n The problem with Patrick May’s column (“Silber dead after life bent on world domination,” pg. 7, Feb. 7) isn’t that it attempted to make fun of John Silber’s death – it’s that it wasn’t funny. If you’re going to parody a man’s obituary, at least make it worth reading.
Instead, May filled his piece with “jokes” we’ve all heard umpteen times before: Silber has one arm, Silber is old, Silber’s a dictator, etc. Hardy har har.
As a former Free Press columnist, I understand the urge to poke fun at Silber, but as the old man has done us all the courtesy of remaining relatively quiet since his retirement, I think we ought to reward him by not publishing unwarranted criticism – particularly when it doesn’t make me laugh. Patrick May should stick to straight opinion columns until he develops a better understanding of humor. And you, Brittany Lawonn, are charged with ensuring that this sort of monotonous drivel doesn’t make it onto the Editorial Page again.
Elliot Levy
COM ’04