You may not know the name Larry Gelbart, but chances are you’ve enjoyed some of the things he’s written over the years. The TV series M*A*S*H, or the Broadway show “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum” come immediately to mind, but those are just two of the highlights. His book Laughing Matters is one of my favorites.
While not going out of his way to slam what’s new and shiny, he’s never given anything (or anyone) a pass just because it’s the latest incarnation of hip and cool.
In a recent interview on Huffington Post, Gelbart touches on a lot of what’s missing from current media. And while his observations come from a writer’s standpoint, I found more than one instance where I noticed myself nodding in approval from the position of performer. Follow this link and see if you agree.
Here’s a favorite quote from the story, just to whet your appetite:
“I think technology is such that we can reach new heights but we need some of the basics of the pre-technological age. It’s counter-productive to be able to type a hundred words a minute but not know what the words mean. “
– over and out –
