Loose pages fan out beside a velvet slipper, a tipped teacup and scattered leaves on burgundy.

Original artwork, not a still

P. J. O'Rourke

Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

This is a dry joke about vanity and timing. The speaker advises picking reading material that would reflect well on you if you died mid-page. It pokes at how we curate an image, even for a moment we'd never witness.

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