DON'T BUY ANOTHER NEW YORKER -- Just a Minute for 7-16-08 - Wednesday

Hello –

Time to listen in to our friends over at Playfair on the Caroliner line where Earl ‘n’ Lester run their Bait Shop ‘n’ Sushi Bar – for those who don’t recognize the Wednesday cast of characters –

The genial host is “Mr. Jack” – who also acts as referee and reference from time to time. Next comes Mr. Billy-Bob Catlett, who loves to fish and tell tall tales – and is kind of the resident wise man – at least he thinks so.

Next comes Homer Leadfooter – who is a denizen of the local Playfair Library where he reads the latest periodicals and new books – and generally keeps up on things to stimulate the Sushi Bar discussion that goes on most of the time.

And then last but not least – there’s Miz Pearl or Miz Pearlie Goodlady, if’n you happened to go to high school with her back a few years ago – we don’t go there.

Today the discussion follows much of what’s been going on for the last two days about the cartoon on the front cover of the New Yorker Magazine. It’s a depiction of Barak Obama in a turban and what would normally be taken as Muslim street clothes; then his wife Michelle sports an ‘Angela Davis’ “afro” in the 60’s tradition – and totes a machine gun that bears a resemblance to an AK-47; and finally there’s an American flag smoldering in the fireplace. Taken altogether – and depending on your viewpoint – it is either a reprise of some of the ‘misunderestimations’ of Mr. Obama that have existed since he first expressed his interest in running for president: or it is simply satire in the tradition of the New Yorker magazine which has run outlandish cartoons before satirizing (or despising) Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and other Washington figures.

There’s been a fairly spirited debate going on in the blogosphere as well as the ‘mainstream media’ as to whether the rednecks and others who live west of the Hudson are sophisticated enough to appreciate this art form – or is the rest of the world who do not live on the West side of upper Manhattan are sophisticated to get the satirical humor which the Editor says he intended to convey. You pays your money you takes your choice. It’s a rather pointless argument – and pretty strange to hear it being thrashed out in the ‘flyover’ country that was depicted once on the New Yorker’s cover when Manhattan Island was depicted larger than Greenland, crowding out the rest of the United states except for a sliver on the west coast labeled Caleefornia with not much else in between.

That’s probably to be expected when Congress is sent home to play while getting ready for their month long August recess – since they’ve been working at such a breakneck speed all this year… especially since the end of January by which time they had accumulated approximately six partial legislative days. Oh well… I think it was Will Rogers who said when the legislature was in session no man’s wife or property was safe. But that was long ago.

Cordially, IN HIM

Jack

http://www.jebcovoice.net/audio/jama07-16-08.mp3

“JUST A MINUTE”

DON’T BUY ANOTHER NEW YORKER!

Homer: Just a Minit – Mr. Jack – didja heer ‘bout the boycott of THE NEW YORKER?

BB: Elliott Spitzer?

Homer: -- Naw, Mr. Billy-bob the New Yawker magazeen -- a Obama cartoon on th’ cover.

MizP: Wuz hit funny?

Homer: Fellers at th’ BAIT SHOP ‘N’ SUSHI BAR was a-wavin’ hit around – Mr. Obama in a turban -- Miz Obama in an Afro – a U.S. flag a-burnin’ in th’ fire pl---

MizP: Oh, thas terribul.

Jack: Why, Miz Pearl? It’s just satire.

Homer: Chris Matthews, over at “Hardball,” thought hit was terribul … reminded him of th’ cartoons ‘bout “NO IRISH NEED APPLY.”

Jack: So he was offended?

Homer: Yep -- he thanks mos people don’t git th’ joke. L.A. Councilman Bernie Parks wants us to boycott the New Yawker…

MizP: Well is hit a joke or not?

Jack: James Carville…

BB: The one who’s wife calls him ‘snake-head?” -- That’s offensive.

Jack: Carville said no big deal -- most of the other commentators didn’t agree –

BB: Don’t the New Yawker have a lot of comics?

MizP: Cartoons! – Sophisticated cartoons -- only New Yawkers git hit.

BB: Then – ‘parently they don’t thank th’ rest of us in ‘flyover’ country will be bothered.

Homer: Chris Matthews is bothered – he thanks they’ll be tee shirts wif that dumb cartoon on…

MizP: Oh tush… who’d we-ah a tee shirt wif a cartoon?

BB: You’d be s’prised, Miz Pearl.

Jack: Tempers are at the ready everywhere … I’m Jack Buttram.

(END)

Jebco Editorial Service

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