Go have a burger at Cafe Manhattans in Sea Point and checked out the canvas prints from our Corpowit Calendar while you’re chowing. From future president Jacob Zuma and his juvenile sidekick Julius Malema, to government-owned companies such as Telkom and SAA – not to mention booze, cellphone, and fast food companies – Laugh it Off will no doubt be testing the humour and tolerance of the targets we poke fun at in our ‘Corpowit Calendar’.

All 13 full-colour photographs were taken by photographic legend Obie Oberholzer, who Laugh it Off had to coerce out of semi-retirement to tickle some South African funny bones and cause some more kak. Oberholzer last worked with Laugh it Off in 2004 during the height of their court battles with SABMiller. The publication that came about as a result of their efforts – the 2005 Laugh it Off Chronicles Calendar – was ruthlessly interdicted by SABMiller after it had gone to print, meaning that the final product never saw the light of day.

Op die Maart-kalender van die media-maatskappy Laugh it Off (LIO) se satiriese “Corpowit 2010″-kalender sit ‘n kaalkop-man wat baie na die land se president, mnr. Jacob Zuma, lyk, agter ‘n lessenaar.

Bo sy kop is ‘n groot stortkop. Voor hom staan ‘n bottel J&Z- whisky en op twee rusbanke lê twee vroue met kort rokke. Die borg vir dié maand? “Zuma”.

LIO het die kalender, deurspek met satire oor groot name in die sakewêreld, Vrydag by hul “Skop skiet en donner”-partytjie in Kaapstad bekend gestel.

Die Mail & Guardian het toe reeds Vrydag die stortkopfoto op sy voorblad gepubliseer, maar nie voordat ‘n brief van die presidensie se prokureurs glo geëis het dat die foto nie gepubliseer moet word nie.

Volgens Nic Dawes van die Mail & Guardian het dit later geblyk dat nie die president of sy senior amptenare enige interdik teen die publikasie beoog nie.

Die komediepaar Corné en Twakkie het LIO se gaste in die Tafelberg Tavern uit hul mae laat lag.

Hulle wou onder meer van ‘n laggende Jonathan Shapiro, die bekende spotprenttekenaar, weet: “Was jy in die presidentswedloop of het jy weggehardloop van die president?”

Op die Julie-kalender is ‘n man wat baie na mnr. Julius Malema, leier van die ANC-jeugliga, lyk, besig om blatjang te maak. Agter hom knetter die vuur in ‘n kaggel.

Die borg? “Mr Ballache – original recipe chatterbox”.

Die spot word elke maand met bekende en groot maatskappye gedryf.

Daar is onder meer (of is dit?) die nasionale lugdiens (Substance Abuse Airways), bekende bierhandelsmerke (I’m still Lagered), ‘n telekommunikasiemaatskappy (Tellsome1), ‘n selfoonverskaffer (Aikona), ‘n gewilde studente-rooiwyn (Tossabergie), bekende skopdop (Captain Moron), ‘n brandstofverskaffer (Hell Ultra Shitty) en ‘n gewilde braaihoender (KFR).

Ironies genoeg het SA Brouerye volgens die gashere kiste Black Label-bier vir die aand geborg.

Mnr. Justin Nurse van LIO het vroeër ‘n konstitusionele hofbeslissing in sy guns verkry toe SA Brouerye hom voor die hof gedaag het omdat hy hul bierproduk “Black Labour” in plaas van Black Label genoem het. Die kalender noem dit nou “Black Neighbour”.

Volgens Nurse plaas humor die probleme waarmee Suid-Afrikaners worstel in konteks.

www.liomarket.com/pCORPOWIT CALENDAR/Corpowit-Calendar-2010.aspx

Click image to preview

Only one day to go before the launch of the Corpowit Calendar at the Skop, Skiet en Donner party.

Be the first to order. Click here to buy online.

Laugh it Off isn’t going to wait in line to get sued by the ANC. So while JZ finishes off all 25 cows from his hometown party, Laugh it Off and Jacana Media are throwing a satirically splendid shindig of their own… An evening of hilarious entertainment that will proudly showcase South African satire’s resilience against increasing government censorship, legal strong-arming, and thinly-skinned politicians.

Laugh it Off and Jacana Media are rounding up the troops this Friday evening for a Skop (awesome dance party with DJ Fletcher [DOPE], Skiet (hilarious entertainment from The Most Amazing Show’s Corne & Twakkie, MC David Levinsohn, Zapiro Q&A, Freedom of Speechathon), and Donner (Medieval Tenpin Bowling where you get to knock down your least favourite politician!)

The venue for Friday’s funny festivities will be the Tafelberg Tavern. (Where? Roodehek Terrace, off the top end of Hope Street, 100m down from Gardens Centre). Doors open at 8pm. Entrance is R30.

There will also be a graphic exhibition featuring images from Laugh it Off’s controversial new Corpowit Calendar (photos by Obie Oberholzer), plus kif creative stuff from The Western Nostril and Jeremy Nell – as well as any aspiring artists/satirists/cartoonists who wish to display their work. The Most Amazing Show’s Corne & Twakkie will also be interviewing Zapiro about the state of satire in South Africa.

Books, calendars and merchandise will be on sale, and prizes galore will be up for grabs. For more info call (021) 788 3226 or e-mail info@laughitoff.co.za Please tell all of your tjommies and come and show your support for humour in South Africa!

Interview: Dieketseng Maleke from the Times online speaking to ANC spokesman Brian Sokutu regarding Zuma Shower Gel.

*Side note: We also phoned a friend who does food styling in film commercials to pick up some tips. Basically, that lovely golden colour you see on TV is because they deep fried the chicken twice before it goes before the camera. She also mentioned that fish needs to be almost decomposed before they shoot it to give that lovely glistening look onscreen. The woman could write a book about what they do to food to make it look better for commericials; none of it very appetizing.

Here is some of the production stills: