Sunday, October 10, 2004

I immodestly presumed that my satirical column would be the most trenchant humor on the N&R op-ed page today. But Giles Lambertson's (unposted) work shows a talent for dark political comedy that few can approach. The set-up was to make it look like one of those "where's the good news from Iraq?" screeds. Lambertson's daring turn was to ask why, in all the reporting about 35 Iraqi children killed at the celebration of the opening of a sewage plant in Baghdad, was there no real coverage of...the plant opening. Lambertson: "That's pretty startling -- but not because 35 children died. We have come to expect atrocities...No, the news in this report was that a U.S.-funded sewage facilty was opening in a poor neighborhood." He goes on to say that the small amount of money spent on such projects should be seen as proof we are spending prudently, a clever riff on the truth that the situation is too perilous for many projects to get done. Then he's back to the dead kids and the sewage plant, sneering at the media coverage: "Car bombs that shred children obviously are more interesting than infrastructure projects that protect children from hepatitis..." Brilliant parody...You were kidding, weren't you Giles? You aren't really saying that three-dozen dead children are not news, are you? Giles? 3:06:50 PM    comment []

Mike Munger, chair of the Duke poly sci department, on political activism by the young: "The Rock the Vote androids were making merry...(they) looked bright and cheery. I hated them; I hated them all. Look, people: I'll deny this if you quote me. But you go to college to drink strong spirits and get laid. You might even consider recreational drug use, though of course I'm opposed to that. No matter what, though, here's one thing for sure: If you and 100 other people are wearing identical t-shirts and putting water in tubs at 8 in the morning on a weekend, you MIGHT be a nutjob." 2:24:21 PM    comment []

Sam's Notes: "I, too, am mystified by the N&R's lack of coverage on Erskine Bowles' visit last night. The paper blew him off the last time he came to town. This guy's running for the Senate, for God's sake. He could be one of 100 votes that will chart the course for the future of this country, and he doesn't warrant more than a B9 blurb from the city's paper of record?" 2:20:37 PM    comment []

A radical new proposal for presidential politics: reality TV and barroom arguments. "Shows include Fear Factor, on which Bush must pronounce 'nuclear' correctly on live television, and a version of The Bachelor where Kerry learns at the end that the woman he has chosen is not really rich... "...it is perfectly acceptable for Bush to call Kerry 'Frenchy' and respond to his remarks in a Pepe le Pew accent. Kerry may use the word 'duh' as often as he likes in his own retorts."  Democracy 2.0 is my column in this morning's paper. It's very very important stuff. Read the whole thing. 8:30:26 AM    comment []