Striving Against Opposition

Nostalgia

The Meatriachy brought up Allan Fotheringham a few days ago, and leafing through as well as reading the back of your dad's MacLean's magazines.

My reaction to this was "other people did that too?"

Fotheringham was and is unlike any other columnist I've ever read, he managed to take serious events and prognostications and spin them in an entirely whimsical manner, making them not just informative but funny. He could be considered a print and less biased forerunner to the Daily Show.

But columnists like Fotheringham and to a lesser extent shows like the Daily Show are positive elements in our society. First, you read/watch because you find the show funny. Secondly, you begin to find the actual subjects of the show interesting, in this case politics. Thirdly, you begin to move beyond just reading the back page to the entire magazine, or you might start to follow the news from more authoritative sources than the Daily Show.

I know my interest in politics began watching elections with my dad because he told me they were important. As an aside I vaguely remember watching the 1993 election and during a roundtable discussion the poor fellow representing the PCs rather lamely said "well at least we're on the board." But following that Fotheringham was really what sustained my interest, given that I saw the cartoon and started to read the article found it funny and thereafter got sucked in to following politics and have been ever since.

I miss Fotheringham.

posted by Chris @ 1/23/2005 01:54:00 a.m.