The Doctor Is In

Hi, there. Please, have a seat and make yourself comfortable. I’m Doctor Banter, Doctor Bob Banter, and I will be your satirical surgeon for the next seven weeks. What’s that? What kind of doctor am I you ask? Nervous are we? No reason to get wrapped around the axle, friend! I’m not a medical doctor; I won’t be asking you to drop your pants or attempting to stick you with needles (unless you’re into that sort of thing). I’m actually an eminent scholar in an often overlooked field of study. What? What field of study you ask? Perhaps these two terms will clear things up a bit:

par·o·dy (pār'ə-dē) n. A literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect or ridicule (parody, 2007).

sat·ire (sāt'īr') n. Irony, sarcasm, or caustic wit used to attack or expose folly, vice, or stupidity (satire, 2007).

What about my credentials you ask? Getting a little nosey now aren’t we? It appears to me that somebody has trust issues. Let’s not over-analyze anything just yet, shall we? Honestly, do credentials really matter in the grand scheme of things? There have been plenty of famous doctors throughout history that have served humanity without feeling the need to flaunt around a piece of paper validating their station in society. Take into consideration the following individuals:

Theodor Seuss Geisel- Notice there’s no fancy “PhD” or “MD” attached to the end of his name. That’s because our buddy, Theo, decided finishing up his education at Oxford was a bunch of crap. Instead “Dr. Seuss” (which he was better known by) decided to get hitched and make a living as a political cartoonist and an author of children’s books (Wikipedia, 2007). I humbly offer my mediocre submission in tribute of the late doctor:

I do not like it on the wall.
I do not like it in the hall.
I do not need it in a frame.
I do not need that college fame.
I do not need a big degree.
I do not need to pay a fee.
Those Oxford boys sure were mean.
I got kicked and beaten as a teen.
I killed them all by spiking their juice.
There is no more Geisel, only Seuss!

Andre Romell Young- Better known as “Dr. Dre”, Andre Young is a successful record producer, actor, rapper and record executive. Young was one of the founding members of the popular group “N.W.A.” and a pioneer of using explicit lyrics in rap music (Wikipedia, 2007). Lacking an official degree from a formal institution, Dr. Dre’s credentials consist of his dope rhymes and bustin’ caps on the mean streets of Compton.

Dr. Pepper- An authentic blend of 23 flavors (Wikipedia, 2007), Dr. Pepper is a soft drink truly ahead of its time. Nudged out of the number one spot for the Nobel Peace Prize by former vice president Al Gore, Dr. Pepper has taken up a new campaign in an attempt to win over the Nobel Community in 2008: Utilizing space-age technology, Dr. Pepper will attempt to add yet another flavor to its already impressive list of ingredients. Although hotly debated among members of the beverage industry, it is rumored that the new flavor will consist of orangutan urine and Yellow Dye No. 5.

Julius Winfield Erving II- Considered by many to have revolutionized the game of basketball, “Dr. J” never had time to acquire a silly degree. Why you ask? Well, I guess he was just a little too busy destroying racial barriers in the 70’s, developing one of the sickest slam dunks in recorded history, winning three championships, four MVP awards and three scoring titles, all while playing for three different teams in two separate professional basketball associations (Wikipedia, 2007). Say, what did you do last Saturday? That’s what I thought.

Now that we got that mess out of the way I can get to the heart of the issue. This is important so pay attention and take you fingers out of your mouth! My blog is about the humor we can find in everyday life if we just look close enough. People must challenge their common assumptions and misconceptions to truly understand the human condition and gain knowledge of their surroundings and each other. I personally like to take that journey with a good bag of jokes strapped to my side. Humor has the ability to make the mundane occasionally entertaining and the unbearable somewhat tolerable.

I plan on covering a lot of ground on a variety of topics. Political and socioeconomic events will be addressed in this blog; mainly because politicians are funny to begin with and the word socioeconomic makes me sound like a freaking genius. I also plan on giving my own unique insight on current events, sports and whatever else may come to mind. The underlying factor, however, is to expose truths and provide a different perspective on the madness that makes this planet spin. They say laughter is the best medicine and, in my professional opinion, I can’t help but agree.

References:

parody. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved October 23, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/parody

satire. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved October 23, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/satire

Wikipedia. (2007). Dr. seuss. Retrieved October 23, 2007, from Wikipedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Seuss

Wikipedia. (2007). Dr. dre. Retrieved October 23, 2007, from Wikipedia Web site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Dre

Wikipedia. (2007). Dr. pepper. Retrieved October 23, 2007, from Wikipedia Web site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Pepper

Wikipedia. (2007). Julius erving. Retrieved October 23, 2007, from Wikipedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Erving