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Archives for November, 2007

November 30, 2007

Why not Bil Keane?

Daniel Radosh

Remember the days when "generation X" and "twentysomething" were used interchangably? Attending this event was the single most GenX-y thing I ever did, other than sit around and rehash Brad Bunch episodes. I'm even kind of proud of having been there. Not because I got to see an up-and-coming Beck (and a shoulda-been up-and-coming that dog), but because I got a firsthand taste of how crazy Evel Knievel really was. Not crazy in the "jump over 50 flaming trucks" sense, but rather the "we need to eliminate the dollar and start stockpiling gold" sense. Seriously, that's what he talked about. That and other loony stuff that had nothing to do with riding motorcycles. It was spellbinding. I hope someone digs out an old video and posts it on YouTube. Until then, there's this.

November 30, 2007

As long as he doesn't say "ho ho ho"

Daniel Radosh

nigga2.jpg

Santa — and Sears — love them some Nigga.

November 27, 2007

The mainstream media finds its epitaph

Daniel Radosh

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In case you haven't seen Glenn Greenwald's filleting of Joe Klein, here's all you really need to know. After writing a news analysis for Time based largely on a flagrant untruth fed to him by partisan sources, Klein offered this sentence by way of an explanation: "I have neither the time nor legal background to figure out who's right."

November 27, 2007

And Then There Were N-words

Daniel Radosh

JohnnyB calls my attention to a particularly amusing bit of media self-censorship. The Philadelphia Inquirer Cincinnati Enquirer reports that an area high school canceled a performance of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians under pressure from an NAACP official who objected to the original title of the book it was based on. Or as the Inky put it:

Hines said the book's original title and cover illustration used for its initial publishing that year [1939] in England was a racial slur toward blacks and included a cover illustration of a black person and a hangman's noose.

"The original title was 'Ten Little (N - - - - - -),' and it is important to say that because that was the actual title," Hines said Monday.

Important for him to say it, maybe, but not for the newspaper which is merely charged, after all, with explaining the story to its readers. I particularly like how the newspaper's substitution of letters with dashes isn't quite enough to avoid giving offense, so they've cordoned off the former word with parantheses. Whew!

While we're at it, can I just say: What a d-----b--. He shuts down a high school play because it's based on a book whose title — used 70 years ago in another country and never in this one — was offensive? Who exactly was going to be offended if they didn't even know that? Sure, high school students should be taught the history of the book as a lesson in evolving racial attitudes, but they shouldn't be prohibited from performing the play, which in and of itself has zero racial content. (OK, Indians might not like the rhyme that drives the plot, though it's not really about Indians).

For the record, the novel is based on the 1860s funny death ditty Ten Little Indians, which the (racist!) Brits changed to Ten Little Niggers. Contrary to Hines and the Inky Enquirer, the original cover does not show a hangman's noose. He may be thinking of a 1960s British reprint. (Both seen here). In any event, it's not a "hangman's noose," but a suicide's, so any lynching overtones are a product of the reader's recontextualization. (Nor is it a "person" but a Golliwogg, not that that makes it better).

From the beginning American editions of the book were titled either And Then There Were None or Ten Little Indians. In recent editions, the rhyme has been changed from Indians to soldiers or sailors (because it's still OK to insult the troops). The stubborn (and racist!) Brits continued to use the original title through the 1980s.

November 26, 2007

...Shut your mouth!

Daniel Radosh

75670053v1_240x240_Front_Color-White.jpg"My co-anchor and I were talking about a mechanical screenwriter. It is difficult to use at times. The last part of our conversation was silly banter and barely audible, but it was picked up. I called the screenwriter a 'mothersucka' not the f-bomb."

November 26, 2007

Shiver me timbers

Daniel Radosh

pinup195.jpg I wrote a briefing for The Week on modern pirates. Sadly, they wouldn't run this picture with it. Or this one. I think because of the dragon.

November 26, 2007

The strike is making Chris Kelly mean

Daniel Radosh

"How did Ron Silver not have a blog? It's like Paris Hilton not having gonorrhea. You just assumed it was there, and no one told you, because it was so obvious."

And that's just the first sentence.

November 26, 2007

The New Yorker Cartoon Anti-Caption Contest #124

Daniel Radosh

Submit the worst possible caption for this New Yorker cartoon. Click here for details. Click here to see last week's results.

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Winner
"Kejo: You are overthinking this considerably and *still* being illogical. All the crawlers know that there is no water in the direction they have come. Therefore everyone, upon suddenly coming across a wave of parched crawlers coming the opposite direction, should realize that there is also no water in the direction they are going, and try crawling in a direction that no one is crawling from. Therefore they should make a left or a right turn, although it is impossible to determine which. (Making a 180 degree turn would just send them back where they came from, dooming them to certain death.) In my caption, I hypothesize that most of the crawlers are unable to generate this optimal survival strategy, addled as they are by thirst." —Francis

Finalists
"Francis: Oh, and furthermore, a ninety degree turn would send them perpindicular to all other crawlers! Did you mean a 180 degree turn?" —kejo

"Francis: Actually, exactly the same number of people are crawling in either direction (not including the conversing duo)." —kejo

Continue reading "The New Yorker Cartoon Anti-Caption Contest #124" »

November 23, 2007

Happy anti-Thanksgiving

Daniel Radosh

So there was a funny twist to our Thanksgiving anti-cartoon contest: One of the winners of the WNYC/New Yorker contest that I asked you to parody was anti-captioner Amy! Her winning cartoon, under the name Turkey Pardon was not one she submitted to me as an anti-cartoon, but we're happy for her nonetheless.

Amy did submit some bad cartoons as well, but here's the one I selected as the winner, by nameom22. Hope you like and/or hate it.

Update: nameom22 is, in fact, Dave from Cure for Bedbugs.

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November 20, 2007

Users who liked this move also recommend: waterboarding

Daniel Radosh

From a Netflix user review of Rescue Dawn:

I met Dieter Dengler in 1974 just after going through Navy SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) School in Warner Springs, CA. The "legend" about his time at SERE School before he went to Vietnam made his escape unsurprising to the instructors - he made it out from being under the tender care of Navy SEAL "guards" no less six times in four days. Instructors who heard of his capture expected to hear of his escape as a matter of course. And, yes, I spent my turn being "waterboarded" and I fully support the use of that means of interrogation - didn't hurt me unless you count a really runny nose.

On the other hand, The Long Ride Home definitely violates the Geneva Conventions.

By the way, anyone have any opinions about whether to watch Little Dieter Needs to Fly before this?

November 19, 2007

Self-hating writer Peter Landesman wishes he had courage to be a scab

Daniel Radosh

A couple of my TV writer friends wrote to alert me that Peter Landesman has come out against the strike. The intricacies of the labor politics are over my head here, but the tone of the post is unmistakably Landesmanesque — right down to the hatred of all things bloggy. The familiar overwritten assholitry is as entertaining as ever, even if you don't really know or care what he's talking about. As another thread commenter observes, "Weird how some posts read as if they were rehearsed in a mirror first."

Even without all the anti-union stuff, this sentence alone makes it a worthwhile read: "Let’s face it, our favorite people are the characters we create on the page."

You'd better hope they love you back, Peter, because every real person in Hollywood now thinks you're a douche.

November 19, 2007

Yeah, that's one's not funny too. Next.

Daniel Radosh

C0028046.jpg Yesterday, commenter Earnest asked if the anti-caption contest winners "are sounding more and more like actual New Yorker finalists lately?" Today, the New Yorker announced the finalists for contest 121 (Groucho glasses assembly line), and sure enough, one of the choices is a less funny version of one of our anti-caption finalists.

Anti-caption finalist: "Ha. Ha. Very Funny. [checks box] Ha. Ha. Very Funny. [checks box]..." —Mo Buck

Real contest finalist: "Yeah, that one's funny, too. Next." —James Keegan, Milton, Del.

On the other hand, the weeks where all the anti-caption submissions authentically suck are even worse, so I guess on balance I'd encourage more not funny captions that are actually funny, even if they're sometimes a little too funny. Does that make sense?

Meanwhile, don't forget to tune into WNYC on Wednesday to see if any of our Thanksgiving anti-cartoons are good enough to get Bob Mankoff's attention.

November 19, 2007

The New Yorker Cartoon Anti-Caption Contest #123

Daniel Radosh

Submit the worst possible caption for this New Yorker cartoon. Click here for details. Click here to see last week's results.

This week's prize: A signed copy of Regret the Error. (Winner must provide a working e-mail address and not have won anything from this site in the last 30 days. If winner isn't eligible, prize will go to the top finalist.)

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Winner
"Remember how you said Frank Miller and Gary Larson would never collaborate?" —A Silly Mus Musculus

Finalists
“Pleasantville is much more colorful since we started having sex.” —Deborah

"Oh, dear, a rapist." —Francis

Continue reading "The New Yorker Cartoon Anti-Caption Contest #123" »

November 18, 2007

Oh the obscenity of it all

Daniel Radosh

Gisele-Bundchen_sex tape.jpg Here's Sean Wilsey reviewing -- or attempting to review -- Service Included by Phoebe Damrosch in the New York Times book review.

Finally, leaving, Eve puts her hand on Damrosch’s arm, leans close, says, “Don’t be shocked,” and tells her that “apparently the new thing” — actually, this won’t be making it into a family newspaper. But I will say that it is a sexual practice, that it involves a kitchen appliance, and that Caligula himself would have demurred.

I love that the self-image of the "family newspaper" endures in an era when everyone under 25 gets their news from the Daily Show and MySpace. I also love that notions of civility prevent the Times from publishing whatever particular words are missing from that scene, and yet it's perfectly OK to cause an 11-year-old to imagine a kitchen appliance sexual practice, even if what they imagine is likely to be far more obscene than whatever's in this book.

Of course, Wilsey could have written a fine review simply by omitting this this scene. I suspect that had he been allowed to actually quote it, he wouldn't have. The appeal is in attempting a clever workaround.

The book is not searchable on Amazon. Does anyone know what the "new thing" is? Or have a guess?

Update. Commenter Lemon has the answer. While sufficiently disgusting, it's somewhat misleading to say it "involves a kitchen appliance."

November 15, 2007

Best strike ever

Daniel Radosh

November 14, 2007

No regrets

Daniel Radosh

One of my all-time favorite newspaper corrections, up there with Kerry Wood's labia, is this from a 1993 New York Times.

Because of a transmission error, an interview in the Egos & Ids column on May 16 with Mary Matalin, the former deputy manager of the Bush campaign who is a co-host of a new talk show on CNBC, quoted her incorrectly on the talk show host Rush Limbaugh. She said he was "sui generis," not "sweet, generous."

Journalist Craig Silverman has been tracking notable corrections for sometime at the always-entertaining web site Regret the Error. Now Silverman has a new book by the same title. Not a mere collection of gaffes, the book uses corrections as a jumping off point for a thorough and thoughtful critique of the sad state of the mainstream media in the 21st century, as well as a fascinating history of the very concept of accuracy in the press throughout the centuries. Apparently, the New York Sun was only slightly more reputable in 1835 than it is now!

Despite the fact that I don't actually know Craig Silverman, I'm pleased to recommend this book, and more pleased that he's offered an autographed copy as a prize for next week's Anti-Caption Contest.

Anyone else have a favorite correction?

November 14, 2007

This C-word is Canadian

Daniel Radosh

You did so well figuring out what c-word Rudy won't take from anyone, that perhaps you can help with this one from the NYT review of a new stunt show from Canada.

Beyond that, there’s quite a bit that won’t, or can’t, be discussed in this newspaper. For instance, I can’t tell you the last word of the title of tonight’s episode, “Who Can Blow the Biggest ...,” other than to say it’s definitely not sexual.

I love when leaving the word out only makes the sentence more crude. The missing word, it turns out, is fart (but please feel free to suggest better options in the comments). In keeping with Times policy, this is a word the paper will print when the president says it. Or the Unabomber.

(I tried to find the first appearance of "fart" in the Times but was stymied by blurry PDF's, which resulted in returns for thousands of documents conatining the word "fat." Though it was worth the effort just to find this artful 1854 jeremiad against lascivious dancing.)

Meanwhile, Alessandra Stanley's essay on racial humor in sitcoms fails to point out that the 30 Rock routine she quotes at the top is just a retread of this, much funnier, Chappelle's Show skit. (I originally thought this skit went unmentioned due to NYT sensibilities, but the paper has written about it before).

November 13, 2007

Breaking: Rudy won't take cock from anyone

Daniel Radosh

Good news. The Wall Street Journal is safe for five-year-olds.

What accounts for this gravity-defying performance? For starters, it's a sign that for many Republicans an image of strength -- Mr. Giuliani's prime asset -- now trumps a candidate's position on the issues.

"It's all about leadership," says Scott Reed, a Republican strategist who ran Bob Dole's 1996 campaign but is unaffiliated this time around. "It's all about him being a tough guy who won't take c--- from anyone."

To recap, here's the moral clarity of the Journal Op-Ed page: The word crap is objectionable; waterboarding is A-OK.

[h/t: Ted Frank]

[Previously]

November 12, 2007

The Times gets Fucked Up

Daniel Radosh

Sigh.

Pink Eyes is the lead roarer in a ferocious band from Toronto. What band? Well, the name won't be printed in these pages, not unless an American president, or someone similar, says it by mistake. Suffice it to say that this is an unruly hardcore punk band with a name to match. (You can find out more at the official Web site, lookingforgold.blogspot.com.)

Actually I very much doubt the Times would quote Bush saying fugged up.

[previously]

November 12, 2007

All the old familiar places

Daniel Radosh

Happy 90th birthday, Jo Stafford. I'm posting this tribute now just in case Bil Keane dies first.

November 12, 2007

The New Yorker Cartoon Anti-Caption Contest #122

Daniel Radosh

Submit the worst possible caption for this New Yorker cartoon. Click here for details. Click here to see last week's results.

And don't forget the Thanksgiving anti-cartoon contest. Post your worst Thanksgiving cartoon here and, just for fun, here.

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Winner
"As a liberal judge, I need to keep my hands soft so those slaps on the wrist don't hurt too much. That's why I use Palmolive. It's more than just mild, it softens hands while you do the dishes. Palmolive: tough on grime, but soft on crime!" —Walt

Finalists
“Okay, we don’t have much time, lets run it down: Light hor'dourves during opening arguments, and just maybe a nice chardonnay and some brie during cross…and PLEASE have coasters at both the defense AND prosecution tables…Remember: this is civil court.” —al in la

"After years of judging others, I risk judgment myself with my outlandish courtroom-dishwashing antics." —Ed C

Continue reading "The New Yorker Cartoon Anti-Caption Contest #122" »

November 10, 2007

Also, why not Bil Keane?

Daniel Radosh

From the AP obituary for Norman Mailer: "The book — noteworthy for Mailer's invention of the word "fug" as a substitute for the then-unacceptable four-letter original — was a best seller..."

Doesn't "then-unacceptable" imply "now-acceptable"? Because if so, why the fug won't the AP say what the word is?

It's frak, right?

Update. In the comments, abe asks, "Has there been a steady increase in what is acceptable to say in print? Or was there a time, perhaps hundreds of years ago, when words like 'fug' or its longer equivalent appeared in newspapers, etc.?"

I managed to dig up this amazing 1879 New York Times trend story [PDF] on the proliferation of "expletives in high and low life" (or, more precisely, on how a debate about said proliferation has taken over the letters pages of the London Telegraph -- in case you thought the "we're not writing about this distasteful story, we're just writing about how other people are writing about it" gimmick is a recent one). In it, the Times writer observes that,

In my boyish days filthy epithets were much more common than they are now, and a century ago the newspapers printed words which are considered indecent now even in a whisper. I have in my posession a Berrow's Worcestor Journal of a century and a half back, in which a bestial crime was described, in large letters, in a word now ony used by the filthiest and most profane swearer.

Sadly, the goatfucker leaves us to guess what that word might be. This article is a treat from top to bottom, so I won't spoil any more here, except to note that it includes a delightful example of how to describe an offensive word without actually using it: "I cannot mention the revolting originals for whose hideous adjectival force a compromise is offered in 'sanguinary,' 'bleeding,' or 'blooming.'"

[Previously]

November 8, 2007

What the bleep do we know?

Daniel Radosh

Charles Herold, who reviews videogames for the New York Times, is one of the best game critics around. Kotaku's Mark Wilson recently complained that "The fundamental problem with game reviews is that they're analyzing products, not pieces of art. Or more clearly stated, art reviews decide if something is worth your time; game reviews decide is something is worth your money." Charles — whom I've met several times through our mutual friend, Francis — is the exception who proves that rule. You'll rarely hear him talk about frame rates and playing time. Plus he has impeccable judgment (he's the guy who told me that Half-Life 2 was way better than Halo 2) and puts actual attention into his prose. His mildly comic reviews are a pleasure to read, even if you have no intention of ever playing the games he's writing about.

So after reading his review of the new Sam & Max today, I was curious to get his thoughts on our recent discussion about censoring profanity. In the review, Charles describes one character as "a profane young rat named Tiny Tim who alters the lad’s famous blessing with an expletive."

Surely, as a critic who takes his work seriously, Charles would prefer readers to know if the actual line is "Goddamn us, every one" or "God bless us, cocksuckers."

Turns out, the story behind this particular elision is even funnier than most. Here's what Charles told me:

The actual quote wasn't bad at all, actually, because all the profanity was bleeped out in the game itself, leading to long sentences of nothing but beeps, which was very funny. [All Things Considered recently had a piece on this comic trope — dr] So when I wrote the line originally it was "God *bleeping* bless us, every one." I don't know why they changed it. Perhaps they assumed the "*bleeping*" was mine, rather than the game's.

With the Times, the problem is less a matter of not being able to swear than to not be able to be at the least inappropriate. For example, when I reviewed Max Payne I wanted to use one of my all-time favorite game quotes - "Life is a hooker and I'm all out of cash." But even though I put that in my original review I knew it would never get in the Times and actually included my second and third choice (they choose the third, which was ''I was already so far past the point of no return I couldn't even remember what it had looked like when I had passed it.'')

I must admit I envy writers who can say anything they want to. But my philosophy is, I make a living playing video games, so if I have to deal with a few limitations it's well worth it.

November 8, 2007

Dear hunger strikers: eat me!

Daniel Radosh

Hunger strikes are not ordinary forms of protest, like marches or sit-ins. Here's what the New York Times had to say on the subject a few years ago:

Politically motivated hunger strikes tend to occur in a very specific kind of society and at a very specific time: namely, in places with a long history of official repression, but where that repression has gradually begun to loosen. If it is the institutionalized nature of abuse that fuels the strikers to such extreme action, it is the cracks of liberalization that lead them to believe that such a course might shame the government into change -- and often they are right. Mahatma Gandhi's hunger strikes against British rule in India helped turn British public opinion and hastened Indian independence. Even the 1980-81 hunger strike by the Irish Republican Army -- abandoned after 10 men died -- could be considered a partial success in that it strengthened a perception of the Thatcher government as callous and swelled I.R.A. recruitment.

However, there is another common situation in which people will engage in hunger strikes: when they are forced to attend an elite American university. The latest hunger warriors are a group of Columbia students who are determined to put a stop to, well, everything bad ever. The entire statement and list of demands is a masterpiece of baroque liberal solipsism that must have taken six months to assemble using feminist process.

Everyone has their favorite parts. Here's mine: "We strike because we have inherited a world in which racist, gendered, and sexualized hierarchies dominate the way power flows. We strike because the administration consistently resists implementing structural changes that will allow us to challenge these hierarchies."

Yes, the world would be an egalitarian utopia if only the Columbia adminsitration would get out of students' way.

If you're looking to send the starving, anti-sexualized-hierarchies students a message of support, here's a picture for the e-card.

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November 8, 2007

I'm surprised the AP allows such language

Daniel Radosh

countyhunter.jpg

Well there's an embarrassing typo to have in a headline. Where did that extra 'o' come from?

November 7, 2007

The Playboy Advisor has a form letter for this

Daniel Radosh

Myanmar rejects three-way talks with UN

The UN then backpedaled furiously, saying it was only a fantasy and that every international diplomatic institution has it.

November 7, 2007

At least Dog Chapman doesn't care that he's Mexican

Daniel Radosh

Here's one rapper who's never going to get his album reviewed in the New York Times.

[h/t: Frank]

November 7, 2007

Boinkin' with Boykin

Daniel Radosh

dominican-republic-golf-vacation-viking.jpg Not long ago, our old friend Boykin Curry had a dream: to build a no-dentists-allowed "creative person's utopia" in the Dominican Republic.

Now a tipster writes in to say that while Curry works on utopifying Playa Grande, the fancy golf course on the grounds is available for rent. And last month, it played host to a very special tournament of whores. No, this has nothing to do with Thomas Freidman, Charlie Rose and Rich Lowry. I mean actual whores. Turns out, one of Boykin's neighbors is Viking's Exotic Resort [NSFW], a resort that gives new meaning to the phrase "all-inclusive."

Those that love playing golf always tell me what a great course we have in Playa Grande, and that it alone would be enough to bring many of our past guests back and entice new ones. But rather then just swinging a club during the day, you can also swing with our beautiful ladies during your stay. Our sexy tournament is really not about winning or being a great golfer, it's all about having the time of your life.

Does Celerie know about this?

Here's "Eric," the winner of the tournament, with his trophies.

November 5, 2007

I suspect he would so care if she was a Mexican

Daniel Radosh

Good news for 11-year-olds! The media is characteristically conspiring to obfuscate the reason that A&E pulled Dog the Bounty Hunter off the air. Since it might actually be useful to know what a person has to say to get taken off basic cable, and to understand why merely saying "Chapman used the N-word" is inadequate, here's the recording and a transcript.

November 5, 2007

The New Yorker Cartoon Anti-Caption Contest #121

Daniel Radosh

Submit the worst possible caption for this New Yorker cartoon. Click here for details. Click here to see last week's results.

And don't forget the Thanksgiving anti-cartoon contest. Post your worst Thanksgiving cartoon here and, just for fun, here.

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Winner
"Stealing company property? I'm afraid that's grounds for immediate dismissal." —Francis

Finalists
"Ha. Ha. Very Funny. [checks box] Ha. Ha. Very Funny. [checks box]..." —Mo Buck

"No thanks. Considering everyone believes I'm just a mild-mannered guy who's totally not into strangling hookers, it's fair to say I already wear a mask to the world." —David John

Continue reading "The New Yorker Cartoon Anti-Caption Contest #121" »

November 2, 2007

Six degrees of kosher bacon

Daniel Radosh

baconbikinijpg.jpg Google may have downgraded me as a source on Huckapoo, but I still have the number two result for kosher bacon.

That, presumably, is how Dave Lefkow discovered my site and why he contacted me about his new product, Bacon Salt, "a zero-calorie, vegetarian, kosher certified seasoning salt that makes everything taste like bacon."

Dave was kind enough to send me samples of all three varieties of bacon salt, and Gina and I tried them out the other night.

Gina, naturally, read the ingredients first, and pointed out that "seasoning salt" is a somewhat misleadingly mild term for this potent brew of wheat, soy, dairy, natural and artificial flavors, unpronouncable chemicals, sugars and shortenings (a natural version is in the works, but even that is not exactly simple). But if it really makes everything taste like bacon, that's all beside the point, isn't it. This is America after all.

We tried bacon salt on collard greens and hot dogs and, as Gina immediately pointed out, it made them taste exactly like... barbecue-flavored potato chips. It was undeniable: sprinkling bacon salt on your food accomplishes the same thing that emptying the crumbs from a bag of bbq chips onto it would. Now, I happen to like bbq potato chips, but they dont' taste much like bacon, with their cloying faux-smoke flavor and notable sweetness. So I have to say that bacon salt is not yet a kosher substitute for the real thing. Especially if you want to make a bikini out of it.

November 1, 2007

Why not Bil Keane?

Daniel Radosh

art_washoe_redberry.jpg
Pictured: Red Berry by Washoe, 1965-2007.

November 1, 2007

Get a new job, Bob

Daniel Radosh

lynda_carter_gallery_4.jpg The New York Times is not known for having the world's hippest music critics, but surely they should be reasonably conversant with Paul Simon hits from 1975.

Here's Stephen Holden reviewing a cabaret performance by Lynda Carter:

The other [high point] was Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” a song I never completely understood until Ms. Carter introduced it as “a song of seduction.” Suddenly its sly, subversive jive talk made sleazy sense.

And here are some of that song's hard to completely understand lyrics:

She said why don’t we both just sleep on it tonight/ And I believe in the morning you’ll begin to see the light/ And then she kissed me, and I realized she probably was right/ There must be fifty ways to leave your lover

Confusing! If only the subtle seductress had first alerted us to the possibility that her words carried a hidden meaning that might be lost or misconstrued!

Honestly, this is not like being told that Alison is a song about murder.

Related: The other 45 ways to leave your lover and the same joke, shorter, but with bigger afros, from a 1977 episode of The Jacksons Variety Show. Also, a great solo performance of Alison, purportedly from Elvis Costello's first TV appearance.

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