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Hey Doorman: Inception to An Anthology

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WORLD's FUNNIEST BOUNCER.
Acclaimed writer for The Eric Andre Show, Haji Outlaw, delivers the refurbished first two volumes of his epic ebook series (21 & 22 true tales). Written under his pen name of John P. Kildemm, Haji delivers a delicious, 100 proof, re-in-sentiment of the original tent poles of the hit HEY DOORMAN series.

What happened when I met her at the bar? What does Kildemm have in common with OJ Simpson? What's the worst night of the year at a bar?

All of these answers are a click away!!!

147 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2014

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87 people want to read

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Haji Outlaw

18 books4 followers

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5 stars
38 (33%)
4 stars
18 (16%)
3 stars
31 (27%)
2 stars
8 (7%)
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17 (15%)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Jessyca Garcia.
251 reviews23 followers
March 9, 2015
HEY DOORMAN: Twenty-one true tales of an uncommon bouncer in Los Angeles by John P. Kildemm is a hilarious quick read. The book contains twenty-one stories or advice from a bouncer’s experiences. They are all told in Kildemm’s funny sarcastic style.

I thought Hey Doorman was shm-tastic. Bouncers are often overlooked. They are the guardians of the doors and people do not realize they see pretty much everything. My favorite story in this book was Twenty-one you say? I never thought that bouncers would use social media to identify someone’s age. This sort of reminds me of something the government would do. Matt Damon (and other famous celebrities) was another story I really liked. I liked this story because Kildemm tells the readers the truth about how these celebrities actually are. The only time I hear about a celebrity at a nightclub is when they are getting in trouble. The verdict is still out on Justin Bieber, but it is nice to hear that they are not always getting into trouble and that they are nice people. Kildemm’s words of shm-wisdom are not something one should forget either.

I really enjoyed Hey Doorman. It made me laugh out loud. It also made me want to go to Los Angeles just to see if what Kildemm says about the transvestites in the street are true. I read that Kildemm has written another book called HEY DOORMAN: twenty-two true tales of an uncommon bouncer in Los Angeles, I cannot wait to read it.
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Profile Image for Les.
2,911 reviews1 follower
February 11, 2017
I really really liked the first volume of this series. The second was acceptable this third book - containing only 10 short stories the fun and humor is gone. It seems that the author isn't enjoying himself. And passes his jaded view onto the reader.
Profile Image for Book Enchanted.
231 reviews22 followers
September 24, 2025
A Wild Ride Through Hollywood's After Hours: Hey Doorman by Haji Outlaw

There's something magnetic about stories from the underbelly of glamorous places, and Haji Outlaw's "Hey Doorman" delivers exactly that visceral thrill I was craving. From the moment I cracked open this memoir, I found myself transported into the chaotic, glittering world of LA nightlife where celebrities stumble, egos clash, and the most outrageous human behavior unfolds behind velvet ropes.

What struck me immediately was Outlaw's voice. This isn't your typical bouncer memoir filled with tough guy posturing. Instead, Haji approaches his experiences with the keen eye of someone who's genuinely observant about human nature. His background writing for The Eric Andre Show becomes evident in his storytelling style, which blends absurdist humor with surprisingly sharp social commentary. Reading his descriptions felt like sitting across from that friend who always has the most unbelievable stories, except these actually happened.

The celebrity encounters throughout the book had me alternately laughing out loud and cringing with secondhand embarrassment. Outlaw has this gift for capturing the humanity in these larger than life figures, showing us their most vulnerable and ridiculous moments without feeling exploitative. There were several passages where I had to set the book down because I was laughing too hard, particularly his descriptions of drunk patrons attempting to negotiate their way past him with increasingly bizarre logic.

What impressed me most was how Outlaw weaves deeper themes into what could have been just a collection of wild anecdotes. Through his experiences manning doors at some of Hollywood's hottest venues, he offers genuine insights into power dynamics, social hierarchies, and the performative nature of celebrity culture. I found myself reflecting on how we construct identity and status, even as I was being entertained by stories of grown adults behaving like toddlers.

The pacing kept me completely engaged. Just when I thought I'd heard the most outrageous story, Outlaw would top it with something even more unbelievable. His ability to build tension and deliver punchlines reminded me why comedy legends like Jerrod Carmichael and Tiffany Haddish have endorsed his work. There's a natural rhythm to his storytelling that made this an incredibly easy read despite some pretty heavy subject matter lurking beneath the humor.

I particularly appreciated how honest Outlaw is about his own flaws and mistakes. This isn't a memoir where the author positions himself as the hero of every story. Instead, he's refreshingly candid about times he screwed up, moments of poor judgment, and the learning curve of working in such an intense environment. This self awareness made me trust him as a narrator and added depth to what could have been a superficial romp through Hollywood excess.

The book also functions as an unexpected sociology lesson about nightlife culture. Through Outlaw's observations, I gained insights into the complex ecosystem of clubs, the unspoken rules that govern these spaces, and the psychology of people when inhibitions are lowered. His descriptions of the various character types he encountered felt both hilarious and anthropologically fascinating.

Reading "Hey Doorman" felt like getting access to a world I'd never otherwise see, told by someone with both the experience to know it intimately and the writing chops to make it compelling. Outlaw has created something that's simultaneously a workplace memoir, a comedy showcase, and a cultural critique. It's the kind of book that makes you want to immediately recommend it to friends, if only so you'll have someone to discuss the most jaw dropping moments with.

For anyone curious about what really happens when the cameras stop rolling and the velvet ropes come down, this book offers an unfiltered, hilarious, and surprisingly thoughtful peek behind the curtain of Hollywood nightlife.
Profile Image for Tanay Kapse.
100 reviews2 followers
September 12, 2025
😂🍸 If you’ve ever wondered what really goes down in LA’s nightlife, HEY DOORMAN by Haji Outlaw is the craziest, funniest, and most outrageous workplace memoir you’ll ever read!

Haji isn’t just any doorman, he’s the world’s funniest bouncer with a storytelling style as wild as it is hilarious.

Imagine “Skittles wrapped in cleavage, safely secured in the beak of a 7th degree black belt time traveling pterodactyl” 🦖🍬yep, that’s the vibe!

With experience writing for The Eric Andre Show and working with Kool Keith, you know this guy’s got some seriously out-there stories.

From celebrity encounters 🌟, nightmare club nights 🍾, to his own “third kind” escapades 😏, Haji’s book is unfiltered, unapologetic, and absolutely laugh-out-loud funny.

You’ll find answers to the wildest questions like “Who’s the biggest diva in Tinseltown?” and “What’s the worst night ever at a club?”

Praised by comedy heavyweights like Jerrod Carmichael, Tiffany Haddish, and Fortune Feimster, this book is a must read if you love humor, nightlife chaos, and stories that make you snort laugh in public! 🤣📖
Profile Image for Sneha.
435 reviews38 followers
September 9, 2025
Ever wonder what really happens behind the velvet ropes in LA? Hey Doorman by Haji Outlaw gives you the unfiltered truth and it’s equal parts wild, hilarious, and jaw-dropping. 🍸😂

Haji isn’t your average bouncer. He’s seen Hollywood’s craziest nights up close and delivers the stories with razor-sharp wit. Worst nights at bars, celebrity egos, and the kind of drunk chaos you can’t make up, it’s all here.

With a background writing for The Eric Andre Show and producing for Kool Keith, his humor is off-the-wall and addictive. Reading this feels like getting the insider gossip you’re not supposed to know, but you can’t stop listening.

And the best part? Comedy heavyweights like Jerrod Carmichael, Fortune Feimster, Tiffany Haddish, and Michael Kosta are already backing him. So you know it’s legit funny.

If you’re into outrageous stories, sharp comedy, and nightlife told with zero filter, this book is your backstage pass to LA’s madness. Buckle up.
Profile Image for Steven.
312 reviews2 followers
July 6, 2018
Imagine you’re hanging around the fire in the evening having a few beers with some friends, and friends of friends. You discovered that one of the friends of friends happens to have been a bouncer in a trendy area of Los Angeles. Everyone starts to ask him questions about what that was like, and he turns out to be a pretty good storyteller. This is not high art, but it’s a fun and short read.
Profile Image for Quinn Quarantine.
63 reviews2 followers
July 30, 2018
Why

The stories had potential but always fell short. When they should have been reaching their peak they just ended flatly. Most stories weren't stories and I wondered why they were even included. It was an interesting concept.
22 reviews
January 11, 2020
Hysterical

This book is very adult in the content. The writing is witty and funny. The stories were great. Definitely a good read.
894 reviews
February 6, 2023
Interesting look at the LA bar scene through the eyes of a bouncer. Looking forward to reading more of these books.
279 reviews5 followers
June 30, 2022
Amusing

An amusing collection of stories from a bouncer. It covers many of the questions you have ever wondered including worst day ever.
Profile Image for Silver Screen Videos.
506 reviews10 followers
February 4, 2018
NOTE: The author graciously gave me a copy of this book and asked me to write a review.

As the famous saying goes, "in vino, veritas," (in wine, there is truth); in other words, people who have hit the sauce tend to reveal their real selves far more often under those circumstances than otherwise. And no one bears witness to these displays of candor, which often result in truly bizarre and hilarious behavior on the part of those inebriated, than the bouncers at the various drinking establishments where people go to consume excess amounts of alcohol. Unfortunately, many of those bouncers are either not very observant, not very communicative, or not very literate, and many potentially great moments of veritas simply vanish. Fortunately, Los Angeles is gifted with at least one bouncer, Haji Outlaw, who sees all, reveals quite a bit, and does so most entertainingly in a series of memoirs bearing the title Hey Doorman, of which the current volume is the fifth.

Outlaw wrote his earlier Hey Doorman books under the pen name of “John P. Kildemm,” which also appears on the cover of this book, but he reveals his true identity here for the first time. Under either name, he is, among other things, a bouncer at one of Los Angeles’ more elite establishments. He is also well versed on a number of non-bouncerish subjects including movies and politics, his views on which find their way into his stories fairly often. What readers get in the Hey Doorman books are a series of tales related as Outlaw might tell them to a group of friends at a party. The incidents he recounts are funny, in and of themselves, as inebriation (on alcohol or other substances) is virtually a given, and sex and fights often find their way into them as well. One guesses that Outlaw could entertain people simply by doing a hidden camera expose of the events he describes.

But what raises Outlaw’s writing to a different level is the way he tells each story. He isn’t a mere reporter; he is a raconteur, blending the main storyline, some evocative description, and some sidelines and detours along the way as he brings in other subjects on which he has an opinion. Here’s an example of Outlaw’s style, as he describes a particularly handsome yet dim witted patron of his establishment: “While [his] appearance can run with the metaphorical likes of a Usain Bolt circa 2008, his intellect can run with the likes of a stillborn turtle circa any time in history.” Reading a story peppered with similar phrasings can be a delight.

Readers of Outlaw’s earlier Hey Doorman works should be aware that this volume is by far the shortest (albeit least expensive) of his collections. Yet, the book does serve as a good introduction to his wit and style. And, unlike the earlier volumes in the Hey Doorman series, this one has a story featuring a genuine A-list celebrity, Harrison Ford (although, in fairness, it’s the weakest story in the collection). The Ford tale segues right into Outlaw’s last story, not one involving the inebriated patrons of his establishment, but rather, a somewhat more sober reflection on the recent wave of revelations of sexual misconduct and harassment in Hollywood, revelations that, sadly, eclipse in terms of outrageous shock value anything Outlaw has described in his various volumes. Even then, Outlaw manages to come up with a suggestion for dealing with unpleasant situations that I haven’t ever heard in the entire discussion of the sexual harassment issue.

I’ve read literally hundreds of minimally published and self-published books on Amazon, and many of them wind up being remarkably similar. I can honestly say, however, that I’ve never read anything like Haji Outlaw’s Hey Doorman series, a combination of wit, observation, and style bathed in the La La Land glitter. Unlike real doormen, whom most people pass by without a glance, this latest Hey Doorman, like the others, is well worth quite a few glances.
Profile Image for Sandra Lopez.
Author 3 books347 followers
January 13, 2015
This is a glimpse of what a L.A. night club bouncer sees--it is 21 true tales, to be exact. Each segment is something else in the life of a bouncer. They’re not really stories, but more observations you’d hear from a stand-up comedian.

“What’s important to know is this, when it comes to fights, men in L.A. are like dogs in L.A. Only the little ones start sh#t.” (8) True dat!

Filled with a wry and witty humor, tales are quick and enjoyable, albeit very risqué at times. I wasn’t too familiar with some of the terms used and, of course, had no idea what they meant (something tells me I wouldn’t want to know.) And, like I said, these are not stories, so the writing is unimpressive.

Like Seinfeld, this is the book about nothing. I didn’t always get the jokes and some of the stories were better off not being heard (seemed unnecessary and really disgusting,) but an okay first effort.
Profile Image for Terri Wilson.
Author 53 books145 followers
February 15, 2018
When I read Hey Doorman by Haji Outlaw I could totally relate to some of the stories he told. When alcohol is involved people do so incredibly hysterical things. And when you add in that these stories take place in Los Angeles, there is even a deeper level crazy happening.  Haji contacted me last year to read volume 8. As usual, I was reading at night, in bed, while DH tried to sleep. I woke him up more than once laughing out loud. I mean like belly- hugging laughter. So when he contacted me again, I jumped at the chance to read another one. These stories are quick and easy to read. What makes them that much better is his delivery. One of these stories sounds too bizarre to be true, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was. This author has keen observations on life and a terrific skill for putting what he sees into words.
Profile Image for Johanna Sawyer.
3,479 reviews42 followers
December 29, 2014
Thanks to the author for alerting me to such an interesting read. While I didn't really laugh, (I'm mostly into sarcastic humor) I did feel entertained while reading this book. I felt vaguely curious about the author after reading this, especially since he named having a book with him while in several small stories. (I'm just saying if he had been reading Of Mice and Men vs Black Lace, maybe our reactions would have been different) I think the penis story was my favorite. The stories were short in general but I considered this book to be like a date where this bouncer-guy just regaled me with cute interesting tidbits about people in L.A. Overall entertainment is five stars.
Profile Image for Andres.
Author 4 books19 followers
March 12, 2015
Good but short book on being a bouncer in L.A.

The book comes off as a 100% true and unadulterated (other than the obfuscation of trademarks). The author obviously worked as a bouncer, as he states, and he regaled us with 21 juicy tales of drunkenness, lust and or stupidity that he experienced while on the clock.

The book is a half hour read, at best, but worth the time for the many funny or cringe-worthy moments. Hope he's no longer a bouncer. Judging by his, he could do much better.
Profile Image for Les.
2,911 reviews1 follower
March 11, 2016
having read the second book in this series first (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...) I was excited to read this one. Unfortunately I was disappointed.

This short collection is less funny than it is offensive. The first story is awkward and there is little improvement.

Skip this one and go to the second.
Profile Image for Keryth Belvin.
868 reviews2 followers
July 1, 2017
Hilariously Funny

Great book! I was really entertained by it. It seriously cracked me up. I'm gonna check out his next book too. Same name as this one but it's 22 true tales instead of 21. Check out this book if you want a good laugh.
Profile Image for michelle decker.
9 reviews
January 25, 2015
Stupid!

I wasted my time reading this ..... this was pointless and stupid , but yet I kept reading why because it was free I would have been ashamed to have bought this book
372 reviews2 followers
October 26, 2016
Interesting

Interesting to read about someone's life as a valet and/or a bouncer. Funny stories about stupid people. I'm glad that I've never been one of the people he bounced.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews