Bluebloods the nation over are all abuzz about The New Yorker’s temporary suspension of its paywall. Unabashed nerds now have three months to revel in the publication’s long-form pieces, reviews, personal essays and satire. But the best part of partaking of the currently free, online version of this publication? Avoiding the god-awful cartoons present in the print version.
The New Yorker’s continued inclusion of these utterly unfunny single-box cartoons is puzzling, especially since the rest of the magazine is thoughtful and witty. The often-touted apex in the history of these comical drawings? The one featuring the line, “How about never? Is never good for you?” in the context of professional scheduling. Not even a smirk, right? And they pretty much only get worse from there.
That’s why this gentle roasting of the cartoons by Seth Meyers is so satisfying. Here, he brings the cartoons to the world of live stage acting. Because corny quips that might fly under the radar in print form, sound downright absurd when acted out. So absurd, they are finally funny.
Each sketch is preceded with introductions by Meyers and New Yorker editor David Remnick—who is apparently the one to choose which cartoons to include in the publication. Can you imagine how bad the rejects are? But let’s not linger on such sadness; instead enjoy Live New Yorker Cartoons: Too Hot to Handle, Too Droll to Hold!
