Grabriel Iglesias-Drunk Driving

Wayquita Ricks Analysis-The video clip we decided to do is "Gabriel Iglesias-Drunk Driving". This video is basically about how you could have a sense of humor if you know you are drinking and driving. Gabriel explains how when getting pulled over by a cop and you know you going to jail, have some fun and play with cop's head. Gabriel also adds to the end of his segment that there are five levels of fatness which are big, healthy, fluffy, husky and DAMN! Gabriel has a sense of humor when he explains how you could have a sense of humor on your own. This video clip point is an important example of rhetorical situation and sense of humor. The audiences of course are people who are drunk driving or who are attempting to drink and drive. The rhetor is Gabriel Iglesias. The point is he trying to get across is that having a sense of humor is not a bad thing to do especially if you know the outcome of the situation is not going to be so great for you. The discourse that is being presented in the video is the knowledge of having a sense of humor. Gabriel is trying to convince his audience that having a sense of humor is part of life. he doesnt take the joke out on others, but taher than put his self in the situation as well. He takes very serious matters of life and turns them into joke so people would feel comfortable whenever they are being pulled over by a police for DUI.


Comedy can be a tool to illustrate an underlying point in a way normal ways of handling even the most grim of subject, in a more satirical light. For example, in a Gabriel Iglesias stand up routine about drunk driving, this idea is illustrated. In something that is normally frowned upon in society, and all too often done by people, Gabriel Iglesias finds a lighter side to it. The way this is done through his suggestion of the idea of “having a little fun” if and when a cop pulls you over for activity that is consistent with driving under the influence. The “fun” is to quickly shift your position in your vehicle to the passenger side and quietly wait. This would greatly confuse the officer when he or she discovers the seat switch. Then, you as the perpetrator proceed to act innocently as to the situation that the police officer is bewildered about.

This is all done through various impressions and hand and body gestures by Iglesias. When referring to the drunk individual, he assumes the voice of a person who is intoxicated, with the nonsensical reactions and slurring of the voice. The person can make a bold statement about being able to outsmart the cop as when someone hears the car's sirens; however, the person can be distraught and feel that they are going to go to prison for illegal drinking and driving. Iglesias also uses hilarious quotes that a stereotypical drunk person would say, or act like, in the situation that he satirizes. The police officer, however, acts in a normal and “business as usual” way until he reaches the car after the intoxicated person has done their prank. The cop quickly transitions into bewilderment and a sense of alarm once the cop cannot locate the person.

This way of impersonation of the situation helps makes his point more humorous to his rhetoric audiences. This certain clip has many different audiences: they include the audience in the live standup, the people watching the skit from either a DVD or youtube clip are but two examples in what kind of audience Iglesias' skit was meant to appeal to. Almost everyone has seen or heard stories of how incoherent and erratic a drunk driver can act, so illustrating his point using something that people already know about can help relate the exigence to his audience better.

This skit can a point to many different types of audiences as well. From underage drinkers, to alcoholics, to even people who already have a DUI. It is meant to unleash tension that some may have about drunk driving. For example, I was talking to a girl today, that got a DUI during summer. She constantly said how it wasn't funny when it was happening, but now its funny when she recites the story to other people. This reminded me of Gabriel Iglesias skit, because he was able to joke about drunk driving, even thought it is a very serious matter.

But, what is his point? He tries to show a humorous side to something one shouldn't do. He constantly suggests ideas that a drunk person could do in an unavoidable predicament to play around with the cop, for laughs of course. In this scenario, Iglesias acts as the rhetor in this rhetorical situation, suggesting something a drunk person can do to help with their problem. As he said in his routine, “If you can make the police laugh, you have a chance.” Also, another point Iglesias makes in his comedy is the ability that people can laugh at the misfortunes and problems of others. With the drunk driver situation, Iglesias makes jokes about how they act, and how they can get themselves into hilarious situations.

In addition, nearly the end of the clip, he mentions about his weight. He mentions his five levels of “fatness”: big, healthy, husky, fluffy, and DAAAMN. Iglesias labels himself as fluffy. His ability to make fun of himself is a great rhetorical situation in sense because of himself to be both the exigence and the rhetor in this situation. The exigence is about himself and others who are overweight, and his solution to the exigence is to make jokes about being overweight, to not think of it as such a problem.

To recap about the drunken driving rhetorical situation, the components of it can be split up into 3 different entities. One of which, is the exigence, which is the situation of being pulled over by a police officer in the case of being intoxicated. The audience in this rhetorical situation is the audience actually watching his comedy, whether they are actually physical or watching it via some other means. He wants to relate to people who are people who drive drunkenly or even people who do not do this dangerous activity, but want a laugh from the ridiculous solution to the exigence he proposes. And, the rhetor is Gabriel Iglesias himself, who proposes an idea to “have a little fun” with the officer if you are in an unfavorable situation with him.