But not quite. We know, we know. Making fun of other people is mean. But it’s healthier than smoking. And, frankly, when we’re pitched one right over the plate, even we can hit it. So, when Sara Nelson says:
If there’s a lesson to be learned from the international publishing 101 course that is the Frankfurt book fair, it is that what sells here does not necessarily sell there.
… what are we supposed to do? Pretend we didn’t read it? Pretend it’s profound or surprising? Pretend this is something we didn’t know?
Barring that, perhaps we could beg for an article that bolsters its lead. Like, oh, an article that doesn’t gush about the worldwide sales of books by Jon Stewart and (ostensibly) Paris Hilton. Maybe the article could discuss, beyond the very last paragraphs, the reasons for saying what it said up front. It’s that disconnect thing we often talk about. The truth is, American style doesn’t always translate in international markets. This is especially, unfortunately true for American humor. The success of Stewart’s book, we suspect is due to momentum more than anything (that’s not a bad thing at all).
