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Talk to Me
Entertainment Weekly , New & Notable
New York Post , Best Book of the Week
By the author of the New York Times bestseller, Love Poems for Married People , and the Thurber Prize-winner Truth in Advertising comes a wry yet tenderhearted look at how one man's public fall from grace leads him back to his family, and back to the man he used to be.
It's a story that Ted Grayson has reported time and time again in his job as a network TV the public downfall of those at the top. He just never imagined that it would happen to him. After his profanity-laced tirade is caught on camera, his reputation and career are destroyed, leaving him without a script for the first time in years.
While American viewers may have loved and trusted Ted for decades, his family certainly didn' His years of constant travel and his big-screen persona have frayed all of his important relationships. At the time of his meltdown, Ted is estranged from his wife, Claire, and his adult daughter, Franny, a writer for a popular website. Franny views her father's disgrace with curiosity and perhaps a bit of smug satisfaction, but when her boss suggests that she confront Ted in an interview, she has to decide whether to use his loss as her career gain. And for Ted, this may be a chance to take a hard look at what got him to this place, and to try to find his way back before it's too late.
Talk to Me is a sharply observed, darkly funny, and ultimately warm story about a man who wakes up too late to the mess he's made of his life... and about our capacity for forgiveness and empathy.
New York Post , Best Book of the Week
By the author of the New York Times bestseller, Love Poems for Married People , and the Thurber Prize-winner Truth in Advertising comes a wry yet tenderhearted look at how one man's public fall from grace leads him back to his family, and back to the man he used to be.
It's a story that Ted Grayson has reported time and time again in his job as a network TV the public downfall of those at the top. He just never imagined that it would happen to him. After his profanity-laced tirade is caught on camera, his reputation and career are destroyed, leaving him without a script for the first time in years.
While American viewers may have loved and trusted Ted for decades, his family certainly didn' His years of constant travel and his big-screen persona have frayed all of his important relationships. At the time of his meltdown, Ted is estranged from his wife, Claire, and his adult daughter, Franny, a writer for a popular website. Franny views her father's disgrace with curiosity and perhaps a bit of smug satisfaction, but when her boss suggests that she confront Ted in an interview, she has to decide whether to use his loss as her career gain. And for Ted, this may be a chance to take a hard look at what got him to this place, and to try to find his way back before it's too late.
Talk to Me is a sharply observed, darkly funny, and ultimately warm story about a man who wakes up too late to the mess he's made of his life... and about our capacity for forgiveness and empathy.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 15, 2019
84 people are currently reading
4630 people want to read
About the author
John Kenney
73 books375 followersJohn Kenney is the author of three novels and four books of poetry, including Love Poems for Married People. His first novel, Truth in Advertising, won the Thurber Prize for American humor. He is also the author of Talk to Me, which received a starred Kirkus review. He is a long-time contributor to The New Yorker magazine’s Shouts & Murmurs. He lives in Larchmont, NY, with his wife, Lissa, and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 240 reviews
January 25, 2019
I'm between 3 and 3.5 stars.
"But deep down in places he rarely allowed himself to go, Ted knew he was a lie. A handsome, large-headed, reasonably intelligent lie. They had made him this thing, this...character, this cartoon, really, where once, long ago, Ted had been a reporter. A writer."
Ted Grayson is a well-respected television news anchor. At 59, he's one of the last bastions of the "old guard" of news media, as television networks battle with cable and internet for ratings and advertising dollars. The definition of what is "news" has also changed since he got his start, and at times he doesn't even recognize the industry he's working in.
But while he is well-regarded by the viewers, his family doesn't have the same opinions about Ted. He and his wife, Claire, have been estranged for some time (following a long period of time where they were estranged even while living in the same house). She is weary after years of neglect, infidelity, and Ted's need to chase a story instead of actively participate in his marriage. Ted's daughter, Franny, hates him. Nothing he does is not deserving of scorn, even if Franny has more than her own share of issues.
"Life changes. This was the essence of news. Why did it come as such a shock to an anchorman?"
One night, in the middle of a newscast, things go spectacularly awry. Ted loses his temper and goes on a profanity-laced and misogynistic rant. It's a momentary lapse, but it doesn't wind up on camera, so everyone is hoping it will blow over. But then it hits the internet, and then it's a matter of minutes before Ted, and everything he represents, wind up in big trouble. Everyone has an opinion, and none of them are anything less than career-ending.
Franny, who works for a popular "news" website, watches her father's downfall with bemusement. But when it is suggested that she interview Ted for an article to help bolster her somewhat-flagging prospects at the site, she isn't sure whether she really hates her father enough to make career hay at his expense. Ted, on the other hand, wonders if it matters at all what Franny writes. Maybe he does deserve everything that's coming to him. Or maybe it's an opportunity to gain some control of himself before it really is too late.
John Kenney's Talk to Me is the story of a man whose career—and his life—are in freefall. It's a look at what it's like to finally have to come to terms with the choices you've made and whether you would make them again, and at whose expense you've made them. Ted's problems aren't unique—we've seen this type of story play out many times in real life, both involving celebrities and "real" people.
At the same time, this is a book about our scandal-hungry society, how the media loves to put people up on a pedestal only to gleefully knock them down when they make a mistake. It's a commentary about how quickly bad news, errors, or misdeeds travel, and the ripples they cause. It's also a look at the balance between news and entertainment, and how easy it has become to confuse the latter for the former.
When the book focused on Ted and his downfall, and how clueless he really was about the ramifications of what he did, I really enjoyed Talk to Me . But the more it focused on the outrage caused by Ted's rant, the reactions of those in society and the media, and the machinations of Franny's boss, I didn't find the book as interesting. I guess I feel like we're living in that society right now, and I didn't need much more of an analysis of how angry and unforgiving we can be to those who do things we perceive to be egregious.
Kenney is a great writer, and he has achieved a tough feat of making you care about unlikable characters. Ted and Franny in particular were complex, flawed yet sympathetic characters whose trajectories I understood. I didn't feel as if Kenney gave Claire as much depth, and I found a tangential storyline with an old roommate of Franny's to be mostly unnecessary.
So while I wasn't head over heels for Talk to Me , there are enough redeeming qualities to recommend it. There's some real emotion here amidst the melee, and it is those moments that make this book worthwhile.
NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/yrralh/.
"But deep down in places he rarely allowed himself to go, Ted knew he was a lie. A handsome, large-headed, reasonably intelligent lie. They had made him this thing, this...character, this cartoon, really, where once, long ago, Ted had been a reporter. A writer."
Ted Grayson is a well-respected television news anchor. At 59, he's one of the last bastions of the "old guard" of news media, as television networks battle with cable and internet for ratings and advertising dollars. The definition of what is "news" has also changed since he got his start, and at times he doesn't even recognize the industry he's working in.
But while he is well-regarded by the viewers, his family doesn't have the same opinions about Ted. He and his wife, Claire, have been estranged for some time (following a long period of time where they were estranged even while living in the same house). She is weary after years of neglect, infidelity, and Ted's need to chase a story instead of actively participate in his marriage. Ted's daughter, Franny, hates him. Nothing he does is not deserving of scorn, even if Franny has more than her own share of issues.
"Life changes. This was the essence of news. Why did it come as such a shock to an anchorman?"
One night, in the middle of a newscast, things go spectacularly awry. Ted loses his temper and goes on a profanity-laced and misogynistic rant. It's a momentary lapse, but it doesn't wind up on camera, so everyone is hoping it will blow over. But then it hits the internet, and then it's a matter of minutes before Ted, and everything he represents, wind up in big trouble. Everyone has an opinion, and none of them are anything less than career-ending.
Franny, who works for a popular "news" website, watches her father's downfall with bemusement. But when it is suggested that she interview Ted for an article to help bolster her somewhat-flagging prospects at the site, she isn't sure whether she really hates her father enough to make career hay at his expense. Ted, on the other hand, wonders if it matters at all what Franny writes. Maybe he does deserve everything that's coming to him. Or maybe it's an opportunity to gain some control of himself before it really is too late.
John Kenney's Talk to Me is the story of a man whose career—and his life—are in freefall. It's a look at what it's like to finally have to come to terms with the choices you've made and whether you would make them again, and at whose expense you've made them. Ted's problems aren't unique—we've seen this type of story play out many times in real life, both involving celebrities and "real" people.
At the same time, this is a book about our scandal-hungry society, how the media loves to put people up on a pedestal only to gleefully knock them down when they make a mistake. It's a commentary about how quickly bad news, errors, or misdeeds travel, and the ripples they cause. It's also a look at the balance between news and entertainment, and how easy it has become to confuse the latter for the former.
When the book focused on Ted and his downfall, and how clueless he really was about the ramifications of what he did, I really enjoyed Talk to Me . But the more it focused on the outrage caused by Ted's rant, the reactions of those in society and the media, and the machinations of Franny's boss, I didn't find the book as interesting. I guess I feel like we're living in that society right now, and I didn't need much more of an analysis of how angry and unforgiving we can be to those who do things we perceive to be egregious.
Kenney is a great writer, and he has achieved a tough feat of making you care about unlikable characters. Ted and Franny in particular were complex, flawed yet sympathetic characters whose trajectories I understood. I didn't feel as if Kenney gave Claire as much depth, and I found a tangential storyline with an old roommate of Franny's to be mostly unnecessary.
So while I wasn't head over heels for Talk to Me , there are enough redeeming qualities to recommend it. There's some real emotion here amidst the melee, and it is those moments that make this book worthwhile.
NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/yrralh/.
January 22, 2019
What’s not to like about a book that takes a scathing look at trends in today’s culture? Especially when it’s done with wit and poignancy.
The author takes a close look at the tendency of our rush to judgment and the role the news plays in manipulating our emotions. Nothing escapes the author’s critical eye. When he skewers the news, he includes traditional news sources, social media, and online click-bait “news” sites. His observations were spot on.
I loved John Kenney’s writing. He makes a powerful statement on the state of affairs in our country where no one is allowed to make a mistake, there is no forgiveness, and hypocrisy abounds. The relative anonymity of social media sometimes brings with it a mob mentality and hateful, cruel comments.
Ted is a 20 year veteran news anchor who, on a very bad day, is caught on video screaming at a young woman. The video goes viral, and, since we live in a time when no public figure can make a mistake without it being exploited and judged, the public outcry is frenzied. Ted finds his professional and personal life crumbling. He is publicly denounced and attacked. The truth matters less than what is “trending”. This is social commentary at its best.
The very people who call for tolerance can often be the most intolerant. Misunderstandings abound. How quick people are to judge personal interactions. Even something simple like a smile or a pensive expression can be misunderstood (thus the title, Talk To Me...so much family turmoil could have been avoided if they simply talked to one another). While Ted may not be the most sympathetic of characters, we are privy to his innermost thoughts and feelings which gives us a glimpse of the real Ted, and allows us to feel compassion.
The author can be darkly funny in one sentence and have me in tears the next. I highlighted so much that I was in danger of highlighting the entire book. Ted takes quite a journey in this book, and his fall from grace has him examining what is important in life. I loved taking this journey with him.
This was a buddy read with my very good friend Marialyce. As always, our discussions made the experience of reading even better.
** Many thanks to Edelweiss for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The author takes a close look at the tendency of our rush to judgment and the role the news plays in manipulating our emotions. Nothing escapes the author’s critical eye. When he skewers the news, he includes traditional news sources, social media, and online click-bait “news” sites. His observations were spot on.
I loved John Kenney’s writing. He makes a powerful statement on the state of affairs in our country where no one is allowed to make a mistake, there is no forgiveness, and hypocrisy abounds. The relative anonymity of social media sometimes brings with it a mob mentality and hateful, cruel comments.
Ted is a 20 year veteran news anchor who, on a very bad day, is caught on video screaming at a young woman. The video goes viral, and, since we live in a time when no public figure can make a mistake without it being exploited and judged, the public outcry is frenzied. Ted finds his professional and personal life crumbling. He is publicly denounced and attacked. The truth matters less than what is “trending”. This is social commentary at its best.
The very people who call for tolerance can often be the most intolerant. Misunderstandings abound. How quick people are to judge personal interactions. Even something simple like a smile or a pensive expression can be misunderstood (thus the title, Talk To Me...so much family turmoil could have been avoided if they simply talked to one another). While Ted may not be the most sympathetic of characters, we are privy to his innermost thoughts and feelings which gives us a glimpse of the real Ted, and allows us to feel compassion.
The author can be darkly funny in one sentence and have me in tears the next. I highlighted so much that I was in danger of highlighting the entire book. Ted takes quite a journey in this book, and his fall from grace has him examining what is important in life. I loved taking this journey with him.
This was a buddy read with my very good friend Marialyce. As always, our discussions made the experience of reading even better.
** Many thanks to Edelweiss for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 5, 2019
I debated about reading this book ways back....
BECAUSE....I simply wasn’t sure I wanted to read about how social media affects our lives. My attitude was ‘enough already’... I feel it’s been a saturated topic.
Yet, there were passionate written reviews from those who found it powerful and timely.
Several readers were in touch of the value of forgiveness - ( Cheri’s “Age of Trolls” especially moved me) - a few readers liked it ‘so so’ - ( I understood) - and one reader ( ha- a review that strongly resonates with me), called this a sad little cynical book!! I AGREE! It’s a very sad & CYNICAL BOOK!
Perhaps this book is worthy of being a book club pick....let all points of view be expressed....tossed around....and thought about.
Here’s my thought.... if a man is Bricklayer and loses it on the job once or twice - ( calls another worker a fucking Russian Whore)... it’s still not excusable - but after apologies are said and done - the bricklayers return to work - as the job still needs to be done. Chances are the bricklayer won’t have his reputation smeared on the Internet for the world to judge him.
But if a man is in the public eye - like Ted Grayson - anchorman/managing editor of the evening news- in this story - he has a much higher responsibility in KEEPING HIS ARROGANT thoughts to himself at work. Behind and in front of the camera. His job doesn’t afford an ounce of room for ANGER EXPLOSION.
THE INTERNET DIDN’T destroy Ted, ( he wasn’t an innocent victim). TED WAS CAUSE IN THE MATTER.
Ted Grayson was a PUBLIC FIGURE who lost his cool at work. An employee lost her job because he was a big time jerk.
Observers had a right to judge - react - voice their opinions. Things got ugly - big time ugly. This is the world we live in. Harsh & calculating.
The author creates the opportunity for the reader to draw their own conclusions. Did Ted get what he deserved? Publicly shamed for his behavior? Or is the bigger story about how quickly the public jumps on the bandwagon with glee to crucify a falling white successful man?
Me....I have MIXED FEELINGS...
AND parts of this story were repetitive - and a little too much reality for pleasure reading.
Another part of this story resolves around Ted and his adult daughter, Frances. I had mixed feelings about Frances, too. Her basic angry ‘ground-of-being’ just felt forced.....like a plot device. I couldn’t relate to the depths of her anger. But then comes a moving father/daughter redemption story. It was touching but felt forced too.... ( feel good manipulation).
Then we have Ted’s wife....( an under-written character who prefers a HAPPY MAN....rather than the turd husband she has been living with).....
My thoughts: kinda neutral. Assumptions are made about her - and their marriage - but it’s not a subject to be explored much. Instead we are given a few facts...and that’s about that on that.
Last few thoughts: Not every story about a white chauvinistic man is a METOO story.
I don’t think Ted fits the METOO mold.
I understand a wide range of emotions around this book....
To DON’T BOTHER with it....
To BLAH
To WOW.......It’s important and POWERFUL.
It tapped into my cynical mind a little too much for my pure enjoyment and appreciation. Personally - I would have preferred more humor in this novel.
3 stars
BECAUSE....I simply wasn’t sure I wanted to read about how social media affects our lives. My attitude was ‘enough already’... I feel it’s been a saturated topic.
Yet, there were passionate written reviews from those who found it powerful and timely.
Several readers were in touch of the value of forgiveness - ( Cheri’s “Age of Trolls” especially moved me) - a few readers liked it ‘so so’ - ( I understood) - and one reader ( ha- a review that strongly resonates with me), called this a sad little cynical book!! I AGREE! It’s a very sad & CYNICAL BOOK!
Perhaps this book is worthy of being a book club pick....let all points of view be expressed....tossed around....and thought about.
Here’s my thought.... if a man is Bricklayer and loses it on the job once or twice - ( calls another worker a fucking Russian Whore)... it’s still not excusable - but after apologies are said and done - the bricklayers return to work - as the job still needs to be done. Chances are the bricklayer won’t have his reputation smeared on the Internet for the world to judge him.
But if a man is in the public eye - like Ted Grayson - anchorman/managing editor of the evening news- in this story - he has a much higher responsibility in KEEPING HIS ARROGANT thoughts to himself at work. Behind and in front of the camera. His job doesn’t afford an ounce of room for ANGER EXPLOSION.
THE INTERNET DIDN’T destroy Ted, ( he wasn’t an innocent victim). TED WAS CAUSE IN THE MATTER.
Ted Grayson was a PUBLIC FIGURE who lost his cool at work. An employee lost her job because he was a big time jerk.
Observers had a right to judge - react - voice their opinions. Things got ugly - big time ugly. This is the world we live in. Harsh & calculating.
The author creates the opportunity for the reader to draw their own conclusions. Did Ted get what he deserved? Publicly shamed for his behavior? Or is the bigger story about how quickly the public jumps on the bandwagon with glee to crucify a falling white successful man?
Me....I have MIXED FEELINGS...
AND parts of this story were repetitive - and a little too much reality for pleasure reading.
Another part of this story resolves around Ted and his adult daughter, Frances. I had mixed feelings about Frances, too. Her basic angry ‘ground-of-being’ just felt forced.....like a plot device. I couldn’t relate to the depths of her anger. But then comes a moving father/daughter redemption story. It was touching but felt forced too.... ( feel good manipulation).
Then we have Ted’s wife....( an under-written character who prefers a HAPPY MAN....rather than the turd husband she has been living with).....
My thoughts: kinda neutral. Assumptions are made about her - and their marriage - but it’s not a subject to be explored much. Instead we are given a few facts...and that’s about that on that.
Last few thoughts: Not every story about a white chauvinistic man is a METOO story.
I don’t think Ted fits the METOO mold.
I understand a wide range of emotions around this book....
To DON’T BOTHER with it....
To BLAH
To WOW.......It’s important and POWERFUL.
It tapped into my cynical mind a little too much for my pure enjoyment and appreciation. Personally - I would have preferred more humor in this novel.
3 stars
June 16, 2019
My mother told me a lot of things when I was a kid. While many of those things turned out to be just plain wrong (if you don't stop making ugly faces, your face will freeze like that; it takes less time to hang things up than it does to throw them in the floor), there was one thing that was right on the money. Never write anything down that you wouldn't want to see printed on the front page of the newspaper. Absolutely right.
Nowadays, if you don't already assume your every move is being recorded, you might want to think again. It will stand you in good stead. Social media, now trending, vicious tweets, piling on, sharing, hash tagging everything, rushing to judgment. If it's on the internet, it must be true. Careful though, the internet neither forgets nor forgives. The news, once meant to inform, now must be packaged in such a way as to be entertaining, or frightening, or meant to provoke outrage. Spin it quickly, and the uglier the better. In this way, we can all feel better about ourselves. Right.
Nowadays, if you don't already assume your every move is being recorded, you might want to think again. It will stand you in good stead. Social media, now trending, vicious tweets, piling on, sharing, hash tagging everything, rushing to judgment. If it's on the internet, it must be true. Careful though, the internet neither forgets nor forgives. The news, once meant to inform, now must be packaged in such a way as to be entertaining, or frightening, or meant to provoke outrage. Spin it quickly, and the uglier the better. In this way, we can all feel better about ourselves. Right.
January 23, 2019
4+ stars
Talk to Me was a powerful read. Ted Grayson is a reputed news anchor, who is caught online saying something horrible to the young woman fixing his hair one night before a broadcast. From there — thanks mostly to the relentlessness of social and online media — Ted’s life spirals out of control. But it turns out that his life was pretty shaky already — his wife is leaving him and he is alienated from his adult daughter. What I loved about Talk to Me is that it gave me a lot of food for thought while stirring up real emotions. Much of the book is taken up with Ted’s self-reflection. Ted has some deep flaws, but he isn’t a monster. Yet, he lives in a world where social media can turn you into a pariah almost instantly. I thought Kenney does a masterful job of not excusing Ted while making him human — a reality that can get lost in a world curated by the scandal seeking media and social media comments. And the beginning of the book is absolutely brilliant. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
Talk to Me was a powerful read. Ted Grayson is a reputed news anchor, who is caught online saying something horrible to the young woman fixing his hair one night before a broadcast. From there — thanks mostly to the relentlessness of social and online media — Ted’s life spirals out of control. But it turns out that his life was pretty shaky already — his wife is leaving him and he is alienated from his adult daughter. What I loved about Talk to Me is that it gave me a lot of food for thought while stirring up real emotions. Much of the book is taken up with Ted’s self-reflection. Ted has some deep flaws, but he isn’t a monster. Yet, he lives in a world where social media can turn you into a pariah almost instantly. I thought Kenney does a masterful job of not excusing Ted while making him human — a reality that can get lost in a world curated by the scandal seeking media and social media comments. And the beginning of the book is absolutely brilliant. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
May 11, 2019
4+ stars
Fast-paced and easy to read, Talk To Me was utterly compelling, extremely contemporary and deeply human.
The fact that I felt compassion for Ted, a multi-millionaire, older TV news anchor, is due to Kenney's ability to lay bare Ted's regrets and vulnerability. On his 59th birthday, Ted commits a huge faux-pas, caught on video. That sees his life spiral out of control. Without his job, who's Ted? His wife is leaving him for another man, his only daughter is estranged. Time to reassess?
Talk to Me takes a candid look at our fast-paced society, where outrage, hashtags, the obsession with celebrities and the negative news spin are constant and numbing. It also looks at familial relationships and the bonds that are easily breakable due to resentments, brought on by misconstrued words and actions, absences and distancing both physical and mental.
I'm glad I persevered and borrowed this again, as the first time I was too busy and couldn't get into it.
Now I need to get my hands on Truth in Advertising.
Fast-paced and easy to read, Talk To Me was utterly compelling, extremely contemporary and deeply human.
The fact that I felt compassion for Ted, a multi-millionaire, older TV news anchor, is due to Kenney's ability to lay bare Ted's regrets and vulnerability. On his 59th birthday, Ted commits a huge faux-pas, caught on video. That sees his life spiral out of control. Without his job, who's Ted? His wife is leaving him for another man, his only daughter is estranged. Time to reassess?
Talk to Me takes a candid look at our fast-paced society, where outrage, hashtags, the obsession with celebrities and the negative news spin are constant and numbing. It also looks at familial relationships and the bonds that are easily breakable due to resentments, brought on by misconstrued words and actions, absences and distancing both physical and mental.
I'm glad I persevered and borrowed this again, as the first time I was too busy and couldn't get into it.
Now I need to get my hands on Truth in Advertising.
May 11, 2019
Yes! Hopping on my pogo stick!
What a great novel this is! A bigtime social commentary on the power of the internet to destroy someone. In this case, the victim is Ted, and he’s a famous anchorman. In a terrible mood one day, he says something nasty to a female worker bee and it’s caught on tape. One short sentence; one sentence that will take him down. In no time, the crime goes viral and he becomes a villain of gigantic proportions. Here’s what makes this a good book: I hated what he said, just hated it. Yet the punishment was so harsh, I found myself feeling sorry for him, really sorry for him. I credit the author for being able to make me like what is an unlikeable character—now THAT is good writing!
Here’s my ping-pong head while reading this:
You demean a woman: My God, what an asshole you are! How dare you say that to a woman? No one, but especially not a privileged white man, gets to do this!! You’ll get off scot-free, I’m sure. Same old, same old. Damn, now I’m thinking about the Me Too movement and bad men in high places! See what you did?! I don’t like you.
Trending begins: You get what you deserve, scumbag. Thank god the world is exposing you for what you are. Being famous doesn’t mean it’s okay to do whatever you want and say horrific things to people. End of story. Man, I really don’t like you.
Trending is ramping up: I’m believing in the Internet’s crucifixion, damn right. I’m thinking, really, maybe they should fire you. You’ve been a role model. Would a role model say such a thing? Never! Too bad you were in a bad mood. Boo hoo. Jerk.
Trending is off the charts crazy: I start to soften. Yeah, you were a douche bag, but I’m not sure you deserve all this. You’ve lost so much. It’s not like you raped or killed anyone. And you didn’t grope the woman or come on to her. You aren’t a bad human being, just flawed like the rest of us. I like you.
It’s huge now, a runaway train gathering momentum, it can’t stop… it has taken on a life of its own: Okay, invisible Internet people, just stop it! Put the brakes on. Do you realize what you’ve done to this person? Destroyed him! Ted, this just isn’t fair. Stop beating yourself up. You do not deserve this! It’s way too much! I really do like you, if that’s any consolation.
A favorite line from the book (it’s so true):
“He didn’t understand that the internet was the first creature in the history of the world that could live forever. It never died.”
Oh this book made me think of so many things. Like the quote says, anything you write on the Internet stays there forever; you can’t unsay it. There are no take-backs; very scary. It made me realize that social media has the power to ruin someone’s life in a big way and how sad this is. It made me think of mob psychology. How hard it is to look away from a train wreck and how embarrassed I am to be watching it. How you can make anything sound worse than it is, and exaggeration is rampant. How much the world refuses to forgive. How the media can manipulate all of us. How our attitudes can change on a dime, depending on whose point of view we’re hearing. How quick we are to judge. How easy it is to be mean if we’re anonymous. How we lose sight of the fact that the person being skewered is a real person with real feelings. How we can’t believe everything we hear.
Like all the invisible, harsh judges on the Internet, I was busy judging, too. And like all the people on the Internet who couldn’t stop reading about a guy getting ruined, I couldn’t stop reading about it, either. I wouldn’t be surprised if this book makes me stop and think before I say something on the Internet, and it will probably change the way I react to things I read “up there.”
Sorry, I got carried away talking about the evils of the Internet, but that’s how powerful this book is. As a piece of literature, this book also gets high points. It’s a great character study. You feel Ted’s pain and you’re rooting for him, despite his sins. I love it when a character becomes self-aware, and Ted certainly does so in this book. He has an ex-wife and an estranged daughter (Franny), and he is constantly analyzing how he failed them—which is endearing. Franny ends up playing a big role in the book. The author does a great job in describing the complicated relationship between father and daughter. Franny gets caught in the Internet’s wide web, too, and it’s not pretty either.
Besides complex and interesting characters, the language is sophisticated, the drama ongoing, the pacing perfect. The opening is fantastic. I really am impressed with how much the writer seems to understand women’s psychology and point of view. I highlighted a lot, always a good sign. It’s all I can do not to plop down long paragraphs so you can see how cool they are, but I don’t want to go all long(er) on you.
A few complaints: There are a couple of times when the point of view gets messed up. And once a person’s characteristics are described twice. Occasionally Ted’s reminiscing about Franny is a bit sentimental. Once or twice, the social commentary is a little too soap-boxy. But all of these nits are so small, they don’t even require a lint brush—or an official Complaint Board.
Talk to Me did talk to me, bigtime. What’s weird is that I don’t like message books, but this one made me forget that I don’t like them. I love Kenney’s brilliant and intense writing so much that I now must check out his other books. Ah, and something funny: a pogo stick is mentioned once in passing!! Well, I’m grabbing it, because it’s just that kind of book—it got me happy, and it got me hopping!
What a great novel this is! A bigtime social commentary on the power of the internet to destroy someone. In this case, the victim is Ted, and he’s a famous anchorman. In a terrible mood one day, he says something nasty to a female worker bee and it’s caught on tape. One short sentence; one sentence that will take him down. In no time, the crime goes viral and he becomes a villain of gigantic proportions. Here’s what makes this a good book: I hated what he said, just hated it. Yet the punishment was so harsh, I found myself feeling sorry for him, really sorry for him. I credit the author for being able to make me like what is an unlikeable character—now THAT is good writing!
Here’s my ping-pong head while reading this:
You demean a woman: My God, what an asshole you are! How dare you say that to a woman? No one, but especially not a privileged white man, gets to do this!! You’ll get off scot-free, I’m sure. Same old, same old. Damn, now I’m thinking about the Me Too movement and bad men in high places! See what you did?! I don’t like you.
Trending begins: You get what you deserve, scumbag. Thank god the world is exposing you for what you are. Being famous doesn’t mean it’s okay to do whatever you want and say horrific things to people. End of story. Man, I really don’t like you.
Trending is ramping up: I’m believing in the Internet’s crucifixion, damn right. I’m thinking, really, maybe they should fire you. You’ve been a role model. Would a role model say such a thing? Never! Too bad you were in a bad mood. Boo hoo. Jerk.
Trending is off the charts crazy: I start to soften. Yeah, you were a douche bag, but I’m not sure you deserve all this. You’ve lost so much. It’s not like you raped or killed anyone. And you didn’t grope the woman or come on to her. You aren’t a bad human being, just flawed like the rest of us. I like you.
It’s huge now, a runaway train gathering momentum, it can’t stop… it has taken on a life of its own: Okay, invisible Internet people, just stop it! Put the brakes on. Do you realize what you’ve done to this person? Destroyed him! Ted, this just isn’t fair. Stop beating yourself up. You do not deserve this! It’s way too much! I really do like you, if that’s any consolation.
A favorite line from the book (it’s so true):
“He didn’t understand that the internet was the first creature in the history of the world that could live forever. It never died.”
Oh this book made me think of so many things. Like the quote says, anything you write on the Internet stays there forever; you can’t unsay it. There are no take-backs; very scary. It made me realize that social media has the power to ruin someone’s life in a big way and how sad this is. It made me think of mob psychology. How hard it is to look away from a train wreck and how embarrassed I am to be watching it. How you can make anything sound worse than it is, and exaggeration is rampant. How much the world refuses to forgive. How the media can manipulate all of us. How our attitudes can change on a dime, depending on whose point of view we’re hearing. How quick we are to judge. How easy it is to be mean if we’re anonymous. How we lose sight of the fact that the person being skewered is a real person with real feelings. How we can’t believe everything we hear.
Like all the invisible, harsh judges on the Internet, I was busy judging, too. And like all the people on the Internet who couldn’t stop reading about a guy getting ruined, I couldn’t stop reading about it, either. I wouldn’t be surprised if this book makes me stop and think before I say something on the Internet, and it will probably change the way I react to things I read “up there.”
Sorry, I got carried away talking about the evils of the Internet, but that’s how powerful this book is. As a piece of literature, this book also gets high points. It’s a great character study. You feel Ted’s pain and you’re rooting for him, despite his sins. I love it when a character becomes self-aware, and Ted certainly does so in this book. He has an ex-wife and an estranged daughter (Franny), and he is constantly analyzing how he failed them—which is endearing. Franny ends up playing a big role in the book. The author does a great job in describing the complicated relationship between father and daughter. Franny gets caught in the Internet’s wide web, too, and it’s not pretty either.
Besides complex and interesting characters, the language is sophisticated, the drama ongoing, the pacing perfect. The opening is fantastic. I really am impressed with how much the writer seems to understand women’s psychology and point of view. I highlighted a lot, always a good sign. It’s all I can do not to plop down long paragraphs so you can see how cool they are, but I don’t want to go all long(er) on you.
A few complaints: There are a couple of times when the point of view gets messed up. And once a person’s characteristics are described twice. Occasionally Ted’s reminiscing about Franny is a bit sentimental. Once or twice, the social commentary is a little too soap-boxy. But all of these nits are so small, they don’t even require a lint brush—or an official Complaint Board.
Talk to Me did talk to me, bigtime. What’s weird is that I don’t like message books, but this one made me forget that I don’t like them. I love Kenney’s brilliant and intense writing so much that I now must check out his other books. Ah, and something funny: a pogo stick is mentioned once in passing!! Well, I’m grabbing it, because it’s just that kind of book—it got me happy, and it got me hopping!
June 14, 2019
Hypocrisy and sanctimony win out.
Seldom do I come across a book that is this easy to read with a panoply of characters both likable and unlikeable that also makes me think so deeply about the current state of our media, especially social, ‘a world of half-truths and gauzy reality’ which also made me laugh. This is an extraordinarily crafted cautionary tale filled with equal doses of comedy and drama and I loved it!
We are living in a world of instant judgment and criticism, a world in which it seems no one is allowed to have a bad day or make a mistake without the sanctimonious masses pouncing and Kenney takes all of that and gives us a flawed man who makes just such a mistake and it implodes his world.
The internet…the world today…and the world is nothing if not the internet…it never, ever forgets. Or forgives. There is no mercy anymore. Because we can see it again and again and again, as it happened. Not a story in a newspaper but the actual event. And it makes us angry. And we want you to pay…the foaming-at-the-mouth anonymous commentators…they want you to pay. Deep down they’re excited because it’s not them. They know it could be any one of us They know. But it’s you today. And you have to die.
Lest you think this is a preachy manifesto, it’s not. Kenney’s commentary on our culture also has plenty of bittersweet moments, family dynamics, amusing quips and a cast of characters that will sometimes make you wince, but often make you take note. The writing is superb and I chuckled as often as I took the time to mark passages.
Something fundamental has shifted in America…a world lacking rules. So what now? We have a choice. In how we use technology to advance humanity. Kindness. Generosity. It is easy to become a skeptic…to become callous to the beauty and possibility of the world. Imagine if the job (of the media) was to inspire? Educate? Instead of show you the worst of who we are? Demand that from the media--social and otherwise.
Oh if only everyone were to read this book, think about those powerful lines and maybe start changing the conversation, what a better world this would be. And I can’t wait to see what John Kenney writes next! Highly recommended and this would make for a fantastic book club discussion.
Thanks to my book Yoda, JanB, for the five-star recommendation, you didn't steer me wrong!
Seldom do I come across a book that is this easy to read with a panoply of characters both likable and unlikeable that also makes me think so deeply about the current state of our media, especially social, ‘a world of half-truths and gauzy reality’ which also made me laugh. This is an extraordinarily crafted cautionary tale filled with equal doses of comedy and drama and I loved it!
We are living in a world of instant judgment and criticism, a world in which it seems no one is allowed to have a bad day or make a mistake without the sanctimonious masses pouncing and Kenney takes all of that and gives us a flawed man who makes just such a mistake and it implodes his world.
The internet…the world today…and the world is nothing if not the internet…it never, ever forgets. Or forgives. There is no mercy anymore. Because we can see it again and again and again, as it happened. Not a story in a newspaper but the actual event. And it makes us angry. And we want you to pay…the foaming-at-the-mouth anonymous commentators…they want you to pay. Deep down they’re excited because it’s not them. They know it could be any one of us They know. But it’s you today. And you have to die.
Lest you think this is a preachy manifesto, it’s not. Kenney’s commentary on our culture also has plenty of bittersweet moments, family dynamics, amusing quips and a cast of characters that will sometimes make you wince, but often make you take note. The writing is superb and I chuckled as often as I took the time to mark passages.
Something fundamental has shifted in America…a world lacking rules. So what now? We have a choice. In how we use technology to advance humanity. Kindness. Generosity. It is easy to become a skeptic…to become callous to the beauty and possibility of the world. Imagine if the job (of the media) was to inspire? Educate? Instead of show you the worst of who we are? Demand that from the media--social and otherwise.
Oh if only everyone were to read this book, think about those powerful lines and maybe start changing the conversation, what a better world this would be. And I can’t wait to see what John Kenney writes next! Highly recommended and this would make for a fantastic book club discussion.
Thanks to my book Yoda, JanB, for the five-star recommendation, you didn't steer me wrong!
August 26, 2019
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Ted Grayson was a trustworthy news anchor for more than 20 years. So why does Talk To Me open with him attempting to kill himself via not pulling the cord on his parachute after jumping from a plane? Well, it was a little like this . . . . .
But with the addition of calling a fill-in make-up lady a derogatory term. In the age of . . . . .
Ted’s outburst was about to go viral . . . .
Forty-eight hours in and it was at more than two million views. By week’s end it would be five million. The comments were unrelenting and savage. Some were sarcastic. Some were funny. Some suggested he should kill himself. By Wednesday the comments section would be disabled by YouTube customer service, in large part because a repeat commenter was threatening to kill Ted. The troll gave Ted’s Bedford address. The Bedford Police Department put a patrol car in front of Ted’s house.
In a world where comments are King and websites called “scheisse” - ran by uggos like this . . . . .
Exist to prove . . . . .
Fake news? There was no such thing. There was only what you could get people to click on. End of story.
Just how much will Ted (or should Ted, depending on your feelings for him throughout the book) have to lose before the masses are satisfied?
461 ratings on Goodreads for one of the smartest, timeliest books I can remember reading . . . .
Not that I’m any better than the next. I spend most of my life reading trashy romances or farfetched thrillers and posting gif-filled reviews. At least I don’t have a Twitter or Facebook account, I guess ; )
But seriously. Selections like this are what the not-scared-t0-deal-with-real-stuff Book Club participants should be picking up (not that Reece Witherspoon’s choices aren’t usually a decent way to pass the time, but those are probably more for Wine Club with a Side of Book groups). This one will definitely get you talking about the issues.
If you enjoyed this, I highly recommend the non-fiction So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed.
Ted Grayson was a trustworthy news anchor for more than 20 years. So why does Talk To Me open with him attempting to kill himself via not pulling the cord on his parachute after jumping from a plane? Well, it was a little like this . . . . .
But with the addition of calling a fill-in make-up lady a derogatory term. In the age of . . . . .
Ted’s outburst was about to go viral . . . .
Forty-eight hours in and it was at more than two million views. By week’s end it would be five million. The comments were unrelenting and savage. Some were sarcastic. Some were funny. Some suggested he should kill himself. By Wednesday the comments section would be disabled by YouTube customer service, in large part because a repeat commenter was threatening to kill Ted. The troll gave Ted’s Bedford address. The Bedford Police Department put a patrol car in front of Ted’s house.
In a world where comments are King and websites called “scheisse” - ran by uggos like this . . . . .
Exist to prove . . . . .
Fake news? There was no such thing. There was only what you could get people to click on. End of story.
Just how much will Ted (or should Ted, depending on your feelings for him throughout the book) have to lose before the masses are satisfied?
461 ratings on Goodreads for one of the smartest, timeliest books I can remember reading . . . .
Not that I’m any better than the next. I spend most of my life reading trashy romances or farfetched thrillers and posting gif-filled reviews. At least I don’t have a Twitter or Facebook account, I guess ; )
But seriously. Selections like this are what the not-scared-t0-deal-with-real-stuff Book Club participants should be picking up (not that Reece Witherspoon’s choices aren’t usually a decent way to pass the time, but those are probably more for Wine Club with a Side of Book groups). This one will definitely get you talking about the issues.
If you enjoyed this, I highly recommend the non-fiction So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed.
May 27, 2019
Do you remember when trolls were just collectible little figures? Dolls, essentially. No? Maybe you remember when they were characters in folklore, or in fairy-tale stories for children, and not the collection of people who seem to populate the Internet - more than those who are just looking to connect with old friends.
At the heart of this story is the public shaming, harassment, degradation and attempted destruction of a man who, in a moment of anger, frustration, he makes a horrendous comment. The fact that he’s a loved, or at least popular, respected news anchor only fuels the fire, although the ones pouring gasoline on it with their hate-filled comments have likely never seen him on the news, they ”had never, and would never watch an evening news broadcast at 6:30 p.m. They were too busy staring at their phones.” Somehow the world was more interested in vilifying him, as though this is the era of the chariot races, chanting for blood. And while they’re busy with the goal of destruction, they’ve all but forgotten that there is a woman at the heart of this story they seem to not concern them. Instead of providing support for the young woman who had been the target of his misogynistic rant, they never bothered to think he might regret his words. But, really, who has never said something they felt ashamed of, said something that they regret?
In the first half of this story, the author is laying down so much of the background, and the frenzy that ensues that it took me a while to really feel much except for the negativity of the situation. The outrage of what this man had done. But as you see the public outrage escalating, you and also see a man who is slowly realizing what he has done, and his coming to terms with it. And yes, there is more to this story, there’s a family already in the early stages of unraveling, and looking back on life, in general, and wishing they had done some things differently, perhaps. Misunderstandings abound. Rage unleashed, while the world watches and cheers for more.
But at the end of the day, for me it was about one thing.
Forgiveness. The lack of it in today’s connected world, and the need everyone will have, at some point in their lives, for forgiveness. Queue Don Henley.
Many thanks, once again, to the Public Library system, and the many Librarians that manage, organize and keep it running, for the loan of this book!
At the heart of this story is the public shaming, harassment, degradation and attempted destruction of a man who, in a moment of anger, frustration, he makes a horrendous comment. The fact that he’s a loved, or at least popular, respected news anchor only fuels the fire, although the ones pouring gasoline on it with their hate-filled comments have likely never seen him on the news, they ”had never, and would never watch an evening news broadcast at 6:30 p.m. They were too busy staring at their phones.” Somehow the world was more interested in vilifying him, as though this is the era of the chariot races, chanting for blood. And while they’re busy with the goal of destruction, they’ve all but forgotten that there is a woman at the heart of this story they seem to not concern them. Instead of providing support for the young woman who had been the target of his misogynistic rant, they never bothered to think he might regret his words. But, really, who has never said something they felt ashamed of, said something that they regret?
In the first half of this story, the author is laying down so much of the background, and the frenzy that ensues that it took me a while to really feel much except for the negativity of the situation. The outrage of what this man had done. But as you see the public outrage escalating, you and also see a man who is slowly realizing what he has done, and his coming to terms with it. And yes, there is more to this story, there’s a family already in the early stages of unraveling, and looking back on life, in general, and wishing they had done some things differently, perhaps. Misunderstandings abound. Rage unleashed, while the world watches and cheers for more.
But at the end of the day, for me it was about one thing.
Forgiveness. The lack of it in today’s connected world, and the need everyone will have, at some point in their lives, for forgiveness. Queue Don Henley.
Many thanks, once again, to the Public Library system, and the many Librarians that manage, organize and keep it running, for the loan of this book!
January 22, 2019
Powerful, Compelling, A Cutting-Edge Narrative on Where We are Today!
Ted Grayson has been a very successful reporter. His face has been splashed across TV, magazines, and online for over twenty years. He became known as the face of America in broadcasting, respected, adored, wealthy, and envied. He had it all, until that fateful day when anger took over, and Ted uttered words caught and transmitted by the various social media sites, that would change his world.
Ted's life on a personal level was falling apart. His wife was leaving him, suing for divorce and his daughter, harbored such hatred for her father that it reeked out of her every pore. He was frustrated, frightened, and unsure where his life was going and then he had a moment of anger, as everything in his life bubbled to the surface. In that moment, Ted lost everything he thought that mattered to him.
Two words, just two words would create for Ted a living hell that would destroy twenty years of hard work, sacrifice, and force him to make choices where he held himself up to that mirror we all hate to gaze in.
Was Ted wrong in what he said? Of course he was, but when one only believes in technology and identity, Who needs God when you have Google? Who needs community when you have Facebook?”, you are guilty. The internet, its faceless wonders, are your judge, it is your jury, and the sentences it carries out is harsh, painful, and full of malice.
It is the internet that has the all mighty power to destroy people. It is the news media that can fake a story, twist a sentence, modify an image to make it become whatever they want it to be. It can twist, mold and turn itself into an avenue used to pump up people's hate and once people are faceless behind computer screens they can and do say whatever they want not caring if there is one scintilla of truth in their rantings. Have a different opinion than the accepted one, be prepared to open yourself up to vileness, hate, and a denizen of loathing.
While Ted's story is not us, most of us are not famous, are not recognizable, are out of the mainstream, yet can any of us really say that we have not been a target of hate and belittlement especially now in a super charged political environment. Sometimes even liking or not liking a book can invite criticism!
Someone quite famous once said, "Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone." From what one sees today, it well can be imagined that everyone is without sin, without faults, without anger, without human qualities which are sometimes wrong but always present in us. Should one mistake make us a pariah? Should one mistake take away everything we thought we were?
Ted will learn to cope, he will learn what is truly important. He will move onto a level of self knowledge, and a respect for the mistakes he has made and the life he wants to move forward to.
This book was amazing. It made me think of the ways I sometimes responded and recognize that these days words not only hurt, but also can land one in an earthly version of hell.
In our own way, we are all Ted Grayson. We are all caught in the web, just like Ted of being crucified for a mistake. Ted does understand, he does know what he said was wrong, but the world today doesn't seem to accept "I am sorry," anymore, but continues to beat down a spirit that has fallen. It seems to make some feel better when we can belittle another and now, it is ever so easy to do. Look at your facebook feed, instagram, twitter, responses to news articles. You can see for yourself can't you?
Thank you for John Kenny, Penguin USA, and Edelweiss for a copy of this ever so relevant book. Thanks as well to my friend, Jan. We read and loved this book as it addressed so much that is of concern to many today.
***As I wrote this review, a twenty six year old former champion figure skater has committed suicide over allegations and young high school boys have been eviscerated in the news and on social media without both sides being heard and seen. Yes, it's bad if these things are true, but shouldn't everyone wait and see if they are indeed guilty and then let the powers that be handle it?***
My reviews can also bee seen here: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
This book was published on January 15, 2019
Ted Grayson has been a very successful reporter. His face has been splashed across TV, magazines, and online for over twenty years. He became known as the face of America in broadcasting, respected, adored, wealthy, and envied. He had it all, until that fateful day when anger took over, and Ted uttered words caught and transmitted by the various social media sites, that would change his world.
Ted's life on a personal level was falling apart. His wife was leaving him, suing for divorce and his daughter, harbored such hatred for her father that it reeked out of her every pore. He was frustrated, frightened, and unsure where his life was going and then he had a moment of anger, as everything in his life bubbled to the surface. In that moment, Ted lost everything he thought that mattered to him.
Two words, just two words would create for Ted a living hell that would destroy twenty years of hard work, sacrifice, and force him to make choices where he held himself up to that mirror we all hate to gaze in.
Was Ted wrong in what he said? Of course he was, but when one only believes in technology and identity, Who needs God when you have Google? Who needs community when you have Facebook?”, you are guilty. The internet, its faceless wonders, are your judge, it is your jury, and the sentences it carries out is harsh, painful, and full of malice.
It is the internet that has the all mighty power to destroy people. It is the news media that can fake a story, twist a sentence, modify an image to make it become whatever they want it to be. It can twist, mold and turn itself into an avenue used to pump up people's hate and once people are faceless behind computer screens they can and do say whatever they want not caring if there is one scintilla of truth in their rantings. Have a different opinion than the accepted one, be prepared to open yourself up to vileness, hate, and a denizen of loathing.
While Ted's story is not us, most of us are not famous, are not recognizable, are out of the mainstream, yet can any of us really say that we have not been a target of hate and belittlement especially now in a super charged political environment. Sometimes even liking or not liking a book can invite criticism!
Someone quite famous once said, "Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone." From what one sees today, it well can be imagined that everyone is without sin, without faults, without anger, without human qualities which are sometimes wrong but always present in us. Should one mistake make us a pariah? Should one mistake take away everything we thought we were?
Ted will learn to cope, he will learn what is truly important. He will move onto a level of self knowledge, and a respect for the mistakes he has made and the life he wants to move forward to.
This book was amazing. It made me think of the ways I sometimes responded and recognize that these days words not only hurt, but also can land one in an earthly version of hell.
In our own way, we are all Ted Grayson. We are all caught in the web, just like Ted of being crucified for a mistake. Ted does understand, he does know what he said was wrong, but the world today doesn't seem to accept "I am sorry," anymore, but continues to beat down a spirit that has fallen. It seems to make some feel better when we can belittle another and now, it is ever so easy to do. Look at your facebook feed, instagram, twitter, responses to news articles. You can see for yourself can't you?
Thank you for John Kenny, Penguin USA, and Edelweiss for a copy of this ever so relevant book. Thanks as well to my friend, Jan. We read and loved this book as it addressed so much that is of concern to many today.
***As I wrote this review, a twenty six year old former champion figure skater has committed suicide over allegations and young high school boys have been eviscerated in the news and on social media without both sides being heard and seen. Yes, it's bad if these things are true, but shouldn't everyone wait and see if they are indeed guilty and then let the powers that be handle it?***
My reviews can also bee seen here: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
This book was published on January 15, 2019
August 21, 2019
My disdain for social media cannot be overstated. I’m deeply concerned for all of us, but mostly for children who are growing up in a false world driven by hateful comments and increasingly cruel tendencies. It seems nothing is off limits. Internet addiction and social media use by children leads to anxiety, depression, and a burning fear of missing out. I say all of this to underscore the genius of this story. I’m not sure how it ended up on my list, but upon realizing where this was going, I quickly decided it would be reasonable to abandon it...but this story surprised me with its relevance and readability. There is a lot of truth and ugliness here, but the author includes glimmers of hope and a lot of wit. 4.5 stars
I’m on vacation, so I’m going to get off the Internet now and take my dog hiking.
I’m on vacation, so I’m going to get off the Internet now and take my dog hiking.
October 9, 2025
"Talk to Me" is real "talk" about a celebrated news anchor's fall from grace and the cancel culture that made it happen.
It's important to note that this book was written in 2016, before "canceling" celebrities and superstars for inappropriate comments became an accepted norm.
Author John Kenney is a seasoned writer and a former advertising copywriter with prose that sizzles and soars.
When reading this book, you will laugh and you will cry....all while unknowingly empathizing with the book's very arrogant and unlikeable protagonist.
I felt that there was too much "rambling" at the beginning of the book and that was why this book escaped earning a 5-star review.
Overall, however, "Talk to Me" was a very compelling and powerful read about social media's pervasive impact on one's career, family, and society.
I listened to the audiobook read by Robert Petkoff, one of my favorite narrators. Petkoff's narration was superb.
4.5 stars.
February 27, 2019
“Talk To Me” is one of the best novels I’ve read in a year that pointedly defines what our current culture considers relevant news. Gone are the well-researched and professional news circa Walter Cronkite. Now Twitter, thanks to our Commander in Chief, is what is news. All people care about is “what’s trending”. Author John Kenney uses acerbic wit to make this story entertaining.
Trusted news anchor Ted Grayson has a very bad, terrible day on his birthday, a day he will remember as the beginning of his fall from grace. Off camera, but recorded by one of the set people, Ted has a meltdown which includes vulgarity and mental instability. It gets posted on Face book, and then goes viral. Ted, who provided twenty years of consistently superb ratings, generated dozens of Emmy awards while generating a fortune in advertisement income, is now unemployable. What Kenney does so well, is showcase to the reader how we, as a society, have become unforgiveable, hateful, revengeful without considering the whole package.
“The world changed Ted. EVERYthig changed. Letters to the editor? Picketers? Boycotts on the sidewalk?..Please. Do you know what the most powerful force in the land is? It’s not Congress..It’s not the soulless hedge fund boys…It’s the comments section on any story, any tweet, any video. Comments rule the world”
This is a story about a man who fell from grace, but it’s also a commentary about our heartless and soulless society. After reading this novel, I felt a bit ashamed at what piques my interest at times. I’m not a reality TV person, but I do notice Internet news feeds that shouldn’t be remotely considered news.
Kenney paints Ted as a somewhat ruthless man who learns quickly where he went wrong, especially with regard to those closest to him. It’s a heartwarming story featuring redemption and hope. While Kenney jabs the reader with being a party of our crazy culture, he provides a storyline that ultimately ends with hope.
Trusted news anchor Ted Grayson has a very bad, terrible day on his birthday, a day he will remember as the beginning of his fall from grace. Off camera, but recorded by one of the set people, Ted has a meltdown which includes vulgarity and mental instability. It gets posted on Face book, and then goes viral. Ted, who provided twenty years of consistently superb ratings, generated dozens of Emmy awards while generating a fortune in advertisement income, is now unemployable. What Kenney does so well, is showcase to the reader how we, as a society, have become unforgiveable, hateful, revengeful without considering the whole package.
“The world changed Ted. EVERYthig changed. Letters to the editor? Picketers? Boycotts on the sidewalk?..Please. Do you know what the most powerful force in the land is? It’s not Congress..It’s not the soulless hedge fund boys…It’s the comments section on any story, any tweet, any video. Comments rule the world”
This is a story about a man who fell from grace, but it’s also a commentary about our heartless and soulless society. After reading this novel, I felt a bit ashamed at what piques my interest at times. I’m not a reality TV person, but I do notice Internet news feeds that shouldn’t be remotely considered news.
Kenney paints Ted as a somewhat ruthless man who learns quickly where he went wrong, especially with regard to those closest to him. It’s a heartwarming story featuring redemption and hope. While Kenney jabs the reader with being a party of our crazy culture, he provides a storyline that ultimately ends with hope.
November 3, 2019
Talk To Me, a novel about the downfall of a fictional star anchorman (Ted Grayson), is quite timely - so I was surprised that it didn’t feel more relevant to me. Perhaps because it was fairly predictable, or that there wasn’t much depth to any of the characters. And the plot was bogged down with too much backstory. Kenney is an engaging writer but he works so hard exposing the flaws in Ted, his wife Claire, his daughter Franny and everyone else, that there is nobody left to care about.
January 15, 2019
"Talk to Me" by John Kenney is a beautiful and heartbreaking novel. I wasn't expecting to feel such a wide range of emotions. Kenney is a fantastic writer. I absolutely loved his prose and character development. This is the story of a fictional legendary news anchor (Ted Grayson) who makes an embarrassing mistake. That mistake begins a ripple effect of Ted's inevitable downfall, professionally and personally. This book is brutally honest about how social media loves to make a well-liked person into a monster of epic proportions. I loved the tense relationship between Ted and his adult, estranged daughter, Franny. I also loved their backstory. It added so much dimension and drama. My only gripe is with Ted's soon-to-be ex-wife, Claire. She didn't have any depth or substance as a character. She really wasn't very interesting. I found her extremely rigid and shallow. Ted and Franny had much more grit and fire in them, probably because they are so much alike, emotionally. "Talk to Me" is a powerful read but it also has some light and funny moments as well. A wonderful balance of humor and heart. I wish it was a little bit longer. I felt like there was so much more story for Kenney to tell. There were some parts that dragged here and there but overall, I found myself rooting for Ted.
Thank you, Penguin Random House for sending me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is scheduled to be released January 15, 2019.
Thank you, Penguin Random House for sending me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is scheduled to be released January 15, 2019.
April 3, 2019
This one was hard to get into. Once I did though, I had a hard time putting it down. It's certainly enjoyable and the real-life references make you feel like this is really happening as you watch.
BUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE MARRIAGE????
BUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE MARRIAGE????
August 16, 2020
4.75 Stars rounded to 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 24, 2019
I loved John Kenney's previous novel Truth in Advertising. I found it to be laugh out loud funny and intensely moving at the same time. I loved his characters, flaws and all, and how he developed relationships between them. I was just a bit disappointed in Talk to Me at first for I missed his very fine honed sense of humor. It's not that there aren't moments of humor in this novel, it just pales to what was in his first novel. However, as the narrative developed I found myself becoming extremely involved and very touched by the father daughter relationship.
Ted is a very successful and well-known TV news anchorman. He is having a bad day and has a
"Network" moment (Kenney is aware of the comparisons and references Network and the famous I'm mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore motif). Ted explodes at a Polish immigrant intern, calling her a Russian whore. And because of how social media affects our lives, he pays for it--Big time! He essentially becomes the face of male chauvinism and finds his life as a newsman falling apart. Also falling apart is his relationship to his soon to be exwife and daughter. Kenney chooses to make the estranged relationship between the father and daughter the engine that drives the emotional tenor of the book, and he does so very effectively. It is very touching and could have easily become quite maudlin. It never does--he deals with it rather subtly.
This is a very wise novel. Besides the family theme, the author deals with how social media has become the driving force in our news cycle and bemoans the loss of quality reporting and the dispensing of well-researched information to the viewers. The book is thought-provoking, funny at times, and quite moving at others.
Ted is a very successful and well-known TV news anchorman. He is having a bad day and has a
"Network" moment (Kenney is aware of the comparisons and references Network and the famous I'm mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore motif). Ted explodes at a Polish immigrant intern, calling her a Russian whore. And because of how social media affects our lives, he pays for it--Big time! He essentially becomes the face of male chauvinism and finds his life as a newsman falling apart. Also falling apart is his relationship to his soon to be exwife and daughter. Kenney chooses to make the estranged relationship between the father and daughter the engine that drives the emotional tenor of the book, and he does so very effectively. It is very touching and could have easily become quite maudlin. It never does--he deals with it rather subtly.
This is a very wise novel. Besides the family theme, the author deals with how social media has become the driving force in our news cycle and bemoans the loss of quality reporting and the dispensing of well-researched information to the viewers. The book is thought-provoking, funny at times, and quite moving at others.
May 18, 2019
Disgraced TV news anchor Ted Grayson is at a fundraiser in an upscale Connecticut town. He peruses the guests: “. . . a fairly uniform group: white, middle-aged, attractive, fit, well-dressed, smiling, sexually devious, deeply wealthy, unusually successful. They were members of an elite club, a club to which they were desperate to belong and yet, here, now, to which each felt like an outsider.” (102)
That’s the gang, and Kenney’s social satire of our twenty-first century love of public shaming is biting and delicious. But what makes this book really wonderful is that the sharp satire is woven into a story about people who are stripped of their facades; they are real and we feel their pain: nobody is good enough; everybody is frustrated; you can love but you can’t control anyone or anything you love; and inevitably we all hurt others and make terrible mistakes.
The title Talk to Me becomes a plea, a prayer through humor and pain in a time of social tyranny when whatever is blasted through the media’s microphones is perceived as true. Daughter turns against father, wife against husband, and John Kenney tells the truth of all sides in the war between social perceptions and a man’s real life. As personal becomes public and distorted into something monstrous, the reader senses it is not only true but could happen to any of us, and we vibrate with the agony of our human condition and awe that the miracle of love survives it.
That’s the gang, and Kenney’s social satire of our twenty-first century love of public shaming is biting and delicious. But what makes this book really wonderful is that the sharp satire is woven into a story about people who are stripped of their facades; they are real and we feel their pain: nobody is good enough; everybody is frustrated; you can love but you can’t control anyone or anything you love; and inevitably we all hurt others and make terrible mistakes.
The title Talk to Me becomes a plea, a prayer through humor and pain in a time of social tyranny when whatever is blasted through the media’s microphones is perceived as true. Daughter turns against father, wife against husband, and John Kenney tells the truth of all sides in the war between social perceptions and a man’s real life. As personal becomes public and distorted into something monstrous, the reader senses it is not only true but could happen to any of us, and we vibrate with the agony of our human condition and awe that the miracle of love survives it.
December 12, 2018
Oh boy this was a rough one... I find it SO hard to feel bad for men who do really stupid things. But at the same time, you can't, as a human being, NOT feel bad about another human being who has been humiliated, lost everything and is really, seriously broken.
I found myself reading this in a cycle... "What a jerk!" "Oh poor guy!" "OMG he's such an A$$!" "Yikes, take it easy on the man!" I was starting to feel a bit carsick at times! This story hooks you in from the very first page, What goes down in the first chapter is shocking, and you won't want to put this down until you find out how we got there...
Ted Grayson knows how to tell a story. After all, he's been doing it for 20 years as the lead anchor on a TV station. But suddenly, he's become the story - and this public figure, trusted by many viewers, finds himself falling deeper and deeper into a state of despair as his life crumbles around him. People are shocked - but his family is not. He's been a really sh*tty husband and an even worse father, so his support system is truly lacking. Will Ted ever be able to survive the end of his career, his reputation, and every relationship he's ever known?
I loved reading this darkly funny story and it was a fast read for me. Ted Grayson is a really unlikeable character, but I loved to hate him and at times even found myself rooting for him. Ted's very public fall from grace is swift and watching a man meltdown is never easy, but boy does it make for a fun book to read!
I found myself reading this in a cycle... "What a jerk!" "Oh poor guy!" "OMG he's such an A$$!" "Yikes, take it easy on the man!" I was starting to feel a bit carsick at times! This story hooks you in from the very first page, What goes down in the first chapter is shocking, and you won't want to put this down until you find out how we got there...
Ted Grayson knows how to tell a story. After all, he's been doing it for 20 years as the lead anchor on a TV station. But suddenly, he's become the story - and this public figure, trusted by many viewers, finds himself falling deeper and deeper into a state of despair as his life crumbles around him. People are shocked - but his family is not. He's been a really sh*tty husband and an even worse father, so his support system is truly lacking. Will Ted ever be able to survive the end of his career, his reputation, and every relationship he's ever known?
I loved reading this darkly funny story and it was a fast read for me. Ted Grayson is a really unlikeable character, but I loved to hate him and at times even found myself rooting for him. Ted's very public fall from grace is swift and watching a man meltdown is never easy, but boy does it make for a fun book to read!
December 28, 2018
This really is a brilliant book. It is not a funny book. I say that because Kenney has won the Thurber Prize for American Humor and because on my edition the lead quote on the back says "...my favorite kind of funny..." and because I picked up the book thinking it would be humor. It's really not. It's a scathing, furious and brutal look at the state of 'news' today, of social media, and modern mankind's rush to judgment. It is also a very moving story of man whose rise to fame and subsequent crash into infamy teaches him what matters in the world. And how he gets it back. That's two very different things that Kenney accomplishes and I think he does both at the highest possible level.
"Nuance is dead. In its place, we have judgment. Instant judgment. That's the world we're living in. There's no truth. There's no fact. There's only what you can get to trend. And it's only getting worse." This quote is only a part of a huge section I wanted to put here but, ya know, go buy the book. It's better in context anyway. Kenney shows us what we have become and how little of our world view is based on honesty. This is social commentary at its best.
As for the novel part, only a truly talented writer can take a character, make him hateful and pathetic, and then redeem him so perfectly that you cry for him on the last page.
I was very moved by this book. It's a cautionary tale and story of hope and love all at once. Five very enthusiastic stars.
"Nuance is dead. In its place, we have judgment. Instant judgment. That's the world we're living in. There's no truth. There's no fact. There's only what you can get to trend. And it's only getting worse." This quote is only a part of a huge section I wanted to put here but, ya know, go buy the book. It's better in context anyway. Kenney shows us what we have become and how little of our world view is based on honesty. This is social commentary at its best.
As for the novel part, only a truly talented writer can take a character, make him hateful and pathetic, and then redeem him so perfectly that you cry for him on the last page.
I was very moved by this book. It's a cautionary tale and story of hope and love all at once. Five very enthusiastic stars.
August 2, 2019
4.5 STARS
Fun read, full of sarcasm and satire, and far too close to reality!
“that point in life when you realize you are closer to the end of life than the beginning; where youthful exuberance and bountiful expectations yield to thoughts of what could have been, how you ended up in this place feeling so unfulfilled … that life has passed you by and you didn't even notice!"
Ted Grayson is in his late fifties, at the peak of his career, the modern Walter Cronkite of television network news, the traditional media, the old guard, millions and millions of viewers love him until ...
… thirty seconds before the nightly news broadcast, two days after Claire told him she wanted a divorce and was in love with someone else, once again Ted experiences his feelings of insecurity, his perception that the world is passing him by, constricting his brain like a psychological anaconda. Natalia, the makeup woman, a twenty-something from Russia, or Poland, who was filling in for Marie, was touching up his hair before the broadcast. She seemed in awe of him, lingered a bit too long for Ted’s liking, he pushed her away. Still in awe, Natalie chatted with the staff and smiled at Ted, a smile of delight that Ted interpreted as ridicule, in his own studio. How dare she! Now she was off to the left of camera one, in his eye line. She was recording the experience on her phone, excited to be there, when he shouted out, “Eye line, you Russian whore!” She was Polish! Ted snapped. Everyone saw his rage on the ten monitors in the control room. It was on tape until …
… it went viral. Natalie was fired and her sister suggested she post the video on social media to get back at Ted. She did … Instagram, BuzzFeed, TMZ, even traditional media ran the story. A 59-year old white man of privilege savaging the poor, young Russian, no Polish, immigrant woman. #MeToo chimed in. Ted was trending. It got worse when …
… scheisee.com, the online website created by the thirty-four year old billionaire Henke Tessmer, the only son of a very wealthy German industrialist, to repackage and sensationalize stories from other websites, picked up Ted’s outburst. The scheisee.com mantra … NO RULES. JUST CLICKS. Clicks attracted advertisers, facts did not, and advertising drove profits. Big profits. Stories on scheisee.com took no more than thirty minutes to research and publish. Twenty-six-years-olds with just months of experience were “senior political correspondents”. Ted, the network lawyers, PR folks and Tamara Fine, president of the network, calculating Ted’s worth to the network vs the liability of a rich famous privileged white male spewing his viral wrath on camera, thought the story would fade away quickly once another more juicy story surfaced but it didn’t because ….
… Ted’s estranged daughter Franny worked at scheisee.com. Ted had no personal contact with her in years after Franny’s tumultuous childhood with emotional troubles and drug abuse and Ted’s absence in pursuit of news stories around the world. Tessmer proposed Franny write a story about Ted and the network agreed as long as the network read it before it was published. Anguished over the story, Franny sat on the article and saved it to the server and thought about it and thought about it, didn’t want to run it, but …
… Henke was one of a very limited few at scheisee.com who had access to everything on the server and released the story anyway, because he could, without anyone’s review or permissions. And when Franny’s old Northfield Mount Hermon School roommate Lauren Loeb, recently fired from her job by the director of the Greenfield, Massachusetts Social Services, some absurd charges about harassment of female coworkers and stalking and late night calls, scanned the news and checked her alerts and read Fanny Grayson’s story about her famous, misogynist father not visiting her during her drug induced sudden illness. Franny Grayson was a liar and Lauren was going to tell the world ….
… and Henke ran with it, along with a photo of Franny that showed her underwear! Getting out of the Uber after several glasses of wine, her shirt rode up her leg and Henke’s photographer knew exactly where she would be because after Henke fired Franny he still has her address. The photographer waited for the perfect shot which was posted on scheisee.com along with a stock photo of a line of cocaine and the headline screamed FRANNY GRAYSON. EXPOSED. The Grayson world was collapsing around them and …
… Ted filled with rage as his daughter was debased and defiled online by the trolls and the curious. Claire witnessed it too and called Ted to make it stop! Ted had done his final farewell broadcast, a term written into his resignation agreement, and denied all requests for interviews until the email from CNN arrived with a request from Anderson Cooper to interview them both, Ted and Franny, and they both agreed. Cooper was interviewing Henke Tessmer the same day in the same studio and when Ted and Franny encountered Henke in the hallway, a reaction, and TMZ ran the photo with the headline DONT MESS WITH MY DAUGHTER and other outlets picked up the story and the tweets of approval piled up with the #BringBackTedGrayson hashtag while Ted and Franny walked along the trails of the Pound Ridge reservation, a reconciliation of sorts as …
… weeks later, the tweets continued and the networks noticed and a movement grew! #BringBackTedGrayson No petitions or calls on governmental agencies to step in. Something far more important … posting, clicking, tweeting, commenting, reposting, liking, hearts, thumbs up … Ted was trending!
This was a super fun read; jam packed with wit and sarcasm, tongue in cheek humor but super real. We live in a 288 character world where reading beyond the tweet takes up too much time and is far too difficult to do. Links to the true story? Who has the time, or attention span? Often times we don’t go deeper than the headline! Sadly, Talk to Me reflects our life and times in the 21st century digital world.
Read this book … you’ll laugh out loud until you realize you’re laughing at yourself!
Fun read, full of sarcasm and satire, and far too close to reality!
“that point in life when you realize you are closer to the end of life than the beginning; where youthful exuberance and bountiful expectations yield to thoughts of what could have been, how you ended up in this place feeling so unfulfilled … that life has passed you by and you didn't even notice!"
Ted Grayson is in his late fifties, at the peak of his career, the modern Walter Cronkite of television network news, the traditional media, the old guard, millions and millions of viewers love him until ...
… thirty seconds before the nightly news broadcast, two days after Claire told him she wanted a divorce and was in love with someone else, once again Ted experiences his feelings of insecurity, his perception that the world is passing him by, constricting his brain like a psychological anaconda. Natalia, the makeup woman, a twenty-something from Russia, or Poland, who was filling in for Marie, was touching up his hair before the broadcast. She seemed in awe of him, lingered a bit too long for Ted’s liking, he pushed her away. Still in awe, Natalie chatted with the staff and smiled at Ted, a smile of delight that Ted interpreted as ridicule, in his own studio. How dare she! Now she was off to the left of camera one, in his eye line. She was recording the experience on her phone, excited to be there, when he shouted out, “Eye line, you Russian whore!” She was Polish! Ted snapped. Everyone saw his rage on the ten monitors in the control room. It was on tape until …
… it went viral. Natalie was fired and her sister suggested she post the video on social media to get back at Ted. She did … Instagram, BuzzFeed, TMZ, even traditional media ran the story. A 59-year old white man of privilege savaging the poor, young Russian, no Polish, immigrant woman. #MeToo chimed in. Ted was trending. It got worse when …
… scheisee.com, the online website created by the thirty-four year old billionaire Henke Tessmer, the only son of a very wealthy German industrialist, to repackage and sensationalize stories from other websites, picked up Ted’s outburst. The scheisee.com mantra … NO RULES. JUST CLICKS. Clicks attracted advertisers, facts did not, and advertising drove profits. Big profits. Stories on scheisee.com took no more than thirty minutes to research and publish. Twenty-six-years-olds with just months of experience were “senior political correspondents”. Ted, the network lawyers, PR folks and Tamara Fine, president of the network, calculating Ted’s worth to the network vs the liability of a rich famous privileged white male spewing his viral wrath on camera, thought the story would fade away quickly once another more juicy story surfaced but it didn’t because ….
… Ted’s estranged daughter Franny worked at scheisee.com. Ted had no personal contact with her in years after Franny’s tumultuous childhood with emotional troubles and drug abuse and Ted’s absence in pursuit of news stories around the world. Tessmer proposed Franny write a story about Ted and the network agreed as long as the network read it before it was published. Anguished over the story, Franny sat on the article and saved it to the server and thought about it and thought about it, didn’t want to run it, but …
… Henke was one of a very limited few at scheisee.com who had access to everything on the server and released the story anyway, because he could, without anyone’s review or permissions. And when Franny’s old Northfield Mount Hermon School roommate Lauren Loeb, recently fired from her job by the director of the Greenfield, Massachusetts Social Services, some absurd charges about harassment of female coworkers and stalking and late night calls, scanned the news and checked her alerts and read Fanny Grayson’s story about her famous, misogynist father not visiting her during her drug induced sudden illness. Franny Grayson was a liar and Lauren was going to tell the world ….
… and Henke ran with it, along with a photo of Franny that showed her underwear! Getting out of the Uber after several glasses of wine, her shirt rode up her leg and Henke’s photographer knew exactly where she would be because after Henke fired Franny he still has her address. The photographer waited for the perfect shot which was posted on scheisee.com along with a stock photo of a line of cocaine and the headline screamed FRANNY GRAYSON. EXPOSED. The Grayson world was collapsing around them and …
… Ted filled with rage as his daughter was debased and defiled online by the trolls and the curious. Claire witnessed it too and called Ted to make it stop! Ted had done his final farewell broadcast, a term written into his resignation agreement, and denied all requests for interviews until the email from CNN arrived with a request from Anderson Cooper to interview them both, Ted and Franny, and they both agreed. Cooper was interviewing Henke Tessmer the same day in the same studio and when Ted and Franny encountered Henke in the hallway, a reaction, and TMZ ran the photo with the headline DONT MESS WITH MY DAUGHTER and other outlets picked up the story and the tweets of approval piled up with the #BringBackTedGrayson hashtag while Ted and Franny walked along the trails of the Pound Ridge reservation, a reconciliation of sorts as …
… weeks later, the tweets continued and the networks noticed and a movement grew! #BringBackTedGrayson No petitions or calls on governmental agencies to step in. Something far more important … posting, clicking, tweeting, commenting, reposting, liking, hearts, thumbs up … Ted was trending!
This was a super fun read; jam packed with wit and sarcasm, tongue in cheek humor but super real. We live in a 288 character world where reading beyond the tweet takes up too much time and is far too difficult to do. Links to the true story? Who has the time, or attention span? Often times we don’t go deeper than the headline! Sadly, Talk to Me reflects our life and times in the 21st century digital world.
Read this book … you’ll laugh out loud until you realize you’re laughing at yourself!
October 24, 2018
I recently read or heard something that talked about how our current culture makes it difficult to acknowledge imperfection. I was reminded of an interaction I had on a social media thread a few months ago. The discussion was regarding non-gendered language, and I made the comment that, while I completely understood and agreed with the concept of how gender in language can influence our perception of reality in both subtle and non-subtle ways, that I still had some difficulty with the usage of “they” to refer to a single individual. I explained that whenever I heard one of my children refer to a friend using “they” or “their” followed by grammatical terms used for a singular subject, I had to fight the urge to correct them.
This comment was met with pure hostility on the part of one of the commenters, who stated that there was so much in my statement that was hurtful and bigoted that she (she referred to herself as female, but used non-gendered language for her partner) couldn’t even begin to unpack it all. When I stated that I had honestly no idea how what I said was offensive and asked her to help me understand so that I could try to do better the next time, she responded that it was not her responsibility to educate me and that she found it offensive that I would even ask.
I still have no idea what part of my comment offended her, particularly in light of the fact that it was meant mostly to poke a bit of fun at my own difficulty changing my long-held grammatical views even when I knew they were becoming outdated. And I think that is why the recent comment about mistakes being verboten in current society resonated so much with me. In order to forgive a mistake, you have to inherently believe that the person who made it didn’t mean to cause pain or harm. If, instead, you believe the worst of people, anything they do that causes you pain, even if they claim it was in error, feels like it is communicating an underlying truth that they normally seek to hide.
That is a very long intro to my review of this book, which revolves around the fallout of a completely inappropriate outburst by a famous newscaster that is caught on video and goes viral. The book follows him in the aftermath of this event, chronicling the ways that media, both traditional and on-line respond to this event, and how public opinion, as expressed through on-line comments and event protesters alter the way his behavior is reported.
This is an extremely timely story and the outrage expressed for his inappropriate behavior is right on target. But, Kenney’s take on this situation is thankfully much more nuanced. The newscaster has spent many years neglecting his relationships with his wife and daughter, and his wife has told him that she wants a divorce just a few minutes before he has this tantrum. As much as this is a story about a privileged white man behaving badly, it is also the story of a man who, as he grows older, finds himself full of regret for all of the mistakes he has made in the past. And yet, everything and everyone surrounding him works against his attempts to try to atone for those mistakes.
I found his fond memories and regrets about long-past events quite moving and relatable, and the ending, while not completely happy, was full of forgiveness in a way that felt hopeful.
I identified with the main character more than I anticipated, and this book was both wistful and a more enjoyable read than I expected.
I received an advanced reading copy from the publisher via NetGalley. Thanks!
This comment was met with pure hostility on the part of one of the commenters, who stated that there was so much in my statement that was hurtful and bigoted that she (she referred to herself as female, but used non-gendered language for her partner) couldn’t even begin to unpack it all. When I stated that I had honestly no idea how what I said was offensive and asked her to help me understand so that I could try to do better the next time, she responded that it was not her responsibility to educate me and that she found it offensive that I would even ask.
I still have no idea what part of my comment offended her, particularly in light of the fact that it was meant mostly to poke a bit of fun at my own difficulty changing my long-held grammatical views even when I knew they were becoming outdated. And I think that is why the recent comment about mistakes being verboten in current society resonated so much with me. In order to forgive a mistake, you have to inherently believe that the person who made it didn’t mean to cause pain or harm. If, instead, you believe the worst of people, anything they do that causes you pain, even if they claim it was in error, feels like it is communicating an underlying truth that they normally seek to hide.
That is a very long intro to my review of this book, which revolves around the fallout of a completely inappropriate outburst by a famous newscaster that is caught on video and goes viral. The book follows him in the aftermath of this event, chronicling the ways that media, both traditional and on-line respond to this event, and how public opinion, as expressed through on-line comments and event protesters alter the way his behavior is reported.
This is an extremely timely story and the outrage expressed for his inappropriate behavior is right on target. But, Kenney’s take on this situation is thankfully much more nuanced. The newscaster has spent many years neglecting his relationships with his wife and daughter, and his wife has told him that she wants a divorce just a few minutes before he has this tantrum. As much as this is a story about a privileged white man behaving badly, it is also the story of a man who, as he grows older, finds himself full of regret for all of the mistakes he has made in the past. And yet, everything and everyone surrounding him works against his attempts to try to atone for those mistakes.
I found his fond memories and regrets about long-past events quite moving and relatable, and the ending, while not completely happy, was full of forgiveness in a way that felt hopeful.
I identified with the main character more than I anticipated, and this book was both wistful and a more enjoyable read than I expected.
I received an advanced reading copy from the publisher via NetGalley. Thanks!
May 23, 2019
I never heard the word internet until I was middle aged. At first I pictured it as some sort of railway that would traverse the USA and somehow dispese info to various cities. I could not even imagine the wealth of info we’d have at our fingertips. Although I embraced many aspects of the internet’s power, I remain skeptical about what it has done to us as humans. People feel so free to express themselves however they please, saying things that they would never say face to face.
Kenney’s book (which I considered rating a 5) gives us a lot to contemplate. We now have, for better or worse, “the first creature in the history of the world that could live forever.” Ted Grayson, a beloved news anchor, is recorded saying something unforgivable to his substitute assistant. Because his angry rant is recorded and goes viral, his life begins to implode. (I couldn’t help thinking of Trump, who was also was recorded saying unforgivable crap, and yet he goes unchecked.)
I know that Ted shouldn’t have berated his assistant in such a misogynistic way and yet I don’t think any of us would want to be judged by our worst minutes.
I had empathy for him and could relate to his often self-sabotaging flaws.
His wife Claire and daughter Franny had no trouble jumping on the boo for Ted bandwagon. Franny, like many top-notch journalist grads, worked for a trashy tabloid that skewed her perception of journalistic ethics. Since many readers love to see celebrities fall off of their pedestals, she was able to provide the details of the inevitable human train wrecks. When they asked her to write about her own dad, she had to do some soul searching.
I thought that Kennedy showed his writing chops when he fleshed out Claire, Franny and Ted’s personalities. The characters were nuanced, snarky and often unpredictable. He’s a writer I need to follow.
Kenney’s book (which I considered rating a 5) gives us a lot to contemplate. We now have, for better or worse, “the first creature in the history of the world that could live forever.” Ted Grayson, a beloved news anchor, is recorded saying something unforgivable to his substitute assistant. Because his angry rant is recorded and goes viral, his life begins to implode. (I couldn’t help thinking of Trump, who was also was recorded saying unforgivable crap, and yet he goes unchecked.)
I know that Ted shouldn’t have berated his assistant in such a misogynistic way and yet I don’t think any of us would want to be judged by our worst minutes.
I had empathy for him and could relate to his often self-sabotaging flaws.
His wife Claire and daughter Franny had no trouble jumping on the boo for Ted bandwagon. Franny, like many top-notch journalist grads, worked for a trashy tabloid that skewed her perception of journalistic ethics. Since many readers love to see celebrities fall off of their pedestals, she was able to provide the details of the inevitable human train wrecks. When they asked her to write about her own dad, she had to do some soul searching.
I thought that Kennedy showed his writing chops when he fleshed out Claire, Franny and Ted’s personalities. The characters were nuanced, snarky and often unpredictable. He’s a writer I need to follow.
August 13, 2019
While this is a timely book with a cynical (and scarily accurate) take on the power of the internet, it didn't grab me as fully as I would have liked. It might have been because the leading characters were not that sympathetic to me.
Ted Grayson is a long-time star reporter on network news, and one night, during an off moment, he lashes out at a young woman on the set, and this tirade is caught on camera. When this video goes viral, his reputation is rapidly destroyed, followed very quickly by the loss of his job.
The book also delves into his relationship (or lack of) with his estranged wife, who has found another man and is divorcing him, and his daughter, Franny, also estranged from him. Franny's long-simmering anger towards her father is palpable, and when given the chance to write an interview with her father, she takes it. Although there is some poignancy depicted in these relationships, especially in flashbacks that Ted experiences, I found Franny's anger somewhat off-putting, especially at her age in the book. And as this does not ring true to me to a MeToo moment, I found this to be just an unfortunate momentary vulgar loss of temper from a high-profile figure that brings about his downfall.
But this is also a book about redemption and the power of family...but for me, it did not resonate as strongly as I would have liked.
Ted Grayson is a long-time star reporter on network news, and one night, during an off moment, he lashes out at a young woman on the set, and this tirade is caught on camera. When this video goes viral, his reputation is rapidly destroyed, followed very quickly by the loss of his job.
The book also delves into his relationship (or lack of) with his estranged wife, who has found another man and is divorcing him, and his daughter, Franny, also estranged from him. Franny's long-simmering anger towards her father is palpable, and when given the chance to write an interview with her father, she takes it. Although there is some poignancy depicted in these relationships, especially in flashbacks that Ted experiences, I found Franny's anger somewhat off-putting, especially at her age in the book. And as this does not ring true to me to a MeToo moment, I found this to be just an unfortunate momentary vulgar loss of temper from a high-profile figure that brings about his downfall.
But this is also a book about redemption and the power of family...but for me, it did not resonate as strongly as I would have liked.
March 31, 2019
While reading this novel, I kept coming back to two other references … Andrew Sean Greer’s novel, Less, and the HBO series “The Newsroom.” In all three settings we have smart, accomplished, middle-aged white men who are forced to face a sharp curve in their lives’ trajectories. All three share a sensibility about what it means to succeed - personally, professionally, emotionally - in the 21st century. All three have darkly comedic moments, as well as moments of seering, almost heartbreaking vulnerability. And I’m a big fan of all three.
Ted is an anchorman at the height of his popularity and power when, one bad day, he just loses it. His breakdown is, of course, captured and shared virally. Sounds trite right? I’ve read this story many times. But John Kenney brings such emotional honestly and in-your-face confrontation to this story, that I found myself swept up with Red, his soon to be ex-wife and, particularly, his daughter Franny.
Kenney is not breaking new ground here - I could predict the ending (which was too easy for my taste) and I’ve read all of these characters before - but he writes a tightly crafted novel and holds a mirror to the modern world, a topic that sometimes overwhelms me in its brutality.
Thankfully, nuance is not dead for writers of fiction.
Ted is an anchorman at the height of his popularity and power when, one bad day, he just loses it. His breakdown is, of course, captured and shared virally. Sounds trite right? I’ve read this story many times. But John Kenney brings such emotional honestly and in-your-face confrontation to this story, that I found myself swept up with Red, his soon to be ex-wife and, particularly, his daughter Franny.
Kenney is not breaking new ground here - I could predict the ending (which was too easy for my taste) and I’ve read all of these characters before - but he writes a tightly crafted novel and holds a mirror to the modern world, a topic that sometimes overwhelms me in its brutality.
.“Nuance is dead. In its place, we have judgement. Instant judgement. That’s the world we’re living in.".
Thankfully, nuance is not dead for writers of fiction.
December 19, 2023
A MASTERPIECE. Brilliant brilliant brilliant. One of my favorite reads of the year. Read it now, then read it again, I beg you.
“So what now? We have a choice.
In how we use technology to advance humanity. Kindness. Generosity. It is easy to become a skeptic sitting in this chair night after night. To become callous to the beauty and possibility of the world.
My job, the media's job, isn't to share the news. It's to share the worst. To horrify you. Imagine it was different, though. Imagine if the job was to inspire? Educate? Instead of show you the worst of who we are? If I have a regret and I have many it's that we didn't do that more. Demand that from the news. Demand that from media-social and otherwise.”
“So what now? We have a choice.
In how we use technology to advance humanity. Kindness. Generosity. It is easy to become a skeptic sitting in this chair night after night. To become callous to the beauty and possibility of the world.
My job, the media's job, isn't to share the news. It's to share the worst. To horrify you. Imagine it was different, though. Imagine if the job was to inspire? Educate? Instead of show you the worst of who we are? If I have a regret and I have many it's that we didn't do that more. Demand that from the news. Demand that from media-social and otherwise.”
April 3, 2019
This was definitely darker than Truth in Advertising. Kenney's take on today's news media and the scourge of social media's fake and shaming news is scathing. It's definitely a millennial-blaming rant with added whining about the fall of a great old rich and white man named Ted Grayson. I preferred the light and humour and tenderness and greatness in Truth in Advertising over Talk to Me.
January 21, 2019
I read this book quickly. It was fast-paced and even though I knew what was coming, I kept wanting to read it. I am not the kind of person who slows down to watch a car wreck. I don't usually feel fascinated, instead I feel sad and worried for the people. I don't like watching human drama unfold. And this book felt just like that. So maybe I should have just abandoned it.
The premise almost felt didactic to me and I was worried the author was going to use this book to focus so much on the social commentary that I wouldn't be able to enjoy it. While there are definitely pieces of that, I didn't feel the direct commentary part was over the top. However, the story was completely predictable all the way to the end.
One of the main points of this book is how we live in a society that is largely ruled by the commenters now and how media is not run by the professionals, etc. While there are bits there I totally agree and sympathize with, I also feel like when you make a point like this, it's important to show the other side, too.
There are stories that would have never come to the surface if it weren't for the amateurs. For as many corrupt, click-baity journalists, there are also real ones who care about people and unearthing the truth. For as many self-absorbed-but-not-harmful people who do something stupid, there are ones who actually are out to cause harm knowing they won't get caught (they'll be protected) that this system fights.
These issues are complicated and layered and while this book was one story of one person at one point in time (fictional too of course) I still feel uncomfortable with the fact that several of the characters were cartoonish in their one-dimensionality. People are often much more complicated than that and if you're going to develop the main character, you owe it to the reader to spend time developing the major opposing characters, too.
I guess I had a lot more to say about this than I thought I did and while I had rated this 3 stars when I started, writing this all down made me realize it's actually not even that.
The premise almost felt didactic to me and I was worried the author was going to use this book to focus so much on the social commentary that I wouldn't be able to enjoy it. While there are definitely pieces of that, I didn't feel the direct commentary part was over the top. However, the story was completely predictable all the way to the end.
One of the main points of this book is how we live in a society that is largely ruled by the commenters now and how media is not run by the professionals, etc. While there are bits there I totally agree and sympathize with, I also feel like when you make a point like this, it's important to show the other side, too.
There are stories that would have never come to the surface if it weren't for the amateurs. For as many corrupt, click-baity journalists, there are also real ones who care about people and unearthing the truth. For as many self-absorbed-but-not-harmful people who do something stupid, there are ones who actually are out to cause harm knowing they won't get caught (they'll be protected) that this system fights.
These issues are complicated and layered and while this book was one story of one person at one point in time (fictional too of course) I still feel uncomfortable with the fact that several of the characters were cartoonish in their one-dimensionality. People are often much more complicated than that and if you're going to develop the main character, you owe it to the reader to spend time developing the major opposing characters, too.
I guess I had a lot more to say about this than I thought I did and while I had rated this 3 stars when I started, writing this all down made me realize it's actually not even that.
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