Prank calls to dictators
You gotta love these guys. Not content with the standard order-ten-pizzas-for-the-guy routine, these guys actually have called -- and gotten through -- to Chavez in Venezuela and now Fidel Castro in Cuba.
In the recorded phone call, replayed several times on the air and on television, hosts Enrique Santos and Joe Ferrero of Spanish-language El Zol, FM 95.7 used snippets of the conversation they had with Chávez in January to fool Cuban functionaries into connecting them with Castro himself -- or at least someone who sounded exactly like him.I'm a much bigger fan of subtlety when it comes to this kind of humor, drawing the joke out, letting it build. Let Castro expose himself more to his "friend" and confidant on the other line. Throw in a little bait to get him to talk candidly about how he really feels about his people. Then ratchet it up a notch, tell him about some of the exploits you're planning to pull in Venezuela, and ask him for advice. "I'm thinking of having a crackdown, padre. Do you think it's more effective to nab a few dissidents at a time, or would it be a stronger show of force to get 'em all at once?" Maybe throw in a barb about how the commoners are so stupid anyway, and what should we care while we live in our palaces, right, comrade? Get a sympathy laugh or two from Castro, get him to say more, and then -- "But what do I know, It's just Jake and Eddie on the Morning Zoo! And you've been BUSTED! Ah ha ha ha!!!" Cue hip hop soundtrack.
Posing as an aide to Chávez, Ferrero told those he reached with the Cuban government that Chavez had left a suitcase with "sensitive documents" at a hotel when he and Castro were in Argentina recently.After several minutes, Castro said he was "informed and fine" with the matter of the suitcase at which time Santos got on the line and started berating Castro -- or someone who sounded like him.
"Are you fine with the s--- you've done on the island, assassin?" Santos said. "You fell for it just like Hugo Chávez."
That prompted a profanity-laced tirade from Castro in which he called the radio host several names.
At least in my head that's how it goes.
Posted by Matt at June 19, 2003 3:57 PM
