1. Hurricane Katrina
“Comedians pounced on
it much quicker than other catastrophes. The golden rule is, if it’s funny, you can get away with it.”
2. Backroom abortions
“Everybody wants to say something shocking—and with Bush
naming Supreme Court nominees,
that means coat hangers.”
3. Unicorns
“It seems to be a nostalgia-
for-childhood thing
for hipsters. Bears, too.
But mostly unicorns.”
4. iPods
“Here’s a joke about the Nano:
‘It’s ridiculous how small it
is. What’s next? The Tampo?’ ”
5. Prescription drugs
“Pot jokes are passé; Cialis and the date-rape drug are hot.” “This is the joke
everyone makes: ‘Cialis
warns you to consult a doctor
if your erection lasts more
than four hours? Hell, I’m
calling all my ex-girlfriends.’ ”
6. Paris Hilton and celebutantes
“She’s about as hashed over as the Pamela
Anderson Lee–Tommy Lee tape.”
7. Star Jones
“So overdone, it’s starting to approach
O.J. territory.”
8. Starbucks
“Totally hack. Starbucks is the airline peanuts of 2005.