Has anyone been following the TC's five-part series on having and recovering from a heart attack? It is unbelievably cringe-worthy. It's like the Editorial staff openly asked, "I'll bet that Jack Knox is the most inappropriate columnist to write a five-part series about having a heart attack!' to which David Sovka rose out of his chair and exclaimed, "Hold my beer..." and then keeled over.
In a word, the series is terrible. What a missed opportunity in what could have been a very informative and introspective look at what one's cardiovascular journey. No, instead we get is a barrage of warmed over Jack Knoxian sidebars, cutaways and sophomoric comments from someone who appears to be more than pleased with his own self and writing. It completely take away from the subject matter. Here's a taste:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA.
And it just goes on like that. I'm not saying write it as soberly as a judge. But if you're the main protagonist in this series, me wanting you to suffer another heart attack so that we're not subjected to the rest of series is probably not the vibe you're going for. Look, I nearly keeled over from heart failure due to an undiagnosed congenital heart defect a few years. Of all people, I should empathize with your plight. I should be rooting for you to survive, learn and grow - not actively cheer for your demise. This isn't Thursday ****ing night at Yuk Yuks.
Has anyone been following the TC's five-part series on having and recovering from a heart attack? It is unbelievably cringe-worthy. It's like the Editorial staff openly asked, "I'll bet that Jack Knox is the most inappropriate columnist to write a five-part series about having a heart attack!' to which David Sovka rose out of his chair and exclaimed, "Hold my beer..." and then keeled over.
In a word, the series is terrible. What a missed opportunity in what could have been a very informative and introspective look at what one's cardiovascular journey. No, instead we get is a barrage of warmed over Jack Knoxian sidebars, cutaways and sophomoric comments from someone who appears to be more than pleased with his own self and writing. It completely take away from the subject matter. Here's a taste:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA.
And it just goes on like that. I'm not saying write it as soberly as a judge. But if you're the main protagonist in this series, me wanting you to suffer another heart attack so that we're not subjected to the rest of series is probably not the vibe you're going for. Look, I nearly keeled over from heart failure due to an undiagnosed congenital heart defect a few years. Of all people, I should empathize with your plight. I should be rooting for you to survive, learn and grow - not actively cheer for your demise. This isn't Thursday ****ing night at Yuk Yuks.
I must say I am not nor have I ever been a JK fan; if I want to read truly witty but intelligent yet gut-splittingly funny material I will always defer to the great Pulitzer-prize winning humorist Dave Barry of the Miami Herald. Jack Knox isn't qualified to shine Barry's shoes and I have to agree he is not the guy to pen a series on heart attacks, for a variety of reasons.
First and foremost, and above all, it isn't a funny subject. Nor IMO should it be approached as such. There is probably no one on VV who isn't related to or doesn't know someone who has had heart issues; my own dad passed away from a heart attack.
Barry in fact wrote a brilliant article on colorectal cancer a few years ago called a "Journey into My Colon" that won several awards, because while funny as hell it also managed to weave into the fabric of the article a humanistic angle (his own younger brother at the time was diagnosed with colon cancer), critical medical information, not to mention a very serious message, i.e. guys over 50 need to get into their doctor's office and undergo a colonoscopy which, while perhaps an uncomfortable thought for many, might just save a life:
https://www.miamiher...cle1928847.html
As you note Knox has an annoying tendency, in this series, and in his writing generally, to somehow come across as overly pleased with his own (perceived) witticisms....
Edited by AllseeingEye, 19 February 2019 - 08:21 PM.