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it's not easy being me
미국 코미디언 자서전 '선수는 공사 중'은 2004년 7월 미국 뉴욕타임스 하드커버 논픽션 부문에서 인기도서 순위 18위를 차지했다. 같은 해 10월 뉴욕타임스 일요판은 이 책을 읽고 일반인은 120번, 저자 로드니 데인저필드 영화 '캐디쉑'을 본 사람이면 2,000번 웃으리라 평했다.
미국 유머가 한국에서도 먹힐까? '한국인이 읽고 웃을만한 책을 엄선해서 계약한 후, 유머 감각이 있는 번역가와 편집자를 쓰면 가능하다'고 출판사 요구맹미디어는 믿는다.
한편, 미국에서는 8년 전 타계한 '투나잇 쇼' 호스트 자니 카슨의 전기가 출간되어 2013년 10월 12일 현재 아마존 인기도서 순위 14위를 차지했다. '선수는 공사 중'의 주인공 로드니 데인저필드는 자니 카슨의 '투나잇 쇼'에 70회 출연했다. 웃겼다는 말이다.
미국 유머가 한국에서도 먹힐까? '한국인이 읽고 웃을만한 책을 엄선해서 계약한 후, 유머 감각이 있는 번역가와 편집자를 쓰면 가능하다'고 출판사 요구맹미디어는 믿는다.
한편, 미국에서는 8년 전 타계한 '투나잇 쇼' 호스트 자니 카슨의 전기가 출간되어 2013년 10월 12일 현재 아마존 인기도서 순위 14위를 차지했다. '선수는 공사 중'의 주인공 로드니 데인저필드는 자니 카슨의 '투나잇 쇼'에 70회 출연했다. 웃겼다는 말이다.
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First published January 1, 1995
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About the author
Rodney Dangerfield
12 books106 followersRodney Dangerfield, born Jacob Cohen, was an American comedian and actor, best known for the catchphrase "I don't get no respect" and his monologues on that theme.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
March 23, 2019
It's Not Easy Bein' Me is Rodney Dangerfield's book about his storied life from childhood to stardom and all the craziness in between. Rodney is known by many as being a nonstop generator of one-liners, and as funny as his jokes are, he is far more than just a funny guy. In his book, you will discover a lot about this man that you probably never would have suspected about him. Some of it will make you crack-up with uncontrollable laughter; some of it will leave you feeling quite down and despondent; all of it will certainly entertain you and give you a greater appreciation for one of comedy's all-time greats.
First and foremost, this book is absolutely hilarious! I almost never find myself laughing when reading a book, no matter how “funny” it is supposed to be, but this book made me laugh at almost every page. Rodney Dangerfield's jokes are legendary and so clever that one cannot help but crack up at them. Dispersed throughout his life story are breaks in the narrative where Rodney places some of his jokes that loosely relates to the topic of the chapter. I never found these jokes to be distracting or out of place, but rather very entertaining and helpful to the mood and pace of the book. I know I will be coming back to this book many times in the future to look over these fantastic jokes to tell to my friends and family because everyone needs to hear the hilarious jokes of one of comedy's greatest minds.
What I loved most about this book was how fast paced it was, moving very quickly and never getting slow or boring even in-between the jokes. Rodney's style of joke-telling is very fast with a strong punchline at the end that almost never fails to kill the audience with laughter. In that same manner, the more serious aspects of his memoirs were just as quick-witted and hard-hitting with engaging anecdotes about his interesting life, coming at you non-stop in quick succession to constantly entertain and amuse. It's Not Easy Bein' Me was easily one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read because of how quick and funny it was from start to finish.
I learned a lot about Rodney Dangerfield after reading his book. Beforehand, my only knowledge on the guy extended as far as knowing a couple dozen of his jokes because my dad recites them all the time, as he is a huge Rodney fan himself. Since my dad always spoke so highly of the guy, I figured I needed to finally read up on him to see what all the hubbub was about; I'm glad I did. One thing that was surprising was to find out that Rodney Dangerfield was just a stage name, and his real birth name was Jacob Rodney Cohen. He didn't even come up with his now-famous name himself; he just asked some guy to make something up for him before going onstage one night to cover his true identity. Funny how things work out! These memoirs are chock-full of fun facts, interesting details, and even some sad realizations about Rodney's life that will keep you glued to the book.
In fact, I was shocked to learn how depressing Rodney's life truly was growing up. I always thought his shtick about getting No Respect was all made up for laughs, but apparently a lot of those jokes were, unfortunately, based on his real life adversities. His mother in particular was not a very good person to him, and certain things that happened to Rodney as a child were heartbreaking to read about. It looks to me like Rodney Dangerfield was the proverbial sad clown, one who covered up his sorrow with jokes and laughter. I'm glad things started to turn around for him later in life, but his depression always lingered to some degree, which is quite a shame to think about considering how outgoing and jovial he came off as.
On the lighter side of things, I found out that Rodney Dangerfield helped start the careers of many famous and successful comedians that we know today. Did you know that he had a hand in helping Tim Allen, Jerry Seinfeld, Rosanne Barr, Jim Carrey, and many others comedic greats? Where would comedy be today without the mark left by Rodney Dangerfield? I don't want to know.
Rodney Dangerfield was not like most other famous comedians who have made it big. Rather than getting sucked up in the glory, the fame, and the money, Rodney stayed true to himself and never lost sight of why he got into comedy in the first place. He never considered himself to be better than his audience or other comedians; Rodney never passed up on a handshake with some random joe on the street, and he was always hospitable to strangers and amateur comedians. What made so many people connect to Rodney Dangerfield was his style of comedy, that he was the downtrodden everyman who never got the respect he deserved. This is a sentiment that many of us feel in our lives, and to see it personified onstage by such a funny person is what made so many people gravitate towards Rodney Dangerfield in the first place.
If you want to read a hilarious memoir by one of comedy's greatest talents, then It's Not Easy Bein' Me is the book for you. His jokes will leave you laughing your ass off; his anecdotes will make you wish you were there to witness these fantastic tales yourself; and Rodney's legacy will make you wish he were still with us today, lighting up our world with some much needed laughter. Rodney sadly passed away shortly after completing his memoirs, so this book acts as a final tribute to one of the funniest people who ever lived.
Though his whole act was predicated on never getting any of the respect he deserved, he will always have my greatest respect and admiration as both an average guy as well as a comedic legend. Rodney and his book get an A-OK from me!
First and foremost, this book is absolutely hilarious! I almost never find myself laughing when reading a book, no matter how “funny” it is supposed to be, but this book made me laugh at almost every page. Rodney Dangerfield's jokes are legendary and so clever that one cannot help but crack up at them. Dispersed throughout his life story are breaks in the narrative where Rodney places some of his jokes that loosely relates to the topic of the chapter. I never found these jokes to be distracting or out of place, but rather very entertaining and helpful to the mood and pace of the book. I know I will be coming back to this book many times in the future to look over these fantastic jokes to tell to my friends and family because everyone needs to hear the hilarious jokes of one of comedy's greatest minds.
What I loved most about this book was how fast paced it was, moving very quickly and never getting slow or boring even in-between the jokes. Rodney's style of joke-telling is very fast with a strong punchline at the end that almost never fails to kill the audience with laughter. In that same manner, the more serious aspects of his memoirs were just as quick-witted and hard-hitting with engaging anecdotes about his interesting life, coming at you non-stop in quick succession to constantly entertain and amuse. It's Not Easy Bein' Me was easily one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read because of how quick and funny it was from start to finish.
I learned a lot about Rodney Dangerfield after reading his book. Beforehand, my only knowledge on the guy extended as far as knowing a couple dozen of his jokes because my dad recites them all the time, as he is a huge Rodney fan himself. Since my dad always spoke so highly of the guy, I figured I needed to finally read up on him to see what all the hubbub was about; I'm glad I did. One thing that was surprising was to find out that Rodney Dangerfield was just a stage name, and his real birth name was Jacob Rodney Cohen. He didn't even come up with his now-famous name himself; he just asked some guy to make something up for him before going onstage one night to cover his true identity. Funny how things work out! These memoirs are chock-full of fun facts, interesting details, and even some sad realizations about Rodney's life that will keep you glued to the book.
In fact, I was shocked to learn how depressing Rodney's life truly was growing up. I always thought his shtick about getting No Respect was all made up for laughs, but apparently a lot of those jokes were, unfortunately, based on his real life adversities. His mother in particular was not a very good person to him, and certain things that happened to Rodney as a child were heartbreaking to read about. It looks to me like Rodney Dangerfield was the proverbial sad clown, one who covered up his sorrow with jokes and laughter. I'm glad things started to turn around for him later in life, but his depression always lingered to some degree, which is quite a shame to think about considering how outgoing and jovial he came off as.
On the lighter side of things, I found out that Rodney Dangerfield helped start the careers of many famous and successful comedians that we know today. Did you know that he had a hand in helping Tim Allen, Jerry Seinfeld, Rosanne Barr, Jim Carrey, and many others comedic greats? Where would comedy be today without the mark left by Rodney Dangerfield? I don't want to know.
Rodney Dangerfield was not like most other famous comedians who have made it big. Rather than getting sucked up in the glory, the fame, and the money, Rodney stayed true to himself and never lost sight of why he got into comedy in the first place. He never considered himself to be better than his audience or other comedians; Rodney never passed up on a handshake with some random joe on the street, and he was always hospitable to strangers and amateur comedians. What made so many people connect to Rodney Dangerfield was his style of comedy, that he was the downtrodden everyman who never got the respect he deserved. This is a sentiment that many of us feel in our lives, and to see it personified onstage by such a funny person is what made so many people gravitate towards Rodney Dangerfield in the first place.
If you want to read a hilarious memoir by one of comedy's greatest talents, then It's Not Easy Bein' Me is the book for you. His jokes will leave you laughing your ass off; his anecdotes will make you wish you were there to witness these fantastic tales yourself; and Rodney's legacy will make you wish he were still with us today, lighting up our world with some much needed laughter. Rodney sadly passed away shortly after completing his memoirs, so this book acts as a final tribute to one of the funniest people who ever lived.
Though his whole act was predicated on never getting any of the respect he deserved, he will always have my greatest respect and admiration as both an average guy as well as a comedic legend. Rodney and his book get an A-OK from me!
October 3, 2023
“I told my wife we need a home improvement loan, she gave me $1000 to move out”
“My wife and i were happy for 20 years, then we met”
“Without pickpockets I’d have no sex life at all”.
Just some of many one liners spoken from one of the great all time stand up comedians. Like nearly all comedians, a young Jacob Cohen had a rough home life. A mostly absent father and a cruel, unloving mother he honed his ability to get laughs with anyone he could.
After a series of odd jobs, he began working nightclubs in the new York area in the forties and later in the Catskill mountains at resorts were Jewish citizens of New York and New Jersey stayed during the summer months.
After an appearance on the Ed Sullivan show his star
Took off and in the early sixties a name change to Rodney Dangerfield and a appearance on a the tonight show by a new host named Johnny Carson put him on the map.
It was also about this time he began the use of his trademark “I get no respect”.
He opened his own club “Dangerfields” in New York in 1969 which became a sort of incubator for scores of famous comedians in years to come.
Later, the eighties brought film appearances in “Caddyshack” and “Back to school”
This legend passed in 2004 but that brand of comedy will never fade. I still laugh until crying watching his stand up on YouTube.
Even his headstone reads:
Rodney Dangerfield 1922-2004
“There goes the neighborhood”
“My wife told me she wanted to try something wild, so she cuffed me to the bed. Then she put on her clothes and went out”
“I don’t get no respect, I was so ugly as a kid my dad kept the picture that came with the wallet”
“My wife loves to talk to me during sex, she just called me from Chicago”
“My wife and i were happy for 20 years, then we met”
“Without pickpockets I’d have no sex life at all”.
Just some of many one liners spoken from one of the great all time stand up comedians. Like nearly all comedians, a young Jacob Cohen had a rough home life. A mostly absent father and a cruel, unloving mother he honed his ability to get laughs with anyone he could.
After a series of odd jobs, he began working nightclubs in the new York area in the forties and later in the Catskill mountains at resorts were Jewish citizens of New York and New Jersey stayed during the summer months.
After an appearance on the Ed Sullivan show his star
Took off and in the early sixties a name change to Rodney Dangerfield and a appearance on a the tonight show by a new host named Johnny Carson put him on the map.
It was also about this time he began the use of his trademark “I get no respect”.
He opened his own club “Dangerfields” in New York in 1969 which became a sort of incubator for scores of famous comedians in years to come.
Later, the eighties brought film appearances in “Caddyshack” and “Back to school”
This legend passed in 2004 but that brand of comedy will never fade. I still laugh until crying watching his stand up on YouTube.
Even his headstone reads:
Rodney Dangerfield 1922-2004
“There goes the neighborhood”
“My wife told me she wanted to try something wild, so she cuffed me to the bed. Then she put on her clothes and went out”
“I don’t get no respect, I was so ugly as a kid my dad kept the picture that came with the wallet”
“My wife loves to talk to me during sex, she just called me from Chicago”
January 4, 2012
Overall the writing of the book was average; Rodney tends to go off on stream of cosciousness tangents, and the book takes several diversions as a result. But Rodney's dark sense of humor is intact each time, so most of these are welcome. And for a figure with this much experience who is simply fun to listen talk about most anything, the weaknesses in structure are easily excused. Starting with his younger years to his first days in comedy, then to his days as an aluminum siding salesman and back to the comedy days that made him a legend, Rodney's story is a pretty remarkable one, and Rodney keeps it candid and revealing. His commentary on other contemporary talents such as Sam Kinison, Jim Carrey, and even Mike Tyson is also amusing. People who aren't fans of comedy might not enjoy it as much, but if you even have a casual interest in the craft its a solid read.
December 11, 2022
Pure excellence (in any field) is often the result of arduous work and severe depression.
January 12, 2025
Rest in peace to the GOAT. This book is the ramblings of a madman.
November 24, 2019
Downloaded from Kindle Unlimited for a quickie, diverting read, which it was. Breezed through fast, but to that end it was a bit thin on the ground. If you're keen on a series of short, comedic vignettes of Dangerfield's life/rising career, this will deliver in spades. If you enjoy celebrity memoirs equally to get to know the real person, to learn their vulnerabilities, understand the complexities of their personality and relationships, this is not that. And that's ok... but I happen to prefer memoirs where people want to and choose to really open up about those aspects of themselves.
It was just odd to read brief mentions of Dangerfield's first wife--whom he married (and divorced) not once but TWICE and was with for 30+ years--as just not the gal for him, a miserable marriage etc--but no details! No details at all about his children and raising them. Childhood trauma and bits about Dangerfield's relationship and reconciliation with his father is on the page, which was nice. But generally the style of "2-3 short paragraphs concluding in a punchline broken up by a joke then a new, short narrative section" became a bit tedious. I could FEEL Dangerfield telling a series of anecdotes to a biographer and the biographer then stringing them together into each of these chapters. Because each story is so short, at times too punchy, most of the stories lacked any real meat or depth. And a few of the sections confused me/didn't land--a few were told apparently for the sole function of telling a joke about some person he knew, but without context, a few of them I couldn't figure out why they were funny.
It was fascinating to see his old material written out. Because every section is broken up by one of his jokes, mostly his bad wife/bad sex jokes, it's like a glimpse into comedy in the past. It's a reminder that so much comedy now is referential comedy, story-comedy, "you know me as a person and it's funny because I'm expounding on my life" comedy. Dangerfield and the comics of his day (many of whom are name-dropped b/c he knew everyone) did classic set-up and punchline jokes. And many of the ones in the book are, indeed, funny. Many of them are also, indeed, a bit racist and misogynist. I wasn't offended, but just reminded of how things used to be. I grew up on Dangerfield's movies, and it was like "oh, yeah, huh."
But with the straightforward journey through Dangerfield's career, the memoir offers an interesting view of how comedy used to be, and how it has changed. If you're a fan of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Dangerfield's stories from his early days of trying to make it will feel familiar. Then it was fun to see the names of the comics Dangerfield supported/nurtured to fame through the 70s and 80s (including Jim Carrey). He seems like a really good guy, who worked very hard to get to where he was.
It was just odd to read brief mentions of Dangerfield's first wife--whom he married (and divorced) not once but TWICE and was with for 30+ years--as just not the gal for him, a miserable marriage etc--but no details! No details at all about his children and raising them. Childhood trauma and bits about Dangerfield's relationship and reconciliation with his father is on the page, which was nice. But generally the style of "2-3 short paragraphs concluding in a punchline broken up by a joke then a new, short narrative section" became a bit tedious. I could FEEL Dangerfield telling a series of anecdotes to a biographer and the biographer then stringing them together into each of these chapters. Because each story is so short, at times too punchy, most of the stories lacked any real meat or depth. And a few of the sections confused me/didn't land--a few were told apparently for the sole function of telling a joke about some person he knew, but without context, a few of them I couldn't figure out why they were funny.
It was fascinating to see his old material written out. Because every section is broken up by one of his jokes, mostly his bad wife/bad sex jokes, it's like a glimpse into comedy in the past. It's a reminder that so much comedy now is referential comedy, story-comedy, "you know me as a person and it's funny because I'm expounding on my life" comedy. Dangerfield and the comics of his day (many of whom are name-dropped b/c he knew everyone) did classic set-up and punchline jokes. And many of the ones in the book are, indeed, funny. Many of them are also, indeed, a bit racist and misogynist. I wasn't offended, but just reminded of how things used to be. I grew up on Dangerfield's movies, and it was like "oh, yeah, huh."
But with the straightforward journey through Dangerfield's career, the memoir offers an interesting view of how comedy used to be, and how it has changed. If you're a fan of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Dangerfield's stories from his early days of trying to make it will feel familiar. Then it was fun to see the names of the comics Dangerfield supported/nurtured to fame through the 70s and 80s (including Jim Carrey). He seems like a really good guy, who worked very hard to get to where he was.
May 19, 2025
If you are not a fan of his humor, nor care for his shtick, this book is not for you. If, however, you like his one-liners, his appearances on Ed Sullivan, Merv Griffin, and Johnny Carson - if you can still quote him from Caddyshack- this book is for you.
I wish I could give it more than five stars. In addition to his onscreen persona, you get a "warts and all" recount of his horrible upbringing, his jobs - both onstage and off and on again and off again and on. On page after page, he delivers some one liners that keeps the reader wanting more. Mixed in with the laughter is the heartache.
I truly could not put it down. You will laugh and at times not.
I wish I could give it more than five stars. In addition to his onscreen persona, you get a "warts and all" recount of his horrible upbringing, his jobs - both onstage and off and on again and off again and on. On page after page, he delivers some one liners that keeps the reader wanting more. Mixed in with the laughter is the heartache.
I truly could not put it down. You will laugh and at times not.
Read
April 5, 2021Rodney's a better comedian than autobiographer. But this is still great fun to read. Quite a life. Crazy that he took ten years off from comedy to sell aluminum siding before he made it big.
January 12, 2013
Reading Rodney Dangerfield's autobiography, It's Not Easy Bein' Me, was like listening to him do a long monologue on the Tonight Show couch. He starts off just like anyone else. He speaks casually, makes small talk. He seems sincere. He's not angling for a punchline and then -- Pow! Pow! Pow! He fires off a joke, then a zinger, then a pun, a play on words, his catch phrase, and then more jokes and one-liners.
I wrote a longer review of the book here: http://cranialgunk.com/blog/2013/01/1...
I wrote a longer review of the book here: http://cranialgunk.com/blog/2013/01/1...
November 8, 2018
I was very pleased with this wonderful autobiography. I learned so much about Mr. Dangerfield, like his very unhappy childhood with his negligent and cold mother and absent father. Isn't that the way it is? It seems the most tortured among us make the best comedians. I also loved learning just how many people he helped along the way, and he always stayed down to earth and humble.
I laughed several times throughout the book with his one liners. It's an easy read because of Rodney's writing; one book I didn't want to put down.
I laughed several times throughout the book with his one liners. It's an easy read because of Rodney's writing; one book I didn't want to put down.
January 15, 2022
Disturbing like finding out your uncle is a perv. Stories of sexual conquest are espically disgusting when told by old men.
May 23, 2020
**** A Book All Dangerfield Fans Are Likely To Enjoy!
It’s Not Easy Being Me is a very entertaining autobiographical memoir of Rodney Dangerfield’s life and career; and it is a book I think all fans of his will enjoy. While I would have preferred Dangerfield to “put a little more meat on the bone” pertaining to certain aspects of his personal and professional life, the book does a very good job providing readers with key insights into how Jakob Rodney Cohen, the man, become Rodney Dangerfield, the comedian beloved by his many fans.
Dangerfield claimed to “get no respect,” although he always earned my respect for being a comedian who could make me laugh — often times before he opened his mouth! Reading “It’s Not Easy Being Me” has now expanded my respect for him as a result of learning about his being such a warm, caring, thoughtful, kind-hearted person.
It’s Not Easy Being Me is a very entertaining autobiographical memoir of Rodney Dangerfield’s life and career; and it is a book I think all fans of his will enjoy. While I would have preferred Dangerfield to “put a little more meat on the bone” pertaining to certain aspects of his personal and professional life, the book does a very good job providing readers with key insights into how Jakob Rodney Cohen, the man, become Rodney Dangerfield, the comedian beloved by his many fans.
Dangerfield claimed to “get no respect,” although he always earned my respect for being a comedian who could make me laugh — often times before he opened his mouth! Reading “It’s Not Easy Being Me” has now expanded my respect for him as a result of learning about his being such a warm, caring, thoughtful, kind-hearted person.
November 22, 2020
I read most of this book, but it was too much of a slog too finish. Dangerfield's life story is interesting, and his one-liners are timeless, but this book proves the point that good writing is more important than good material.
August 25, 2020
Terrible read. Highly recommend.
February 6, 2021
Hilarious and life-affirming.
January 16, 2023
Excellent… one of my heroes
October 26, 2021
It is brilliant and he wrote it in joke format. First time seeing that. I would have accepted straight language. I dont love his stand up but his bit roles in movies like Caddyshack and Little Nicky made me a fan. Learning about his life and how he was much much more than a comedian was incredible really. This guy lived 4 lives I found this book to be ten times better than his stand up. He was a writer ( of movies and a life time of good and bad comedy material) so his jokes translate far better in the written word I think..This book might be his greatest work. Flew through this read and I think connected with what was a beautiful sensitive man through it. A real man. I hope hes in a better place and that he deserves it. His stories in here are funny as Fuck. It will pull you in. Well done, Rodney. No wonder you made it.
September 3, 2012
It’s Not Easy Being Me is not particularly well written, but it is a very interesting life story and (of course) it contains some very humorous passages. He really didn’t get much respect until he was in his late forties. Over 70 appearances on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and many on the Ed Sullivan Show really helped his career. He was very helpful in enhancing the careers of many young comedians who eventually became very famous.
June 27, 2019
I would give this a 3.5. Learned a bit about Rodney Dangerfield. His real name was Jacob Cohen. He had a rough childhood. An absent father, a cold unloving mother who moved them a lot in the NYC area. Had an aluminum siding business for awhile to help make ends meet. It took a long time to finally find success in being a comedian. Was much older when he started in the movie business. and so many other things. A decent book if you would like to read.
March 16, 2011
This guy was my hero. Here is some of my favorite one liners from he book
" I told my doctor I broke my arm in two places>He told me to keep out of those places."
" when I was a kid I never got no respect from my parents. They got divorced and had a custody battle over me and no one showed up."
My old man never liked me either he paid my allowance in travler checks.
" I told my doctor I broke my arm in two places>He told me to keep out of those places."
" when I was a kid I never got no respect from my parents. They got divorced and had a custody battle over me and no one showed up."
My old man never liked me either he paid my allowance in travler checks.
July 5, 2016
A king of a one - liner book! I loved it!
August 25, 2025
__________________________
The comic Rodney Dangerfield was “A man who always loved his neighbor—if she was easy.”
I will tell you up front that there are things about Rodney Dangerfield you will not like. I mean he spent years as an aluminum siding salesman, for God’s sake.
Don’t feel bad if you don’t like him. His parents didn’t. They literally didn’t give him any respect. He describes his mother as being coldhearted and selfish. She supplied him with food and shelter but had nothing else to give. Usually, she didn’t even know, or care, where he was. He recalls that even at 4 or 5 years old he would wander away and go to open air market a few blocks away where there was a nice guy who would give Rodney a nickel to sit on his lap. His relationship with his father wasn’t any better. He estimates that during his childhood he saw his father an average of 2 hours a year. I have to say this for his parents, though. Some parents give their children love and respect and good educations. Rodney’s parents gave him a career in comedy.
• When I was a kid I got no respect. When my parents got divorced, there was a custody fight over me…and no one showed up.
• When I was a kid, I got no respect. I was kidnapped. They sent my parents a piece of my finger. My old man demanded more proof.
• My father gave me a bat for my birthday, but it flew away the first time I played with it.
When Rodney was around 20, he became a rookie professional comedian. He had some moderate success in the local New York nightclub market. This was during the 1940s when there wasn’t a single single-young women in America who wasn’t a virgin. However, according to Rodney, he deflowered half of the females in Kings County, New York. He claimed that women who wouldn’t even speak to him before he became a nightclub comedian found him to be extremely sexy once they found out he was in show business.
Then Rodney got married. Giving him a whole new set of comic subject matter.
• One thing about my wife, she gives great headache.
• I got no sex life. My dog keeps watching me in the bedroom. He wants to learn how to beg. He taught my wife how to roll over and play dead.
• My wife said that I shouldn’t drink alone. So, now I have to drink in front of the mirror.
Being married ruined his comedy career, and probably his sex life. He wasn’t making enough as a comic to support a family, so he gave it all up to become an aluminum siding salesman. But during his 15 years as a salesman, he kept writing jokes until he had thousands of them. The rest of the story, as they say, is hysterical.
🌟🌟🌟 Stars. If you like Rodney Dangerfield’s humor, you will probably enjoy this memoir. It is a strange mix of jokes and memories. And a total lack of self-respect.
Unrelated Personal Note for GR friends: My wife took a bad fall down the stairs last week, and ended up in the ICU with a mild brain bleed. Fortunately they didn’t have to drill a hole in her head—which yes, is a real treatment for a more severe brain bleed. She was in great pain though for a week, much of which was caused by the worn out mattress on her bed aggravating her injuries. We begged for help, but for the most part all she got was people repositioning positioning her. Didn’t help. Well, she did have one nurse who would come in and advise her –and believe it or not, this is not a joke—to stop moaning and screaming so loud because she was disturbing the people in the hallway. . Finally, after nearly 6 days, one of the personal techs (aka, nurses aide) secretly advised her to call the “charge nurse” (aka, head nurse). She did, and within 20 minutes, she had special new bed designed for neuro patients, and much of her back pain went away and she was able to sleep more than a few minutes at a time.
My wife was transferred to a rehab/physical therapy hospital last evening where she will remain for perhaps 2 weeks, and the first thing I did when I got there was to talk to the charge nurse about her about the problems she had in the regular hospital and was promised that they would get her an upgraded bed if she had problems with the bed she was assigned.
I don’t know how the system works in other parts of the country and world, but if you ever end up in a hospital and experience issues that are not being adequately addressed, ask for the charge nurse. It is her/his job to solve problems.
The comic Rodney Dangerfield was “A man who always loved his neighbor—if she was easy.”
I will tell you up front that there are things about Rodney Dangerfield you will not like. I mean he spent years as an aluminum siding salesman, for God’s sake.
Don’t feel bad if you don’t like him. His parents didn’t. They literally didn’t give him any respect. He describes his mother as being coldhearted and selfish. She supplied him with food and shelter but had nothing else to give. Usually, she didn’t even know, or care, where he was. He recalls that even at 4 or 5 years old he would wander away and go to open air market a few blocks away where there was a nice guy who would give Rodney a nickel to sit on his lap. His relationship with his father wasn’t any better. He estimates that during his childhood he saw his father an average of 2 hours a year. I have to say this for his parents, though. Some parents give their children love and respect and good educations. Rodney’s parents gave him a career in comedy.
• When I was a kid I got no respect. When my parents got divorced, there was a custody fight over me…and no one showed up.
• When I was a kid, I got no respect. I was kidnapped. They sent my parents a piece of my finger. My old man demanded more proof.
• My father gave me a bat for my birthday, but it flew away the first time I played with it.
When Rodney was around 20, he became a rookie professional comedian. He had some moderate success in the local New York nightclub market. This was during the 1940s when there wasn’t a single single-young women in America who wasn’t a virgin. However, according to Rodney, he deflowered half of the females in Kings County, New York. He claimed that women who wouldn’t even speak to him before he became a nightclub comedian found him to be extremely sexy once they found out he was in show business.
Then Rodney got married. Giving him a whole new set of comic subject matter.
• One thing about my wife, she gives great headache.
• I got no sex life. My dog keeps watching me in the bedroom. He wants to learn how to beg. He taught my wife how to roll over and play dead.
• My wife said that I shouldn’t drink alone. So, now I have to drink in front of the mirror.
Being married ruined his comedy career, and probably his sex life. He wasn’t making enough as a comic to support a family, so he gave it all up to become an aluminum siding salesman. But during his 15 years as a salesman, he kept writing jokes until he had thousands of them. The rest of the story, as they say, is hysterical.
🌟🌟🌟 Stars. If you like Rodney Dangerfield’s humor, you will probably enjoy this memoir. It is a strange mix of jokes and memories. And a total lack of self-respect.
Unrelated Personal Note for GR friends: My wife took a bad fall down the stairs last week, and ended up in the ICU with a mild brain bleed. Fortunately they didn’t have to drill a hole in her head—which yes, is a real treatment for a more severe brain bleed. She was in great pain though for a week, much of which was caused by the worn out mattress on her bed aggravating her injuries. We begged for help, but for the most part all she got was people repositioning positioning her. Didn’t help. Well, she did have one nurse who would come in and advise her –and believe it or not, this is not a joke—to stop moaning and screaming so loud because she was disturbing the people in the hallway. . Finally, after nearly 6 days, one of the personal techs (aka, nurses aide) secretly advised her to call the “charge nurse” (aka, head nurse). She did, and within 20 minutes, she had special new bed designed for neuro patients, and much of her back pain went away and she was able to sleep more than a few minutes at a time.
My wife was transferred to a rehab/physical therapy hospital last evening where she will remain for perhaps 2 weeks, and the first thing I did when I got there was to talk to the charge nurse about her about the problems she had in the regular hospital and was promised that they would get her an upgraded bed if she had problems with the bed she was assigned.
I don’t know how the system works in other parts of the country and world, but if you ever end up in a hospital and experience issues that are not being adequately addressed, ask for the charge nurse. It is her/his job to solve problems.
January 11, 2022
Buku-buku menulis lucu yang saya baca menyebut-nyebut Rodney Dangerfield (selanjutnya RD), saya seketika tertarik pada catchphrase-nya: "I get no respect." Saya pun mencari tahu tentang RD. Ternyata RD tidak sama sekali asing. Saya pernah menonton filmnya, Back to School (1986) (walau sepertinya tidak secara utuh) di Trans TV malam-malam, sudah lama sekali. (Di situ juga ada Robert Downey Jr. yang masih muda.)
Kemudian saya menonton dokumenter di YouTube tentang kehidupannya (kali ini secara utuh). Kisah hidupnya bisa dibilang dramatis lagi inspiratifkalau bukan "klise". Masa kecilnya suram, dingin dan penuh pengabaian. Belasan tahun mencemplung ke bisnis hiburan, RD berhenti sebelum sukses demi berumah tangga dan bekerja sebagai salesman agar memiliki penghasilan tetap. Baik pernikahan maupun pekerjaannya--betapapun yang belakangan ini berjalan baik--tidak membahagiakan. Selama itu ia terus menulis materi komedi. Pada usia 40 tahun, ia memutuskan untuk kembali ke bisnis hiburan. Kariernya tidak begitu mulus pada awalnya, tapi ia terus maju hingga sukses besar.
Akibat masa kecilnya yang sulit, depresi menghantuinya seumur hidup. Ia perokok berat dan gaya hidup showbiz-nya tidak jauh-jauh dari (free) sex, drugs, & alcohol. Namun ada hal-hal yang menakjubkan pada dirinya, kiranya kombinasi antara bakat alam, tuntutan nasib, kekuatan tekad, kerja keras, belas kasih, dan semacamnya. Menurut kata-katanya sendiri dalam buku ini, tidak seperti banyak orang, tampil di depan publik bukan masalah besar bagi dirinya.
Sepertinya boleh dikatakan bahwa buku ini merupakan kumpulan anekdot tentang perjalanan hidup dan kariernya, yang mempertemukannya dengan banyak tokoh terkenal di Amerika Serikat--terutama di dunia showbiz, disisipi joke-joke khasnya. Gayanya ringan dan buku ini cukup tipis, sehingga sebetulnya bacaan yang mudah. Namun ada banyak slang, dan sayang saya kurang menguasai bahasa Inggris dan mungkin juga konteks budaya sana sehingga ada saja bagian yang tidak kena atau tidak terpahami.
Perjalanan hidup dan karier RD secara umum sudah saya ketahui dari halaman Wikipedia dan dokumenter YouTube tentang dia. Bedanya, yang ini disampaikan dalam sudut pandangnya sendiri (dan ditulis persis menjelang akhir hayatnya!).
Tokoh-tokoh terkenal yang disebutkannya belum tentu terkenal juga di Indonesia sehingga saya jadi googling-googling untuk mendapat penjelasan tentang mereka.
Ada banyak contoh joke menurut personanya, sebagian kena dan relatable. Buku ini layak sebagai companion dalam pembacaan buku-buku teori menulis lucu keluaran sana. Dalam mencerna joke-joke-nya, saya memahami bahwa ini tidak bisa diterjemahkan begitu saja ke dalam bahasa Indonesia; bisa-bisa hasilnya tidak natural atau maksudnya tidak sampai. Contohnya joke-joke yang mengandung double entendre (makna ganda) atau permainan kata belum tentu ada padanannya dalam bahasa Indonesia. Kalaupun mungkin dicari padanannya, sepertinya itu bakal sangat menguras otak. Kalau mau belajar melucu dalam bahasa Indonesia, tidak bisa mentah-mentah belajar dari teori dan contoh dalam berbahasa Inggris. Saya mulai curiga bahwa bahasa Inggris lebih memungkinkan untuk dibuat lucu ketimbang bahasa Indonesia.
Kemudian saya menonton dokumenter di YouTube tentang kehidupannya (kali ini secara utuh). Kisah hidupnya bisa dibilang dramatis lagi inspiratif
Akibat masa kecilnya yang sulit, depresi menghantuinya seumur hidup. Ia perokok berat dan gaya hidup showbiz-nya tidak jauh-jauh dari (free) sex, drugs, & alcohol. Namun ada hal-hal yang menakjubkan pada dirinya, kiranya kombinasi antara bakat alam, tuntutan nasib, kekuatan tekad, kerja keras, belas kasih, dan semacamnya. Menurut kata-katanya sendiri dalam buku ini, tidak seperti banyak orang, tampil di depan publik bukan masalah besar bagi dirinya.
Sepertinya boleh dikatakan bahwa buku ini merupakan kumpulan anekdot tentang perjalanan hidup dan kariernya, yang mempertemukannya dengan banyak tokoh terkenal di Amerika Serikat--terutama di dunia showbiz, disisipi joke-joke khasnya. Gayanya ringan dan buku ini cukup tipis, sehingga sebetulnya bacaan yang mudah. Namun ada banyak slang, dan sayang saya kurang menguasai bahasa Inggris dan mungkin juga konteks budaya sana sehingga ada saja bagian yang tidak kena atau tidak terpahami.
Perjalanan hidup dan karier RD secara umum sudah saya ketahui dari halaman Wikipedia dan dokumenter YouTube tentang dia. Bedanya, yang ini disampaikan dalam sudut pandangnya sendiri (dan ditulis persis menjelang akhir hayatnya!).
Tokoh-tokoh terkenal yang disebutkannya belum tentu terkenal juga di Indonesia sehingga saya jadi googling-googling untuk mendapat penjelasan tentang mereka.
Ada banyak contoh joke menurut personanya, sebagian kena dan relatable. Buku ini layak sebagai companion dalam pembacaan buku-buku teori menulis lucu keluaran sana. Dalam mencerna joke-joke-nya, saya memahami bahwa ini tidak bisa diterjemahkan begitu saja ke dalam bahasa Indonesia; bisa-bisa hasilnya tidak natural atau maksudnya tidak sampai. Contohnya joke-joke yang mengandung double entendre (makna ganda) atau permainan kata belum tentu ada padanannya dalam bahasa Indonesia. Kalaupun mungkin dicari padanannya, sepertinya itu bakal sangat menguras otak. Kalau mau belajar melucu dalam bahasa Indonesia, tidak bisa mentah-mentah belajar dari teori dan contoh dalam berbahasa Inggris. Saya mulai curiga bahwa bahasa Inggris lebih memungkinkan untuk dibuat lucu ketimbang bahasa Indonesia.
June 22, 2022
A touching memoir from an unexpected source.
I don't like stand-up comedy and I didn't like Rodney Dangerfield's comic "persona." To me, it was simply an obnoxious, whiny character with a grating accent. I thought his acts relied too much on shock and too little on real humor. Can't think why I bought the book, except that it was on sale and the publisher's blurb must have been appealing.
It started out slowly, but I'm glad I gave it a chance. I finished the book with a great deal of respect for this hard-working, generous man who overcame so many obstacles. It's not a completely satisfying memoir because he was unable to open up about many of the important things in his life (like his children.) Maybe because people knew him as a comic, he felt he had to be "on" all the time. That's tiring and disappointing for a reader who wanted to know more about the man behind the act.
He includes a lot of material from his routines. Some of his jokes are funny, some are tasteless, and some are both. His stories about the comedians he worked with through the years are fascinating. My favorite was the story of comedian Joe E. Lewis hitting on his own sister. "Ooh, ooh!" (For those of you old enough to remember "Car 54 Where Are You?") To be fair, Lewis WAS drunk and lots of people then came from huge families. Still....
I wish Dangerfield had been able to open up more about his life outside of show business. The stories of his sad childhood with an absentee father and a cold mother are touching. He knew poverty and show business was a way out. And a child who grows up being ignored by his parents finds comfort in the spotlight and the adulation of fans. You sense that the applause and laughter both rewarded him financially and made him feel loved and appreciated.
I think he was trying to be honest with his readers, but he's a hard guy to figure out. He says he loved being a father, but that his first marriage was bad. And yet, he and his first wife were together for ten years before their son was born and he left the marriage six months later. He clearly wanted children, but apparently the reality of fatherhood was too frightening to live with. Maybe he was afraid of hurting his son as his father had hurt him.
He eventually reconciled with his wife and a daughter was born. Wanting a "normal" life for his children, he left show business and sold siding, apparently successfully. His stories of being a siding salesman are some of the best in the book. Then he went back into show business, but in order to be available for his children, he opened a club in New York City.
He was an admirable man in many ways. He grew up without a father, but tried hard to be a good father himself. The title of his memoir is right on the money. It WASN'T easy being Rodney Dangerfield, in spite of his fame and wealth. He struggled with depression all his life, sometimes not even able to work because of it. And yet he kept going and helped and encouraged many young comedians along the way.
I tell ya, Rodney, you get nothin' but respect from this reader.
I don't like stand-up comedy and I didn't like Rodney Dangerfield's comic "persona." To me, it was simply an obnoxious, whiny character with a grating accent. I thought his acts relied too much on shock and too little on real humor. Can't think why I bought the book, except that it was on sale and the publisher's blurb must have been appealing.
It started out slowly, but I'm glad I gave it a chance. I finished the book with a great deal of respect for this hard-working, generous man who overcame so many obstacles. It's not a completely satisfying memoir because he was unable to open up about many of the important things in his life (like his children.) Maybe because people knew him as a comic, he felt he had to be "on" all the time. That's tiring and disappointing for a reader who wanted to know more about the man behind the act.
He includes a lot of material from his routines. Some of his jokes are funny, some are tasteless, and some are both. His stories about the comedians he worked with through the years are fascinating. My favorite was the story of comedian Joe E. Lewis hitting on his own sister. "Ooh, ooh!" (For those of you old enough to remember "Car 54 Where Are You?") To be fair, Lewis WAS drunk and lots of people then came from huge families. Still....
I wish Dangerfield had been able to open up more about his life outside of show business. The stories of his sad childhood with an absentee father and a cold mother are touching. He knew poverty and show business was a way out. And a child who grows up being ignored by his parents finds comfort in the spotlight and the adulation of fans. You sense that the applause and laughter both rewarded him financially and made him feel loved and appreciated.
I think he was trying to be honest with his readers, but he's a hard guy to figure out. He says he loved being a father, but that his first marriage was bad. And yet, he and his first wife were together for ten years before their son was born and he left the marriage six months later. He clearly wanted children, but apparently the reality of fatherhood was too frightening to live with. Maybe he was afraid of hurting his son as his father had hurt him.
He eventually reconciled with his wife and a daughter was born. Wanting a "normal" life for his children, he left show business and sold siding, apparently successfully. His stories of being a siding salesman are some of the best in the book. Then he went back into show business, but in order to be available for his children, he opened a club in New York City.
He was an admirable man in many ways. He grew up without a father, but tried hard to be a good father himself. The title of his memoir is right on the money. It WASN'T easy being Rodney Dangerfield, in spite of his fame and wealth. He struggled with depression all his life, sometimes not even able to work because of it. And yet he kept going and helped and encouraged many young comedians along the way.
I tell ya, Rodney, you get nothin' but respect from this reader.
December 23, 2018
Although his public persona was one of living a very difficult life where nobody treated him decently, in this book Dangerfield admits that he did indeed have it pretty good as an adult. While his childhood was a difficult one, like many successful people, he turned his early struggles into the driving force that made him a star.
Born Jacob Rodney Cohen, Dangerfield was initially a failure as a comic, so he ended up selling aluminum siding. As amazing as it sounds, he also performed as a singing waiter and an acrobatic diver early in his career. Yet, he never gave up his dream of being a comic, continuing to write jokes when he wasn’t selling. A divorce, a name change to Rodney Dangerfield and a couple of lucky breaks and Dangerfield was on his way to stardom.
When reading this book you realize that Dangerfield was an exceptional writing talent as well as a gifted comic with a superb delivery of his own material. As he states in this book, Dangerfield was also a principal writer of many movies that he starred in. He also was instrumental in helping many aspiring comics, some of them were Jerry Seinfeld, Sam Kinison, Jim Carrey, Rosanne Barr, Tim Allen and Rita Rudner.
Dangerfield was arguably the best stand-up comic of all time. His delivery was precise, well-timed and the jokes never required a great deal of insight. Unfortunately, like so many great comics, he suffered from internal demons, in his case it was depression. He self-medicated with alcohol, marijuana, sex and harder drugs and was under a doctor’s care for decades. His story is one of success after struggle for recognition and then with himself after he received the recognition.
Born Jacob Rodney Cohen, Dangerfield was initially a failure as a comic, so he ended up selling aluminum siding. As amazing as it sounds, he also performed as a singing waiter and an acrobatic diver early in his career. Yet, he never gave up his dream of being a comic, continuing to write jokes when he wasn’t selling. A divorce, a name change to Rodney Dangerfield and a couple of lucky breaks and Dangerfield was on his way to stardom.
When reading this book you realize that Dangerfield was an exceptional writing talent as well as a gifted comic with a superb delivery of his own material. As he states in this book, Dangerfield was also a principal writer of many movies that he starred in. He also was instrumental in helping many aspiring comics, some of them were Jerry Seinfeld, Sam Kinison, Jim Carrey, Rosanne Barr, Tim Allen and Rita Rudner.
Dangerfield was arguably the best stand-up comic of all time. His delivery was precise, well-timed and the jokes never required a great deal of insight. Unfortunately, like so many great comics, he suffered from internal demons, in his case it was depression. He self-medicated with alcohol, marijuana, sex and harder drugs and was under a doctor’s care for decades. His story is one of success after struggle for recognition and then with himself after he received the recognition.
March 2, 2022
This autobio was pure Rodney and I loved it. Great stories and generously filled with his jokes, my favorite one being: "What a childhood I h ad. My mother never breastfed me. She told me she liked me as a friend."
And my two favorite wife jokes: "With my wife, I got no sex life. She cut me down to once a month. Hey, I'm lucky--two guys I know she out completely."
And "I tell ya, my wife likes to talk during sex. Last night, she called me from a motel."
The writing style is breezy and easy reading. I'm willing to believe Rodney wrote it without a ghostwriter but one never knows. The book is longer than it appears to be, like Rodney had a bunch of more recent things he wanted to get in before he ran out of time and allotted space.
The ending of the book is bittersweet if you know how Rodney's life ended. In the final chapters he relates how he was told he needed both brain and heart surgeries. The problem was the brain surgery might give him a fatal stroke during surgery, but without heart surgery his heart would fail and he would die in three months. What to do? To keep the spoilers at a minimum, Rodney survived brain surgery on April 8, 2003. He would have heart surgery over a year later on August 24, 2004, and die in the hospital six weeks later on October 5 at age 82.
But even in death he left us with an ironic joke about someone's official cause of death being "complications from surgery." You'll have to read what he said about that in the big.
Bottom line, lots of stories, lots of jokes, lots of photos, but most of all--lots of Rodney. Well worth reading.
And my two favorite wife jokes: "With my wife, I got no sex life. She cut me down to once a month. Hey, I'm lucky--two guys I know she out completely."
And "I tell ya, my wife likes to talk during sex. Last night, she called me from a motel."
The writing style is breezy and easy reading. I'm willing to believe Rodney wrote it without a ghostwriter but one never knows. The book is longer than it appears to be, like Rodney had a bunch of more recent things he wanted to get in before he ran out of time and allotted space.
The ending of the book is bittersweet if you know how Rodney's life ended. In the final chapters he relates how he was told he needed both brain and heart surgeries. The problem was the brain surgery might give him a fatal stroke during surgery, but without heart surgery his heart would fail and he would die in three months. What to do? To keep the spoilers at a minimum, Rodney survived brain surgery on April 8, 2003. He would have heart surgery over a year later on August 24, 2004, and die in the hospital six weeks later on October 5 at age 82.
But even in death he left us with an ironic joke about someone's official cause of death being "complications from surgery." You'll have to read what he said about that in the big.
Bottom line, lots of stories, lots of jokes, lots of photos, but most of all--lots of Rodney. Well worth reading.
November 18, 2018
Rodney Dangerfield was an iconic figure in American comedy. The man who 'got no respect' opens up his life for us to discover. As a stand-up comedian, he forged a role for himself as the king of biting and irreverent humor. Dangerfield tells the tale of his rollercoaster life, From struggling stand-up comedian to aluminum salesman, Dangerfield was was always a man who saw life as humorous and himself as a foil. In his memoir, he pokes himself with a sense of humor and a pitchfork. He is quite forthright about his sexual dalliances, use of drugs and alcohol and in the end gives warnings about their destructive power. The recalling of his youth from his uncaring mother, absent father, failed marriage, his failed first career as a comedian and his success as a salesman lays the ground for his return to comedy in his 40s. The latter part of the book is about his rise to success, his comedy club, role as a tv pitchman, movie star, and mentor to future comedians is a fun sojourn. Dangerfield peppers his book with stories of his interaction with legends of comedy and other well-known personalities. The strategic inclusion of many of his famous and funny one-liners throughout the book is brilliant. This was a fun and quick read. You will put down this book and have a new found respect for Rodney Dangerfield.
June 6, 2021
Rodney Dangerfield is my FAVOURITE comedian of all time, an undeniable legend. This book was great we got to hear great stories and jokes alike throughout the book, and the upbringing of the worlds greatest comedian; and his life in show business. I only have one (or two) gripes with the book, Rodney doesn’t talk much about his past, which is what I would’ve liked to see more of. Because of this the book feels short, maybe there wasn’t much to tell but it made the pace a little strange. Big moments of Dangerfields life were told anecdotally, but I wish I could hear the build ups / aftermath of these stories. However, if you take his stand up into consideration, you’d know he’s known for rapid fire one-liners, he’s not known as the king of one liners for nothing! It adds to the feel of the storytelling for sure and helps set the feeling of having Rodney tell you these stories himself (and maybe the lack of respect). Another thing with these stories is you can’t always tell if he’s joking or not in his stories, but really I’m sure that’s what it would be like if you talked to him in person. Honestly thinking about it, I believe that what I truly desired was to have a beer with Rodney and just shoot the shit with him for days on end. I’ll never get that moment, and I’m guessing that’s what I was looking for in this book. Rest In Peace Mr. Dangerfield, you will be forever missed.
April 14, 2021
Rodney was born on Nov 22 1921 his real name is Jacob Cohen,his Father & Uncle were both in show business I guess that’s were he got the bug to do it to.His Mother never hugged or kissed him & so she really gave him no love at all,his Father left them a little after he was born I guess even then he got no respect at all.At the age of 10 he worked as a singing waiter.After growing up some he tried his hand at singing & telling jokes.He worked at it for awhile then gave it up but after 12 years he thought he would give it another go he was 40.This was one of the funniest books I ever read.He writes about his life & puts in his famous funny one liners.He gave a lot of now famous comedians there start.He was a very funny guy but also had bouts of depression also alcohol & drugs he loved his weed.I always loved watching him perform he was the greatest in my opinion.
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September 21, 2024
After seeing Caddyshack on TV, wherein Rodney Dangerfield managed to steal the movie from Bill Murray and Chevy Chase, I later caught Back to School, when I was sick with covid, and I was hooked. Rodney's self-deprecating, one-liner comedy act always seemed inspired by the Catskills and Henny Youngman and in this book Rodney mentions spending a lot of time performing in Catskills comedy clubs and Youngman is among the old school comedians he praises. Rodney's humor is regressive, offensive and cheap, a raunchier 1950s, which may or may not have been. Despite his fame in the '80s with the movies I mentioned, his humor harks back to an even simpler time of defined roles and male chauvinism. This book is very funny in a dumb way with a life story told like a comedy bit. It's perhaps three and a half stars and strictly for Rodney fans.
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