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CNN Does Not Want You to Have Fun on Cinco De Mayo
Booo – “If you didn’t already know, Cinco de Mayo is a bigger deal in the United States than in Mexico. Here, this unofficial holiday is almost as popular as, oh, St. Patrick’s Day — which means it’s unfortunately become a drinking holiday. So much so that it’s been nicknamed, Cinco de Drinko and even Gringo de Mayo.
Eek.
Actually today commemorates Mexico’s victory against the French during the Battle of Puebla in 1862, and according to research by UCLA professor David Hayes-Bautista, it isn’t a Mexican holiday at all but rather an American one created by Latinos in California during the Civil War.
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In a perfect world, folks would use today as an opportunity to learn more about Mexican history and culture, but the sea of margarita and nacho specials might be too distracting for some. So, in the spirit of not completely raining on everyone’s parade, we’ve compiled a list of Cinco de Mayo faux pas to avoid so as not to offend others and/or embarrass yourself today.
1. ‘Happy Cinco de Mayo!’… said no Mexican ever
Today is not Mexico’s independence day (which is September 16) so you should refrain from treating it as such. You will rarely see a Mexican in the U.S. or in Mexico — outside of where the battle actually happened — acknowledge, let alone celebrate, the holiday. So simmer down.
2. Resist the urge to wear sombreros and fake mustaches because, well, stereotypes
While it may seem like all fun and games, these costumes essentially reduce cultural and traditional costumes to a caricature. Take it from the Penn State sorority sisters who learned the hard way after donning ponchos during one of their “Mexican-themed” parties. (Not to mention the offensive signs they made to accompany their costumes.)
3. Enjoy traditional Mexican libations, but don’t use Cinco de Mayo as an excuse to get brutally inebriated
There’s a thin line between enjoying a drink special with friends and running amok after taking 13 shots of tequila. Plus, blacking out drunk is sort of disrespectful given Cinco de Mayo is in remembrance of a battle, meaning lives were lost. In other words, keep it classy, folks.
4. Avoid using your high school level Spanish with native Spanish speakers today
Any attempts to awkwardly “connect” will likely come off as cheesy and empty. And, please don’t ask anyone to “speak Spanish” for your amusement because that’s just disrespectful. Plus, not all Latinos speak Spanish so you may be striking another nerve.
5. Don’t plan a trip to Mexico to celebrate a ‘real‘ Cinco de Mayo
Outside of the state of Puebla in Mexico, the holiday isn’t really celebrated at all. Even the celebrations in Puebla are much more tempered and family oriented. If you’re genuinely interested in Mexico, head to San Diego, San Antonio or even Mexico City on September 16 and indulge in an authentic experience in all things Mexican.”
CNN really making Americans look horrible with this post. They should’ve just titled it “Drunk American Assholes: Stop. Please Stop.” Well here’s a newsflash CNN: I don’t need a made up holiday to act like a drunken fool. Give me a bartender with a heavy hand and my debit card and I’ll show you how to get inebriated. “In a perfect world, folks would use today to learn more about Mexican history and culture.” Really? What world is it that you think you live in? Holidays like these are celebrated one way and one way only: we drink whatever it is we assocaite with that country. Cinco De Mayo is Corona and Tequila. Fourth of July is Budweiser. I don’t need a 5 point post about how I should or shouldn’t celebrate my Cinco De Mayo. Cue the music.
– Ryan
Here’s the Full Soft Core Performance of Lady Gaga & R. Kelly’s ‘Do What U Want’ From SNL
I’d love to say that R. Kelly is back, but you and I both know he never left. If apron sales don’t skyrocket by 1000% this week then I have no faith left in people. Yes this performance should’ve been on Cinemax and not NBC. And yes I loved every second of it.
– Ryan
What I’ve Learned In My Short 24 Years
756,864,000 seconds, 12,614,400 minutes, 525,600 hours, 8,760 days… and 24 years. Thats how long this guy has been, crawling, walking, running, and…..walking on this Earth. Bare with me, this might be all over the place.
It’s hard to hold down what I have learned over the years so I will tell you what I have found to be true. Life is different for everyone, what works for one person, may not for the other and vice versa. Trying to emulate one person (say your hero or idol) is never going to work, instead take and steal from many people to create a person that is uniquely you. Play up your strengths and in doing that, find out what your weaknesses are; your weaknesses are what give this unique person you see in the mirror everyday. Take time to listen to yourself. I’m not trying to be all introspective and hippy here, but seriously, take a second and talk to yourself. Ask yourself questions, and answer them with the truth. Please, if you do this out loud to yourself, do it in a room where no one else is. I’m pretty sure they stopped burning witches at the stake, but I could be wrong. I digress. Lose yourself in some good music and explore new kinds whenever you get a chance. I have always found music to shake things loose in my head when I need it the most. Be unpredictable, if you want to try something, try it. If you want to go somewhere, get in your car and go. I’ve found this type of thinking to make me the most happy. Don’t let anything hold you back.
The last thing I will leave you with is something I learned from the great Gary Vaynerchuk. Do what you are passionate about. If for one minute you are doing something that you don’t 100% love doing, even if it is just a 1% dislike, stop doing it. Life is too short to do something that you dislike, even if its for one day.
The culmination or trial and error is what shapes me today and is what will shape me in the future.
-MattyV
There’s a trick to being whatever you want to be in life. It starts with the simple belief that you are what or who you say you are. It starts, like all faiths, with a belief – a belief predicated more on whimsy than reality. And you’ve gotta believe for everybody else, too – until you can show them proof. If you’re lucky, someone starts believing with you – first theoretically, then in practice. And two people believing are the start of a congregation. You build a congregation of believers and eventually you set out to craft a cathedral. Sometimes it’s just a church; sometimes it turns out to be a chapel. Folks who don’t build churches will try to tell you how you’re doing it wrong, even as your steeple breaks the clouds. Never listen.
~Kevin Smith
