Ariel Tarico: humor as catharsis, his connection with politicians, and his fear of reaching 40
He is the man of a thousand masks . He, with his distinctive style, has the difficult task of adding humor to Argentine reality. “It’s like finding a flower in the middle of a garbage dump. I believe that laughter serves to cure, to heal, to create catharsis. ", says Ariel Tarico , who is responsible for demonstrating this daily on radio, television and in the theater.
While enjoying a great career at Radio Rivadavia and TN, the comedian is about to go on tour with his play Sean de Termos y Mabeles, a show he co-hosts with David Rotemberg and produced by Juan José Campanella. “I'm really enjoying myself, living life to the fullest. Especially the theater thing. It was hard for me to get back into it after the pandemic. Being in contact with people again scared me a little, about how the audience would react. Well, it happened little by little. Campanella insisted that we return to the stage with David again,” confesses the impersonator who, paradoxically, defines himself as a “very shy” person.
-How did the connection with Campanella come about?
-At first, we only followed each other on Twitter. He would sometimes tweet some things I posted, some videos, and he started sending me messages. He told me about this idea he had of re-establishing Politeama and starting with different types of plays. He said, "I'd like to bring what you do on radio and TV to the theater and bring it to Rotemberg as well." At first, we had nothing, and he lent us the stage set of Parque Lezama . We "intruded" it into the theater [laughs]. Thanks to the good vibes of Brandoni and Eduardo Blanco, who let us use the park with just two music stands and the scripts we had from the radio. Then he said, "Well, I want you to take a bit more risk, do something of your own," and that's when David started composing music. We have a strange relationship because for us, he's Juan. David and I often talk and say, "Wait, we're talking to an Oscar winner, we're talking to Campanella" [laughs]. He's hyper-present, and sometimes when he needs to give an observation, he's very on-point. He says, "You have to do this or go this way," and it's always a winner, but he lets us work freely.
-You're revealing yourself much more behind the characters. How did that change come about?
-And yes, because before they were masks. I remember that I was doing radio and Gerardo Rozín called me. to invite me to a program he was producing on América . They interviewed me, and Gerardo immediately came and said, "You're going to start working. This will be your salary starting next week. We want you to be with us." It was very strong at that moment. I remember that at Mitre it caused problems because it was a different outlet. And being an insolent kid, I said, "Look, Suar didn't call me for El Trece , so I jumped at it because the salary and the experience were useful." I appeared behind a photo. They'd show a photo of the character I was playing at the time, and every time I was tempted, they'd show me a little bit. But it was very difficult for me to act and show myself; it's something I learned over time thanks to theater and therapy.
-Does therapy help?
-Yes, it's always good to have someone with a different perspective give you a hand, especially when it comes to constantly interacting with people, minds, and discourses.
-The world of television isn't the world you like the most, is it?
-Now I feel comfortable, but I recognize that I'm more of a radio freak than a TV freak. . Now, with streaming and social media, you have to expose yourself all the time, so I'm taking it more naturally. With TV, when I don't feel comfortable, I go. TN with Nelson (Castro) had a special vibe.
-How did that special chemistry with Nelson come about?
-I've been with TN since 2014. At first, we did it on the radio. Then we tried it once in a theater, where he'd come in and surprise me while I was imitating him, and well, we noticed the audience liked it. So, from that point on, they told me they wanted to bring back a bit of the vibe we had on the radio. The idea was for it to be another Nelson, a more zany Nelson, saying the opposite of the original Nelson, for it to be like a break for him and also make him uncomfortable. And well, we played around a lot.
-What is the limit when it comes to imitating it?
He always told me: "You do the other Nelson, and I'll follow you." I mean, we don't need to talk about anything beforehand. Off the air, we talk about other, more everyday things. We're there having a coffee, and when the lights come on, he knows we're playing by heart, and with the whole team supporting us.
-Politics is very present in your impersonations today. What's it like to portray these characters, especially during election season?
New people emerge all the time. Sometimes a candidate comes along who surprises you, and their tone of voice or their rhetoric catches on, and you start copying them. I think Argentina is a constant source in that regard.
-And what is that job you do like?
-On the radio, we're always with David and the producer, Matías Muñoz, because we also have a special program every month, so we're constantly looking at which guests we can bring in and how to do a sketch together. On TV, there's Sebastián Meléndez and Ezequiel Meza, the scriptwriter, and whenever we're planning a news story, we think about which character we can use to approach it. I'll throw out a voice message with the character's first tones or chants, and it builds from there. Then it's the magic of the air, which is incredible. You can have a great script, but then on air, the conversation sometimes goes in a different direction. There's an improvisation, and suddenly the character takes off.
-And to find the tones for these characters, do you do anything at home? Do you take a little time every day to experiment?
-I'm more of a caricaturist. I rely more on exaggeration or the grotesque, taking two or three gestures, two or three tones, and then trying to create a separate character that's funnier and more lovable than the real one.
-Have you ever received messages from any politician?
-Yes, complaints. Sometimes they come on the show and tell me, like Luis Juez did: "But don't be so rude, maestro. I'm not one to swear that much." [Imitates him.] They throw things at you like that, but I still try not to be too in touch.
-Has anyone ever gotten angry with you?
-Fans of politicians get angrier than actual politicians. Humor is always a thorn in the side of a fanatic because it disrupts their behavior, and so, generally, the cursing or anger comes more from followers of a particular political figure.
-And do you get hooked or do you know how to put it aside and not answer?
Look, I used to get hooked, but then I learned to accept that the work of an actor, an artist, or a journalist can't have 100% acceptance. My mom used to watch Tiempo Nuevo and insult the TV; now, communication is much more horizontal. So I think you have to learn to adapt to that and accept it as part of it. There are people who love you and people who don't, who hate you (laughs). I don't get hooked; it amuses me. Even with theater, we play that game of seeing how the audience responds when a particular character appears. One of the people who always came to see me was Hermes Binner, and he put up with all the jokes. Afterward, he'd stop by to say hello and say he loved it. I think it was a very democratic and tolerant gesture on his part.
-Do you like politicians coming?
-It's a little uncomfortable , especially for the public. I try to take it easy. It's not a pressure, and I don't have to worry about them. And if they send a message, I never pay attention to them.
-Of the TV hosts, which other hosts do you have fond memories of?
-Besides Nelson, Beto Casella was always very generous The times we shared air, he was a guy who was always encouraging. Chiche (Gelblung) He taught me a lot because he also gave birth to me [laughs]. It was hard, but I learned to enjoy a unique guy who creates his own agenda. Something I'd never seen before. Once, we were doing the show and we were complaining because the columnists didn't talk; we were always making complaints to him on air. And he said, "Well, now I'm going to do a report on each of you, and each one is going to tell their story." And he interviewed everyone from the production team to the camera operator. It was a spectacular program that I'll always remember because each one shared things they wouldn't have shared anywhere else. In that sense, he's a guy who has tremendous curiosity and is an animal. But made me suffer.
-When you look back on the journey from Santa Fe to here, at what point did you say, “I’ve arrived”?
"It happened to me the moment I started working in Santa Fe. I mean, it was a dream of mine to work in the media there, to be on LT Diez , which was the radio station I listened to at home, to do something on Canal 13 in Santa Fe, to be on the FM stations there; that was like saying, 'Well, I've made it. This is what I wanted.'" When I realized I was going to stagnate or that I'd already given up everything, I started looking for other alternatives, and the possibility of being in Buenos Aires opened up.
-And how was that arrival?
-First, by phone. It was the early days of the internet, at the beginning of the 21st century, so everything was done by demo. I remember Julio Leiva, who was Lalo Mir's producer, once called LT Diez asking for Reutemann imitators. At the time, I couldn't find the answer, so I desperately sent him a cassette with all the characters I played. That time it didn't work out, but later we worked together on Radio Mitre with Lalo. So I said, "It was worth the effort. It was worth it sometimes to fail." Sometimes it's worth it to miss the mark or to be told no. That's something my generation learned a lot: to accept rejection and to overcome rejection or a comment that could be devastating.
-At what point did you feel you were known?
-On the street, when people started asking me for photos. At first, I was kind of cheeky. They'd say, "Are you the impersonator?" and I'd say no. I tried to put on a poker face because I felt like I was being invaded. I am very shy. Later, I learned that it's beautiful when people say, "Come with me every morning," or "My aunt has been following you for a while, please say hi." It happened to me when we were at Valentín Alsina performing, and a couple came and said, "Please, my mom lives across the street, could you come and say hi? She couldn't make it to see you." So I went to their house, went into her bedroom (the lady was there watching TV), and they took a picture of us. It felt very sweet, very nice. In general, people are beautiful. They always have a kind gesture or always make a respectful request.
-This summer you were very close to your son. Does he like the world of theater?
-Yes, he likes it. Sometimes he stands in the background and watches how everything is set up. Other times, he comes out to take his bow, but I try not to expose it Too much. He has to be a kid and enjoy kid things, and occasionally he comes to see what this job is like. A job that's different from the rest because it involves a lot of egos and it's a pretty toxic environment. So, I try to make him understand that this isn't life in general.
-How do you experience parenthood? How has it changed you?
You start feeling vulnerable when you become a parent. From the moment they come out of the womb, which is a magical moment, it's like you believe in God. From then on, I've become much more sensitive about some things; I get more emotional. You can't prevent them from crashing, suffering, or things from happening. You'd like to be there all the time, putting cotton pads on them while they're growing.
-Did he spend time with you at home when you started this career?
-Yes, because my mom was left alone. My dad died when I was very young. Back then, she was quite overprotective. Later, when I became independent, she encouraged me, but also occasionally objected or told me, "Be careful with that." And it helped me challenge her, to show her that I could do it. Even when I grabbed my suitcase and said, "I'm going to live in Buenos Aires," she said, "May God help you" [laughs]. And well, then she became a fan. She loved everything. Enjoy and participate. Send the videos of the notes, share everything.
-Are you still in Santa Fe?
-No, she's living here. She moved to be near her grandchildren. She's enjoying it, and we're also starting a new phase in our relationship. Sometimes I'll go to lunch and she'll say, "I brought a beer, shall we have a drink?" And well, I have a beer with my mom [laughs].
-You just mentioned your father and there was a theme in your mind about reaching 40...
-Yes, because My dad died at 39 So it was like the age limit for me; I thought about how I was going to navigate it. So I started preparing myself. His case was an aneurysm, and it all happened very quickly from one day to the next, at a time when the issue of stress wasn't so widespread. I was very aware of this overwork and started taking more breaks. Now I'm in a phase of no filter, like laughing my head off at everything, getting emotional when I need to be, living life to the fullest with my friends. I don't know how long I'll last, but if I leave tomorrow, what I've done so far has been satisfying.
-What would your old man say if he saw you today?
"I don't know, because to me my old man is a mystery. He left us like a hero. I never got to know his dark side, his misery, his other side. I never got to confront him."
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