Re: Tasteless, but I Must Admit Pretty Funny As Well
Date: November 14, 2006 22:17
Here's what I had to say:
Dear Sir,
I am writing to you in regards to your cartoon which was published in the November 14th, 2006 issue of the New York Post, which depicts Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger reminding two undertakers that it is his recently deceased father who has died, and not the oft-joked upon Keith Richards, who is often satirized as being near-death.
I am a 20-year-old college student living in the midwest who is also a Rolling Stones fan. I write to you not from the viewpoint of a Rolling Stones fan, but rather, from the position of a human being. I am more than certain your work meets daily criticism unlike the very same that I am relaying to you in this correspondence. Not being entirely familiar with your body of work, I can only assume that you regularly strive for the lowest common denomenator in your cartoons through shocking, yet topical references such as the one you make in today's piece. The "joke" that you attempt to make is one that is
in poor taste, and moreover, demonstrates your lack of deceny and humanity. Shakespeare once wrote that "the quality of mercy is not strained; it droppeth like a gentle rain from heaven." However, in your case your quality of remorse and mercy I am sure is of the same variety found in any crack den or jail cell. The mere fact that your "work" is published in the New York Post affirms this.
How can you feel justified in making light of a family's obvious anguish and grief at such an occassion. I am reasonably certain that any member of the Jagger family will not pick up a copy of such drivel, but were they to, what would your work say to them? What did you hope to accomplish by formulating such an idea? Did you hope that your work would inspire, or would invoke a positive outlook on daily life in others?
You are at a level where you are saying: "hey, laugh at this joke I made about someone's father dying. Aren't I funny?"
The obvious question to ask is this: Your father dies tomorrow. Someone (though I can't imagine who would waste column space mentioning you) pokes fun at the fact that he has just taken a dirt nap.
How would YOU feel?
I understand that humor helps us through grief, but I think that's much farther down the line in the process, and not to the extent that you have carried it out.
I don't expect a reply back from you, I merely want you to think about the consequences of your work. You're obviously not concerned about being a decent human being, so at the very least you should hope to not make other's lives miserable. And if it takes a 20-year-old to tell you that, then you're truly lost.
Think.
Hoping You Never Have To Endure Such Anguish,
M. Thompson
I probably could've taken more punches, but I thought it was best to level with him reasonably