# What is the purpose of Joel Stein's column in EW? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 1, 2003, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-joel-steins-column-in-ew/185540 "2003-07-01T09:24:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-joel-steins-column-in-ew/185540/41 "2003-07-06T04:41:39Z")
The birds sang a little sweeter today. The sun shone a little brighter. My gin and tonic was a little tangier. Joel Stein was not on the last page of EW. Ah, how sweet… ---
**Author:** ![Petey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f1d935/32.png) [@Petey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petey)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-joel-steins-column-in-ew/185540/42 "2003-07-16T17:42:13Z")
Does anyone know why Joel Stein hasn’t been in the last two issues? Has he been fired, or does EW just want to do something different? A friend of my likes him and wants to know. I can take or leave him myself. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-joel-steins-column-in-ew/185540/43 "2003-07-16T18:26:16Z")
He hasn’t had a column since 6/27/03. Dunno if he’s been fired, but here… [The Joel Stein “I Love Me” Webpage.](http://www.thejoelstein.com/) The timeline is what puts it over the top. 'Scuse me, I need to shower now. : ick ick ick ick ick : ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-joel-steins-column-in-ew/185540/44 "2003-07-16T19:26:23Z")
Perhaps he finally succumbed to the massive conflict in gravitational forces that results from trying to gaze at your navel and admire yourself in the mirror all while having your head up your ass, and he collapsed inward upon himself. The black hole created by young Joel’s implosion will no doubt consume our dear planet Earth and naturally all life upon it. Our solar system, and eventually the beautiful spirals of the Milky Way galaxy will be relentlessly pulled into the ever expanding void. In time, perhaps, our entire universe will fall victim to this gaping maw, finally giving Joel the amount of attention he craves. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-joel-steins-column-in-ew/185540/45 "2003-07-16T19:28:44Z")
Joel has a one-page article in this week’s **TIme** magazine about his week as a TV network executive. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-joel-steins-column-in-ew/185540/46 "2003-07-16T21:22:48Z")
Wow - this is great. I had no idea that a lot of people out there hated that new back page of his as much as I did. Okay - what can we really do about it to get it changed? ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-joel-steins-column-in-ew/185540/47 "2003-07-16T21:29:56Z")
If he has a Time article, maybe he’s just taking time off from EW. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-joel-steins-column-in-ew/185540/48 "2003-07-19T20:13:42Z")
This week’s issue of “EW” says (in the TV section) that Joel Stein no longer works for EW. Your guess is as good as mine as for why he left. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-joel-steins-column-in-ew/185540/49 "2003-07-20T04:01:33Z")
Well, he’s no Eve Golden but I usually enjoy Joel Stein’s column in both magazines. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-joel-steins-column-in-ew/185540/50 "2003-07-20T16:20:02Z")
Out of curiousity, does anyone have a copy of any of **Eve’s** old columns? I couldn’t find them on the Net or through Nexus. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-joel-steins-column-in-ew/185540/51 "2003-07-20T18:34:14Z")
Only **Eve** has copies of **Eve’s** old columns . . . I once thought of trying to have them put out as a collection, but that would have given away the secret that I only had four jokes and recycled them endlessly . . . ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-joel-steins-column-in-ew/185540/52 "2003-07-20T21:07:43Z")
Oh, I see… (BTW, did you know that you appear 86 times on Nexus?) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bad_Astronomer)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-joel-steins-column-in-ew/185540/53 "2003-07-20T22:14:01Z")
I like Stein’s stuff. He made me laugh. Your mileage may vary, which is the lot in life of humor columnists. I think a fine replacement might be [Joe Bob Briggs](http://www.joebobbriggs.com/). That guy is incredibly funny, and _smart_. People should be throwing money at him. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-joel-steins-column-in-ew/185540/54 "2003-07-21T13:57:27Z")
Speaking of Joe Bob, I was just reading his recent book, _Profoundly Disturbing: Shocking Movies That Changed History_. It’s a very good book, but he doesn’t write it “in character” as Joe Bob Briggs. Has John Bloom given up on trying to publish his work under his own name? And don’t believe Eve about her old columns. Even before I knew her from this message board, her column was the first thing I would read with each new issue of _Movieline_. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-joel-steins-column-in-ew/185540/55 "2003-07-21T14:58:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Little Nemo \* > \*\*Even before I knew her from this message board, her column was the first thing I would read with each new issue of _Movieline_. \*\* Awww, aren’t you sweet. I do miss doing that column, it got all my bitchiness out, that I now have to expend on _you_ people. So many bad videos, so little time . . . ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-joel-steins-column-in-ew/185540/56 "2003-07-21T20:51:08Z")
I’ll cast a vote for “Classic” Joe Bob Briggs, particularly the early days of _Joe Bob Goes to the Drive-In,_ complete with Cherry Dilday and the Toronado. The later JBB stuff (_Iron Joe Bob,_ especially) didn’t work for me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-joel-steins-column-in-ew/185540.md?page=2)