The Columnist Manifesto

A doff of the cap to Neel Mehta for his sweet obituary about Bruno Kirby, the character actor whose best-known role was that of Billy Crystal's sidekick in When Harry Met Sally. Neel reminds us of Kirby's best scene, where his new fiancee Carrie Fisher is throwing out the tasteless junk from Kirby's formerly bachelor apartment; the big conflict occurs over his wagon-wheel coffee table, and generates my favorite line from the film.

Marie [Carrie Fisher]: Everybody thinks they have good taste and a great sense of humor. But that can't possibly be true, can it?*

Who would have thought that such abstract personal characteristics -- culturally- determined ones, to be sure -- would be a zero sum game? But it's just as true as the fact that not everybody can be tall. For some people to have good taste, or be funny, there have to be others who aren't.

I'm just glad I'm one of the ones with good taste.**

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*According to web-based sources, the actual quote is: "Everybody thinks they have good taste and a sense of humor, but they couldn't possibly all have good taste." I think my version is snappier.

**What, you want proof? How about my decision to remove thebutt crack photo from this blog?