摘要：At the time, laughter was all we had and they killed it. In the wee hours of the 13th of August, 1999, Jaime Hernando Garz¨®n Forero, a beloved Colombian comedian and social activ ist, was shot six times on his way to work. Garz¨®n, a key member of t wo of the most celebrated comedy T V shows in Colombian recent histor y, .Quac! El Noticero (1995¨C1997) and Zoociedad (1990¨C1993), was the modern heir of the country's (t ragic) political comedic tradit ion. Know n for his acute sat iric st yle, he developed a variet y of cha racters that depicted the worst (and best) tra it s of Colombian society : t he semi-professional anchorman who would break out of character during the transmissions; t he wacky doorman of a building that metaphorica lly represented the country; t he personal cook of t he president who would share the latest gossip about her boss; the archaic right wing political commentator; t he radical Lieutenant General; t he national version of a socialite; the left ist revolution-ary student; the sports correspondent; the massively beloved shoe shiner turned interv iewer who didn't hold anything back .Garz¨®n, one of the most adored public figures in the countr y, was not only the people's favourite comedian; he was also considered a beacon of common sense. His imitations were celebrated by many and feared by those who were the aim of his subversive performances. People have said of Garz¨®n that he wasn't a simple imitator; that he stole his guest's souls; t hat sometimes the imitation was better than the original. In a countr y where all the dimensions of social life had been t inted with the drug money and "narco" aesthetics, Garz¨®n's characters were mediums, live canvas for e xpressing his v iews about the corrupt nature of Colombian political culture, the proclivit y towards easy money and the in-your-face violence that defined those days
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