Word: lampoonable
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...review of the current Lampoon in a CRIMSON of last week was recently brought to my attention, and my reaction toward it. I think is natural. To my mind Mr. Code has rather overstepped the bounds of good sense in writing a "slam", as he himself confesses, in lieu of a formal review. It is with his attitude that I disagree, and I would like to call attention to several rather important lapses in which Mr. Code has indulged...
...review be considered as such, it must be a complete criticism of each point of the thing reviewed. The Lampoon review seems only to consider the jokes and the verse of the issue, neglecting entirely the drawing, the editorials, the general make-up of the sheet, etc. In reviewing (sic) the jokes Mr. Code un-burdons himself of the old Clemens theorem of surprise in humor; yet he forgets that there is no surprise in the oldest and most honored joke in the language. His platitude of rime polishing the point of humorous verse is apropos but not of sufficient...
Some of the material in the Lampoon is silly enough to be laughed at by a person drunk enough. It is fairly easy to be foolish, but it is the hardest thing in the world to be a clever Fool. Both wit and humor require intelligence, wit chiefly in the manner of presenting an idea, humor in the sympathetic study of life's absurdities. Satire, another form of art that makes its points by emphasis on the absurd, depends also for its force chiefly on the intelligence behind the ridicule. For satire is a form of criticism and as criticism...
Though lack of substance and lack of though are the chief defects in the Lampoon, the imperfection in form is notable, especially in the verse. Slovenly verse is not funny though it may be ridiculous. Humorous verse requires the greatest perfection of form. A skillful rhymester uses his rhymes to point his wit and obtains additional effects by surprising rhymes. Everyone is familiar with the lamentable effect of even a good joke haltingly and redundantly told by a dullard who remembers it imperfectly and repeats it clumsily. Concise expression, accuracy, and fluency are essentials of wit in verse and even...
...Lampoon boasts that it is the father of "Life", Let it then study Life and find subjects for intelligent thought and intelligent laughter...