United States soldiers are lampooned, police officers are shown as buffoons and Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is irreverently cheered by penguins … Iraqis are turning more and more to YouTube to express their dark-edged humour.
The main butt of send-ups posted by Iraqis on the popular internet video site is, as one might expect, the US military. With about 160 000 troopers scattered across the country, there is clearly no dearth of subjects — nor lack of innovative video makers.
One video shows a large-mouthed soldier repeating Arabic phrases told to him by a group of locals. ”Bring us back to our family, bring us home. Bring us some bread, any bread, hot or cold,” he says, seemingly unaware of what he is repeating. ”The salary is not that good either,” he adds as the camera zooms closely on to his face.
Another video shows a group of Iraqi soldiers speaking to a female American trooper, who clearly knows a smattering of Arabic. They ask her name, and she replies: ”Sarah.” They ask her questions and she replies in Arabic. She is from Alabama — she does not like New York.
The walkie-talkie strapped near her shoulder crackles and she bends her head towards it to answer. She speaks for a minute or two, bending her head forward each time she answers.
”Shaar [hair],” the soldiers say suggestively, enticing her to break out into a sensual Iraqi dance during which unveiled women throw their heads forward to send their hair flying upwards.
Many videos show male US soldiers dancing clumsily with their Iraqi counterparts or with people in the streets.
One minute-long segment captures an American military police officer, complete with flak jacket and weapon, spinning round and round while a group of Iraqi police officers cheer him on.
Boots on the ground
The US military has itself taken to posting video clips on YouTube showing American troops in combat and insurgents being bombed in a ”boots on the ground” perspective of the Iraq war.
Multi-National Forces Iraq created a ”channel” on the popular video-sharing website last March to show the clips, which often capture the intensity of combat while generally showing US troops in a positive light.
With dancing in public such an integral part of Iraqi culture, it is little wonder that the funnier side of this practice has been captured on video by Iraqis. People fall, lurch into one another, and in one featuring Iraqi police officers, they even drop their trousers.
Away from the dance floor, two police officers are shown in one clip stopping a truck. As the edgy pair bend down to inspect the underside of the vehicle, the driver toots his horn, giving both such a fright that they fall over backwards.
But little appears sacred for Iraqis caught up in brutal sectarian violence and harsh living conditions, proof of the maxim that populations in high stress situations or oppressive environments use dark humour to help them survive.
Target
One of the main targets in the highly religious country is Moqtada al-Sadr, the powerful Shi’ite cleric whose thousands-strong Mehdi Army militia is known to hero-worship him.
One video clip shows a colony of penguins, led by a large male with distinctive orange markings on his neck, swaggering around the ice chanting ”Moqtada, Moqtada, Moqtada!”
The 66-second segment, its soundtrack clearly recorded at a Mehdi Army gathering engaged in rowdy praise of the cleric, shows the penguins raising their flippers heavenwards, beaks wide open as they become more and more enthusiastic about al-Sadr.
The video, clearly doctored electronically, ends with the penguins forming a large heart-shaped gathering around their leader who stands bellowing in the middle.
More controversial in a country divided by sectarianism are clips showing Shi’ites in mosques during Ashura ceremonies when devotees beat their chests — set to Iraqi pop music.
One video shows earnest devotees raising their hands, beating their chests and chanting in anguish as a popular song called Orange plays on the soundtrack. The song features a lover who pours out his tender devotion for his girlfriend and her favourite colour.
Not all Iraqis approve of their leaders being belittled in this way, and comments posted on the site beneath the videos reflect the wide divergence of opinion that characterises the country’s political landscape.
”Shame on you to liken Moqtada al-Sadr to a penguin and humiliate him in front of all the world,” says ”Wisam” beneath the penguin clip.
”It is indeed a shame,” agrees ”Abdul”. ”He and his donkeys are far worse than penguins.” — AFP
