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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Okay, so the first half of the book is excellent, but the second half was not. Silverman is admirably candid with her thoughts and experiences, and it's interesting to read about the hurdles she faced in early life. The further through the book I got, the more I realised her humour is not for me. In her own words:
'At some point, I figured that it would be more effective and far funnier to embrace the ugliest, most terrifying things in the world—the Holocaust, racism, rape, et cetera'
That said, the book is eleven years old, so she may have evolved beyond racial and religious slurs, un-pc terms, etc (though I don't think it would have been funny back then either). She mentions having to write apology letters to multiple people who were publicly offended by her jokes, but ultimately blames them for not getting her humour, and MTV, etc, for setting her up. Surely, as the writer and performer, the onus is on solely on her. She also couldn't get through a chapter without referring to how Jewish she is, despite later revealing:
'I have no religion, I grew up in a non-observant household' and later stating:
'I talk about being Jewish in my act more than I’m really entitled to, considering that I’m an agnostic at best who has no background of participation in Jewish traditions other than nausea.'
Maybe her heritage is so ingrained she feels the need to constantly refer to it, but it feels odd, almost akin to declaring you're a vegetarian, because you come from a long line of vegetarians, even though you and your family have always eaten meat. Maybe I'm just confused and I don't get it.
'At some point, I figured that it would be more effective and far funnier to embrace the ugliest, most terrifying things in the world—the Holocaust, racism, rape, et cetera'
That said, the book is eleven years old, so she may have evolved beyond racial and religious slurs, un-pc terms, etc (though I don't think it would have been funny back then either). She mentions having to write apology letters to multiple people who were publicly offended by her jokes, but ultimately blames them for not getting her humour, and MTV, etc, for setting her up. Surely, as the writer and performer, the onus is on solely on her. She also couldn't get through a chapter without referring to how Jewish she is, despite later revealing:
'I have no religion, I grew up in a non-observant household' and later stating:
'I talk about being Jewish in my act more than I’m really entitled to, considering that I’m an agnostic at best who has no background of participation in Jewish traditions other than nausea.'
Maybe her heritage is so ingrained she feels the need to constantly refer to it, but it feels odd, almost akin to declaring you're a vegetarian, because you come from a long line of vegetarians, even though you and your family have always eaten meat. Maybe I'm just confused and I don't get it.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
I started reading this once and put it down; recently I revisited it on audio and loved it. Sarah Silverman's brand of humor is not for the faint of heart. I recommend it to those of you who can see the humor in bodily functions, lewd public behavior, and the occasional racial slur.
I loved Sarah's book. I couldn't stop laughing through the whole book. I'm not a fan of Sarah's show, but I really enjoy her stand up and this book made my days. I devoured it in a couple of days.
I'm a huge fan of ladies cussing, poop/pee/butt sex/religion humor, and other potty-mouthed ephemera. So I was saddened to see the way Silverman wielded her white privilege with tired defensiveness. She had a chance to evolve her comedic level and nuance over the decades, but instead chose to put down one of our earliest activists who spoke out against her by mocking his appearance. She immediately went on to say, in absolute sincerity, that the true apologies were owed to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. Poor beautiful, rich, white girls. Who cares about a couple billion chinks when we have a Beverly Hills millionaire to defend?
Her dismissal was a missed opportunity to build a bridge through comedy. I stand with Nick Cannon, who recently put it eloquently regarding her and the Jimmys' blackface sketches:
"You know I’m always on the side of the comedian and never pander to the sensitive, but I feel there needs to be some 'truth & reconciliation' discussions and teachable moments amongst our communities."
I'm certain she wouldn't respond to Nick Cannon's protests with the same vitriol that my people received, but it's so much easier for her to punch down on certain colors, isn't it.
I'm an old broad now and I won't be holding my breath for reconciliation from Hollywood, but hey, at least Asians got some publicity.
Her dismissal was a missed opportunity to build a bridge through comedy. I stand with Nick Cannon, who recently put it eloquently regarding her and the Jimmys' blackface sketches:
"You know I’m always on the side of the comedian and never pander to the sensitive, but I feel there needs to be some 'truth & reconciliation' discussions and teachable moments amongst our communities."
I'm certain she wouldn't respond to Nick Cannon's protests with the same vitriol that my people received, but it's so much easier for her to punch down on certain colors, isn't it.
I'm an old broad now and I won't be holding my breath for reconciliation from Hollywood, but hey, at least Asians got some publicity.
There are parts that are so outrageously funny that it made me want to read and see everything that Sarah Silverman has ever done. However, I also found about 40% of the book kind of boring and blah. This is absolutely not for the faint of heart - she is pretty raunchy, which I take no issue with, but thought I should give fair warning.