Not fit to pick up their pens

Bruce Tinsley, the guy who draws and writes the "Mallard Filmore" strip, has gotten his feathers in a tizzy. It seems that America: The Book, by the Daily Show staff, contains a parody of said strip and well, here's how Tinsley has responded.

Now, aside from the fact that Tinsley has roughly the same sense of timing as Ben Creekmore, this brings to mind two things, both relating to satirists who are better at what they do than is Mr. Tinsley.

G.B. Trudeau wrote in his book Flashbacks: 25 Years of Doonesbury:

Satire picks a one-sided fight, and the more its intended target reacts, the more its practitioner gains the advantage.

I'm also reminded of the case Fox tried to make against Al Franken. Like Mr. Tinsley's slam, it revolved around the idea that bookstore patrons would be deceived (by his use of the phrase "fair & balanced") into thinking Franken's book was, in fact, a Fox-sanctioned product.

It was literally laughed out of court.