Woody Allen in one of his great early comedies, Sleeper, had his hero (played by himself, of course) slip into a coma during an especially mundane operation, only to awaken several centuries later. One of the most compelling laughs came from a scene where his host of the future lit up a cigarette and invited Alien to dine on a variety of unhealthy foods. Allen was shocked that these dreadful habits had persisted for so long but the host pointed out that they weren't unhealthy at all: most of what the 20th century considered unhealthy was later discovered to be good for you, while the nuts and salads which a socially aware Alien had forced himself to consume in his earlier life were carcinogenic.

Your front page report on cholesterol (23/12) is the latest of a long line of new facts that seem to be promoting this scene from skit to prophecy.

© 1991 - Stephen Dawson