Thursday, February 23, 2006

Just another day in America ·

Here's the cover of the latest New Yorker -- thanks to Marilyn for pointing it out.

Funny, yes, but I thought it was also poignant because of another news story today: Last High-Profile Tiananmen Protestor Released After 16 Years. Some guy was jailed after throwing paint on a portrait of Mao in 1989; he is said to have gone insane after being tortured. More than 16 years later, he gets out, having spent nearly half his 38 years in a dungeon.

But in the U.S., we practically french-fried Cheney for shooting some guy in a hunting accident -- so much so that the victim apoligized to the guy who shot him! And God yes, it was fun.

Punishment for Yu Dongyue for spattering Mao's image with paint? 16 years of torture. Punishment for Jon Stewart for mocking our leaders? He gets to host the Oscars. Is this a great country or what?

The New Yorker was, of course, where Annie E. Proulx's short story Brokeback Mountain was originally published in, what, 1997. (The author discussed the story behind the story in the Advocate back in December.)

The current issue also has a new John Updike story, if you please.

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Yes! We should never mock our leaders..even on a comedy show! We should always agree with them and all their policies unconditionally! That's what America's all about!