March 20, 2007

"I'm angry! I'm angry all of a sudden!"/"I'm angry, too! We’re angry at each other!"/"Now everything is fine."

It's the dinner table conversation as imagined by children... as told by the hilarious Simon Rich. Via Metafilter, where the comments eventually get mean:
So when did the New Yorker decide to become McSweeny's, only less funny?
posted by thecjm at 7:24 AM on March 20

Do you know what else is not that funny? The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest Game.
posted by betweenthebars at 7:33 AM on March 20

Ugh! There's a game based on The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest. I detest The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest. It's irritating to see the picture that's "supposed" to have a caption, and then you wait and wait... for what? There's no good caption. Everyone tries to "get" it, but there's nothing to get. It might be okay if somehow the contestants transcended the task, but they never do. They just keep trying to get the nonexistent missing caption. It makes me sad. Now I'm okay again.

11 comments:

nina said...

I agree. It's like asking a class for an answer and there is a right answer and everything else is sort of miserably off track, except with the New Yorker it's worse because often there is no right answer. And none of the captions are funny, ever, because of course, there is this disconnect between the word and the picture. Ugh.

Unknown said...

God, I know what you mean about that caption contest. It always seems like it should have more potential, but the captions are consistently uninteresting.

And now some bloggers put up pictures and have a caption contest.

Once in a blue moon someone comes up with something funny.

MadisonMan said...

The caption contest reminds me of the post a long time ago that asked which book was being covered up?

Was the book ever revealed? Did anyone ever get a weblink? (I think that was the prize).

Jennifer said...

Dad: Let's talk about which kid I like best.

LOL!

George M. Spencer said...

Mr. Shawn would not approve.

Titus said...

I hate the cartoon contest too. By the time next weeks magazine comes you forget what the other top 3 were.

Also, all of the contestants are all trying so hard to be witty and funny and they usually fall flat.

Speaking of the New Yorker did anyone read last weeks hagography on Karl Lagerfeld. I guess he doesn't eat any more (or sleep much) and I think it quoted his age as around 78-I think, yea born in 1933. He is an interesting guy.

He still gets his ass in a pair of diesel jeans though.

J. Cricket said...

Oh Annie, I know it's so hard for you when others get attention. And the winners of the caption contest definitely get attention.

Add to that a contest that you could never win, and I can see why you are so frustrated.

All together now: pooooooor Annie!!!

KCFleming said...

I hate the captions thingy too. But who knew we'd be mocking AJD's career?

Anyway, the only good caption ever was for a drawing by Carl Rose and text by E. B. White:
"I say it's spinach, and I say the hell with it!"

Maxine Weiss said...

It would seem that Althouse has a very precise sense of humor, and claims she simply won't, reflexively laugh at just any 'ol thing.

HOWEVER: That wasn't evident at the Cameron Stracher Conference (still, don't know what else to call it.)

From the VLOG we saw, Althouse ( surrounded by the male species in window-less conference room) laughs easily, breezily throws her head back, the airy-carefree demeanor, so affable and amiable.

What are we to make of this?, from a woman who says not just anything will provoke laughter from her.

Perhaps in mixed company Althouse is able to effect a sort of breezy affability. Very lite and airy--laughs easily and generously at whatever the banter.

Yet, a completely different contrived persona in print.

The many faces of Althouse.

Peace, Maxine

Ann Althouse said...

MadisonMan: Glad you remembered. It was an issue of Palookaville, though not any of the issues pictured here. The artist is Seth. I guess the book was more obscure than I thought!

Maxine: I can tell you don't watch Bloggingheads or you would know I act like that there too. I watch the playback and wonder what the hell am I laughing about. It sure looks like I was having a delightful time. Did I really feel that good? I seem to have some sort of ecstatic reaction to my interlocutors. This is why I need to compensate by spending a lot of time alone quitely reading and writing.

Maxine Weiss said...

Oh oh oh oh, I know.

Is that part of your test-taking stragegy? Whereby you pretend, no matter how difficult the exam....you are just having the most delightful time.

Isn't it funny how exam strategies carry over into social situations.

Actually, I have watched Blogging heads. I noticed there's a marked difference in your eager laughter in the beginning, to your subtlely obvious weariness towards the end of the session.

Towards the end, the easy laughter seems to fade.

ADVICE: Perhaps you need to hold back a little something at the outset, so that by end....you aren't running on empty!

All that levity in the beginning takes its toll, and you seem to have trouble finding your second wind, midway, and at ending time.

Peace, Maxine

Peace, Maxine