It reminds me of the book "Life Its Ownself: the Semi-Tougher Adventures of Billy Clyde Puckett and Them" by Dan Jenkins. In this novel, the sequel to "Semi-Tough," Billy Clyde's football career ends with a knee injury, so he heads into broadcasting. One of the running jokes is the names of the network shows. For example, we discover that Car Wrecks was cancelled and replaced with Celebrity Car Wrecks.
When did this go from being a stupid joke to being prophetic?
By the way, several of Jenkins' novels are available on the dollar rack at Sow's Ear Antiques on the square in Berryville. You can also find them on the web at http://www.eurekaspringsantiques.com/.
Image downloaded from Amazon.com
Dan Jenkins was one of the most prescient of writers in the late 20th century and gives more evidence that sports writers (and travel writers) are the best writers in American Literature. Jenkins’ used sports as a cover for commentary on popular culture—which he enjoyed for its excess but always understood to contain broad elements of stupid. Since the 80s’ when Jenkins was popular, excess has given way to stupid: I enjoy seeing naked women, for example, as much as the next guy—as Jenkins’ certainly did—but the naked woman should have the sense—as did Jenkins—to walk out of the room when someone like Sarah Palin enters it. There is a woman for whom no article of clothing can cover the nakedness of her stupidity.
ReplyDeleteThank you John for your insightful remarks (I especially enjoyed your Pallin commentary).
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