I'm a sucker for wordplay, especially when it takes communication to a new level. In this hit-and-miss volume, the New York Post puts its wordplay artistry on display, giving us the best of the wild and irreverent headlines from the last few decades. The most clever of the headlines move beyond merely play on words. "Sin in the Clones," blares one, accompanied by the photo of a couple of lab monkeys, is both a clever play on the song "Send in the Clowns" but also says something about the story -- that the Church finds sin in cloning humans. The headline from the book title does not skewer a song title, but is artful anyway: "Headless body found in topless bar" is gruesomely funny wordplay PLUS has the attraction of accurately describing the story. The Post (at least by its own accounting) lays claim to dubbing Ronald Reagan's anti-missile defense system "Star Wars." The name stuck, being more memorable and descriptive than "Strategic Defense Initiative." Alas, only a few of the Post's "best" achieve this level of art or incisiveness. "The Lady is a Trump," announcing one of "the Donald's" marriages, says little about the event other than that it occurred.
The book starts off with a 2-page history of the Post (mostly changes of ownership) followed by several pages bent on sliming the 1993 owner, real estate mogul Abe Hirschfield. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and the Post can't seem to get enough of laying this gentleman low. The rest of the book is devotes to covers and memorable inside pages. The chosen covers are taken from the world of politics ("The Full Monica"), sports ("May the Curse Be With You" -- odious to this Red Sox fan, but clever nonetheless) and the Mafia ("Gotti's Greatest Hits"). The selected titles also highlight the tabloid's propensity for bringing down the mighty -- be it Jim Bakker, Donald Trump or Martha Stewart -- and upping the cleavage count. Anything to get the proles to shell over a few clams. Later Post covers showed an alarming propensity to editorialize and pander to the masses in a way that goes well beyond journalistic limits of propriety. "Axis of Weasel" blares one headline from January 2003 over the photos of French and German leaders who opposed America's invasion of Iraq. While the locals must have lapped up that sentiment, after 5 years of war, the fun has gone out of it.
In any event, whether maddening or delighting, the Post headlines are eye-catching, if not always memorable, clever or right. They serve their purpose -- to attract reader attention, and entice them to pay 25 or 50 cents to see what other red meat might be lurking beneath the headers -- be they funny put downs or pix of some bathing beauty. "Topless Body" does not always show the Post in good light, but it does show it, and that may be all the point it needs.
