A Cuban who went to copy series onto a USB drive ended up witnessing a scene that sparked laughter on social media: a woman waiting in line asked for "one or two reality survival shows," a request that, amidst the crisis facing the island, led to all sorts of jokes.
The anecdote was shared on Facebook by the user known as Litle Lo La, who turned the everyday episode into a satire about the challenges faced by Cubans.
According to their account, the request left everyone bewildered for a few seconds.
"There was an uncomfortable silence in the room. The boy looked at the lady, the lady looked at the boy, the boy looked at me, I looked at the ceiling, the ceiling looked at the other lady who was behind me in line, the other lady looked at the painting of Fidel hanging on the wall, and the painting of Fidel looked back at the lady who wanted to copy the survival reality shows," he narrated.
The seller tried to offer her other options, but "without the survival part." For the author of the post, the irony was inevitable.
"Why does this woman want to see that if the life of a Cuban is essentially a survival show?" she wrote.
From that point on, the author wryly commented on how everyday life on the island surpasses any fiction. In her narrative, she stated that while Larousse was writing the dictionary, "a Cuban came who had survived dengue, chikungunya, Zika, three continuous Special Periods," ate "floor mat steak," and asked the lexicographer to please include the word "Survival" next to his photo
But the real turning point of the story came when the seller finally showed the woman the program he believed she was looking for.
"Ah no, but there people are wearing clothes... what I want is the one from Survivor: Naked and Afraid," she replied.
It referred to Naked and Afraid, known in Latin America as Supervivencia al Desnudo, the Discovery Channel show in which two participants attempt to survive for 21 days in extreme environments without clothing, food, or water.
Humor to Survive the Crisis
The scene took place in one of the businesses dedicated to copying audiovisual content onto USB drives and other devices, a practice that has served in Cuba as an alternative way to access movies, series, and programs.
The author herself began her story by ironizing about the restrictions surrounding this activity: “Is that already legal, and can I say it openly, or do I have to say that I went to buy pastries?”
In 2024, new government regulations restricted the commercial display of audiovisual content through digital media, although officials later clarified that copying for personal consumption was not prohibited.
The post generated numerous comments that followed the same humorous tone, but it also reflected the exhaustion of those who identified the "survival reality" with their own lives.
"Literally, we live in a reality show with the difference that we are not paid; on the contrary, we have to pay to survive," wrote a user.
Another joked, "Soon you'll be able to refresh your view without having to go buy pastries, because at this rate, we'll all be walking around without clothes."
Amid power outages, food shortages, and an economic crisis that increasingly affects households, humor continues to serve for many Cubans as a way to convey a reality that often seems to surpass any fiction.
As another commentator summarized: "The life of a Cuban is an endless story of relentless craziness."
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