a simpler , leaner treatment would have been preferable ; after all , being about nothing is sometimes funnier than being about something . 
(ROOT (S (S (NP (DT a) (JJR simpler) (, ,) (JJR leaner) (NN treatment)) (VP (MD would) (VP (VB have) (VP (VBN been) (ADJP (JJ preferable)))))) (, ;) (S (ADVP (IN after) (DT all)) (, ,) (S (VP (VBG being) (PP (IN about) (NP (NN nothing))))) (VP (VBZ is) (ADVP (RB sometimes)) (ADJP (ADJP (JJR funnier)) (PP (IN than) (S (VP (VBG being) (PP (IN about) (NP (NN something))))))))) (. .)))
(ROOT (S (S (NP (DT ) (JJR ) (, ) (JJR ) (NN )) (VP (MD ) (VP (VB ) (VP (VBN ) (ADJP (JJ )))))) (, ) (S (ADVP (IN ) (DT )) (, ) (S (VP (VBG ) (PP (IN ) (NP (NN ))))) (VP (VBZ ) (ADVP (RB )) (ADJP (ADJP (JJR )) (PP (IN ) (S (VP (VBG ) (PP (IN ) (NP (NN ))))))))) (. )))