A Few Words on the Passing of Dave Barry's Column

Washington Post ^ | 1-2-05 | Steve Martin

[Flux Capacitor]

Dave Barry is going on an "indefinite hiatus" only to attract attention to himself. Not famous enough, Dave? Why don't you go on hiatus! Oh, and make it indefinite. That'll grab some headlines.

Dave says he wants to spend more time with his family. But I hesitate to tell you that Dave's family is a hash pipe and some old Playboy magazines. Yes, Dave has written many funny essays that have appeared in our nation's newspapers. However, most of his material is plagiarized from his own mind. Often, a funny idea will come to Dave, and then he will use that idea in one of his columns. Another device that he uses is the old trick of putting the punch line at the end of the sentence or paragraph. These tactics are abhorrent.

And, by the way, you know how he often says, "And I'm not making this up?" Well, he made that up.

Dave Barry, and I am not making this up, loves Satan.

Yes, he's really going on hiatus to give himself more time to worship Satan. When you think of all the Daves in the Bible, most of them are Satan worshipers. The snake, if you recall, was named Dave. And who is it who often takes a hiatus? Satan. Remember the movie, "Satan Takes a Hiatus"?

But I will miss Dave. I'm going to miss every Sunday morning when I would run outside and get the paper and read his column and laugh out loud and feel sick with envy because he's so funny. Now I'm just going to have to settle for knowing that he's still there, in Florida, being funnier than all of us put together, but that the rat is keeping it to himself.

[Flux Capacitor]

I remember it was ten years ago today that The Far Side ended. Now I find out on Jan. 1 that Dave Barry's hanging it up.

I'm starting to dread New Year's.

-Dan

[Flux Capacitor]

[dennisw]

Dave Barry - not funny. He's a male Erma Bombeck. He's gotten rich off it so what does he care.

[Fire137]

I enjoyed his books. Got some good laughs!

[Andyman]

Calvin and Hobbes too.

[dansangel]

I hate to hear that. I remember when Larson took "some time off" too.

Thanks for ruining my day. :-(

PS - Maybe he will write more books in his "spare time." Being from FL, I really like his, Carl Hiaasen's, Tim Dorsey's, Lawrence Shames's, Michael McLelland's and Randy Wayne White's FL adventure (misadventure) tales.

[dansangel]

Calvin and Hobbes too.

Another bummer. I really miss that.

[Military family member]

Dave spoke here last year. Just hillarious. My favorites are his year in review columns which pretty go after everyone.

[rellimpank]

---yep---those are the only "year wrapup" or whatever that I bother to read---

[BigSkyFreeper]

Calvin and Hobbes

That comic strip and the original Bloom County comic strip were two of my favorites back in high school.

[bitt]

for a NY chuckle, Donald E. Westlake and Lawrence Block.

Westlake = Grand Master.
Block = right up there.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Dave used to be the funniest writer in America, but has been going downhill ever since he dumped his first wife, hooked up with a much younger woman and started the proverbial second family.

[TheRatHunter]

Life will never be the same without Calvin and Hobbes...I still haven't gotten over it..

[dansangel]

I have read every Bernie Rhodenbarr (Burglar) book by Lawrence Block - excellent "cozy" reads. His dark and somewhat hard-boiled Matthew Scudder books are great, too.

I'll definitely have to give Westlake a look. Thanks for the recommendation!