Maine Satire: The good and the bad

There has been a lot of talk lately about satire in Maine. Much of that discussion was prompted by a recent post on GQ magazine’s web site, Maine: Do we really need it?

I’m not a regular GQ reader. Hell, I don’t even consider myself a “gentleman,” so why should I be bothered, irked or flustered by the ramblings of a snot-nosed punk who knows nothing more about my home state than the four years he attended at Colby College?

But I was bothered. So, as I do so often, I took to Facebook with my frustrations. It seems as if many of my friends had a similar reaction to Drew Magary’s sophomoric attempt at humor and satire. In summary, I think Mr. Magary’s parents should ask Colby for a tuition refund. He didn’t learn to write, and his miserable attempt at humor was nothing more than a monologue that showcases his profound sense of elitism.

It was nothing more than an exercise in mental masturbation that ridiculed more than one million people and the place they call home.

The other side of the coin

Now, if you want to see some really good Maine-based satire, you should check out The Sardine Report: Maine’s fishiest news source.

The Sardine Report is one of my favorite blogs. It pokes fun at all things Maine, from politics that includes jabs at both LePage and Baldacci, to maple syrup harvesting and tourists with RVs. It is a spoof “news” source that features crisp writing and laugh-your-ass-off wit.

I don’t know who is behind the Sardine Report, but I have a simple request for them: Bring it back.

It appears that the last blog entry on the Sardine Report was posted on July 13, 2013. And that is a shame because our state could really use some more good satire. The kind of satire that makes you chuckle. The kind of satire that makes you think. The kind of satire that Jonathan Swift would like to read.

Here’s just a nugget from The Sardine Report’s most recent blog post about tourists and their RVs.

 Their 2012 Fleetwood Expedition 40x has a full-sized kitchen, with six-foot refrigerator-freezer, range oven, microwave oven, and more cabinet space than you’d find in an average suburban home.  This $200,000 vehicle is fully-furnished, with large-screen TV, full bathroom, queen-sized bed, 45,000 BTU furnace, ping-pong table, live-in massage therapist, jacuzzi, fold-out awning and landscaping, and indoor tennis court.

“We just find it very relaxing to surround ourselves with everything we would have in our house, only crammed into a much tighter space,” explains Beth, 56.  “It’s just such an adventure.”

Maine is a beautiful state, but it’s not easy to live here. The weather can be harsh, poverty is rampant and don’t even get me started about the potholes.

We also have a lot to be proud of in Maine. It’s just that those of us who live here often forget our blessings.

I submit to you that Maine is missing only one thing: an update from the Sardine Report.

But on the upside; at least Drew Magary left Maine, and that’s worth celebrating with a shot or two of Allen’s coffee brandy.