Leave it to a Trini to find something to laugh about even in tough times. Even more extraordinary, is a Trinidadian's ability to repackage and revise a long-standing joke. Picong and humour have taken on new life, becoming a staple of social media now that people have more time on their hands. And as many would attest, from public figure to the man...or woman in the street, no one escapes the sharp wit of comedians, social media content creators or commenters.
Most likely leading the pack as a timeless piece of “comedic gold” is the Princess Margaret lady highway meme. Still, as iconic as the meme has become since the elderly lady gave her honest response about nine years ago to questions about plans to construct a controversial highway that would run through her village in Debe, perhaps it could be expressed in a way that ensured once and for all that regardless of class or creed, no one missed out on the joke.
Enter Keron Ramsey–pronounced Kee-ron–as he was quick to inform with a laugh when asked to confirm his name during a Sunday Guardian interview recently.
“Listen eh, my father had good intentions,” he continued.
With such an introduction, it was clear that this reporter was in for some entertainment.
Ramsey recently delivered a dramatic reading of a poem written by attorney and poet, Léel Arlene Bain, based on the Princess Margaret lady highway meme on his Facebook page to the delight of his 1,200 plus Facebook fans and 4,000 followers on Instagram. He said he did not expect his Princess Margaret enactment to gain the large response that it did.
He added: “… but I understand the power of bridging that language gap. Sometimes, some people may not understand Trini parlance or Trini patois, so to hear it in another way and for it to still be funny is something that a lot of people appreciate.”
The lady in the Princess Margaret meme.Princess Margaret Meme
FACEBOOK PHOTO
In the original version, the lady explains in a television news interview that she is against a highway being built on land where she and generations of her family had been living for years.
“We don't want no highway because we born and grow here. Ah have chirren and granchirren as simple as you see me here...”
In his iteration, an impassioned Ramsey translates: “If you search the entire town of Siparia you would find that no one entreated this. We do not approve of the highway because from birth, we have lived here. We've built our lives here...our generations call here home. You may not know this from just looking at me...”
Where the lady rebukes a former head of government, claiming she is acting like she is Princess Margaret, referencing the name of the original highway, Ramsey questions: “...so you disesteem the same people who elevated you?”
He interprets the advice finally given by the lady of where the highway could be better used as:
“Perhaps she should have said (not a typo) highway constructed at the meeting of her thighs. I say this without trepidation and I declare it with my chest, by way of reiteration. She may have the highway constructed at the meeting of her thighs!”
Ramsey said Bain wrote the piece towards the end of 2021 and since they are friends on Facebook, it was easy to collaborate.
The commendations poured in from commenters:
“This is mastery.”
“Wow! What a production!”
“This is soooo good, we need more.”
“Bridging the gap” is an ongoing theme in Ramsey's social media creations. In “Say It Like a Trini”, he interprets formal language, breaking it down into the vernacular or sometimes into trending slang. He also draws from Trini life for his character sketches including, “Trini Uncle” who is always “mamaguying” others, and “Love Guru” who offers some interesting, if not questionable, advice on relationships in response to troubles posted by fans who enjoy his creativity and ability to relate to them.
Keron Ramsey as he dramatically interprets the Princess Margaret lady highway meme.
But Ramsey, who goes by his middle name, Khrstvn, and who started doing humorous videos in June 2021, is no class clown.
“First and foremost, I'm a singer-songwriter, but I'm a comedic commentator if we talk about the other social media stuff. I've been into the performing arts all my life.
“The aim was just to help bring some smiles, alleviate stress in this difficult time. It was an avenue to express myself and be able to connect with the people who support me,” he said.
As a musical entertainer, his main source of income has been affected heavily, he said, excusing himself to check on his boys who were in online classes at the time. His wife of 11 years, La Toya, was out at work.
“Yes, I'm the father of three boys, husband of one wife,” he joked.
“...one at a time, yes one at a time,” he laughed when warned to make sure it was so.
The 33-year-old has performed since age 16, travelling to South America, the UK and other parts of Europe as a gospel singer. He started doing mainstream music with Imij and Company in 2018 and performed at numerous gigs until the lockdown in 2020.
Ramsey said he grew up in a household of three, observing his mother sing with a local group throughout Trinidad. His younger brother, Kess Ramsey, is also popular as a Christian comedian who has sold out at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA).
Having to shift to comedy has not stunted the artiste, however. He has picked up some connections with business owners and has done a few ads for their social media platforms, including one for a large telecommunications service provider.
“There has been a window where I've been able to express myself in another way because of the time that I now have. At the end of the day, if you want to do something else, you can always do it. Yes, it's going to feel like you're building from the ground up because it's a new thing, but you can do something new at any time. I think last year and the year before have proven that,” Ramsey said.
Currently in the middle of shooting an ad for a popular drink and awaiting news about travelling abroad for a singing and acting gig, he said although singing had been his mainstay, he would continue still with comedy and whatever else comes his way.
“I'm doing everything. There are a lot of different aspects that you get from me. I'm multifaceted and I try to maximise on everything. As soon as a door opens, I'm walking through,” he said.