El Chapulín Colorado (Spanish pronunciation: [el tʃapuˈliŋ koloˈɾaðo], transl. The Red Grasshopper) is a Mexican superhero television comedy series that aired from 1973 to 1979 and parodied superhero shows. It was created by actor and comedian Roberto Gómez Bolaños, who also played the main character. It was first aired by Televisa in 1973 in Mexico, and then was aired across Latin America and Spain until 1981, alongside El Chavo del Ocho, which shared the same cast of actors. Both shows have endured in re-runs and have won back some of their popularity in several countries such as Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. Although the series has a regular cast, all actors but Roberto Gómez Bolaños play different characters each episode, and it is therefore described as an anthology series.
Overview
"Chapulín Colorado" translates literally in English as "The Red Grasshopper" or "The Cherry Cricket" (the word chapulín is of Nahuatl origin and applies to a Mexican species of grasshopper, while colorado means "red"). The show embodies many aspects of Mexican culture while making a critique on the unrealistic image of superheroes. In each episode, people recognized El Chapulín Colorado wherever he appeared (one episode took place on the planet Venus), believing him to be a great superhero. Recognition caused him to boast, only to stumble and fall right away, proving himself to be puny and timid, and disappointing his fans. Despite this, Chapulín tried his best to help, and all his adventures ended well (though sometimes by sheer good luck or outside help). In Chapulín's universe, Chapulín is summoned to his "victims" when they are involved in a tough predicament or a challenging situation (whereas other superhero film/show were the hero is summoned to save someone from a life-threatening situation or an emergency). Such examples of this include:
A mad scientist whose co-workers refused to cooperate with him on an experiment. A woman who is quite annoyed about her uncle playing pranks towards her and her husband. A woman who refuses to be married to a man that was set up by her uncle. Parodying Superman's "Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive" introduction, El Chapulín Colorado was introduced as follows in the show's opening, reinforcing the idea of a barely powered hero:
Más ágil que una tortuga, más fuerte que un ratón, más noble que una lechuga, su escudo es un corazón... ¡Es el Chapulín Colorado! (More agile than a turtle, stronger than a mouse, nobler than lettuce, his shield is a heart... He's the Red Grasshopper!) Más veloz que una montaña, más ágil que un refrigerador, más astuto que un aguacate, ¿y quién es?, Es… ¿Una paleta helada, ¿Un clavel?, ¿Un cuaderno cuadriculado?, ¡No!, Es… ¡El Chapulín Colorado! (Faster than a mountain, more agile than a refrigerator, smarter than an avocado, and who is he?, He's… A popsicle?, A carnation?, A graph paper notebook?, No!, He's… The Red Grasshopper!
Recurrent characters besides the protagonist
Heroes Súper Sam (Super Sam): (1973–1978; 1981) Played by Ramón Valdés. He is a superhero that hails from somewhere in the U.S. (most probably its southernmost regions) whose appearance is very similar to that of Uncle Sam (including the famous top hat with the colors of the U.S.), but his suit is very similar to Superman's. Half of the things Súper Sam says are in English, considering his inadequate skills with Spanish (he is known for having to carry an English-Spanish dictionary in his pocket whenever he needs to save someone in Mexico). Súper Sam's primary weapon is a bag full of dollars that he says were "few, but very powerful"; it is usually used to beat on the head of the wrongdoers or Chapulín, as both don't get along very well. Every time he uses his weapon, the ringing of a cash register chimes in the show's audio. His catchphrase is "Time is money, oh yeah!" and when present, most people say that "they don't want imported superheroes", much to Súper Sam's annoyance. According to Florinda Meza's character, Super Sam is "just like Chapulín, but with a bank account."
Villains
The Mob Tripaseca (in Portuguese as Tripa Seca; or in English as Dry-Gut): (1975–1979) Played by Ramón Valdés. He is one of the most frequently recurring villains on the show. He is an extremely dangerous gangster who is part of a mafia gang composed of Cuajináis, Chory, Botija and Minina. He is considered the worst archenemy of Chapulín, always scheming along with the rest of his gang to kill the hero to commit all the robberies he wants. In an episode in which he pretends to be dead to fool the local police force, Chapulín states that he had known Tripaseca since the two of them were children. Cuajináis (in Portuguese as Quase Nada, Chinesinho, Tonhão, Fura-Tripa or Gorila; or in English as Almost-Nothing): (1973–1978) Played by Carlos Villagrán. He is a deadly gangster characterized by the huge scar on his right cheek. Although he is an ally of Tripaseca, sometimes he attempts to score certain crimes on his own. El Chori (in Portuguese as Nenê, Johnny or Chori; or in English as Chory): (1973–1992) Played by Rubén Aguirre. He is a very vicious mobster characterized by his high stature and coldness. El Shory often gives much trouble to Chapulín in combat because of his superior strength and endurance. In some chapters, this character is nicknamed "El Nene (The Kid)". His name has double meaning; it is the Spanish abbreviation of the word "chorizo", and is also based on the English word shorty, a sarcastic reference on Rubén Aguirre's height of 1.96 metres (6 ft 5 in). Minina (in Portuguese as Celina; or in English as Pussycat): (1975-1979) Played by Florinda Meza. A woman who accompanies the mafia in their schemes and is characterized by constant smoking and her low intellectual capacity. Pocas Trancas (in Portuguese as Poucas Trancas; or in English as Few-Lock): Played by Rubén Aguirre. He is a madman who escaped from the asylum. People believe that Pocas Trancas was deaf, but a detective clarified that he couldn't speak because he didn't wash his tongue and that he couldn't listen because he didn't wash his ears. What he lacked in intelligence he made up for in raw strength, according to the same detective. Súper Sam and Chapulín usually have to team up to fight him.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
