"Dead Man Pens Hope Obituary for New York Times Wed July 30, 2003 10:58 AM ET NEW YORK (Reuters) - Funnyman Bob Hope died this week aged 100, and the New York Times informed its readers of the sad event by running out an obituary written by Vincent Canby -- a veteran Times critic who died himself in 2000.
Canby, who died aged 76 in October 2000, was a long time entertainment writer for the Times.
"The obituary was written by Mr. Canby several years ago and his byline was on it," Times spokesman Toby Usnik said on Tuesday, adding that Canby's own demise was noted when the Times posted the obituary on its Web site.
The peculiar incident of one dead man writing about another was cause for some titillation in New York's tabloids.
The New York Post, not known for holding back any punches, could barely restrain itself.
"If there are any mistakes, obviously don't call the writer," the tabloid guffawed in Tuesday's edition, adding, "At least he didn't bury the lead.""
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I actually listened to the film clips of Mr. Hope in the "appreciations" being run on TV this week. Some of Hope's jokes were not exactly "nice" (or politically correct, either). [Contrary to common belief, I think humor, like other pleasures in our sublunary life, need not depend on anything negative, even though I readily agree that in our actual social world it usually in fact does.]
\brad mccormick
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Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16)Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21)
<![%THINK;[SGML+APL]]> Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----------------------------------------------------------------- Visit my website ==> http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/
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