'TAINT FUNNY, McJENNINGS Nothing can get any flatter than a supposed joke being told by a person who cannot tell a joke well to a person who doesn't get it anyway!
Such a situation seems to have developed just this past week when the well-known quiz contestant Ken Jennings was seized with an idea to do something unusual - to be different from his usually staid self. He decided, it seems, upon brightening up his Web Page - which I did not even know he had going - by doing some copy reminiscent of the old "Saturday Nite Live" TV days which heaped ridicule and scorn on an unsuspecting personality - "just for fun", to see what wild things the victim might say or do. Don Rickels did it in his face-to-face act years ago and got away with for a time.
Jennings upped his Utah humor enough to accuse Trebek of being a robot who thought changing the predominently backdrop color on the show "Jeopardy" every presidential election year was "change" enough. He is said to have called called Alex Treblinka a "robot" but insists he meant a "cyborg" even though was the only one a "cy-whatever" might be. (Note: its "a portmanteau of cybernetic organisms mixed with mechanical (synthetic) parts. (I looked it up!)
Why would Jennings stoop to use this incident as a reference: "Nobody knows he (Trebek) died in that fiery truck crash a few years back and was immediately replaced with the Trenton's 4000. (I see your engineers still can't get the mustache right.)"
Jennings also scorned the show for its "effete, left-coast" categories and the "same old "format". Recent dictionary editions still say "effete" sets forth the idea of prissiness and undo restraint." The term "left coast", however, now refers to wild, radical, off-beat political and social ideals. Ken also expresses strong dislike for "the same old format." I have no idea that Trebek's pick-up truck fender-bender (bad though it may well have been) experienced on his way home to his ranch, was "fiery" at all.
The format which Jennings dislikes so much now did very well for him during his seventy-four game streak making him a millionaire. It just may be that Jennings would prefer it be loosened up a bit to suit his apparent liking - perhaps something akin to the "Jerry Springer" Show - now seeking funds enabling them to bring their stage musical "Jerry Springer: The Opera" from London to Broadway. Check it out K. J.. There's a format for you! It may be a good investment opportunity for you, too. It has certain cyborgish feel about it, you will like.
Let's stay with straight copy, Ken. No more of this "brighten my corner" humor stuff... which is what I'm calling it all. I can't believe you could be serious.
Relax "Jeopardy" viewers. This, too, shall pass.
Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 7-27-06 [c494wds]
