September 2006
Columns
Editorial Comment
Cogito ergo, spud. I’ve noticed that comedians often use the name Kimba to describe a hungry child. I suppose it’s the emblematic name for starvation . . .
It was the aid worker’s first gig, feeding the hungry in some far-flung impoverished country. They had just received a shipment from Toys For The Needy, and she was handing out the toys to the children. It made perfectly good sense to her. She was from a huge, wealthy country, with purple mountains and amber waves of grain. What child doesn’t want American toys? Made in China.
She handed Kimba his toy. It was a Mr. Potato, the idea being to dress up a potato into a man: push on the arms, the glasses and a top hat – although nowadays, there’s also a Darth ‘Tater version – you get the picture. The generous donor was kind enough to include a real potato to play with.
