I heard from two readers today who objected to the item featured in the 'It' List in Wednesday's newspaper, which is the Erie Times-News guide to trendier living. It appears on the People, etc. page several times a week, and is meant to be a fun, edgier diversion from the usual entertainment columns and news.

The main feature in today's 'It' List is the Ex, a five-piece set of stainless-steel knives in a novel holder. It's a knife block designed to look like a person being stabbed by the knives it holds. And the photo accompanying the brief item is quite stunning, as knives pierce the character's head, heart, stomach and legs.

I think this is probably the kind of item that appeals to our younger readers. In fact, one of my teenage sons, who rarely reads anything in the newspaper other than the sports section, came home and asked if we could order an Ex. Alas, it sells for $59.99 on the Web, and that seems a bit steep for a couple of laughs.

I must admit, too, that I wasn't laughing when a woman who I've known and respected for years told me that she was "kind of offended" by the Ex item. She said she was disappointed that we would run something like this.

When I pointed out that the reviews of new video games that we run in the paper are much more violent than this knife holder, she replied, "I don't care for them, either." Ouch!

The truth is, when you want to be edgy enough to appeal to younger readers, you sometimes feature items or stories that might not be as appealing to readers past the age of 40. I'd say that one of the biggest challenges of the modern newspaper is to serve as many different age groups as possible. It's not easy, and you might not bat 1000 every time.

Sometimes timing can play a role in the appeal-- or lack of appeal -- of certain features. Let's face it, a lot of news of late has been upsetting, worrisome even. I'm thinking of the war in Iraq, Amish school shootings, congressional page boy scandals, baby injuries and deaths, and now the threat of nukes in Korea. One caller said she's grown weary of all the bad news, and when she turns to the People page, she's looking to get away from it all. She said that's why the knife holder hit her wrong.

Fair enough. Not everything will always appeal to everyone. But if it happens too often, then it's a concern to us. That's where I come in. Give me a call (870-1701) or send me an e-mail (kevin.cuneo@timesnews.com) and we'll talk about. Then we'll work on it together.

-- Kevin Cuneo