Word: lampooning
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Dates: during 1920-1929
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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...
Furthermore, I believe Mr. Code's point of view is wrong. He does not seem to realize that the Lampoon is a club which prints its thoughts in an irresponsible way in the organ it has founded for that purpose. It tries to keep away from the atmosphere of a publication office, and its literary pretensions are consequently ingenuous and insignificant. The members of this club enjoy seeing their works in print; this enjoyment is the only return for their trouble. Why the magazine should have been compared to "Life" I cannot see. The CRIMSON might as well be compared...
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...