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A parody a day keeps dullness away Most mornings, Steve Scroggins can't wait to sink his teeth into his newspaper. He chews on words and digests headlines. Sometimes he spits them out in another art form. It is called biting humor. |
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Ed Grisamore |
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Scroggins is Macon's own "Art Buckled-wall." There is no venom dripping from his fangs. He is not a hit-and-run driver at the keyboard. He is just having some fun. And he would be happy for you to tag along. Of course, every story he writes comes with a disclaimer: "Although real names may be used, and all good humor has an element of truth, this stuff ain't real," reads the fine print at the bottom. In his own unique way, Scroggins is keeping our city on its toes, kicking some tail and tickling some funny bone. He writes parodies of local news stories. They are read on WMAC-AM (940) almost every morning. (He is the unofficial "staff" parody writer for radio hosts Kenny Burgamy and Charles Richardson.) He also is a cyber-satirist on the loose. At his Web site ( www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/harrow/505) you can find a little of everything. His slant on local issues? Take no prisoners.Oh, I've been a victim, too. A few weeks ago, there was a wire story about the recall of ground beef from a supermarket chain linked to a health threat of E. coli. "Publix recalls ground beef due to E. grisamore," wrote Scroggins. He quoted state Secretary of Agriculture Tommy Irvin (he's just kidding again here, folks) as saying: "We're not yet sure if this is true gris or not. We're checking for other contaminations, too. This could be gris and more. ... We suspect meat wrapped in newspaper, specifically, that beef wrapped in The Macon Telegraph is most likely to have E. grisamore. We've found no correlation between Grisamore and gristle," Frankly, I was flattered to be Scrogginized. I didn't eat hamburgers for a week, though. Scroggins vows to stop writing when his creative outlet ceases to be fun for himself and others. But there's no danger of that any time soon. He certainly has the talent and the skills. His day job requires him to work at a computer. He is an applications systems manager for the Medical Center where, in his spare time, he should be commended for his contribution to health care. After all, laughter is the best medicine. There never is a shortage of material to write about, either. "If I do have a dry day," he said, "there's always City Council." Yep, City Hall is fertile fodder. It was a rare moment in local government history when Scroggins had to write: "Temporary lack of idiotic behavior frustrates parody writer." Although there are no sacred cows out there, Scroggins is careful to watch where he steps. "I don't go after somebody intentionally," he said. "It's nothing personal. Some people just ask for it." A few of his recent favorites: Mayor Marshall declines designation as 'Head Wienie' Wilkinson officials consider law requiring nude dancing. General W.T. Sherman causes state tax refund delays. Telegraph crushes Melton's mayoral candidacy with dreaded endorsement. SWAT team storms Rose Hill to nab Telegraph photographer. No wonder Scroggins has been known to grin while he is writing his parody. You've been warned. Giggles are contagious. Ed Grisamore's column appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday in the Telegraph. He may be contacted at 744-4275. His e-mail address is [email protected]. His fax number is 744-4385.
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