Memo

(The following note was found in the trash barrel near the LAMPOON building, and is reproduced here in its entirety)

Dear Jester,

Since the February issue I've been worried about the calibre of our magazine. Just yesterday I heard some student remark at the newsstand, "I say its the Lampoon, and I say to hell with it." Do you think we're falling down a little? Just one man's opinion of course, but thought it wouldn't do any harm to make a few suggestions for our next publication.

First, let's not do another cover on the McCarthy man. The last one looked like Rocky Marciano, or something. Liked the idea of roasting the old boy, but maybe we let him off too easy. Take the piece about the janitor and Senator Mac Venner. That could have been a pretty funny situation, but somehow it turned into a Ray Bradbury science fiction with everything from flying saucers to atomic cocktails. I think we might have missed an opportunity to really blast those damn investigations.

Updike got him, though, and Updike's an honorable man. His "Supply is Unlimited" is excellent, and didn't he make poor Helen Traubel look silly. Good old Updike...but we can't rely on him much longer, so I would suggest grooming some of the other editors, like Limpert for instance. He seems to know a lot about cocktail parties, so we might have him do a parody on that Eliot play as a sequel to "Schnapps, Anyone." And have him make it lighter and more whimsical, as I am inclined to think the last a bit dull.

Speaking of parodies, we might try some next time. I mean real ones with something behind them. That Salinger bit was all right, and our quotes from historians on the maid situation were certainly done well, but they lack originality--that's the important thing.

Also I think our cartoons could be improved, and I'm not at all sure they measure up to our standards of being pure enough for the best girls' schools. Got to watch that. At any rate the cartoon on the CRIMSON review was fine. I'm sure we fixed them, even if we did miss McCarthy. After all, what's more important?

Guess that's enough for you to start with. Think we had some pretty funny stuff in February, no matter what they say. I, for one, am through worrying. Hear there's a dance or flick tonight at the Great Hall and I guess I might as well wander on over.