Curmudgeon

I enjoy good rebuses, and it is a rare and depressing day for me to be willing to resort to a single lookup. I also enjoy old puzzles from the archive, even when they stump me. That said, I loathed this puzzle. I did not pay much attention to the peculiar solving instructions, was therefore confused when the artist name rebuses did not work both ways, and cheated to see how to fill in the answers and stop wasting time and energy on a puzzle that was much too cute for me. When I saw the solution I was underwhelmed to say the least. I understand that there is a place somewhere for puzzles like this, but when supposed cleverness outweighs content, that place is not IMHO in the Times. The usual defender(s) and those who care more for games than words will of course disagree.

I had unusual trouble with this one, probably generational but perhaps induced by BRAINFREEZE. 8D was more alien to me than YODA. As to 56A, I did not get a rise out of it, though it seems it must have tickled The Gray Lady.

Thanks only to the crosses, I finished this one under average, and about as fast as my dim eyesight, fat fingers and slowing mind permit. But I have to say that the multiple clues to television shows made my old gray matter flash to the crossword puzzles in TV Guide or the entertainment sections of local newspapers, which usually stumped me.