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The Oatmeal
Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants
Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants is the second variety comic collection and fourth book from the comedic mastermind behind TheOatmeal.com, Matthew Inman. Classics from the website, including “Dear Sriracha Rooster Sauce,” “What It Means When You Say Literally,” and “What We Should Have Been Taught in Our Senior Year of High School,” are featured alongside never-before-seen works of epic hilarity that will delight veteran and newbie Oatmeal fans alike.Matthew Inman’s first collection of The Oatmeal.com spent six weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and sold 200,000 copies. This pivotal and influential comic collection titled 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth introduced Samurai sword-wielding kittens and informed us on how to tell if a velociraptor is having pre-marital sex. Matthew's cat-themed collection How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You is a #1 New York Times bestseller and has sold over 350,000 copies. Now with Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants, Inman offers a delicious, tantalizing follow-up featuring all new material that has been posted on the site since the publication of the first book plus never-before-seen comics that have not appeared anywhere. As with every Oatmeal collection, there is a pull-out poster at the back of the book.
In this second collection of over 50 comics, you'll be treated to the hilarity of "The Crap We Put Up with Getting On and Off an Airplane," "Why Captain Higgins Is My Favorite Parasitic Flatworm," "This Is How I Feel about Buying Apps," "6 Things You Really Don't Need to Take a Photo of," and much more. Along with lambasting the latest culture crazes, Inman serves up recurrent themes such as foodstuffs, holidays, e-mail, as well as technological, news-of-the-day, and his snarky yet informative comics on grammar and usage. Online and in print, The Oatmeal delivers brilliant, irreverent comic hilarity.
In this second collection of over 50 comics, you'll be treated to the hilarity of "The Crap We Put Up with Getting On and Off an Airplane," "Why Captain Higgins Is My Favorite Parasitic Flatworm," "This Is How I Feel about Buying Apps," "6 Things You Really Don't Need to Take a Photo of," and much more. Along with lambasting the latest culture crazes, Inman serves up recurrent themes such as foodstuffs, holidays, e-mail, as well as technological, news-of-the-day, and his snarky yet informative comics on grammar and usage. Online and in print, The Oatmeal delivers brilliant, irreverent comic hilarity.
168 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2013
689 people are currently reading
2708 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Inman
19 books846 followersMatthew Inman (a.k.a. "The Oatmeal") is a Web designer and developer from Seattle, Washington. He has been designing Web sites since the age of 13 and is a seasoned programmer, systems administrator, and online marketer. Matthew launched theoatmeal.com in 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 393 reviews
August 1, 2017
Here's more fun from that Oatmeal guy.
There is so much information cleverly packed into this book:
- all the things we should have been taught in high school like how to load a dishwasher, when to use they're, their, and there, how to properly divide a restaurant check, and, of course, the real truth about sex . . .
- why you don't ever want to eat Play-Doh
- why liver flukes deserve our respect
- why nobody wants to hear about your dreams
In case you're wondering, the title toon is all about people in this world who behave like grizzly bears.
They do not play well with others. They are single-minded, stalwart, and stubborn. These people do not compromise. To them, life is not a journey; it's a game. And people aren't fellow passengers; they're obstacles.
The author's theory is that when you put underpants on a grizzly, it will remind the grizzly of his own faults and weaknesses.
Sigh.
I guess we need to get him to wear them over his clothes.
January 26, 2018
Sunday. 6.34 p.m.
I have a million books on my currently-reading shelf.
I'm reading a new one.
And, apparently, I don't care.
I chose a Matthew Inman book for my Sunday-funny-light-sometimes-not-so-light read. I need some laughs with my classics, you know. Anyway, it wasn't what I expected. Quite a disappointing start (and it didn't get much better). This is the guy that created a hilarious book called How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You which I reviewed here. So my train of thought was something like this: “Wait, what? What happened? What am I reading? It's not comedy, it's not drama, what is this? Should I keep reading this? Oh, this is going to be a painful read. Oh my god, this isn't funny. If there's no comedy in this, I just look like a ridiculous grown-up woman reading a book with silly pictures. Okay, I know I can't call myself a grown-up but I kind of look like one and that is what people would think if they saw me reading this thing. This is just sad. Gaaah! Maybe if I fake a smile. … … … Can't. I need cupcakes. Why do I need cupcakes?”
Babble over. So. The book. Well, after that first comic, it got a bit better. The second one is called “American vs. British accents”; it was funny-ish. Still an improvement. The third one, “What it means when you say literally”, okay, that was funny. And educational. Some people don't know when to use that word but want to use it anyway because they think it makes them sound smart. Well, it doesn't.
Sample:
Other comics I liked: “Cobwebs” (been there, done that), “If my brain were an imaginary friend” (that's one the best), “The crap we put up with getting on and off an airplane” (so true), “How to fix any computer” (well... I use Linux; if I can use it, then it's not that hard, believe me), “This is how I feel about buying apps”, “When to use i.e. in a sentence” (not funny but helpful), the metric system reference and... I don't think I can mention another one. According to the book description, I was going to get "brilliant, irreverent comic hilarity".
I'm still looking.
So, to be honest, there are some good comics in this book. They're about ordinary situations to which everyone can relate to and all that with humor and irony (sometimes, sarcasm). However, other comics are completely forgettable. Unfortunately, there are plenty of those. Some pictures seemed to be there to simply fill a page and nothing more. I wanted to finish those to get to the next page. And so on. And so on. Until I reach to the funny joke that I didn't want to stop reading because I kind of knew that the next one wasn't going to be that good.
I like Inman/The Oatmeal/whatever. I like him. He doesn't know that because he doesn't know I even exist, but I do like him. And I loved “How to tell if your cat...”. Having read that one, I can't give this collection more than three stars.
Feb 16, 14
* Also on my blog.
** Photo credit: Matthew Inman
I have a million books on my currently-reading shelf.
I'm reading a new one.
And, apparently, I don't care.
I chose a Matthew Inman book for my Sunday-funny-light-sometimes-not-so-light read. I need some laughs with my classics, you know. Anyway, it wasn't what I expected. Quite a disappointing start (and it didn't get much better). This is the guy that created a hilarious book called How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You which I reviewed here. So my train of thought was something like this: “Wait, what? What happened? What am I reading? It's not comedy, it's not drama, what is this? Should I keep reading this? Oh, this is going to be a painful read. Oh my god, this isn't funny. If there's no comedy in this, I just look like a ridiculous grown-up woman reading a book with silly pictures. Okay, I know I can't call myself a grown-up but I kind of look like one and that is what people would think if they saw me reading this thing. This is just sad. Gaaah! Maybe if I fake a smile. … … … Can't. I need cupcakes. Why do I need cupcakes?”
Babble over. So. The book. Well, after that first comic, it got a bit better. The second one is called “American vs. British accents”; it was funny-ish. Still an improvement. The third one, “What it means when you say literally”, okay, that was funny. And educational. Some people don't know when to use that word but want to use it anyway because they think it makes them sound smart. Well, it doesn't.
Sample:
Other comics I liked: “Cobwebs” (been there, done that), “If my brain were an imaginary friend” (that's one the best), “The crap we put up with getting on and off an airplane” (so true), “How to fix any computer” (well... I use Linux; if I can use it, then it's not that hard, believe me), “This is how I feel about buying apps”, “When to use i.e. in a sentence” (not funny but helpful), the metric system reference and... I don't think I can mention another one. According to the book description, I was going to get "brilliant, irreverent comic hilarity".
I'm still looking.
So, to be honest, there are some good comics in this book. They're about ordinary situations to which everyone can relate to and all that with humor and irony (sometimes, sarcasm). However, other comics are completely forgettable. Unfortunately, there are plenty of those. Some pictures seemed to be there to simply fill a page and nothing more. I wanted to finish those to get to the next page. And so on. And so on. Until I reach to the funny joke that I didn't want to stop reading because I kind of knew that the next one wasn't going to be that good.
I like Inman/The Oatmeal/whatever. I like him. He doesn't know that because he doesn't know I even exist, but I do like him. And I loved “How to tell if your cat...”. Having read that one, I can't give this collection more than three stars.
Feb 16, 14
* Also on my blog.
** Photo credit: Matthew Inman
July 26, 2020
Let me preface this review by saying, if terms like "man wieners", "lady hoo haws", "bazoongas" and other creative anatomical or sexual references isn't your thing, if you're particularly sensitive to "colorful" language, if you're deeply attached to your Apple (or Windows or Linux) products and would never suffer their good names to be humorously besmirched, or you only ever want to think of animals and humans with warm, fuzzy thoughts in your heart - this book may not be your thing. On the other hand, if you can deeply identify with your inner 10-year old ... or teenager (which apparently I do with phenomenal ease), if you like an irreverent, no "kids' gloves" type of humor, if you love a witty, intelligent, sharp-humored look at the every day inconveniences and experiences of life, and you enjoy a book that makes you laugh until tears are streaming down your face and your family asks with worried expressions on their faces if you're OK - then this book is perfect for you. From Matthew Inman, the creator of The Oatmeal, this is good stuff. Still giggling just thinking about it.
★★★★ Stars
★★★★ Stars
February 26, 2015
Not for me. Repetitive and predictable, just not my kind of humour.
January 28, 2016
I finally got my copy from Amazon after realizing pages were missing from my first copy. I started to read through the book and realized I had seen all these before. As it turns out, I already had a copy on my Kindle. I can be such an airhead.
It's funny. It's a quick read. Anyone with a sense of humour should have a copy, unless you're a grizzly bear.
It's funny. It's a quick read. Anyone with a sense of humour should have a copy, unless you're a grizzly bear.
June 24, 2014
Obnoxious. Also, most (not all, but most) depictions of women here are as sex objects, airhead cutesy "squeeee!" types, pretty popular bitches, or just reduced to body parts. Annoying. Lame.
January 4, 2014
YES! I wised up and am writing this as a Word document first, and will then copy and paste my finished review and GOODREADS WON’T BE ABLE TO FREEZE UP ON ME WHILE I’M TYPING! WOOHOO!
(Probably as soon as I try to transfer this text, my laptop will be struck by lightning just to teach me a lesson about being a smart arse.)
Anyway.
The Oatmeal is an awesome comic. “The Oatmeal” is also the most enigmatic food-related name for a comic since “Peanuts,” and I have no idea how either of them landed their respective monickers. But I digress.
This is the most recent Oatmeal collection, and if you like the comic, you should get Grizzly Bears, because there’s plenty of new, never-before-seen, not-available-fer-free-on-the-Internet material.
If you’re not familiar with The Oatmeal, read some online first. It’s very weird, and I say that with all possible love and admiration. But you know how it is with humor: the more chances it takes, the more likely it is not to please. (Read: massively offend.) And The Oatmeal takes pretty much every chance available.
For instance: Grammar nerds and supporters of gay rights will enjoy The Oatmeal’s “What it means when you say literally.” People who love Jerry Falwell and were unmoved by the recent inclusion of “figuratively” in the dictionary definition of “literally” will literally want to stab this comic in its figurative eyeballs.
It’s hard to pick “bests” when it’s all brilliant; but I think my favorite line from this collection is when Matthew Inman (The Oatmeal’s creator) describes trying to sit down on a paper toilet seat cover before it gets stolen by the automatic flush as “like playing nude musical chairs with Skynet.” If that sentence hits your humor sweet spot, you should grab this collection (and the previous Oatmeal collections, while you’re at it) without delay. If it doesn’t work for you – well, there’s always “Peanuts.”
(Probably as soon as I try to transfer this text, my laptop will be struck by lightning just to teach me a lesson about being a smart arse.)
Anyway.
The Oatmeal is an awesome comic. “The Oatmeal” is also the most enigmatic food-related name for a comic since “Peanuts,” and I have no idea how either of them landed their respective monickers. But I digress.
This is the most recent Oatmeal collection, and if you like the comic, you should get Grizzly Bears, because there’s plenty of new, never-before-seen, not-available-fer-free-on-the-Internet material.
If you’re not familiar with The Oatmeal, read some online first. It’s very weird, and I say that with all possible love and admiration. But you know how it is with humor: the more chances it takes, the more likely it is not to please. (Read: massively offend.) And The Oatmeal takes pretty much every chance available.
For instance: Grammar nerds and supporters of gay rights will enjoy The Oatmeal’s “What it means when you say literally.” People who love Jerry Falwell and were unmoved by the recent inclusion of “figuratively” in the dictionary definition of “literally” will literally want to stab this comic in its figurative eyeballs.
It’s hard to pick “bests” when it’s all brilliant; but I think my favorite line from this collection is when Matthew Inman (The Oatmeal’s creator) describes trying to sit down on a paper toilet seat cover before it gets stolen by the automatic flush as “like playing nude musical chairs with Skynet.” If that sentence hits your humor sweet spot, you should grab this collection (and the previous Oatmeal collections, while you’re at it) without delay. If it doesn’t work for you – well, there’s always “Peanuts.”
January 5, 2016
What a great way to start the new year... by laughing so hard that you literally pee your pants. Like oh hey ummm my pants are wet!
From page one, I was on a super fast roller coaster of laughter.
If you're a butt hurt MFer from yesteryear, go away. Weiners and bodily fluids will surround you and shit on your day.
Pure heart racing hilariousness.
From page one, I was on a super fast roller coaster of laughter.
If you're a butt hurt MFer from yesteryear, go away. Weiners and bodily fluids will surround you and shit on your day.
Pure heart racing hilariousness.
October 5, 2013
Shamefully Unproductive: Spending 1.5 hours reading The Oatmeal comics online, randomly browsing and clicking.
Somehow Feels Productive: Spending the same amount of time turning physical pages of the exact same comics you'd have read online for free.
Somehow Feels Productive: Spending the same amount of time turning physical pages of the exact same comics you'd have read online for free.
January 29, 2014
What can I say? I like crude humor, and The Oatmeal definitely has that. He tells it like it is, and doesn't shy away from being offensive. I admire that.
January 17, 2019
Starting this year with reading a comic book is not a bad idea at all. In this book, all I can see is intelligence, sense of humor, fantasy, and of course a bit of creativity. I could also see a diversity of topics that most of them I could relate, but at the same time some of them did not seem relatable to me. All in all it was a good experience.
March 14, 2015
I am pretty disappointed with this one... I love The Oatmeal and I laughed my head off while reading "How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You", but I really didn't find his newest book that funny. Entertaining, yes. Occasionally amusing, yes. But not absolutely hilarious like the first one I read.
April 6, 2014
I found this one in the new book section at the library and opened it to a random page, which made me laugh so hard I cried. I have to give it 5 stars because nearly every page spoke to my sense of humor and made me laugh/cry. Not many books have that ability. ;)
October 4, 2017
This is super exciting.
No really. It is.
Witty. Sarcastic. Informative. Cute.
October 15, 2019
What can I say....it's The Oatmeal. Hilarious and I laughed way to hard at some of the jokes. Definitely not for kids. The author also wrote How To Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting To Kill You. Too funny.
November 8, 2024
penuh dengan humor pelik dan sarkastik tentang kehidupan, haiwan, serta kebiasaan manusia.
November 19, 2013
You can tell I am a hard core, i.e., complete idiot desperate for a laugh, fan when I say that I found the story, "Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants" to not only be funny, but insightful. And I so totally agree with Matthew Inman regarding the correct use of "e.g., ... and i.e., ...". There are jokes I can relate to, i.e., page 35, page 47, page 83, and, page 99 (titles and content withheld to protect the punchline).
I bought this book for my husband, age 68, as a birthday present. He says he can relate to the stories, too. He will have to reveal his fav stories in his own review, however. One suggestion: you can read the book together at bedtime...a good laugh is good for sleep. Just do not be surprised if what he or she thinks is hilarious and spot-on is not the same for you, and vice versa...you may find yourself cringing in shame at the revelation of your true love's inner world...or maybe not. You may end up feeling deep comfort that you really know him/her. Take a chance. Enjoy this great book by The Oatmeal!
I bought this book for my husband, age 68, as a birthday present. He says he can relate to the stories, too. He will have to reveal his fav stories in his own review, however. One suggestion: you can read the book together at bedtime...a good laugh is good for sleep. Just do not be surprised if what he or she thinks is hilarious and spot-on is not the same for you, and vice versa...you may find yourself cringing in shame at the revelation of your true love's inner world...or maybe not. You may end up feeling deep comfort that you really know him/her. Take a chance. Enjoy this great book by The Oatmeal!
December 31, 2014
Hilarious! Though I do wish he didn't have such a potty mouth. I don't think there's a single page I could show to my 10yo, who wants to read the book so bad, having seen me giggling over it.
This is a collection of his bits from his website, as far as I can tell. I'm not a regular reader of his site, so I don't know if there is any new material. But it's got some of the best, like his love for sriracha and the life cycle of his favorite parasite.
This is a collection of his bits from his website, as far as I can tell. I'm not a regular reader of his site, so I don't know if there is any new material. But it's got some of the best, like his love for sriracha and the life cycle of his favorite parasite.
July 6, 2014
Expected something amusing and possibly informative. Turned out to be vulgar and spiteful. Had to stop reading it part way through.
July 31, 2022
a lot of his work seems crude weird and unfunny
I guess i like sick weird high-brow comedy or somethings...
I've never ever been able to get past his hideous artwork
the vibes i get is illustration even worse than the Family Guy
and something like rejected ideas for Beevis and Butthead (which is saying a lot)
maybe his calling was making games like
Exploding Kittens
and Bears vs Babies (with some of the most disturbing baby art since HR Giger)
[flying babies with axes in each hand, and skeletal bat wing hand babies]
[oh yes and bears with chainsaws to stop them]
Now if Edward Gorey was doing this type of shit, with the wit of Gary Larson's Far Side, i guess i could tolerate his work!
Honestly if i had the choice to win 10 dollars reading this book or watching Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, i know instantly what i would choose. Somehow i actually like the polar bear in Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.
Well okay, i would read the book once for $10
and collect the next $60 dollars watching Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
February 19, 2018
I like the Oatmeal. I particularly like the more thoughtful stuff that Inman posts on facebook. And there was some funny stuff here. I am not offended by swearing or sex or anything like that, but I don’t like that there is a part where he calls people retards. It wasn’t necessary, and I think that is a cruel word. So I was disappointed, and I had a hard time enjoying the rest of the book after that.
December 31, 2021
Another compilation of the Oatmeal cartoons. Overall, not as funny as some, but of course there were many laugh-out-loud moments. In particular, the “Time spent using Tupperware” pie chart. 5% storing fresh food, 15% storing rotten food and the rest searching for the right fucking lid. So true!
The best one was the bunny scolding the grizzly bear about the dishwasher.
Bunny: You must pre-rinse before you load
Grizzly: Your mom is a pre-rinsed load
Bunny: That doesn’t even make sense
If you lived in my household with my son Dayton this would be hysterical.
The best one was the bunny scolding the grizzly bear about the dishwasher.
Bunny: You must pre-rinse before you load
Grizzly: Your mom is a pre-rinsed load
Bunny: That doesn’t even make sense
If you lived in my household with my son Dayton this would be hysterical.
January 5, 2019
Not actually a graphic novel, this is a collection of Oatmeal comics. I'm not always a fan of the Oatmeal's stuff, but some of this had me laughing out loud.
September 8, 2019
A little crude, but hilarious!
February 8, 2017
Funny stuff
October 12, 2018
i don't know didn't feel this book, i love the author anyway
September 30, 2016
* totally inappropriate humor with a lot of creative cursing * it’s the kind of book that you end up sharing with everyone because it’s totally relatable – for instance, do you love burning your face off with sriracha? Have you wondered if computers are out to get us or listened to your spouse talk about strange things in their sleep? Yep, yep and yep? Then you will love this book. *And anytime you are freaking out on the inside you will imagine that one of the freaked-out faces in this book is your face, and then you will laugh hysterically even though you are at work or in a public bathroom, and it will be awesome because it will put the kibosh on freaking out and maybe make other people smile (once you’ve explained the book and pulled out your phone to show them a picture of one of the comics).
November 12, 2020
I remember thinking The Oatmeal was funny, but this book does not hit that mark for me. Maybe it's the years since I first encountered Inman's satirical work, but all I see now is a lowest common denominator humor. Instead of sharp witticisms these read as someone who has googled current trends/memes/humor and pandered to that to make a buck, rather than writing humorous personal anecdotes. Which means everything here comes across as banal, calculated and detached, including the deliberately oversimplified drawings.
For anyone wanting superior comic stylings with insightful social commentaries and adroit "unpracticed" artistic skills, pick up one of Allie Brosh's books instead.
For anyone wanting superior comic stylings with insightful social commentaries and adroit "unpracticed" artistic skills, pick up one of Allie Brosh's books instead.
May 14, 2018
This book is just so not for me at all. I was able to relate to a tiny bit about being a telecommuting/remote employee, but the rest... ugh.
I feel like I'm getting old, guys.
Or maybe I just don't find potty jokes or punching down all that amusing anymore.
Oatmeal used to be funny, right? I mean I remember laughing. Was it funny or has it always been so petty?
I remember thinking it was good stuff right up until I read the story about Inman running in Japan and then it just wasn't funny anymore: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/running
I feel like I'm getting old, guys.
Or maybe I just don't find potty jokes or punching down all that amusing anymore.
Oatmeal used to be funny, right? I mean I remember laughing. Was it funny or has it always been so petty?
I remember thinking it was good stuff right up until I read the story about Inman running in Japan and then it just wasn't funny anymore: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/running
March 5, 2014
I love Matt Inman and I've been reading his comics since 2009. I think he has a unique voice and distinct artistic style.
However, there is very little new content in this volume. I'm not saying it's not worth purchasing (it is! My copy is signed.), but of you're expecting new content, its not here.
That being said, I really admire Inman and his artwork. I'd just recommend some of his other books versus this one.
However, there is very little new content in this volume. I'm not saying it's not worth purchasing (it is! My copy is signed.), but of you're expecting new content, its not here.
That being said, I really admire Inman and his artwork. I'd just recommend some of his other books versus this one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 393 reviews