”
I tend to take myself too seriously, and I absolutely hate making mistakes. This Mexican show is a great call to bring me down to earth. I get to see people trying their best, not living up to the expectations they hope for, and being okay with it at the end of the day.
My boyfriend told me this kind of humour is common not just in tv, but in regular life. Having the ability to poke fun at one another and take it in a good spirit is an important aspect of Mexican culture.
They are a people that enjoys life, vibrancy, and laughter. And they don’t get offended easily. Nailed It! Mexico was a great example of that for me. And the next time one of my own cakes turns out burnt on the bottom, I will try to laugh instead of cry.
Stacey is a writer who loves learning about cultures, religions, and languages. Even though she has only visited two countries, there are many she would love to explore: Mexico, Australia, Japan, and Ireland are among her top choices. In her free time, Stacey can be found watching old TV shows, practicing languages on Duolingo, and seeking out English bulldogs to pet in the park.
