Mr. Ed: Dead Is the Final Chapter for Fictional Favorites
Sure, I’ve got a dark sense of humor—I used to work in a mental health facility (and don’t even get me started on my dysfunctional families). The latest literary gem for people who find humor in murder, suicide, and plain old death is Mr. Ed: Dead and Other Obituaries of the Most Famous People Who Never Lived. Within its pages are news clippings and obituaries covering the deaths of such famous characters as Betty Crocker (“Dead at 88; Rich But No Longer Moist”), the “Wild and Crazy Guys,” Arnold Ziffel, Mr. Magoo, Choo Choo Charlie (“Life Was Good, But Not Plenty”), and the tooth fairy.
Authors Barry Nelson and Tom Schecker showcase their pop-culture literacy with fitting endings for classic characters (Snow White) to current faves (Sponge Bob Square Pants), and their inventive wordplay with headlines like “Sharona Found Strangled with Skinny Tie…Police Suspect Stuttering Stalker with Knack for Murder.” A news clip titled “Mittens Don’t Fit So Jury Acquits,” tells of the trial of O.J. Simpson for the death of Bad, Bad Leroy Brown (you know, the baddest man in the whole damn town). Simpson’s defense team “included four Harvard law professors, five Supreme Court justices¸ and the entire cast of Dragnet.” The jury’s problem was not so much with the mittens as with the string that bound them together.
Nelson and Schecker’s book is great for on-the-spot reading. Keep it in the car and take it with you when you are faced with long lines (the bank, motor vehicles, viewings), or keep it by your bedside and read a few obits before the sandman arrives. One would imagine readers might think of other places to enjoy brief readings.
Mr. Ed: Dead is an ideal gift for adult siblings, baby boomers, grab bags, and events at which a gag gift is appropriate. It is also perfect for all the mental health professionals and morgue workers you may know (who share a finely developed sense of darkest humor).
Bottom Line: Would I buy Mr. Ed: Dead? With its combination of dry wit and warped humor, of course I would.
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