Review of "That's Not Funny, That's Sick: The National Lampoon and the Comedy Insurgents Who Captured the Mainstream" by Ellin Stein

In this book, journalist Ellin Stein provides a history of the iconoclastic 'National Lampoon' magazine, and the movies, television shows, publications, etc. it spawned or inspired. Stein did extensive research and conducted myriad interviews, and her coverage of the topic - and all the people involved - is very thorough.

An iconic National Lampoon cover

*****

At the end of the 1960s, Harvard graduates Henry Beard and Doug Kenney moved to New York to be the chief editors of a magazine called the 'National Lampoon' (NL), an outgrowth of the iconoclastic 'Harvard Lampoon' (HL).


Henry Beard


Doug Kenney


A Harvard Lampoon cover

The HL prided itself on fun parodies, like a story called 'Alligator' that riffed on the suave James Bond (007) character, who orders his martinis 'shaken not stirred'. Alligator's James Bond is meticulous about his food, and in his BLT sandwich, "the bacon must be crisp, not however over-cooked; lettuce from the inside please, but not the heart."


Cartoon of James Bond (007)

One of HL's big successes was a parody of 'Playboy' magazine, which was endorsed by Playboy founder Hugh Hefner himself. The Poonies (HL writers) came up with the ideal playmate, a sort of female Tarzan from a Carolina coastal island whose English is restricted to 'My name is Oona. Mama and Papa dive into sea. Berries and herbs, herbs and berries'.


The Harvard Lampoon's parody of Playboy Magazine

Stein writes, "The Poonies had stumbled onto the trick that would be the financial cornerstone of their subsequent parodies and later the National Lampoon: because the naked ladies were presented in a joke context, the reader could feel superior to his sweaty-palmed brethren who genuinely sought out this kind of fantasy stimulant without having to deny himself any of their voyeuristic gratification."

Another HL project was a parody of J.R.R Tolkien's heroic epic 'Lord of the Rings', called 'Bored of the Rings', in which "cowardice, confusion, and passing the buck are the order of the day."


The Harvard Lampoon's parody of Lord of the Rings

With several popular publications under their belt, HL writers Beard and Kenney "just knew they wanted to create a humor magazine and it would be big and glossy and wonderful and they would have a great time doing it and would be a great success." This new magazine would be called the National Lampoon.

To get the NL going, Beard and Kenney hired Harvard Poonies to be writers, HL alumni to be advisors, and outside artists and caricaturists to supply pictures to go with the words. This resulted in a kind of 'boys club', where meetings were held in restaurants, and irreverence ruled the roost.


Some staff members at the Natonal Lampoon

When outsider Michael O'Donoghue came on board, he wanted to do some damage, search and destroy....that's the kind of comedy he liked. O'Donoghue observed, "The Harvard people fought with the épée. They made little digs in the wrist you know - 'Ha ha! Have at you!' I taught them to fight with the truncheon. It was just a more brutal form of humor - less sport, more murder."


Michael O'Donoghue

The NL also segued into politics. For instance, when the Vietnam war expanded into Cambodia amidst increasing antiwar protests, Kenney wrote a satirical editorial that suggested Cambodia would soon enjoy he same benefits as South Vietnam, "Once an underdeveloped Asian sump full of mosquitoes, overcooked rice and foreigners, [South Vietnam] has blossomed under our tutelage into a veritable Eden of rusted tanks, Coca-Cola bottles and highly decorative half-breeds."

The National Lampoon's first big success featured a cover of Minnie Mouse in pasties, which spurred the Disney organization to sue for $11 million.


National Lampoon's cover of Minnie Mouse with pasties

Among the magazines most popular features were parodies of other types of publications, for instance, 'Pethouse' - which featured photos of furry animals in provocative poses; 'Stupid News and World Report'; Gun Lust magazine; Third Base - the Dating Newspaper; and more.






Examples of Harvard Lampoon parodies

The NL writers and artists collaborated to formulate content, and tried to think of every possible joke on a subject. For example, the writers' room came up with a story about a convicted Watergate burglar doing time at a light security prison: there's a moment when the prisoners, "pushed beyond endurance by a selection of inferior vintages, bang their tin cups and call for 'Montrachet'."



There weren't many women working for the the NL, and women weren't especially welcome. For example, NL comedy writer Anne Beatts got the distinct impression that neither Henry Beard or Doug Kenney wanted her to be there. Stein writes, "However, because the editors had been brought up to be polite, they weren't about to run to Michel Chobette [a Lampoon contributor and Beatts' boyfriend at the time] and say, 'Can't you just leave her at home?' "


Anne Beatts

In time, the NL staff expanded to include refugees from advertising and Canadians, and Stein describes their differing personalities and styles of comedy. Some of the magazine's Canadiana included bumper stickers like 'My Country, Correct or Misinformed'; and translations into Canadian: 'Up against the wall you motherf***ingpig turns into 'Now wait a minute officer, let's be reasonable'.



Regardless of their provenance, once writers/editors were admitted to the club, it became the most important thing in their lives. A Lampoon editor was a Lampoon editor twenty-four hours a day, and the Lampooners appreciated having kindred spirits to bounce their ideas off. Stein notes, "The Lampoon writers had found more than drinking buddies: they had joined a sort of gym for the intellect, where their creativity could be stimulated and stretched."

Relations among the NL personnel wasn't all sweetness and light, however, and Stein documents the numerous jealousies and rivalries as well as the collaborations and alliances.

In addition to contributing to the NL, many comedy writers went on to work in radio, movies, records, live theater, television, publishing, etc. Stein gives examples of celebrities like Gilda Radnor, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis and others, who went from the NL to Saturday Night Live.....and on to big success, often in movies.


1975 cast of Saturday Night Live. From left, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin, John Belushi, Laraine Newman, Dan Akroyd, Gilda Radnor, Bill Murray

NL writers penned the script for the film 'National Lampoon's Animal House' (1978), which started out as a raunchy juvenile story set in high school. The movie took many rewrites, many writers, and many years to come to fruition. NL also spawned successul movies like 'Caddyshack' (1980), 'National Lampoon's Vacation' (1983), and 'Ghostbusters' (1984). Moreover, the NL changed the face of popular culture by inspiring The Simpsons, The Onion, This is Spinal Tap, South Park, SCTV, The Blues Brothers, and more.









In a way, the NL was responsible for its own demise, because its audience moved on to other comical fare inspired by the magazine.

Unfortunately, one of the NL's founders, Doug Kenney, came to a sad end. Kenney grew insecure about his talent, succumbed to cocaine addiction, and in 1980 - at the age of 33 - Doug was found dead at the bottom of a cliff in Hawaii.

At over 400 pages, author Ellin Stein relates everything you'd ever want to know about the National Lampoon; its editors, writers, and artists; the movies it sponsored inspired; and its HUGE influence on popular culture.



FYI: The 2018 movie 'A Futile and Stupid Gesture' tells the story of the founding of the National
Lampoon, and relates the troubled life and sad end of Doug Kenney.

Rating: 4 stars

Review of "The Edge: A 6:20 Man Thriller" by David Baldacci

In this second book in the '6:20 Man' series, former U.S. Army Ranger Travis Devine investigates the murder of a CIA agent in rural Maine. The book works fine as a standalone.

*****

As the story opens, secret government operative Travis Devine, who has MEGA SKILLS from his previous Army Ranger training, encounters three assassins on a train from Geneva to Milan.



Travis kills two men and leaves one woman unconscious but alive, thinking she might change her ways. As things turn out, this isn't the best possible move.

In any case, once Devine is back on American soil, his handler, retired two-star general Emerson Campbell, gives Travis a new assignment.



A CIA operative called Jennifer (Jenny) Silkwell was shot to death while visiting her hometown of Putnam, Maine. To make things even worse, Jenny's government computer and phone were stolen. The electronics may contain sensitive information, and mustn't fall into the wrong hands.



General Campbell gives Devine a credentials pack that identifies him as a special investigator with Homeland Security, and sends Travis to Maine to find Jenny's killer and retrieve the computer and phone.



As soon as Devine arrives in Putnam, which has a population of about 250, he starts to sense hostility from the locals. This starts with the owner of the Putnam Inn, where Devine is staying. Then when Travis meets Chief of Police Richard Harper and Sergeant Wendy Wuss - and suggests they collaborate - the cops are cold.





Wuss complains, 'You're here to do the job we're already doing...Feds are all the same. Think you're bettern'n the locals'. In fact, the local investigation does seem to be rather languid. Medical examiner Françoise Guillaume notes that the tox screen and blood workup on victim Jenny's body isn't complete because 'they don't get done as fast as on TV'.



And the cops haven't interviewed Jenny's sister Alex and brother Dak because, as Sergeant Wuss notes, 'They're grieving. We'll talk to them at the appropriate time. It's how we do things up here'.

The people in Putnam do know Jenny 'was a spy or some such' and seem to believe that's why she was killed, because 'no one from around Putnam would hurt one hair on Jenny's head.' Everyone seems to agree about this, including Jenny's brother Dak, who's a tattoo artist and entrepreneur.



In spite of law enforcement seeming to drag their feet, Devine plows right ahead with his investigation. Travis examines the crime scene; studies the bullet casing left behind; questions the retired lobsterman who found Jenny's body; interviews Jenny's relatives; speaks to people acquainted with Jenny; and so on. Devine finds that ALMOST EVERYONE in Putnam seems to be obscuring facts, hiding secrets, or out-and-out lying.



In addition, for a small town, Putnam seems to have more than its share of trouble. First, Devine learns that Jenny's sister Alex was beaten and raped when she was sixteen, but has amnesia about the incident. The perpetrator was never caught, and the case is still open. Second, a married couple burned to death when their house caught fire, a tragedy that was attributed to an accident. And third, an elderly woman died horribly as a result of a hit-and-run that left her crawling in the road. The driver wasn't identiied, and was assumed to be an outsider. As things play out, a thread seems to connect all these incidents.

For his part, Devine, despite being a 'tough guy' former Army Ranger, has a caring nature. This makes him especially sympathetic to Jenny's beautiful sister Alex, a talented artist who's still isolated, frightened, and anxious because of the long ago rape.



In addition to Jenny's homicide, there are other troublesome things happening in Putnam. There's smuggling along the coast, with boats coming and going at night; fentanyl overdoses are rampant; a sniper is targeting people; someone seems to be tampering with evidence; Devine is being chased by assassins with foreign accents; and more.



The road to solving Jenny's murder is dangerous and convoluted, but Devine uses his considerable smarts, and also gets assistance from his handler, General Emerson - whom he consults frequently. Emerson has access to military files, drones, classified information, and so on, all of which is helpful.

I was entertained by the story, but it has flaws in my opinion. For instance, though everyone in Putnam is supposedly opposed to Devine's investigation, people are CONSTANTLY offering Travis coffee, tea, or drinks, and happily chatting away. Moreover, Travis gets too involved with Jenny's sister Alex, which would certainly be a no-no for a real Homeland Security Agent. Lastly, Devine's inquiry should have an urgent, top speed vibe, because the missing computer and phone could be in enemy hands. Instead, Travis's investigation appears to meander along with hardly a thought to the secret files.



Still, David Baldacci is a talented writer, and many thriller fans would probably enjoy the novel.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret: A Festive Mystery" by Benjamin Stevenson

This review was first posted on Mystery & Suspense Magazine. Check it out for features, interviews, and reviews. https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/ev...

In this third book in the 'Ernest Cunningham' series, set in Australia, the amateur sleuth investigates a very tricky case. The book works fine as a standalone.

*****

The premise of these clever mysteries by Benjamin Stevenson is that an author named Ernest Cunningham writes books about real murders he's helped to solve.



Cunningham's first book, 'Everyone In My Famly Has Killed Someone', is about homicides that occurred during a family reunion at a mountain resort, and Cunningham's second book, 'Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect', is set on a luxury train.

Cunningham prides himself on the fact that he adheres to the rules of 'Golden Age' mysteries, such as: nothing supernatural; no surprise identical twins; the killer must be important to the plot; no obvious truths must be concealed from the reader; and so on. Ernest sticks to the rules, but in a rather cunning fashion, and he promises, "My job is to relay to you everything you need to reach the same 'lightbulb' moment I did.



As the story opens, it's a few days before Christmas, and Ernest is headed for Katoomba, where his ex-wife Erin Gillford has been arrested.



Erin is charged with murdering her boyfriend, wealthy philanthropist Lyle Pearse. Lyle pioneered the Pearse Foundation, which helps drug addicts get clean - and stay clean - by involving them in theatrical productions.



When Ernest gets to Katoomba, he finds Erin sitting in a jail cell, waiting for him. Erin explains that, when she woke up this morning, Lyle wasn't in bed, and she had blood on her hands and face. Looking around the house, Erin saw a knife at the top of the steps, and blood drops leading to Lyle's body downstairs.



Erin's first thought was to contact Ernest, who has a knack for solving murders. She then called the police, who promptly arrested her. Ernest listens to Erin's story, then proclaims he believes she's innocent, and promises to look into the case.



As soon as Ernest leaves the jail he's accosted by tabloid journalist Josh Felman, who chronicles reality star divorces and Ernest's investigations.



Ernest observes, "I had no idea how Felman had managed to get to Katoomba so quickly, let alone how he knew I'd be there....Josh Felman is a truffle dog of a journo who prides himself on being the nearest to the stories rather than the best reporting them." It turns out that sneaky Josh has photos of the crime scene, and he and Ernest agree to share information.

Meanwhile, the Pearse Foundation is preparing for that evening's show, which is a performance by renowned magician Rylan Blaze.



Rylan's big trick involves him being placed in stocks beneath a guillotine, with a gun pointed at his head. Rylan has to escape the stocks before the guillotine blade drops, simultaneously catching a bullet in his teeth.



Ernest plans to catch Rylan's show later that night, and in the meantime, proceeds with his investigation. Ernest examines the murder victim's office, where he observes Lyle's cheap supermarket chocolate advent calendar, computer set-up, diary, and what turns out to be an important clue.



Ernest also meets the Pearse Foundation employees and volunteers, many of whom are recovering drug addicts. Ernest considers everyone in the Pearse Foundation a possible suspect, including:

❁ Rylan Blaze - the magician whose show is currently being featured at the Pearse Foundation.



❁ Flick - the CFO of the Pearse Foundation.



❁ Theresa - a hypnotist/psychic who does a warm-up act for Rylan Blaze.



❁ Samantha - Theresa's twin sister, who works as Flick's assistant.



❁ Dinesh - the production manager for the Pearse Foundation, who's operating the lights for Rylan Blaze's performance.



❁ Christopher - the head counselor at the Pearse Foundation.



Cunningham is fair but devious about sharing clues with the reader, and I didn't match his 'lightning' moment. It was fun to try though, and many fans of cozy mysteries would enjoy this book.

Thanks to Netgalley, Benjamin Stevenson, and Mariner Books for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3.5 stars