Stand Up Comic – …on the B.L.

Wild and Crazy Guys by Nick de Semlyen

July 20, 2019July 20, 2019 RaeAnna

Worth A Read Most Definitely
Length 336
Quick Review The 80s saw a comedic revolution, and there were several men at the center of that revolution.

Reading Wild and Crazy Guys by Nick de Semlyen on a gravel road in Old Town Spring, Texas| Skirt Set | Purse | Fringe | Shoes | Watch

I grew up on 80s comedies. Steve Martin’s SNL skits were performed by a twelve year old me in the hallways of my church for a captive audience of my peers who were less educated on comedy of years past. I was introduced to Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, The Jerk, Coming to America, National Lampoon’s Family Vacation, and a plethora of other classic comedies long before I understood most of the jokes. None-the-less, I grew up laughing to the humor of Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Martin Short, and the other comics gracing the pages of Nick de Semlyen’s Wild and Crazy Guys.

If you don’t know anything about the comedy scene or the people inhabiting it during the 80s, look no further than Wild and Crazy Guys. Nick de Semlyen peeks into the revolutionarily funny period that gave the world movies, like Stripes and Animal House.

I was literally laughing out loud reading this. It’s such a great look into the backstory of some of the most influential movies in my life. I don’t know if I should be proud how much these men and movies influenced me, but they did. Thanks, Dad.

Wild and Crazy Guys by Nick de Semlyen | Skirt Set | Purse | Fringe | Shoes | Watch

Wild and Crazy Guys starts with an iconic but not for laughs fight in the SNL dressing room between Murray and Chase. It sets the tone of how funny these men were while also reminding people how serious, driven, and a little crazy they were about comedy and their careers. de Semlyen goes into great detail about the things going on in the comics personal lives and the behind the scenes of the movies and shows. I appreciate how well researched the book was and included anecdotes, quotes, experiences, reviews, and more from contemporaries and historians.

For as funny as these men and their movies are, there is a dark side to fame and comedy. de Semlyen does not shy away from talking about drugs, alcohol, partying, and fame, including John Belushi’s overdose and Doug Kenney’s controversial death.

I can’t suggest Wild and Crazy Guys by Nick de Semlyen more. It is definitely not for everyone. If comedy is your jam, pick this one up. You won’t regret it. I promise.

Memorable Quotes
“…Candy argue passionately that it should be cut entirely, believing it was sexist and designed to make him look like a pig in a sty.” About the wrestling with topless women scene in Stripes.
“…since Murray believed all good things came from difficult conditions.”

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Title: Wild and Crazy Guys
Author: Nick de Semlyen
Publisher: Crown Archetype
Copyright: 2019
ISBN: 9781984826640

Books, NonFiction

Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

June 13, 2019June 11, 2019 RaeAnna

Read Yes
Length 279
Quick Review Aziz Ansari is as confused with the world of love and dating as the rest of us are, so he wrote a book about it.

Aziz Ansari talks about how much he loves food in *Modern Romance*, so I had an ice cream at Twisty Treat. | Romper (best thing ever) | Flippy Floppies | Sunglasses

Love is tough. Kinda like life. Love, dating, relationships, breakups, and marriage (probably not in that order) have changed in my [dating] lifetime, and it has certainly changed over the past couple of generations. Aziz Ansari decided to write Modern Romance about the conditions people face when existing in the dating world. He worked with researchers so it would be more than observational humor. There is a lot of science in this one and some laughs.

Ansari begins with the basics of what dating used to be like. For a woman: Need man or die. For a man: Need woman or no babies, no help, no food, no sex, no one to come home to. 🙁 Dating changed, but still had some of those basic elements in the last century. Most people married for love instead of need, but the marriage age was far lower and people made due with who was in the viscinity. Now, marriage is not necessary for survival. People are searching for soul mates instead of a good enough mate. Also, the internet. Game changer in Modern Romance because there weren’t tons of options outside of the ‘where I am located.’ Now, internet dating and apps make the WHOLE world open.

One thing I really appreciate is Ansari went out of his way to acknowledge how love and dating is still different for men and women, “If you were a woman, you had far less time to find a man. True love? This guy has a job and a decent mustache. Lock it down, girl.” No shit. Romance is still different for women today because, well, lots of reasons. Ansari did not make it seem like everything is the same for men and women because it’s not.

The book explored dating in the United States and the world through focus groups in New York, Tokyo, Paris, and Buenos Aires. There were also conversations had with women in Qatar and other places in the U.S. Honestly, the dating scene sounds pretty horrific in Tokyo, Buenos Aires, and Qatar. The focus groups and science helped bring a lot of credence to what Ansari was saying, and it also proves a lot of personal observations to be fact and not just observations.

Modern Romance isn’t all just science and statistics. It’s pretty funny. Ansari has a tendency towards hilarious and prolonged tangents. If you’ve ever heard me tell a story, this is something I do and appreciate. I also discovered, Ansari and I have a similar approach to choosing restaurants and a passion for food. Although, I don’t think this is terrible special considering everyone I spend time around has an incredible passion for the culinary arts.

Side Notes:

Aziz, I hope it worked out for you and the juicer.
Statistic: iPhone users are twice as likely to sext as Android users. Android users are by and large nerdier than iPhone users. We (Android users) have less opportunity or second party interest to sext…. It’s not our fault.
The young, body, sex positive women give me so much hope. I wish I had that kind of confidence at their age.

All in all, Modern Romance was not at all what I expected. It was very interesting and funny. I wouldn’t say I learned a ton, but I read a whole bunch. I’ve also done my fair share of dating the old fashioned way and via technology, so the love truths were duhs from me.

Memorable Quotes
“Today, if you own a smartphone, you’re carrying a 24-7 singles bar in your pocket.”
“Nowadays the Internet is my chubby friends. It is the whole world’s chubby friend.”

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Title: Modern Romance
Author: Aziz Ansari
With: Eric Klinenberg
Publisher: Penguin Press (Penguin Random House/Penguin Group)
Copyright: 2015
ISBN: 9781594206276

Books, NonFiction

Life Will Be the Death of Me by Chelsea Handler

April 24, 2019April 24, 2019 RaeAnna

Worth a Read Yes
Length 256
Quick Review Chelsea Handler’s never been afraid of the truth. In her latest memoir, she sits with personal trauma in a way she has not before. Laugh out loud funny with a serious edge.

Photo shoots with a dog are exhausting. Life Will Be the Death of Me by Chelsea Handler isn’t.

I love Chelsea Handler. I have read several of her books and watched her TV show fairly religiously. When I saw she had a new book coming out, I had to have it. Life Will Be the Death of Me is still laugh out loud funny, but she tackles her mental health in a serious way.

Chelsea Handler has made her living making people laugh. I think it’s easier to make people laugh in person than on the page, but I have always been giggling with my nose in her books. Life Will Be the Death of Me deals with death in a serious way. Her brother died when she was very young, and that experience changed her and her family forever. Throughout the book, she talks about her grieving process several decades after his death. She visits a psychiatrist, who helps her work through her issues.

We can be cute. I had to hide a treat in my cleavage….

I love her writing style and voice in Life Will Be the Death of Me. She’s one of those people whose voice shines through anything she touches. It’s probably one of the reasons she is so successful. I think for the first time in her books – I have not read all of them, don’t quote me – she spends more time being serious than being funny. Her honesty and self reflection are brilliant.

She’s not eating the apple. Treat in my hand. She’s eating my hand.

My two favorite parts of Handler’s memoir are this quote: “How can it be that a swab of saliva can determine a dog’s genetic heritage yet there isn’t a more precise way to determine the age of a dog at this juncture in modern society?” We are both rescue dog moms. As the proud mama of a rescue dog, I identify this on a very deep level. I wish I knew the age of my dog, but I do not. Also one running theme throughout Life Will be the Death of Me is her anger towards Trump. There is a lot, a LOT of anger being funneled in his direction, and I love it. I personally think almost all evil is his fault, at this point in time. Darth Cheeto sucks donkey balls.

If you want some laughs and some insight. I say check out Chelsea Handler’s latest book Life Will Be the Death of Me. If nothing else, you’ll giggle a few times, and there are really cute pictures of her dogs and family.

Memorable Quotes
“Having an older brother is a lot like a crush – in fact, it is a crush.”
“No person is just one thing.”

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Title: Life Will Be the Death of Me
Author: Chelsea Handler
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau
Copyright: 2019
ISBN: 9780525511779