Letters
letters@private-eye.co.uk
Christmas cheers!
Sir,
I absolutely love this year’s Christmas special cover cartoon (Eye 1665), not least because it is by the same artist (That would be Wilbur, Ed.) who continues to provide many delightful caricatures to decorate your news pages. Please pass on my thanks and admiration to this modern artistic magus.
GIULIA HETHERINGTON, London.
… I rather embarrassed myself on the bus going to work today by laughing uncontrollably. Every passenger on the crowded bus turned around to look at me. Being a gentleman of a certain age, I’m afraid just the tiniest bit of wee came out, which fortunately went unnoticed to others. The cause? Your hysterical Christmas special front cover.
Do keep up the good work in 2026. As for me, I’ll invest in some good absorbent Tena pads.
DAVID LYPNYJ, L’Haÿ-les-Roses, France.
…and boos!
Sir,
At Christmas the Eye trots out its tired Xmas jokes (the wise men, no room at the inn, etc), but I manage to ignore them. Your latest cover, however (Eye 1665), dismays me; I find it diabolically blasphemous. For the first time in the three years I’ve been a subscriber I’ve had to hide the magazine so as to spare the feelings of the rest of my family.
Christianity is an easy target for comedians in this country. Christ doesn’t answer back, so is mocked with impunity. Laughing at Islam or antisemitic jokes, on the other hand, are a different matter. I don’t object to satirising people calling themselves Christians. Ian
Hislop’s meeting with Justin Welby, for instance, was brilliantly described, and I avidly read anything the Eye reports on the Church of England.
I shan’t cancel my subscription: why deprive myself of your otherwise excellent journalism? But please lay off the cheap and tasteless jibes.
NICHOLAS FENNELL, Eastleigh.
Grin reaper
Sir, Re Gnome’s Christmas GiftMart, the Gyles Brandreth Horror Mask (Eye 1665, p25). Again, appalling taste. Again, good.
SIMON CALKIN.
Bear witness
Sir, May I be the 94th tearful reader to say the cartoon of the solitary polar bear on his own ice floe is one of the saddest things I have ever seen, but thanks for bringing his plight to our attention (p11, Eye 1665). Hats off to you for regular features Keeping the Lights On, Green Eye and other environmental pieces. Too bad the mainstream media aren’t following your example by devoting space to green issues and holding polluters to account.
RICHARD LUMB, Nottingham.
Cartoon loons
Sir,
Oh for God’s sake, I’ve had it with po-faced readers cancelling their subscriptions because of something they saw in the Eye. Helen
Mordsley’s whining letter (“You’re pushing it”, Letters, Eye 1664) about the “Last Laugh” cartoon showing an elderly chap in a pushchair (p43, Eye 1663) and Doug Kelly’s sanctimonious follow-up (“Pram Dram”, Letters, Eye 1665) pushed me over the edge.