Laughing (Albeit Unhealthily) At 'Lives'
Is there anything that makes you feel better about yourself moreso than tales of suffering on a Sunday morning? Doubt it. That's why we cherish the Lives section of the Times, in which the misery of others makes our existence seem a bit more tolerable. Mediabistro enlists a Citizen Media Critic to ruminate on the matter:
Each week, it seems, I flip to "Lives" to read about the recently beaten, kidnapped, addicted, raped, and abandoned. Occasionally, I'll read a near-uplifting tale of a lungless, sightless cripple who almost became an Olympic pole vault medalist, but who was, in the end, just happy for the chance to try out with the team, iron lung be damned.
...Would it be better or at least more accurate if "Lives" were renamed "Lives That Suck"? I submitted to "Lives" a few years ago twice but failed in my effort. That's almost material good enough for "Lives" right there submitting to "Lives", and failing to be published. It's like shooting yourself in the face with a shotgun and surviving. Loser!
