Her writing is so absurd and awesome.
The scattershot cartoons featured in the New Yorker have always proven to be a deep well of comic fodder. Social media has allowed anyone who’s willing to put their own spin on the often head-scratchingly random comics, and many have seized that opportunity.
Of course, there’s very little fun in playing things straight, so the public has instead pursued the lofty goal of making the worst New Yorker cartoon captions while others prefer to find the perfect one-size-fits-all line that can accompany every drawing the magazine dishes out.
Still, when it comes to striking the perfect balance between the earnest and the absurd, children tend to be naturals. With that in mind, comedy writer Bess Kalb shared the work of her cousin’s 9-year-old daughter’s attempts at the weekly caption contest put forth in the pages of the magazine.
The creative mind behind these pics offers up captions that defy characterization, reason, or logic, which makes them all perfect for the absurd scenarios pictured.
Everything is terrible but my cousin’s 9-year old daughter Alice has been quietly and masterfully slaying the… https://t.co/4sl1R7GXXT— Bess Kalb (@Bess Kalb) 1522874629.0
There are so many (she grabs every issue before her mom can get ahold of it) and every single one of them is perfec… https://t.co/u7t96xRfEM— Bess Kalb (@Bess Kalb) 1522875326.0
Vintage Alice from 2017. I think you'll like her earlier work. (She asked for a collection of EVERY cartoon with th… https://t.co/SeW58dkuW8— Bess Kalb (@Bess Kalb) 1522891527.0
The internet was quick to respond to Alice’s work, and the youngster is over the moon that her work has reached such an appreciative audience.
(She's freaking out with joy at your comments - I'm sending the screenshots to her mom.)— Bess Kalb (@Bess Kalb) 1522875845.0
It bears mentioning that Alice is no stranger to public acclaim for her work, as Bess shared an exchange with post-internet-fame Alice:
I asked Alice how she feels today and she sighed and said "Amazing." She let me know this is the second time her wo… https://t.co/unfqVjir2f— Bess Kalb (@Bess Kalb) 1523057620.0
Of course, the nice thing about internet fame is that you never know who is going to come out of the woodwork as a fan. In this case, it was “Luke Skywalker” himself.
@HamillHimself I am explaining to Alice how important this day is in her life now that you've retweeted her and she… https://t.co/bqOlwaXnOj— Bess Kalb (@Bess Kalb) 1523041904.0
It was a big week for Alice, but we’re sure she’s got plenty more in store for us in the future. It’s a weekly contest, after all.
Tell me when to stop https://t.co/YJ1T72DVI2— Bess Kalb (@Bess Kalb) 1523123320.0