This Will Make Your Head Spin

Who knew he was Jewish?

What passes for journalism these days is a laugh riot. Twenty years ago when I was writing feature articles for the Washington Post, my perfectionist editor held my feet to the fire over every little thing. Facts had to be checked and double-checked, typos were simply unheard of, and naturally the story had to make sense.

These things are no longer necessary to write for the Internet. Instead, you just need to fill in the space around the ads to make the advertisers happy. A perfect example of this can be found daily on what is known as AOL, which is where I get my email. 

Just today a certain headline caught my eye: "40 Details About Danny Kaye That May Come As A Surprise To Fans." Written by a woman named Sarah Jones, it begins with the news flash that he was a great entertainer and that through diligence and perseverance she has unearthed some facts about him that will "make your jaw drop!" 

First of all, just about everything AOL reports is allegedly "jaw-dropping." I am 75 and have never once had that experience, which sounds damn painful if you ask me and would certainly require a trip to the ER or at the very least an oral surgeon. 

Second, what is considered to be a "detail" and how can there be 40 of them about anyone? I can't think of half that many about myself. And finally, Kaye died in 1987, which is 34 years ago so who the heck cares now? Not me, and I was a fan.

But there is one interesting detail that I bet is not in Sarah's story: Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky) was my husband's cousin. That fact should, at the very least, make your head spin, or maybe just your eyes roll.