Six to eight black men - part 1 of 3

[ygreg1997]

Me dutch. I never looked and Sinterklaas this way, but when the slapping part came, is it weird to have a boner?

[HelenaKoonings]

Hahahaa, I'm Dutch and this is soooooo true!

[rerevisionist]

His 'cockerel' stuff is copied from Flanders and Swann (voice and piano). No wonder it sounds laboured.

[mesha1ism]

4 stars Short Clip

[diepiriye]

CLASSIC Sedaris. Love it.

[ikdachthetookja]

@saboy63

We have Sinterklaas and Christmas. 2 different things but close together in date. Sinterklaas is roughly from nov 25 until dec 6, with dec 5 as the climax with loads of presents for kids. In the days before dec 5 kids get some presents in their shoes. Traditionally we did not really give presents at christmas but only at Sinterklaas. But lately (last 10 years), Christmas is beginning to take over (thank you USA/CocaCola). Santa's appearance is inspired by Sinterklaas :)

[CANDOKNOWHOW]

FULLY AUTOMATIC.. Geneva convention infraction... unless you're one of mine.

[OctapusMaximus]

Best Christmas related shit ever

[markevens]

I'd love to see him do this at the Apollo.

[saboy63]

wait so which holiday in holland has both santa and sinterklaas giving out presents? and which one if either involves the 6-8 black men? sorry i dont really know much about the holiday season in holland. as for thanksgiving, while st nicholas day (which actually i believe is on american calendars with a whole story about candy in shoes or something but not really celebrated) in holland sounds somewhat related to Christmas, thanksgiving is completely unrelated, and is

[joesacutie21]

haha my language arts teacher played this at school the whole class was laughing hysterically :)

[TheReneeCleo]

I love being dutch!

[anarchyangel202]

thailand!!!!

[jrjupton]

this is funny very very funny

[3rdEYEbeHolder]

I stand corrected,

"Zwarte Piet", or the men in black face who are Sinterklaas's man-servants, represent A shaman god for the dutch, and actually represented indepence from Roman Catholic Popery and the Spanish Monarchy. Zwarte Piet is a Moor, a shamanic god actually, that represents the Dutches pre-Catholic pagan past.

[stevenvanderbijl]

Lol, I wonder how many non-dutch people know that Santa Claus is actually derived from Sint Nicolaas. Who is also called Sinterklaas, which, pronounced is English, will become Santa Claus. Yes, Santa Claus is a frickin ripp-off from the Dutch Sint Nicolaas, live with it. He was brought to North-America by Dutch settlers. If you don't believe me, search google/wikipedia/whatever. So whatever lame comedian made this show, HE is wrong, not the Dutch.

[wesselbindt]

@stevenvanderbijl Who cares?

[flavioateo]

@stevenvanderbijl You're not familiar with David Sedaris. Of course he knows the story of Santa Claus; he's mocking the feel of American self-centeredness. He appreciates the Netherlands a lot, and he even visits everytime he has a new book out...

[handsdown101]

@stevenvanderbijl Do people really not know this? Pretty much all of Americas holidays are rip-offs of other religions and cultures. Halloween for example is taken from the Pagan religions harvest thinger. We're a bunch of uncreative bastards.

[Pamathey]

We watch foorball? ... Sounds like you got us all figured out. :)

[saboy63]

@utyholdenrust turkey and football yes, but thanksgiving doesn't involve Christmas trees. we do have a Christmas, which is bigger than thanksgiving and thats when the Christmas trees make their way into american homes.

[utyholdenrust]

@saboy63 yes and thats the same about this video, what also has nothing to do with christmas in holland. im australian and moved there long ago. there are 2 old men with white beards who give presents sinterklaas and santa claus. christmas in holland is also bigger then this st nicolas holiday what is most for kids. the christmas trees are coming into the holes when the saint nicolas holiday is over and dec 25 theirs family dinner trees and relgigious goings on.

[saboy63]

@utyholdenrust about a meal the first european settlers had with the native americans. it has a different feel to it, and centers around eating a huge meal and for some people watching football. i love thanksgiving, cuz ive grown up with it and its family oriented, but Christmas is wayyy better in my opinion

[JiminyC04]

I love David Sedaris! We had one of my cousin's listen to it after she escaped her parents' narrow-minded way of life and she laughed her ass off. The one about licking light switches is hilarious too.

[readthisgoodgirl]

LOL thats thailand

[krallstello]

Ok, this is supposed to be humor, remember humor and satire? Life is serious and hard, lighten up and laugh! Sedaris is a genius.

[GoldRainGirl]

I don't think you realize what satire means, at all.

[gotalittlecaptain]

When I read this in Dress Your Family In Corduroy and Denim I completely lost it. I'd never read anything better. I'm laughing right now thinking about it.

[Winkeltje84]

but I have to say this guy is hilarious. The whole Sinterklaas story is indeed super ridiculous (just as the ripped of Santaclaus thing) and I love the way he makes fun of it :-)

[Winkeltje84]

I guess you also don't know that much about the Dutch (or Flemish) because we actually support Obama more than the Americans do... so when you say we feel superior to blacks... you proof you have no idea what you are talking about.

[Winkeltje84]

@ Kingleopoldthesecond

hmm, yeah, this way of thinking sounds more familiar outside the Netherlands. But the fun thing is that we don't even pay attention to the socalled 'racism' you are talking about. In general kids LOVE zwarte piet here, he is cool and the kids don't even think about the fact that he is black... that is just what he is... when I was small I never made the link black-slavery.

[Kingleopoldthesecond]

Dutch and Flemish people, cut out your revisionist crap - If you want Zwarte Piet to look like he went in a chimney then smudge his face, not give him bright red lips, afro, and black facepaint. Its disgusting how you brainwash your children with this racist crap, but I guess you can't help it. You're just holding on to your last racist tradition so you can still feel superior to blacks. Theres a black president of the US now, get over it. PS I'm not American, but from another Western country.

[Kingleopoldthesecond]

Listen up kids, racist sterotypes are really cool Im a white guy in blackface so it must be ok! Racist stereotypes are awesome!! Lets all dress up like Chinese - just tape your eyes back and put in some funny teeth - haaa soooo!!! Also, why don't we dress up like Jews with big horns and claws!!! Racism is great fun for kids. P.S Im not American, the rest of the Western world got rid of blackface because its racist. Do you like everyone to call you racist?

[Gforcebond]

i think he's pretty borring.

[lublyannaline]

i'm dutch and I looove this

Sinterklaas is a pretty badass holiday

though i'm worried - I'm at boarding school in Michigan, and this school happens to be in the middle of the woods. I hope i don't cross paths with a blind hunter...

[charlottebesselink21]

I think it is racist to discriminate the Dutch in this way...this is hurting sinterklaas

[Mekroth]

I live in NM, and blind people really do hunt here.

[Tonyhack1]

wtf!!!! Really??????

[gigglingproductions]

hes soooooooo funny!!!!!!!

[msmae645]

LOLOLLOLOLLLOLOLOLOL i love david sedaris!!!!

[janmangool]

The popularity of the man was widespread amongst the mediterranean. So when in the 16th century the Spaniards occupied the Low countries (roughly today's Belgium and the Netherlands) they took the cult with them. So there's the link with Spain. The 'black Pete' figure comes in because of the Moorish occupation and cultural influence of these North-African peoples in Spain. The 'black Pete' persona is not so much a slave but a page, a servant at a court.

[Kingleopoldthesecond]

@janmangool

It is completely irrelevant whether 'Zwarte Piet' is portrayed as a servant, page, or slave. The point is that he is a 'racial caricature' i.e. someone with exaggerated racial characteristics e.g. big red lips, pitch black face, 'afro' hairdo. This is called "Darky Iconography" and was imported into the Zwarte Piet tradition from the US about 1930. This is the most offensive aspect of the tradition, although having a black person as the servant of Sinterklaas is still disturbing

[Kingleopoldthesecond]

@konin525

So I'm racist for pointing out the actual historical basis of the celebration. Ok then.

Actually, rather than being portrayed as male, they used to have some kind of weird androgynous aspect e.g. female breasts and big hips. Look it up. I'm not really sure what that was all about (and not sure if this happens nowadays), but it would make him more 'exotic'-looking.

[redactivist]

@Kingleopoldthesecond

dude i see your point but don't act so redicioulus.

if you're not even from belgium or the netherlands then you shouldn't bother about sinterklaas

all the people care about when it's sinterklaas are the presents, we don't care if zwarte piet is black or white, we really don't give a crap about that, the only thing the kids care about is the presents they get, and when they finally turn about 7years old and their parents tell them that sinterklaas actually ...

[redactivist]

... is fake and then they stop celibrating it (except for the weirdo's who really paint theirselves black and walk around like a fool)

so stop bitching about sinterklaas on every sinterklaas video on youtube because you suck ass and all they want are presents so you're just exaggerating

[janmangool]

For those who want the whole story about st. Nic and his six to eight black men:

St. Nic was the bisshop of Mira, a town that lies in today's Turkey. Back then, it was part of the eastern Roman empire, thus Christian. St. Nic was a saint and a patron of prostitutes, children and sailors.

[msmae645]

I love David Sedaris, I also love Rufus Wainright and Johnny Mathis, gay men are funny, thats all there is to it.

[butterflybaby08]

actually they do. my uncle was legally blind and they let him drive and hunt

[gremlinseatbabies]

lol

[squirtleenblastoise]

omg this is boring. ik kijk liever naar porno dan deze saaie shit,

[Volksgrenadier2006]

lul hoe kan je dit nou saai vinde?

Prachtig zeker als hij het over Sinterklaas gaat hebben.

[Sara595]

I live in MI, and I don't think blind people really hunt here.

[louloupicklepuss]

This and "JESUS SHAVES" my two favorites...so far , always look forward to a new book:)

[hooyo4ever]

genius funny as shit

[GITSVermeer]

This guy is trying to get this Dutch tradition for children to the ground.

Although his information is far from true.

Also, he is not telling that the well-known Santa-Claus is the American version of this very Dutch tradition.

Back in history, when Holland bought Manhattan for 30 gulden, which is about 22 dollars, they brought the Dutch Sinterklaas to America.

So of you try to make this childrensfest look like a tradition for fools, in fact you're laughing about yourself..

[nizozemskybasnik]

Een gedicht in de New York Sentinel in 1823, "A Visit from St. Nicholas", was de origine van het stereotype Amerikaanse beeld voor een al eeuwen voortdurende midwintertraditie. In de VS in het begin vooral gevierd onder Britten en Nederlanders zeker, maar laten we niet nationalistische nonsens verkondigen en proberen Santa Claus af te doen als een geëxporteerde versie van 'onze' Sinterklaas, vooral aangezien Hollanders zo weinig invloed hadden in de States. Niets is Britser dan Saint Nick.

[GITSVermeer]

Ga eens geschiedenis leren aan de universiteit.. net als ik :)

[nizozemskybasnik]

Ach stel je niet aan. Solipsisme maakt niet dat je gelijk hebt.

[stratfordctusa]

Je hebt ook al geen idee wat Solipsisme is. Zoek dat ook maar even op in het woordenboek.

[johan1408]

6 to 8 black men, that must be put in the story for the american audience. In The Netherlands it's just Black Petes (no numbers). It can be one, or hundreds, it really has no significance.

Really liked this reading, though! The Dutch video-footage is great too!

"Sinterklaas, wie kent hem niet! Sinterklaas, Sinterklaas en natuurlijk zwarte Piet!"

[milkymike375]

living an pretty uptight life, are we?

[SonofLiberty039]

wow. chill out man. you might want to smoke some herb or something cuz you are takin all this shit way to seriously!

[dbodiford]

I feel for you, it must suck to live in a world surrounded by the lesser evolved people, who just don't understand you. :(

I'd be more than happy to make you feel better though. I could buy you some razor blades (make sure you make that cut vertically instead or horizontally now!). Or I could just buy you some tacos, dude. No lamb meat - I know you don't like sheep.

[purplesarah87]

Never seen a real live talented comedian then? If you had you would know it is so different watching it live than on tv, and a lot funnier.

[Bellagardenia4]

The delivery of his material is wonderful. He is great to see read in person.

[KaitlynMutt]

Aw. David Sedaris kicks ass.

[Xeferah]

Strange guy. It would be more fun if he would make fun of facts, but now he tells half facts, half fantasy which gives a very wierd image.

But heck, it's a comedian of course :-)

[dbodiford]

I don't know why you got so many "thumbs down" - not like you said anything negative. You're right, he adds some fiction, because it is comedy - hyperbole is a given in pretty much all of his stories... That's what makes him funny IMHO though - you know the story is based on something humorous that actually happened. Then he runs with that and makes it larger-than-life. Funny to me - but not funny to others. People have different taste in humor - I don't have any problem with that.

[AskACholaTV]

My favorite Sedaris piece! Funniest shit ever.

[dlpine]

only in america!! thanks, for sharing with me imexiled.

[dlpine]

Jantrao, this is hilarious. thank you, for sharing.

[hollandbovenaan]

nevertheless it's extremely funny to see our tradition from another point of view

[hollandbovenaan]

make that 60 to 80 black ''friends''

[GITSVermeer]

Dit is zoooo goedkoop... damn...

David Sedaris should be hang.

[dagoe81]

Dit is geniaal, beetje relativering is gezond, en geweldig grappig!

[dominice112]

Dit is gewoon subtiel inhakken op de amerikaanse cultuur, en de manier van hoe zij kijken naar iets wat voor ons normaal is :)

tis gewoon grappig :)

[tiesthijsthejs]

should be "hung"? nationalistic fundamentalist!

[lucaboris]

Santa Claus comes from Sinterklaas

[snomans]

GREAT!!! Anyone got a reading of him doing "Next Of Kin" from his book NAKED. That is the funniest thing I've ever heard.

[Davidbuseman]

David Sedaris is sooo funny.

[Tytal]

Thank you! This is brilliant.

[loyanini]

<3 love