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Digging Up Mother: A Love Story
Doug Stanhope is one of the most critically acclaimed and stridently unrepentant comedians of his generation. What will surprise some is that he owes so much of his dark and sometimes uncomfortably honest sense of humor to his mother, Bonnie. It was the cartoons in her Hustler magazine issues that molded the beginnings of his comedic journey, long before he was old enough to know what to do with the actual pornography. It was Bonnie who recited Monty Python sketches with him, who introduced him to Richard Pryor at nine years old, and who rescued him from a psychologist when he brought that brand of humor to school. And it was Bonnie who took him along to all of her AA meetings, where Doug undoubtedly found inspiration for his own storytelling.
Bonnie's own path from bartending to truck driving, massage therapy, elder abuse, stand-up comedy, and acting never stopped her from being Doug's genuine number one fan. So when her alcoholic, hoarding life finally came to an end many weird adventures later in rural Arizona, it was inevitable that Doug and Bonnie would be together for one last excursion.
Digging Up Mother follows Doug's absurd, chaotic, and often obscene life as it intersects with that of his best friend, biggest fan, and love of his life-his mother. And it all starts with her death-one of the most memorable and amazing farewells you will ever read.
Bonnie's own path from bartending to truck driving, massage therapy, elder abuse, stand-up comedy, and acting never stopped her from being Doug's genuine number one fan. So when her alcoholic, hoarding life finally came to an end many weird adventures later in rural Arizona, it was inevitable that Doug and Bonnie would be together for one last excursion.
Digging Up Mother follows Doug's absurd, chaotic, and often obscene life as it intersects with that of his best friend, biggest fan, and love of his life-his mother. And it all starts with her death-one of the most memorable and amazing farewells you will ever read.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 12, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews
July 8, 2021
I remembered Doug Stanhope as the American comedian who I’d seen extolling the virtues of America whilst doing down all things British. It was on a television series called Weekly Wipe. I thought it was funny, very funny (though you can make your own mind up – see below).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7OlB...
So I was pretty sure I'd get a few laughs from this memoir. However I wasn't so sure after the book opened with what amounted to a walk through of the assisted euthanasia of his mother. What!!
Admittedly, Stanhope did manage to extract some humour from this very dark account. This was aided (in the audio version I listened to) by the fact that he was joined on microphone by a group of his friends, some of whom were present for the ‘event’. He'd read a bit of the text and then segway into some ad lib commentary of his own before inviting some of the crew to recall their memories of it. It was bizarre, somewhat shocking but touching too. The humour was introduced mainly through the account of how, the following morning, the morticians mistook one of the sleeping friends as the body of his mother – gallows humour at its finest.
The book continued in this fashion, with regular stops for group conversation and members of the crew taking turns reading sections of the book. At first I found the interruptions and digressions annoying, I wasn't sure they were adding much to the mix and felt they were, in fact, detracting from the flow of the piece. But as time went on and I began to identify where each of the participants played a part in events I began to value their input and to look forward to the breaks from the text. The story was being challenged, fleshed out and enriched.
Stanhope’s reading was certainly the best - he's just got a natural tone and delivery that elicits a smile, even when he's not saying anything particularly funny. And the anecdotes themselves are outrageous. This man has led a wild life, fuelled by drink and drugs. He fell into standup comedy after time spent as a cold calling telemarketer (the whole thing was really just a scam) and often slept in his car as he was earning next to no money churning out his own type of humour. His act is a ranting, rude and caustic series of observations on anything and everything – nothing is sacred. It’s not something you’d see on television before the watershed. In fact I'm not sure you'd see some of it on television at all!
His mother is always there, either as a background figure or in the forefront of the tale. The relationship between mother and son is really that of best friends – true, they have their fallings out but for the most part they each revel in each other’s excesses and acts of debauchery. But in time her health starts to fail and we eventually end where we started.
Wow, what an amazing ride. Part of me is shocked and horrified, to some degree I'm really touched by the sadness at the heart of the book and yet I haven't laughed so much in ages. If you're in the mood for some dark humour, an account of an alternative lifestyle and a real story of one man's love for his mother then please do give this one a try – but please choose the audio version, I can't imagine the text will deliver anything like the same experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7OlB...
So I was pretty sure I'd get a few laughs from this memoir. However I wasn't so sure after the book opened with what amounted to a walk through of the assisted euthanasia of his mother. What!!
Admittedly, Stanhope did manage to extract some humour from this very dark account. This was aided (in the audio version I listened to) by the fact that he was joined on microphone by a group of his friends, some of whom were present for the ‘event’. He'd read a bit of the text and then segway into some ad lib commentary of his own before inviting some of the crew to recall their memories of it. It was bizarre, somewhat shocking but touching too. The humour was introduced mainly through the account of how, the following morning, the morticians mistook one of the sleeping friends as the body of his mother – gallows humour at its finest.
The book continued in this fashion, with regular stops for group conversation and members of the crew taking turns reading sections of the book. At first I found the interruptions and digressions annoying, I wasn't sure they were adding much to the mix and felt they were, in fact, detracting from the flow of the piece. But as time went on and I began to identify where each of the participants played a part in events I began to value their input and to look forward to the breaks from the text. The story was being challenged, fleshed out and enriched.
Stanhope’s reading was certainly the best - he's just got a natural tone and delivery that elicits a smile, even when he's not saying anything particularly funny. And the anecdotes themselves are outrageous. This man has led a wild life, fuelled by drink and drugs. He fell into standup comedy after time spent as a cold calling telemarketer (the whole thing was really just a scam) and often slept in his car as he was earning next to no money churning out his own type of humour. His act is a ranting, rude and caustic series of observations on anything and everything – nothing is sacred. It’s not something you’d see on television before the watershed. In fact I'm not sure you'd see some of it on television at all!
His mother is always there, either as a background figure or in the forefront of the tale. The relationship between mother and son is really that of best friends – true, they have their fallings out but for the most part they each revel in each other’s excesses and acts of debauchery. But in time her health starts to fail and we eventually end where we started.
Wow, what an amazing ride. Part of me is shocked and horrified, to some degree I'm really touched by the sadness at the heart of the book and yet I haven't laughed so much in ages. If you're in the mood for some dark humour, an account of an alternative lifestyle and a real story of one man's love for his mother then please do give this one a try – but please choose the audio version, I can't imagine the text will deliver anything like the same experience.
May 24, 2016
This is a heart wrenching love story, A fractured, twisted genius of a man and his mother, who is just as messed up as he is.
If you aren't a fan of Stanhope, you are missing something...this won't make you like him, he's hard to deal with. But that's part of it, his ability to tell a story and his honesty sets him apart from the crowd, and honestly...aren't you tired of the crowd?
This is filthy, depraved, disturbing and all around jacked up, and it's one of the most human things I have read this year.
Give Stanhope your money, he needs cigarettes.
If you aren't a fan of Stanhope, you are missing something...this won't make you like him, he's hard to deal with. But that's part of it, his ability to tell a story and his honesty sets him apart from the crowd, and honestly...aren't you tired of the crowd?
This is filthy, depraved, disturbing and all around jacked up, and it's one of the most human things I have read this year.
Give Stanhope your money, he needs cigarettes.
February 9, 2017
There were some really touching elements to this story--at the beginning and at the end. It was laugh out loud funny in spots. But the middle dragged so badly that I completely lost any interest in Doug's career (as pertained to the storyline), couldn't care less about his escapades or the endless stream of friends/girlfriends/rival comics, and for that reason I can't ever see myself re-reading this book. I barely made it through the middle third of the book.
September 12, 2016
Stories of a bad person doing bad things, told in an entertaining and interesting way. As someone who has listened to most episodes of the Doug Stanhope Podcast, a lot of these stories were known to me, though it was good to hear them in order, told more concisely.
The most interesting idea behind the audiobook version are the "director's commentary" sections where people involved in the stories would chat about what they remember from the time, with extra anecdotes and opinions thrown in. Also Doug commenting on the story himself, in small asides, bringing up how bad he was at reading, how bad his memory was, picking out errors and ommisions and other bits and pieces.
The most interesting idea behind the audiobook version are the "director's commentary" sections where people involved in the stories would chat about what they remember from the time, with extra anecdotes and opinions thrown in. Also Doug commenting on the story himself, in small asides, bringing up how bad he was at reading, how bad his memory was, picking out errors and ommisions and other bits and pieces.
July 20, 2017
This is possibly the greatest autobiography I've ever read. I've been a fan of Stanhope's comedy for many years, and I know how brutally honest he is. He is even more brutally honest in this book than ever before. I like to consider myself an open book, but if my mom jerked off cats and dogs just to make 'em feel better? You would never hear about that from me. If I tortured and killed animals, again, you would never hear that from me. You can hear it from Stanhope, though.
I, like Stanhope, am a hearty drinker who despises the idiocy of AA. Also, I am the product of a severely alcoholic mother (she died of cirrhosis of the liver and was as yellow as a Simpson when she passed). As you can imagine, this book hit really close to home for me. It also taught me something about myself.
Stanhope was angry with his mother for most of the last years of her life. I was angry with Mom during that period, too. I never really thought about how much of a jerk I was to her, but reading about him berating his mother for being a burden brought back some memories that I probably shouldn't remember. I was horrible to Mom. I yelled at her. I never called her names, but when I'm driven to the point of no return, I can be an exceptionally cruel man. I know exactly the worst things to say in any given situation, and I will say them if I'm angry enough.
(The only time I yelled at Mom that I don't feel sorry about was the time I came home to find her racing downstairs to the living room, where she lived at the time--ironically in the exact same spot where her father, my grandfather, died--with a glass of what looked like alcohol. Specifically, MY alcohol. I ran upstairs because I had two bottles: a handle of Ten High and a fifth of $75 scotch. Sure enough, she had opened the box and hastily wrapped the paper around the bottle. Almost all of the scotch was gone. The Ten High? Which is a mere $13 (at the time) for a handle? Untouched. I ran downstairs and berated her for a good ten minutes. Why did she have to steal my expensive scotch? The cheap shit was right there! If she had stolen from the Ten High, I wouldn't be upset in the slightest. I ranted and raved. I'd been saving that bottle for the end of my DUI trial because I had a good chance of being found not guilty. I made her cry, and that made me feel good. I know, I know. I'm a miserable human being for it. But that scotch was so important to me. I'm getting kind of heated up thinking about it now. I still think about the absolutely defeated look on her face by the time I was done. It makes me a bit queasy now. No wonder I blocked out the memory. PS: I was found not guilty of DUI. One of the few, the proud.)
This book is amazing. All the wild parties, heavy boozing, hallucinogens, the not-your-average-mom, everything. Even Extreme Elvis makes an appearance. This is the most savage love story I've ever read. It's honest to the point of lunacy. I hope Stanhope checked to see if the statute of limitations was up for all of the crimes he talked about committing. You need to read this book.
Thank you, Doug Stanhope. This one got into my skin as if I'd lived it. Some of it, I did.
I, like Stanhope, am a hearty drinker who despises the idiocy of AA. Also, I am the product of a severely alcoholic mother (she died of cirrhosis of the liver and was as yellow as a Simpson when she passed). As you can imagine, this book hit really close to home for me. It also taught me something about myself.
Stanhope was angry with his mother for most of the last years of her life. I was angry with Mom during that period, too. I never really thought about how much of a jerk I was to her, but reading about him berating his mother for being a burden brought back some memories that I probably shouldn't remember. I was horrible to Mom. I yelled at her. I never called her names, but when I'm driven to the point of no return, I can be an exceptionally cruel man. I know exactly the worst things to say in any given situation, and I will say them if I'm angry enough.
(The only time I yelled at Mom that I don't feel sorry about was the time I came home to find her racing downstairs to the living room, where she lived at the time--ironically in the exact same spot where her father, my grandfather, died--with a glass of what looked like alcohol. Specifically, MY alcohol. I ran upstairs because I had two bottles: a handle of Ten High and a fifth of $75 scotch. Sure enough, she had opened the box and hastily wrapped the paper around the bottle. Almost all of the scotch was gone. The Ten High? Which is a mere $13 (at the time) for a handle? Untouched. I ran downstairs and berated her for a good ten minutes. Why did she have to steal my expensive scotch? The cheap shit was right there! If she had stolen from the Ten High, I wouldn't be upset in the slightest. I ranted and raved. I'd been saving that bottle for the end of my DUI trial because I had a good chance of being found not guilty. I made her cry, and that made me feel good. I know, I know. I'm a miserable human being for it. But that scotch was so important to me. I'm getting kind of heated up thinking about it now. I still think about the absolutely defeated look on her face by the time I was done. It makes me a bit queasy now. No wonder I blocked out the memory. PS: I was found not guilty of DUI. One of the few, the proud.)
This book is amazing. All the wild parties, heavy boozing, hallucinogens, the not-your-average-mom, everything. Even Extreme Elvis makes an appearance. This is the most savage love story I've ever read. It's honest to the point of lunacy. I hope Stanhope checked to see if the statute of limitations was up for all of the crimes he talked about committing. You need to read this book.
Thank you, Doug Stanhope. This one got into my skin as if I'd lived it. Some of it, I did.
January 1, 2018
Stanhope is one of my all-time favorite comedians, and his (auto-)biography is exactly what you'd expect. It's dark and compelling. The first half is sad in a way that's nihilistic and depressing, but the second is sad in that life-must-be-painful-in-order-to-magnify-ones-capacity-for-feeling-joy way. (There is no happiness. But lots of fun.)
It's structurally similar to his act, in that way.
Plus, it's written so distinctly in Stanhope's voice that it often felt like I was listening to him narrate an audiobook rather than reading words on a page.
In short: "brilliant" and "not for everyone." Just like the man himself.
It's structurally similar to his act, in that way.
Plus, it's written so distinctly in Stanhope's voice that it often felt like I was listening to him narrate an audiobook rather than reading words on a page.
In short: "brilliant" and "not for everyone." Just like the man himself.
October 6, 2020
Get the audiobook!!
This is a fun and entertaining work. If you're familiar with his podcast or simply with his stand-up then you must get the audio version because it's him and "the gang" reading the book, adding stories and commentaries and sometimes going off script telling stories. It's mostly an autobiography, with added stories about his mother and some gossip and trash-talking.
Stanhope has never been a mainstream comedian, and this book is no different from his act. Nevertheless, I think this book is much more polished than anything he has done, so I'm glad that after all that booze and drugs he hasn't lost his edge.
This is a fun and entertaining work. If you're familiar with his podcast or simply with his stand-up then you must get the audio version because it's him and "the gang" reading the book, adding stories and commentaries and sometimes going off script telling stories. It's mostly an autobiography, with added stories about his mother and some gossip and trash-talking.
Stanhope has never been a mainstream comedian, and this book is no different from his act. Nevertheless, I think this book is much more polished than anything he has done, so I'm glad that after all that booze and drugs he hasn't lost his edge.
March 26, 2017
The Cover Reminds me of that Scene in "Goodfellas" where they bury Billy Batts
I've seen Doug live a number of times and have also read his earlier book ("Fun with Pedophiles"). I came to this one expecting it to be (like most comedians' autobiographies) done with a "heavy edit" by a professional writer (maybe Anthony Bozza), but this work has Doug's fingerprints (and bodily fluids) all over it, and is all the better for it.
The book deals mainly with Doug's relationship with his mother, a deeply-flawed but sweet woman who always encouraged her son to follow his dreams in comedy, while pursuing her own dreams of being a professional massage therapist, actress, dominatrix, and leader of an army of constantly-shedding house cats.
The relationship between Doug and "Mother" (as he insists on calling her, like a comedic Norman Bates) is sweet without being saccharine, and when it comes to his mother's assisted suicide, the comic is both brutally honest and frank. The book is many things, including a meditation on mortality, ageing, and the right-to-die; Doug is a libertarian, but doesn't browbeat you with it like Penn Jillette.
The parts I enjoyed most were the passages detailing Doug's long tenure at cold-calling centers/boiler rooms, where he met a host of crazy and desperate characters that helped shape his view of life and his stand-up routine. The hazards of the road and his developing comedy act are dealt with, as are Doug's own brushes with fame and the famous (like the late, great Mitch Hedberg). It should be emphasized that the book is not the traditional Hollywood "fish-out-of-water" tale you sometimes get from people who work in the entertainment industry while hating it (like Tom Green's "Hollywood Causes Cancer"). This is not a book mainly about the evolution of a comedian's career, but is rather a sometimes funny, many times sad portrait of the woman who formed Doug and never ceased to support him in his goals, even after she lost her mind. Recommended.
I've seen Doug live a number of times and have also read his earlier book ("Fun with Pedophiles"). I came to this one expecting it to be (like most comedians' autobiographies) done with a "heavy edit" by a professional writer (maybe Anthony Bozza), but this work has Doug's fingerprints (and bodily fluids) all over it, and is all the better for it.
The book deals mainly with Doug's relationship with his mother, a deeply-flawed but sweet woman who always encouraged her son to follow his dreams in comedy, while pursuing her own dreams of being a professional massage therapist, actress, dominatrix, and leader of an army of constantly-shedding house cats.
The relationship between Doug and "Mother" (as he insists on calling her, like a comedic Norman Bates) is sweet without being saccharine, and when it comes to his mother's assisted suicide, the comic is both brutally honest and frank. The book is many things, including a meditation on mortality, ageing, and the right-to-die; Doug is a libertarian, but doesn't browbeat you with it like Penn Jillette.
The parts I enjoyed most were the passages detailing Doug's long tenure at cold-calling centers/boiler rooms, where he met a host of crazy and desperate characters that helped shape his view of life and his stand-up routine. The hazards of the road and his developing comedy act are dealt with, as are Doug's own brushes with fame and the famous (like the late, great Mitch Hedberg). It should be emphasized that the book is not the traditional Hollywood "fish-out-of-water" tale you sometimes get from people who work in the entertainment industry while hating it (like Tom Green's "Hollywood Causes Cancer"). This is not a book mainly about the evolution of a comedian's career, but is rather a sometimes funny, many times sad portrait of the woman who formed Doug and never ceased to support him in his goals, even after she lost her mind. Recommended.
July 13, 2017
This "love story" between a mother and a son is raunchy, occasionally touching and persistently funny. Stanhope is one of my favourite stand-up comedians. He has always made comedy out tragedy, and the tragically funny story, full of shock value but also of human heart, of her mother's assisted suicide in the hands of her own beloved son is one of his best recent "bits" - and it is expanded here into a fully biographical story. It is a double biography of Doug and Mother. It recounts Doug's growing up in the planetary orbit around her mother - and staying there.
I'm not sure what one is supposed to take away from it all. Stanhope doesn't reveal all that many details behind his comedy. All the stories are mostly about sex, drugs and alcohol in sad excess. Then again, I'm starting to get the feeling that IS what is behind his comedy, in all honesty... That, and mother - equally depraved and deprived of a moral center. Although it's not the story of our generation, or even the best story that Stanhope has told, the book's insight into relationships, the pains of growing old, the cost of bad life decisions, etc., are surprisingly insightful and painful.
If only as a warning, the needy, selfish antics of these two kin-related F-ups are a saga worth telling. And who better to tell it than one of the perpetrators?
N.B. I'd give three stars for the contents of the book, which are occasionally aimless, but I'd easily give four stars for the excellent audiobook with its added commentary by the people who were there. This is one of the best audiobook productions, and also one of the least professional...
I'm not sure what one is supposed to take away from it all. Stanhope doesn't reveal all that many details behind his comedy. All the stories are mostly about sex, drugs and alcohol in sad excess. Then again, I'm starting to get the feeling that IS what is behind his comedy, in all honesty... That, and mother - equally depraved and deprived of a moral center. Although it's not the story of our generation, or even the best story that Stanhope has told, the book's insight into relationships, the pains of growing old, the cost of bad life decisions, etc., are surprisingly insightful and painful.
If only as a warning, the needy, selfish antics of these two kin-related F-ups are a saga worth telling. And who better to tell it than one of the perpetrators?
N.B. I'd give three stars for the contents of the book, which are occasionally aimless, but I'd easily give four stars for the excellent audiobook with its added commentary by the people who were there. This is one of the best audiobook productions, and also one of the least professional...
August 8, 2016
I've been a big fan of Stanhope since I saw him in a dive comedy club in the late 90's. I then saw him in a different dive, this time a bar in 2001. Since then, I've followed his career, bought his CD's and love his stand up. Definitely not for everyone, but he is an original and I'm definitely a fan. This book takes you through many emotions. Laughter, disgust, pity, sadness, more laughter and ultimately even though he didn't want the title, a love story.
This book is raw and cuts through the fluffy bull that most people leave out in a memoir. Not that everyone has experienced even a sliver of the depravity Stanhope has, but we all(most) have messed up families, regrettable memories and experiences that we wouldn't want to share. Stanhope does, and in doing so writes a fantastic book.
This book is raw and cuts through the fluffy bull that most people leave out in a memoir. Not that everyone has experienced even a sliver of the depravity Stanhope has, but we all(most) have messed up families, regrettable memories and experiences that we wouldn't want to share. Stanhope does, and in doing so writes a fantastic book.
April 6, 2017
I absolutely loved this book. I've been a big fan of Doug Stanhope since the first time I heard him on the Howard Stern Show. He would tell the craziest stories about his girlfriend Bingo. I've not laughed so loud in a long time. He has a unique morose sense of humor that is not for everyone. He masks his pain behind jokes that some folks just won't get. I would highly recommend the audiobook. It adds an extra layer to overall story that just cant be beat.
May 28, 2016
A real treat for the sausage army. Funny, touching and disturbing in equal parts. Delectable.
September 2, 2017
If you're a fan of the fucked up comedy of Doug Stanhope, you'll love this book.
Bonus for getting to listen to it.
Bonus for getting to listen to it.
November 11, 2023
In a world where comedy is increasing sterile, apologetic and unfunny, it's nice that we still have a few comedians willing to remain raw and unfiltered. Doug Stanhope should be their leader.
The book, mostly an autobiography, deals not just with his life, but his whiny, manipulative, histrionic mother, who is also his best friend, biggest fan, and main influence. In the first chapter, Doug brings her into his home for her final hospice days, so she can kill herself. They joke back and forth as she swallows a bottle of morphine pills washed down with drinks made by her son. It's alternately hilarious, solemn, borderline horrific, and astounding.
The same goes for the rest of the book. It chronicles his life, relationships, jobs as a scammer, and transition into a brutal, uncompromising comic. But mostly, it explores, dissects and celebrates the bond he shared with the most important person in his life.
The book, mostly an autobiography, deals not just with his life, but his whiny, manipulative, histrionic mother, who is also his best friend, biggest fan, and main influence. In the first chapter, Doug brings her into his home for her final hospice days, so she can kill herself. They joke back and forth as she swallows a bottle of morphine pills washed down with drinks made by her son. It's alternately hilarious, solemn, borderline horrific, and astounding.
The same goes for the rest of the book. It chronicles his life, relationships, jobs as a scammer, and transition into a brutal, uncompromising comic. But mostly, it explores, dissects and celebrates the bond he shared with the most important person in his life.
May 4, 2021
Been listening to this audiobook on and off for a while. I found it to be an interesting insight into some of Doug's experiences and a well written darkly humorous insight into some very dark, not often talked about topics
July 10, 2018
Really good book, worth the read.
April 26, 2018
Ever felt like taking a shower after reading a book?
January 15, 2022
Um, no. Failed repeatedly straight out of the gate. Quite the shit human, he is. Oh, and there were no laughs... I mean, none.
September 1, 2018
Fucking amazing, couldn’t put it down until finished. Doug totally embraced the different medium and his voice is the same yet different for the book. Love love love!!!!!!!!!!
February 22, 2017
He's a much better comedian than a writer and if you've seen his stand up a lot of the stories will be familiar. It's still interesting to learn about him as a person and how he grew up thinking and acting in messed up ways just for laughs or to relieve boredom. It sounds like (I don't remember him making it explicit) Doug had or has some kind of attention disorder which usually led to dumb decision making, but the best part is his lack of regret or care about it later. His mother, who is the main focus throughout the book, is just as messy with her life and he describes her several times as his best friend despite her being, quite often, the bane of his existence. It's funny, tragic, and usually weird enough to be uncomfortable. He's like Hunter S. Thompson if he talked straight and told more jokes.
June 26, 2018
I made it through the first chapter a while ago and then I had to return the book to the library. That first chapter was memorable enough for me to pick up this book and try again. At 31%, I've given up. This book did not make me laugh but mostly just hurt and wonder about his really f--ked up childhood and young adult life. I am not the target audience.
August 13, 2017
My wife have had this tradition when we go on long road trips that I read to her, and this year's trek across America's roadways was given a delightful boost from Digging Up Mother for sure. Beautiful weather, and breathtaking scenery jived nicely with tales of Doug's Mother "jacking off cats & cranking out farts" and bursts of debauched hijinks that anyone who's asked more from life, can relate to.
I have enjoyed Doug's standup for many years, but it wasn't until I read this that I remembered an encounter with him many years ago when he did his act at the enlisted club at Mountain Home Air Force Base where I was stationed. I approached him, and he listened patiently with a bemused grin as I breathlessly tried to engage him in a conversation about Henry Rollins, because he mentioned him in his act. He told me he'd only known about him from his Liar video, and clapped me on the back, when he probably should have told me to fuck off.
Anyway, it's a great read, showing his tremendous heart with an unwavering look at the ugly stuff too, and in such a way that will have you gut laughing when you're not crying, or dry-heaving.
I have enjoyed Doug's standup for many years, but it wasn't until I read this that I remembered an encounter with him many years ago when he did his act at the enlisted club at Mountain Home Air Force Base where I was stationed. I approached him, and he listened patiently with a bemused grin as I breathlessly tried to engage him in a conversation about Henry Rollins, because he mentioned him in his act. He told me he'd only known about him from his Liar video, and clapped me on the back, when he probably should have told me to fuck off.
Anyway, it's a great read, showing his tremendous heart with an unwavering look at the ugly stuff too, and in such a way that will have you gut laughing when you're not crying, or dry-heaving.
September 15, 2022
I like Doug Stanhope's standup comedy shows very much but the book was just outright insane. In a negative way.
The beginning of the book, when he tells the story of his mother's suicide, was very funny but it gets pretty lame going on. It's merely a repetitive recital of terrible life choices and random anecdotes which stop being funny quite quickly. It cannot shock anymore and therefore loses it's "haha" factor when the vulgar language and the gross experiences just continue and continue.
Mr Stanhope should better stick to stand up comedy and refrain from writing books.
The beginning of the book, when he tells the story of his mother's suicide, was very funny but it gets pretty lame going on. It's merely a repetitive recital of terrible life choices and random anecdotes which stop being funny quite quickly. It cannot shock anymore and therefore loses it's "haha" factor when the vulgar language and the gross experiences just continue and continue.
Mr Stanhope should better stick to stand up comedy and refrain from writing books.
July 9, 2018
Kind of a masterpiece. It reads very similar to his standup, maybe because all of these stories have been part of his routine at some point in time or another. It's impressive how well they translate to the page. It's heavy on stories from his adolescence and the very beginning of his career, and then it kinda rushes through the years leading up to his mother's assisted suicide. One day he might consider expanding that material into a book of its own.
June 17, 2020
I did not enjoy this book. If I could have heard the story start to finish I might have hated it less, but the interruptions to talk to this childhood companion or that old girlfriend completely knocked the narrative off course. Unfortunately, it never knocked any of it off coarse! While Stanhope's life story may have been true, it was full of distasteful anecdotes and criminality with little redeeming quality. Yuck.
February 28, 2021
Sometimes it's not a good idea to find out about people you like as entertainers. I don't know if he's still a shitty person, but clearly he was con-man and criminal. And he seems fairly proud of it, which just leads to disappointment. I think the final straw for me was when he was telling someone else, "Take responsibility for your actions." Hypocrite.
August 19, 2016
I have to admit that I wasn't familiar with Doug Stanhope before I read his book. I also admit that that I wish I could un-see several of the family photos in Digging Up Mother. But I read the entire book in less than 1 day, which can only mean that I really, really enjoyed reading it.
November 30, 2016
Excellent book. Could almost hear doug read it to me. Loved hearing about his roots and happy there wasn't huge crossover from his stand up. A crude yet strangely heartwarming book that begins and ends with suicide.
May 31, 2016
If you're a Stanhope fan, then you'll read the book regardless of anything I have to say. If you aren't, then it's probably a bit too personal to be of much interest.
January 16, 2017
So funny I laughed in public enough times to count as embarrassing.
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