April 13, 2004
WHAT MAKES A WAPO WRITER LAUGH
"I saw a howlarious e-mail the other day drawing on the comparisons [between Iraq and Vietnam]," writes Washington Post foreign correspondent Karl Vick during an online chat with readers. "Dare I post it?"
"Go ahead, post the howlarious e-mail!" reply his Washington commanders. "We trust you to make the right decision, Karl." Emboldened, Karl posts away:
Fact is, the White House says, there are a number of substantive differences between the war in Iraq, and the war in Vietnam. To prove its point, it has released a list of them:
Iraq is over here, and Vietnam is way, way over here, to the right.
Francis Ford Coppola hasn't made a movie about Iraq. He hasn't even started casting.
And so on. 'Cept it isn’t just some anonymous bit of online howlarity "being forwarded around the Internet", as Karl believes; it’s last Friday’s Toronto Star column by Linwood Barclay (who is billed, howlariously, as "the thinking man’s Dave Barry"). Being howlarious, Barclay’s column includes this howler:
The presidents who presided over the Vietnam War never had their picture taken with the troops while holding a fake turkey.
Barclay and Vick are hereby added to the permanent register of fake turkey feebs. Howlarious!
Posted by Tim Blair at April 13, 2004 11:16 PM"Howlarious" sounds like a Ned Flanders word.
You've probably all seen this link on Instapundit but its amazing that even Russian generals can pick up on the obvious points that the western press refuses to (a la the fake turkey):
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2004/04/13/009.html
Posted by: Sergio at April 14, 2004 at 12:01 AMI'm not surprised to see that in a Canadian newspaper. Canuckleheads pride themselves on their nuanced sense of howlarity.
("the thinking man’s Dave Barry". Sweet Jesus! Is there any nationality dumber than Canadian?)
Posted by: Arty at April 14, 2004 at 12:21 AMArty as a Canadian i could be offended by your remark but i'm not since i can take comfort in the fact that the only people who think Linwood MIGHT be funny are his editors. Pretty much anyone who bothers with the Star skips his 'writing' and heads for the more reliable anti-americanism of the op-eds. It's is Canada's pale immitation of the Guardian.
Posted by: matt at April 14, 2004 at 12:36 AMAnother Canadian here to defend our collective sense of humour. I would like to find these people who claim to think Barclay is funny. (And I thought Dave Barry was the thinking man's Dave Barry.)
Posted by: Mark at April 14, 2004 at 12:50 AMCanadians aren't funny? Five words - "The Kids in the Hall."
I'd bet at least half of the comedic actors in the US are C'na'jin. Canucks are very funny.
If you want to rag on them accurately, you have to call them "smug." They've elevated that to a high art. I think they're born with a smirk.
But not funny? Pah. Two more words - "Don Cherry."
Posted by: Dave S. at April 14, 2004 at 03:43 AMDave S., don't forget "SCTV".
Alums include: John Candy, Rick Moranis, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Dave Thomas, Andrea Martin, Harold Ramis, Joe Flaherty and Martin Short.
Posted by: Steve in Houston at April 14, 2004 at 04:53 AMDave: They're from CND. Canada is the corrupt spelling caused by central plains speech patterns.
Just like the US is the US, properly, not the USA.
Eh?
Posted by: Sigivald at April 14, 2004 at 07:06 AMAdd Susan Maushart to the Plastic Turkey roster, after last weekend's Australian (no URLs for her any more, it seems).
Oh, and CND is actually the Hebrew spelling of Canada. Written Hebrew has no vowels, you see (like spoken Nizzilundese, eh?).
Posted by: Uncle Milk at April 14, 2004 at 08:20 AMAdd Susan Maushart to the Plastic Turkey roster, after last weekend's Australian (no URLs for her any more, it seems).
Oh, and CND is actually the Hebrew spelling of Canada. Written Hebrew has no vowels, you see (like spoken Nizzilundese, eh?).
Posted by: Uncle Milk at April 14, 2004 at 08:20 AMCheck out Trailer Park Boys and Kevin Spencer - they make up for Linwood Barclay.
Posted by: Allan the Magic Goose at April 14, 2004 at 09:15 AMThis was all predicted in “Quick Slime Girl” & “Don’t Fear the Blooper” by Plastic Türkey Cult.
All our times have come.
Here but now they’re gone.
Seasons don’t fear the blooper—nor do the wind, the sun or the rain,
We can be like they are, come on baby, don’t fear the blooper, baby take my hand,
Don’t fear the blooper, we’ll be able to fly, don’t fear the blooper, baby I’m your man...
[snip]
Love of two is one
Here but now they’re gone
Came the last night of sadness—and it was clear she couldn’t go on,
Then the door was open and the wind appeared, the candles blew then disappeared,
The curtains flew then he appeared...saying don’t be afraid, come on baby, and she had no fear, And she ran to him, then they started to fly, they looked backward and said goodby
She had become like they are, she had taken his hand, she had become like they are, come on baby,
Don’t fear the blooper.