Booksquare

We know that the publishing industry moves slowly. While we’ve never actually seen molasses moving uphill in a snowstorm, we understand the book world resembles the process. So it is always surprising to us when houses leap on an almost-brand-new idea. Almost, because they’re leaping onto something that worked because it was so different, so perfectly timed, so right…well, you get the picture.

So this guy who hosts a (fake) news talk show on a cable channel gets his staff together and writes a book that, hard to believe, is as close to perfect satire as we’ve seen in our lifetime (there was a moment in the late 80s that runs a second close, but due to gag orders, that will go without mention). This cannot be recreated. It can be duplicated, and imitation being the sincerest form of…. Anyway, not every brilliant idea needs a sequel (were we hallucinating today or did we actually see a bus stop poster advertising Son of the Mask? If so, Hollywood needs to be stopped. Unless the movie is truly funny, but if that were the case, surely we’d know.).

Do we blame the publishers for not pushing the envelope more — for not demanding higher levels of creativity? That should go without saying. But, to be fair, we also blame the media. There were so many ways to go with this story, and they chose the cheap route. Now, we’re all for a bargain, but not when it gets us worked up. And not in a good way.

• After ‘America,’ a liberal dose of political satire (Note: We do like the pun in the headline; as it turns out, puns are an art form that grow on you as you age. Who knew?)