The Great Zucchini

"The Peekaboo Paradox:" The strange secrets of humor, fear and a guy who makes big money making little people laugh.

"This unmarried, 35-year-old community college dropout makes more than $100,000 a year, with a two-day workweek. Not bad for a complete idiot."

Trey's aunt saw me taking notes. "You're writing a story about him?" Vicki Cox asked, amused. I confirmed that I was.

"But . . . why?" she asked.

A few feet away, the Great Zucchini was pretending to be afraid of his own hand.

"I mean," Vicki said, "what's the hook?"

Now, the Great Zucchini was eating toilet paper.

"I mean, are you that desperate?" she asked.

On the floor in front of us, the kids -- 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds -- were convulsed in laughter. Literally. They were rolling on the carpeted floor, holding their tummies, mouths agape, little teeth jubilantly bared, squealing with abandon. In the vernacular of stand-up, the Great Zucchini was killing.

-- Gene Weingarten, Washington Post: The Peekaboo Paradox

It's a long article -- I'm just starting it but it looks to be a great read about the fascinating Eric Knaus. (Article is a few years old; perhaps yet another treasure waiting patiently to be discovered and enjoyed.)

I recently read another Weingarten piece, Fatal Distraction, about children forgotten in cars. Great article: Heart-wrenching and awful to learn more about these cases. I hope this one isn't so gut-clenchingly sad, although I suspect it may have plenty of poignancy.

via Jason Kottke