The "Week in Review" section of the Sunday New York Times is not a straight-up chronicle of what happened during the preceding week; rather, it is a section where some of the key events of the week are essayed. So, for example, the April 22 edition examines the situations in the Middle East and in China; slavery in Sudan and the possible consequences of child care on the development of kids. This is generally serious stuff in the Newspaper of Record.
But there, just below the fold on page 3 of the section, is a photo of Joey Ramone. He died the previous Sunday, April 15. Age: 49. And with the shot is a piece by Jon Pareles, who examines what Joey , Johnny, Dee Dee, and Tommy did to punk in particular and music in general.
The last sentence of the piece is worth pondering:
"If the Ramones had been, at first glance, a joke, they turned out to be the joke the conquered the world."
And a joke that got serious run in the Times. Back in '76, it is hard to imagine such a thing happening. Play hard.
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