Beat on the cat

Most of the excitement in The Reader this week, such as it is, can be found on the letters page. D. Sparks of Rogers Park fucks with the Jesus; the suspiciously-named "Ellie Maybe" of Wicker Park calls Liz Armstrong a "dumb bitch." Meanwhile, one Kurt Wettstein (West Side!) gives mad props to anti-usury laws and offers his translation of a crucial passage in Thessalonians. Booyakasha!

But the real controversy is all about the kitties. Specifically, the cartoon kitty bludgeoned to death in last week’s Reader by scribbly cartoonist P.S. Mueller, which provokes cries of "what the fuck" from two readers. Mueller, feeling a bit defensive, offers up a long and convoluted defense of what he says is a "pro-cat" and "pro-kid" cartoon. His cartoon, which depicted a kitty clubbed to death by a TV-watching brat, was apparently all about the "not-so-subtle savaging of children’s minds by bottom-line consumer media. I felt the kid’s angrily distracted response to the creature’s bid for attention should be at least as twisted as the market-driven sensibility that had deprived the kid of any ability to react naturally to tangible reality."

Yipes! Haven’t any of you people ever heard of Tom and Jerry?

Keywords: Liz Armstrong, Dumb Bitch, Bludgeon, Kitties, Tom and Jerry, Tangible Reality, Jesus, Man Boobs, Penis.