For a while, Mom’s annual birthday gift was the latest copy of the Truly Tasteless Joke books. She also was a particular fan of the no arms and no legs jokes. (There is a notable omission on that link. “Who’s The Guy With No Arms and No Legs and no Tongue Hanging on the Wall?” “Tasteless Art.” I don’t know how they missed that.)
I was thinking about taste when I heard the NPR interview of The Onion the other day, and they were talking about The Onion’s response to 9/11. In this NPR interview they mentioned the headline axed from the 9/11 issue, “America Stronger Than Ever, Say Quadragon Officials.” So I wondered, was it still too callous?
I remember renting party supplies for Christmas 2001, and everyone in line agreed they didn’t feel like Christmas this year because of the attacks. And every year I wonder if it’s time for someone to take a flour shower on Halloween and go as a WTC almost-victim.
And here is where I meant to ask, “How long after the Kennedy assassination before people started dressing up as Jackie in blood-stained Chanel?” but evidently they didn’t, or they were not photographed.
Speaking of tasteless costumes, was I the only one who saw a child at her door on Halloween in blackface? And an afro wig? I didn’t do more than look in horror because the child was also wearing a football jersey, and I thought perhaps this white child might really admire Doug Williams.
Perhaps there’s a fifty-year grace period, like there was with Nazis. So, let’s start looking for the bloody Chanel in 2013.
12 responses to “Tasteless”
I nearly mugged a woman at the library book sale who had snatched up all the Callahan books.
Becs – I went to Wikipedia first and thought that was a clever twist on the author of The Cheating Culture. But then I went to Amazon and saw you meant this: http://tinyurl.com/yf4kp65I want to read them both now.
Ah, Callahan. I used to see him around Portland in his wheelchair. Mean bastard, as some who knew him well could attest. But wildly funny, nonetheless.I liked this cartoon: a sign in a restaurant: anorexic cafe: closed 24 hours a day.
Callahan. Looks like whoever put up the link liked that cartoon best, too.Callahan took a lit class from a favorite prof of mine. Instead of handing in papers, he handed in cartoons. Finally the prof said, “Would you mind coming up here and explaining what your cartoons mean?” More, if this gets posted, but I think Type Pad is acting up again.
Ah. He also wrote a book called something like *The Lighter Side of Being Paralyzed From the Waist Down For Life.*
Hattie- seriously, I think I was meant for this man.
Yes, but don’t get too close to him. He bites.
I saw Jackie (with blood & brains) in New Orleans this year. No 9/11 costumes tho.
Now this is why I love visiting you, Queen – the depths. Of insight, yes, but also just the depths.
Hattie – well, of course he bites, hes in a wheelchair. The question is, what part would he bite?Jessica fantastica – New Orleans must be ahead of Chicago, then! This delights me.Big Dot – I wonder if they have “no arms no legs” jokes in NZ. You could start a trend.
Parker Posey wore blood-stained Chanel in The House of Yes (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119324/).Of course, that movie was messed up.
Hot Mom – Yes, I remember, but I disqualified her because it wasn’t just on Halloween. That was a great movie. Just the right amount of messed up.