Comments on: Joe Queenan: Incurious Harbinger of Death

By: Música » Heads Up!; Bitter Piece Death`s Head

Música » Heads Up!; Bitter Piece Death`s Head — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:03:35 +0000

[...] Edward Champion’s Return of the Reluctant » Joe Queenan: Incurious Pity Joe Queenan, who with his sad, bitter, and predictable essays has secured Queenan is not one to ask why, nor can he tilt his pig’s head even one [...]

By: kelly

kelly — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:25:10 +0000

What i especially loathe about Queenan, is his self-loathing against his own White Race. Specifically, his views of the “Rocky” movies. He mocks all Whites who expect a White to one day become World Heavyweight Champion. Apparently, the alledgedly hipper-than-thou Joe has been completely unaware, that over the last year,or two, that four White Russians have held all four Heavyweight titles. Hear that,Joe? It’s still possible.

By: George Prager

George Prager — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 22:34:06 +0000

He’s still hilarious and a very nice person (in person) and a lot funnier than you. Have you been to Tarrytown? Old town, modest homes. Not exactly Scarsdale. And 50,000 a year? That’s probably the median income in Greenpoint. I guess the only satirists worth reading are those who live in Starrett City.

By: tom

tom — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 02:46:54 +0000

Not having read Queenan’s review, or the toothpick book, I’m still not surprised he didn’t like it. I tried to read another of Petroski’s books on a very narrow engineering subject- the bookshelf in history. I’m sure other book geeks salivated as much as I did when they saw the cover, but Petroski wrote a very boring and rambling book, at least the first 20 pages were so. I wonder what Nicholson Baker would have written on the same topic.

By: Peter L. Winkler

Peter L. Winkler — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:37:29 +0000

Maybe Queenan’s sarcasm wasn’t very witty, but I agree with basic premise of his review. A 443-page book about the toothpick is ludicrous.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:57:23 +0000

Getting ornery in his elder years I guess. Although, from the perspective of an outsider looking at the boomers, that passage sounds dead on haha, though not particularly funny.

By: Kathleen Maher

Kathleen Maher — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:29:29 +0000

You’re point’s well taken. And I did think that for a guy complaining about another guy writing so terribly much about the toothpick, Mr. Queenan had painted himself into an especially sticky corner: to write the piece he had to churn out an awful lot of words about the toothpick himself.

But I’d add another caveat to anyone who’s driven to entertain or create points of interest: you’re not going hit the moon every time. No one does, not even my hero Michael Jordan.

Plan that landing.

By: Lady T

Lady T — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 14:58:05 +0000

I ‘ve learned to avoid Queenan over the years,especially if he’s doing a book review. Not only does he tend to sneer at the author but in the case of fiction,will reveal major plot points that ruin the book for others. He’s not the only spoilsport to do this but I just hate it when a reviewer feels the need to stomp all over the plot surprises(even if they’re pretty obvious)just because he/she can!

The sad thing is,Queenan used to be funny-it’s like what Marcellus Wallace said to Butch”,You see, this profession is filled to the brim with unrealistic motherfuckers. Motherfuckers who thought their ass would age like wine. If you mean it turns to vinegar, it does. If you mean it gets better with age, it don’t.”

By: A.R.Yngve

A.R.Yngve — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:15:48 +0000

Thanks for the sound warning.

My rules of thumb for satire are:

1. Kick upwards. Mock the mighty, the rich, the self-important, the vain, the cruel and the arrogant.

2. Break down false barriers. If someone complains that the poor are filthy and smell, point out that the rich take a crap just like everyone else; Donald Trump’s farts are not perfumed.

3. Remember to Have Fun. If it ain’t funny, it’s failed satire.