Mauricio Borensztein
Encyclopedia
Mauricio Borensztein known by the stage name Tato Bores, was an Argentine
film, theatre and television comedian, who specialized in political humor
. His ironic TV monologue
s, delivered at a fast pace, became a reference point for generations of Argentines.
He took his first steps into the humor field in 1957, after the fall
of Juan Perón
, debuting in state-owned Channel 7
. When in character, he wore dress coat, white bow tie and a deliberately badly-cut wig, and waved a cigar. Besides the monologues, at some point during each show he pretended to dial the number of the Casa Rosada
and speak to the President
(whoever it was at the time), asking pointed questions or commenting on uncomfortable news.
Near the end of his life, Borensztein abandoned the weekly show format and resorted to "special programmes" every month or more. In one of these, he appeared as dr. Helmut Strasse, "argentinologist", an archeologist specialized in the lost land of Argentina, which had sunk into the Atlantic Ocean
500 years before the fictional time frame of the show. The show was a humorous mockumentary
about the downfall of Argentina where Borensztein, speaking in a mixture of Yiddish
, German
and some odd words in Spanish
, overdubbed
into straight Spanish by a narrator, commented on the latest findings and theories while he toured a digging site.
Before the broadcast of one of the programmes, federal judge María Servini de Cubría was warned that the show contained an ironic comment about a ridiculously low fine she had received for mishandling a case. Servini ordered the offending segment to be cut out, and forbade Borensztein to mention her name. This violated free speech, since the programme had not been broadcast and she had not verified it was criminally offensive. Borensztein received overwhelming support from the artistic community of Argentina, but respected the judicial order, from then on referring to the judge as "the unnameable" or as Jueza Barubudubudía (intended as a nonsensical yet transparent rhyme of "Servini de Cubría") until the censorship was lifted.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
film, theatre and television comedian, who specialized in political humor
Political satire
Political satire is a significant part of satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics; it has also been used with subversive intent where political speech and dissent are forbidden by a regime, as a method of advancing political arguments where such arguments are expressly...
. His ironic TV monologue
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
s, delivered at a fast pace, became a reference point for generations of Argentines.
He took his first steps into the humor field in 1957, after the fall
Revolución Libertadora
The Revolución Libertadora was a military uprising that ended the second presidential term of Juan Perón in Argentina, on September 16, 1955.-History:...
of Juan Perón
Juan Perón
Juan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...
, debuting in state-owned Channel 7
Canal 7 Argentina
Canal Siete, TV Pública or TV Pública Digital is an Argentine television network founded on October 17, 1951. Between 1979 and 1999, the network was known as Argentina Televisora Color . During the 1978 World Cup, it was known as A78TV.Owned, financed and operated by the Argentine State, Canal 7 is...
. When in character, he wore dress coat, white bow tie and a deliberately badly-cut wig, and waved a cigar. Besides the monologues, at some point during each show he pretended to dial the number of the Casa Rosada
Casa Rosada
La Casa Rosada is the official seat of the executive branch of the government of Argentina, and of the offices of the President. The President normally lives at the Quinta de Olivos, a compound in Olivos, Buenos Aires Province. Its characteristic color is pink, and is considered one of the most...
and speak to the President
President of Argentina
The President of the Argentine Nation , usually known as the President of Argentina, is the head of state of Argentina. Under the national Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of the federal government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.Through Argentine history, the...
(whoever it was at the time), asking pointed questions or commenting on uncomfortable news.
Near the end of his life, Borensztein abandoned the weekly show format and resorted to "special programmes" every month or more. In one of these, he appeared as dr. Helmut Strasse, "argentinologist", an archeologist specialized in the lost land of Argentina, which had sunk into the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
500 years before the fictional time frame of the show. The show was a humorous mockumentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
about the downfall of Argentina where Borensztein, speaking in a mixture of Yiddish
Yiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and some odd words in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, overdubbed
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
into straight Spanish by a narrator, commented on the latest findings and theories while he toured a digging site.
Before the broadcast of one of the programmes, federal judge María Servini de Cubría was warned that the show contained an ironic comment about a ridiculously low fine she had received for mishandling a case. Servini ordered the offending segment to be cut out, and forbade Borensztein to mention her name. This violated free speech, since the programme had not been broadcast and she had not verified it was criminally offensive. Borensztein received overwhelming support from the artistic community of Argentina, but respected the judicial order, from then on referring to the judge as "the unnameable" or as Jueza Barubudubudía (intended as a nonsensical yet transparent rhyme of "Servini de Cubría") until the censorship was lifted.
Television
| Period | Name of the show | Channel | Scriptwriters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957–1960 | Tato y sus monólogos | Canal 7 Canal 7 Argentina Canal Siete, TV Pública or TV Pública Digital is an Argentine television network founded on October 17, 1951. Between 1979 and 1999, the network was known as Argentina Televisora Color . During the 1978 World Cup, it was known as A78TV.Owned, financed and operated by the Argentine State, Canal 7 is... |
Landrú |
| 1961–1963 | Tato, siempre en domingo | Canal 9 Canal 9 (Argentina) Canal 9 is an Argentine television network based in Buenos Aires. It is a general entertainment station which offers news, soap operas, talk shows, and movies.-History:... |
César Bruto |
| 1964–1970 | Tato, siempre en domingo | Canal 11 Telefe Televisión Federal S.A., best known as Telefe and later as TLF, is an Argentine television network. Formerly known as Canal Once , a state-run network, it was privatised and established as Telefe in 1989, when and News Corporation took over the channel... |
César Bruto |
| 1971–1972 | Por siempre Tato | Canal 11 | Jordán de la Cazuela |
| 1973 | Dígale sí a Tato | Canal 13 Canal 13 (Argentina) El Trece is an Argentine television network and the flagship station of the same network, located in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires.- Foundation :... |
Jordán de la Cazuela |
| 1974 | Dele crédito a Tato | Canal 13 | Aldo Cammarotta |
| 1978 | Special of "El Mundo del Espectáculo" | Canal 13 | Aldo Cammarotta |
| 1979 | Tato vs. Tato | Canal 13 | Aldo Cammarotta, Juan Carlos Mesa |
| 1981 | Tato por ciento | Canal 13 | Aldo Cammarotta, Juan Carlos Mesa |
| 1983 | Extra Tato | Canal 13 | Oscar Blotta (h), Carlos Abrevaya, Jorge Guinzburg, Basurto, José María Jaunarena, Geno Díaz |
| 1984 | Tato, qué bien se TV | Canal 13 | Geno Díaz |
| 1985 | Tatus | Canal 13 | Geno Díaz |
| 1988 | Tato Diet | Teledos | Santiago Varela |
| 1989 | Tato al borde de un ataque de nervios | Canal 13 | Santiago Varela |
| 1990 | Tato en busca de la vereda del sol | Canal 13 | Santiago Varela |
| 1991 | Tato, la leyenda continúa | Canal 13 | Santiago Varela |
| 1992 | Tato de América | Canal 13 | Santiago Varela |
| 1993 | Good show | Telefé | Santiago Varela |
| 1999 | La Argentina de Tato | Canal 13 | Special cycle post mortem |
Films
- Un pecado por mes (1949)
- La comedia inmortal (1951)
- Camino al crimen (1951)
- Esta es mi vida (1952)
- Mala gente (1952)
- Por cuatro días locos (1953)
- Casada y señorita (1954)
- Vida nocturna (1955)
- Vacaciones en la Argentina (1960)
- El AsaltoEl AsaltoEl Asalto is a 1960 Argentine black-and-white film crime drama directed and by Kurt Land. The film was based on a book by Enrique Silberstein and premiered in Buenos Aires...
(1960) - Propiedad (1962)
- El televisor (1962)
- Viaje de una noche de verano (1965)
- Disputas en la cama (1972)
- Departamento compartido (1980)
- Amante para dos (1981)
Sources
- This article draws material from the corresponding article in the Spanish Wikipedia.