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In anticipation of his Portland appearance, WW published commentary on The New Yorker satirist Andy Borowitz ("The Borowitz Retort," WW, Jan. 16, 2019). In it, WW contributor Corbin Smith warns that "prolonged exposure to Borowtiz's anti-Trump 'satire' might turn you into a Republican." He argues that Borowitz's humor is "like a lethal form of chamomile, full of boring platitudes and personality-driven sentiment that will put anyone with any common sense into a fatal sleep." Here's how readers responded.
David Fuller, via Facebook: "You embarrassed yourself with this screed of jealousy. This guy is rich AND is published by The New Yorker AND doing a show at the Schnitzer AND a lot of people think he's funny…so you get bent and write this?"
Nicho Necro, via Facebook: "This is probably the single best thing I've ever read in WW. Definitely the best in at least a decade or two."
Jeff Sheridan, via Facebook: "🎶Some-one's jeal-ous.🎶"
James Lucas Jones, via Twitter: "The left-leaning grandparents of the United States are going to be outraged at this take."
Mick Wagner, via wweek.com: "I'm not even going to dignify this so-called article by taking the time to point out everything wrong with it."
The Kolleeny of Tomorrow, Today!, via Twitter: "The amount of time I have spent angrily explaining to empty rooms why a joke is not a real joke is vindicated by this article."
Wendi Moose, via Facebook: "Disagree. Someone sounds bitter and jealous. You can do better, WW."
End the Madness, via wweek.com: "Andy Borowitz's writing is just a reflection of the broader baby boomer hubris, narcissism and hypocrisy that led to this nightmare scenario we're currently living in."
Donna Bauer, via Facebook: "I'll save this article and reread it on April Fool's Day."
Burtlincoln, via Reddit: "Andy Borowitz is a scourge. The author is doing God's work here. Anyone who finds that human gym sock of a man even remotely funny needs to have their eyes pried open and forced to watch hours of 1980s standup."
Longtail, via wweek.com: "That's funny, I was just thinking the other day that Andy Borowitz should be encouraged."
AnarchoMcTasteeFreez, via Reddit: "[Borowitz's] schtick demonstrates there really is some truth to the stereotypes about The New Yorker and their readership."
