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No One Asked for This: Essays
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. From writer/director Cazzie David comes a series of acerbic, darkly funny essays about anxiety, social media, misanthropy, and growing up in a wildly eccentric family.
For Cazzie David, the world is one big trap door leading to death and despair and social phobia. From shame spirals caused by hookups to panic attacks about being alive and everyone else having to be alive too, David chronicles her life's most chaotic moments with wit, bleak humor, and a mega-dose of self-awareness.
In No One Asked for This, David provides readers with a singular but ultimately relatable tour through her mind, as she explores existential anxiety, family dynamics, and the utterly modern dilemma of having your breakup displayed on the Internet. With pitch-black humor resonant of her father, comedy legend Larry David, and topics that speak uniquely to generational malaise, No One Asked for This is the perfect companion for when you don't really want a companion.
"Blisteringly honest...kind of like if a David Sedaris book was written by an anxiety-ridden millennial who grew up in Hollywood."--Entertainment Weekly
"Cazzie David is the delicious antidote to the poison of basic influencer culture. This book will make all misanthropes feel seen and loved--well, seen and tolerated."--Diablo Cody, screenwriter and author of Candy Girl
For Cazzie David, the world is one big trap door leading to death and despair and social phobia. From shame spirals caused by hookups to panic attacks about being alive and everyone else having to be alive too, David chronicles her life's most chaotic moments with wit, bleak humor, and a mega-dose of self-awareness.
In No One Asked for This, David provides readers with a singular but ultimately relatable tour through her mind, as she explores existential anxiety, family dynamics, and the utterly modern dilemma of having your breakup displayed on the Internet. With pitch-black humor resonant of her father, comedy legend Larry David, and topics that speak uniquely to generational malaise, No One Asked for This is the perfect companion for when you don't really want a companion.
"Blisteringly honest...kind of like if a David Sedaris book was written by an anxiety-ridden millennial who grew up in Hollywood."--Entertainment Weekly
"Cazzie David is the delicious antidote to the poison of basic influencer culture. This book will make all misanthropes feel seen and loved--well, seen and tolerated."--Diablo Cody, screenwriter and author of Candy Girl
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 17, 2020
500 people are currently reading
7079 people want to read
About the author
Cazzie David
2 books145 followersCazzie David is an American writer, actress and director, known for her work on Half-Empty (2019), CollegeHumor Originals (2006), and the web series Eighty-Sixed (2017). She lives in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 733 reviews
January 5, 2021
Look, I've said this time and time again, but you can be a funny, smart, interesting person with some clever things to say and still not be a good writer and should not attempt to write book. Of any kind. No One Asked for This: Essays is an example of that fact.
There is no other way to put this, but if Cazzie David wasn't Larry David's daughter, this collection of essays wouldn't have made it past a series of blog entries. They feel like they were written in the dead of night while mainlining Cheetos and while stoned, and have not been edited or touched since.
Most of the writing is incredibly tone-deaf. If you are going to write essays that frequently reference nannies; flying places on a whim; not being pretty when you are, without a doubt, pretty; your dad being so rich that he gets injected with stem cells, just because he thinks it boosts his immune system(!?!); and living with your parents with their full financial support, you better recognize and discuss that glaring privilege in a meaningful way. I had secondhand embarrassment reading essays about fighting with your sister about clubbing! and being too full for sex. Also, please don't *ever* write that you wish their was a "third gender for non-idiots" because that is your identity. That was a bad one.
I do not doubt that Cazzie has serious mental health issues and a severe anxiety disorder, but, yet again, that doesn't make her a good writer. This poorly conceived and even more poorly edited collection of essays demonstrate that very clearly.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
goodreads|instagram|twitter|blog
There is no other way to put this, but if Cazzie David wasn't Larry David's daughter, this collection of essays wouldn't have made it past a series of blog entries. They feel like they were written in the dead of night while mainlining Cheetos and while stoned, and have not been edited or touched since.
Most of the writing is incredibly tone-deaf. If you are going to write essays that frequently reference nannies; flying places on a whim; not being pretty when you are, without a doubt, pretty; your dad being so rich that he gets injected with stem cells, just because he thinks it boosts his immune system(!?!); and living with your parents with their full financial support, you better recognize and discuss that glaring privilege in a meaningful way. I had secondhand embarrassment reading essays about fighting with your sister about clubbing! and being too full for sex. Also, please don't *ever* write that you wish their was a "third gender for non-idiots" because that is your identity. That was a bad one.
I do not doubt that Cazzie has serious mental health issues and a severe anxiety disorder, but, yet again, that doesn't make her a good writer. This poorly conceived and even more poorly edited collection of essays demonstrate that very clearly.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
goodreads|instagram|twitter|blog
November 21, 2020
i can’t believe people are so mad about this book... maybe it’s bc i would also rather die than throw up and also am constantly haunted by knowing the people i love will die someday but i felt seen and so entertained by this. and people calling her out for the pete davidson essay specifically? what the fuck? i spiral out of control if i see a guy i hooked up w post a pic w any other girl... of course she’s privileged af but to not sympathize w her over the ariana situation even?? why is everyone being so hostile to her... it’s a fun read and i’m glad she’s sorting through all THAT!
December 26, 2020
About a month ago I read an interview with Cazzie David about her breakup with Pete Davidson. I could not for a million dollars tell you why I clicked on that article, having no emotional investment in either of these people, but here we are. I was struck by two things: how resonant I found the way Cazzie talks about anxiety, and the fact that she's open about having emetophobia, something I've struggled with since the age of eight. So that alone was enough to pique my curiosity about this essay collection.
The thing about this book is that you need to accept what it's trying to do and read it in good faith. Would this have been published if Cazzie weren't Larry David's daughter, of course not, but is she trying to join the ranks of great modern essayists like Jia Tolentino? Not in the slightest. These essays are self-indulgent, tone deaf, and solipsistic, but if you dwell on any of these things I promise you are taking this collection much more seriously than Cazzie is.
So let’s focus on the good, because I unabashedly loved this book. Cazzie’s writing won’t win any literary awards but she’s surprisingly incisive, especially when it comes to talking about anxiety and her fear of mortality. Another thing is, the more neurotypical you are, the less this book is going to resonate with you (not that you're necessarily neurotypical if you didn't like it). Cazzie makes absolutely no effort to be likable; she paints a portrait of what it's like to be fully in thrall of anxiety and the insidious ways it tears you apart from the inside out, affecting both your self-worth and your relationships. She makes comments like this, that are on one level dismissive and alienating (yes, some people simply "get really bad anxiety" and it's still a bitch for them to live with), and on another level were like looking into a mirror:
She’s also funny as hell. You’ll either get her humor or you won’t, and you’ll know by the end of the first essay which side you're on. But--surprisingly, for the fact that you're spending 300+ pages inside the head of an extremely unhappy person--this collection is fun. It's self-deprecating, it's clever, and above all else, it's an entertaining way to spend an afternoon.
This isn't for everyone (clearly), but I just really 'got' this book; I got what Cazzie was trying to do with it and I also got Cazzie as a person, and it made me feel slightly less alone in the world whenever I picked it up. At the end of the day, that's all you can ask from a book like this.
Thank you to Mariner Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
The thing about this book is that you need to accept what it's trying to do and read it in good faith. Would this have been published if Cazzie weren't Larry David's daughter, of course not, but is she trying to join the ranks of great modern essayists like Jia Tolentino? Not in the slightest. These essays are self-indulgent, tone deaf, and solipsistic, but if you dwell on any of these things I promise you are taking this collection much more seriously than Cazzie is.
So let’s focus on the good, because I unabashedly loved this book. Cazzie’s writing won’t win any literary awards but she’s surprisingly incisive, especially when it comes to talking about anxiety and her fear of mortality. Another thing is, the more neurotypical you are, the less this book is going to resonate with you (not that you're necessarily neurotypical if you didn't like it). Cazzie makes absolutely no effort to be likable; she paints a portrait of what it's like to be fully in thrall of anxiety and the insidious ways it tears you apart from the inside out, affecting both your self-worth and your relationships. She makes comments like this, that are on one level dismissive and alienating (yes, some people simply "get really bad anxiety" and it's still a bitch for them to live with), and on another level were like looking into a mirror:
"I never understood social media posts advising people that "it's okay to not feel good all the time!" Who said that wasn't okay? Who is so okay to the point where they need to be reminded that it's okay when they don't feel okay?! When people "reveal" they "get really bad anxiety," I'm dumbfounded, because I've never not been anxious long enough to "get" anxiety. It doesn't leave. Not ever."
She’s also funny as hell. You’ll either get her humor or you won’t, and you’ll know by the end of the first essay which side you're on. But--surprisingly, for the fact that you're spending 300+ pages inside the head of an extremely unhappy person--this collection is fun. It's self-deprecating, it's clever, and above all else, it's an entertaining way to spend an afternoon.
This isn't for everyone (clearly), but I just really 'got' this book; I got what Cazzie was trying to do with it and I also got Cazzie as a person, and it made me feel slightly less alone in the world whenever I picked it up. At the end of the day, that's all you can ask from a book like this.
Thank you to Mariner Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
November 19, 2020
You ever read a book so bad you question the entire publishing industry as a whole.
January 4, 2021
A friend of mine once told me that it’s best to have a book of essays or short stories on your nightstand. That way, when you can’t sleep, you can easily find something to read in a bite-sized amount. That’s just where I’ve had Cazzie David’s debut.
Daughter of a celebrity, Cazzie’s essays are brutally honest and relatable. She takes on influencers and social media, anxiety, relationships, and more. My favorite parts are when Cazzie inserts humor, and I’m looking forward to reading more of her thoughts in the future.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Daughter of a celebrity, Cazzie’s essays are brutally honest and relatable. She takes on influencers and social media, anxiety, relationships, and more. My favorite parts are when Cazzie inserts humor, and I’m looking forward to reading more of her thoughts in the future.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
September 5, 2020
I had been really looking forward to reading this book but I was ultimately disappointed.
Cazzie David, an extremely depressed and anxious individual, shares her thoughts and experiences with the reader. There was some humor but it was mostly Cazzie discussing how much she hated herself and life in general. The book read like a 15 year old's journal entries. Cazzie would probably benefit from some writing workshops if she plans on continuing as a professional writer.
I can't recommend this book to anyone.
Cazzie David, an extremely depressed and anxious individual, shares her thoughts and experiences with the reader. There was some humor but it was mostly Cazzie discussing how much she hated herself and life in general. The book read like a 15 year old's journal entries. Cazzie would probably benefit from some writing workshops if she plans on continuing as a professional writer.
I can't recommend this book to anyone.
December 30, 2020
I had a brief scroll through the reviews posted on here – she's really not that well liked, is she? Well, let me tell you: I thought she's hilarious. I laughed out loud multiply times, and that's kind of all I wanted from this probably-unnecessary-but-still-entertaining-memoir.
Cazzie David is the daughter of Larry David, which by society-standards already makes her unlikeable by design. Who likes the children of famous people, who then all just seem to assume that they're talented, too? Reassurance may be granted: she's absolutely and fully aware of it. And here to make all the jokes before you can.
This book is a collection of essays in which she talks about her parents, dating, mental health, being privileged, breakups... you know, the usual stuff. What's probably not everybody's cup of tea is her very particular sense of humour. She's self-depricating to a fault, everything embarrasses her. I often find people being dramatic about their own existence boring, so turns out the only way I can enjoy that take on life is when it's self-aware and humorous.
"Maybe God slipped up when distributing shame and I accidentally got all of my generation's allotment – which could explain why vloggers exist."
There's one particular essay called Erase Me, in which she (without mentioning names, but the characters are easy to identify) thematises her break-up from Pete Davidson, who waited less than a week to then present his new girlfriend, pop starlet Ariana Grande. I don't care about any of these people (I don't even have a set opinion on Cazzie David as a human being, even after reading this), but this did make me wonder how she thought this would be received. As a self-proclaimed self-absorbed person, she doesn't actually accuse either Grande nor Davidson of anything, instead focussing on her own dramatic breakdown, but it obviously is a very one-sided portrayal of both of them and not a kind one. It left me wondering how much should be offered to the public for the sake of a laugh.
This book won't change your life, but it doesn't want to, either. In all honesty, if you're picking this up because you want to use it as an inspiration to restructure your own life or broaden your horizon... this has never been it. I mean, look at the cover. Look at the title. This is short-lasting entertainment for a Sunday afternoon. And sometimes, that is all I want from a book. Just don't think about it too much.
Cazzie David is the daughter of Larry David, which by society-standards already makes her unlikeable by design. Who likes the children of famous people, who then all just seem to assume that they're talented, too? Reassurance may be granted: she's absolutely and fully aware of it. And here to make all the jokes before you can.
This book is a collection of essays in which she talks about her parents, dating, mental health, being privileged, breakups... you know, the usual stuff. What's probably not everybody's cup of tea is her very particular sense of humour. She's self-depricating to a fault, everything embarrasses her. I often find people being dramatic about their own existence boring, so turns out the only way I can enjoy that take on life is when it's self-aware and humorous.
"Maybe God slipped up when distributing shame and I accidentally got all of my generation's allotment – which could explain why vloggers exist."
There's one particular essay called Erase Me, in which she (without mentioning names, but the characters are easy to identify) thematises her break-up from Pete Davidson, who waited less than a week to then present his new girlfriend, pop starlet Ariana Grande. I don't care about any of these people (I don't even have a set opinion on Cazzie David as a human being, even after reading this), but this did make me wonder how she thought this would be received. As a self-proclaimed self-absorbed person, she doesn't actually accuse either Grande nor Davidson of anything, instead focussing on her own dramatic breakdown, but it obviously is a very one-sided portrayal of both of them and not a kind one. It left me wondering how much should be offered to the public for the sake of a laugh.
This book won't change your life, but it doesn't want to, either. In all honesty, if you're picking this up because you want to use it as an inspiration to restructure your own life or broaden your horizon... this has never been it. I mean, look at the cover. Look at the title. This is short-lasting entertainment for a Sunday afternoon. And sometimes, that is all I want from a book. Just don't think about it too much.
November 20, 2020
I love it! I get why people are complaining but I swear this is the most relatable thing I have read in a long time. If you hate it I feel like you missed the whole point. I'm 30 and I'm here for it.
January 3, 2021
I am often reminded of how out of touch celebrities are -- this literature is my most recent supporting evidence. As echoed in the other reviews here, it is just not good.
I won't repeat what dozens of others have already commented, but just wanted to say I cringed the entire length of the essay "Privileged Assistant". There is a way to talk about privilege. There is a way to talk about privilege as a white, wealthy, attractive person. This essay was certainly neither of these things. David was handed a production assistant role for Curb Your Enthusiasm by her father (creator). She almost makes a mockery of her time there (complaining about waking up early, about having gross lunches, about fooling her bosses, so on). I found the entire essay quite bothersome, as that position is a real job, a real livelihood, a real career, a real income for a lot of people. She didn't take the job seriously (obviously), because she didn't have to. That's fine and all and I'm glad she got to pretend like she was a normal person for a little bit, but some things don't need to be said out loud (this commentary). I am shocked that a publishing team read this essay (and really the entire book) and said "yeah, sounds good" -- it just goes to show you, the wealthy will always be able to do whatever the f*ck they want.
Also, her INCESSANT use of CAPITAL LETTERS, made me feel sick.
I won't repeat what dozens of others have already commented, but just wanted to say I cringed the entire length of the essay "Privileged Assistant". There is a way to talk about privilege. There is a way to talk about privilege as a white, wealthy, attractive person. This essay was certainly neither of these things. David was handed a production assistant role for Curb Your Enthusiasm by her father (creator). She almost makes a mockery of her time there (complaining about waking up early, about having gross lunches, about fooling her bosses, so on). I found the entire essay quite bothersome, as that position is a real job, a real livelihood, a real career, a real income for a lot of people. She didn't take the job seriously (obviously), because she didn't have to. That's fine and all and I'm glad she got to pretend like she was a normal person for a little bit, but some things don't need to be said out loud (this commentary). I am shocked that a publishing team read this essay (and really the entire book) and said "yeah, sounds good" -- it just goes to show you, the wealthy will always be able to do whatever the f*ck they want.
Also, her INCESSANT use of CAPITAL LETTERS, made me feel sick.
November 18, 2020
Save yourself time and money. I believe that CD is a LOVELY person, and talent does run in the family, but there is just zero writing talent or ability here, and her editors did not do her any favors. Sometimes the nicest thing a publishing house can say to a (relative of a) celebrity is "no."
November 20, 2020
I very much so wanted to like David’s debut. However, I’m going to put blame on the editor for this one. There doesn’t seem like there was any input of (an honest) opinion from an outside perspective. Leaving a majority of her essays to seem like first drafts of an high school newsletter. David’s lack of confidence in herself (although clinical) is off putting. The book’s introduction starts with David’s almost “warning” that she in fact lacks the life experience to write a book. Her essay, “Privileged Assistant” was (in her mind I believe) her way of saying she is aware of her privilege, yet so poorly executed that is was rather a notion of - I know I’m privileged and I’m still not willing to work for anything. Her attempt to gain credibility away from her father’s career is not looking too promising. Although, I know it won’t slow her down. I do believe she has a strong understanding of humor, and I hope it will translate better on-screen, than it did in these essays. I’m wishing her all the best for her future projects.
December 8, 2020
i’d like to think she appreciates that i hate-read this book.
November 26, 2020
It’s unclear whether Cazzie David actually wants anybody to read her debut essay collection. For starters, it’s called No One Asked for This. “I regret every word I’ve ever said out loud,” the 26-year-old writes in the book’s introduction. In the second of three chapters titled “Tweets I Would Tweet If I Weren’t Morally Opposed to Twitter,” David tucks an apology into her list of fake-tweets: “It seems you’re still reading my book. I’m so sorry.”
Why would someone who is embarrassed by everything she says publish a book filled with 19 intimate essays about her life and more than 100 imaginary tweets? It’s a question David asks herself while introducing her book; in a painfully self-deprecating tone the reader will become accustomed to, she chalks it up to her proclivity for self-sabotage.
But it takes a certain kind of person to land a massive deal on a book she doesn’t even seem sure she wants people to read. David, daughter of comedian Larry David and environmental activist Laurie David, is exactly it: wealthy, White, attractive, and well-followed on Instagram.
David makes sure to let her reader know that she’s aware of this privilege. Throughout her essays—which revolve around her family, her self-proclaimed obsession with boys, and her five anxiety disorders—she frequently expresses remorse for finding things to complain about in a life most people couldn’t dream of having. She groans about enduring inpatient psychological treatment programs and her mom refusing to buy her a house when she was 24, but not without guilty asides about how lucky she is to have those concerns to begin with. Rather than interrogate her position in society, David seems to believe that mere acknowledgement deserves absolution.
full review here: https://washingtoncitypaper.com/artic...
Why would someone who is embarrassed by everything she says publish a book filled with 19 intimate essays about her life and more than 100 imaginary tweets? It’s a question David asks herself while introducing her book; in a painfully self-deprecating tone the reader will become accustomed to, she chalks it up to her proclivity for self-sabotage.
But it takes a certain kind of person to land a massive deal on a book she doesn’t even seem sure she wants people to read. David, daughter of comedian Larry David and environmental activist Laurie David, is exactly it: wealthy, White, attractive, and well-followed on Instagram.
David makes sure to let her reader know that she’s aware of this privilege. Throughout her essays—which revolve around her family, her self-proclaimed obsession with boys, and her five anxiety disorders—she frequently expresses remorse for finding things to complain about in a life most people couldn’t dream of having. She groans about enduring inpatient psychological treatment programs and her mom refusing to buy her a house when she was 24, but not without guilty asides about how lucky she is to have those concerns to begin with. Rather than interrogate her position in society, David seems to believe that mere acknowledgement deserves absolution.
full review here: https://washingtoncitypaper.com/artic...
November 28, 2020
Do not read this book if you are not a sensitive person, honestly you won’t like it.If you read the essays and still talk trash, clearly you are failing as a human being, compassion and understanding for what you are reading may be more important than the structure of the sentence. The emotion behind is more valuable than the aesthetics.
Writing like any other art, is a release from the feelings of the artist, not something created to please others.
Some books are good because they are well written. Some books are good because you relate to them. Some books are able to create both.
Not being able to relate at all to a highly Sensitive person and instead hate on them, clearly shows the level of superficiality most readers swim in.
Writing like any other art, is a release from the feelings of the artist, not something created to please others.
Some books are good because they are well written. Some books are good because you relate to them. Some books are able to create both.
Not being able to relate at all to a highly Sensitive person and instead hate on them, clearly shows the level of superficiality most readers swim in.
November 23, 2020
No One Asked for This, indeed.
This is so navel gazing that it goes through the bellybutton and out the back. It's tone deaf, self centered and reeks of privilege. Celebrity boyfriends, safaris to Africa, working on a set....because your father gave you the job.
I sure Cazzie is aware of how self-centered this entire collection in. I'm sure she's talked about it therapy. Sometimes - those thoughts and the depressed ramblings that would be better suited for LiveJournal in 2001 should have stayed inside.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this "book".
This is so navel gazing that it goes through the bellybutton and out the back. It's tone deaf, self centered and reeks of privilege. Celebrity boyfriends, safaris to Africa, working on a set....because your father gave you the job.
I sure Cazzie is aware of how self-centered this entire collection in. I'm sure she's talked about it therapy. Sometimes - those thoughts and the depressed ramblings that would be better suited for LiveJournal in 2001 should have stayed inside.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this "book".
January 12, 2021
Cazzie, let’s be friends and smoke weed together. Also, are you okay?
March 24, 2022
The title of the book says it all - very whiny collection of essays that really don’t serve much purpose beyond showing how children of celebrities squander their positions of privilege. I thought Cazzie seemed adequately funny, interesting and talented from her web series but reading her actual thoughts in way too many words has really colored my impression. It seems as if she never left the teen age - can’t really fathom an adult using angst and misanthropy in place of a personality. Giving a generous two stars because at least she has some form of self awareness (albeit doesn’t do much to course correct) and I also laughed a few times throughout.
November 19, 2020
I saw that Twitter was dunking on Cazzie David’s memoir, NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS, for being cringey and tone deaf. So naturally I got a copy of the book, out on Tuesday, and stayed up last night reading it. And while it’s not great—google her essay “Too Full to Fuck” in The Cut—it’s not all bad.
Sure, she could use a better editor. David can be wordy and heavy-handed, and falls into a lot of the pitfalls that English 101 professors everywhere warn of: close repetition, inhuman dialogue, too wordy and explanatory (A lot of “One example is” and “Such as.”) I could ignore all of that if she weren’t so obsessive in cultivating her weird-anxious-girl personality, in a voice that’s hard to find sympathetic.
“I’m the anti-wedding date,” she writes in an essay reminiscent of Riverdale’s Jughead Jones. “I refuse to dance to most music but wedding-DJ music is at the top of this, and nothing would make me laugh because everyone would be either annoying me or making me feel stupid (it’s always one or the other).”
But when you get to the meat of an essay, when she allows the tough-guy language to fall away, David is funny! “If clubbing were a team sport, I was stuck with a collection of every captain’s last picks,” she writes in an essay about her sister third-wheeling. And in another one about her bummer persona, “When I enter a room, people feel like a negative spirit is lingering, but then they see it’s me and they’re like, ‘Oh, thank God, it’s just Cazzie.’ I’m pretty sure people sage their homes after I leave.”
I most enjoyed No One Asked For This when David was able to describe the nitty gritty absurdity of L.A. social life, or dig into social media and Internet culture. There, she clearly has expertise and interest, and so writes with more authority than elsewhere in the debut.
“Is it possible to keep track of your own opinions when someone writes something and then someone writes something about what that person just wrote and then people write things based on that thing and it ends with everyone collectively agreeing on Twitter what is right and wrong?” she writes. “No, because the Internet is a shithole and nothing makes sense.” A timely sentiment for how the Internet has received her book.
Read my recap of the drama and review of NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS at Book & Film Globe: https://bookandfilmglobe.com/nonficti...
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.
Sure, she could use a better editor. David can be wordy and heavy-handed, and falls into a lot of the pitfalls that English 101 professors everywhere warn of: close repetition, inhuman dialogue, too wordy and explanatory (A lot of “One example is” and “Such as.”) I could ignore all of that if she weren’t so obsessive in cultivating her weird-anxious-girl personality, in a voice that’s hard to find sympathetic.
“I’m the anti-wedding date,” she writes in an essay reminiscent of Riverdale’s Jughead Jones. “I refuse to dance to most music but wedding-DJ music is at the top of this, and nothing would make me laugh because everyone would be either annoying me or making me feel stupid (it’s always one or the other).”
But when you get to the meat of an essay, when she allows the tough-guy language to fall away, David is funny! “If clubbing were a team sport, I was stuck with a collection of every captain’s last picks,” she writes in an essay about her sister third-wheeling. And in another one about her bummer persona, “When I enter a room, people feel like a negative spirit is lingering, but then they see it’s me and they’re like, ‘Oh, thank God, it’s just Cazzie.’ I’m pretty sure people sage their homes after I leave.”
I most enjoyed No One Asked For This when David was able to describe the nitty gritty absurdity of L.A. social life, or dig into social media and Internet culture. There, she clearly has expertise and interest, and so writes with more authority than elsewhere in the debut.
“Is it possible to keep track of your own opinions when someone writes something and then someone writes something about what that person just wrote and then people write things based on that thing and it ends with everyone collectively agreeing on Twitter what is right and wrong?” she writes. “No, because the Internet is a shithole and nothing makes sense.” A timely sentiment for how the Internet has received her book.
Read my recap of the drama and review of NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS at Book & Film Globe: https://bookandfilmglobe.com/nonficti...
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.
January 12, 2021
Wow, some of y’all big mad that a young, smart, sarcastic, attractive woman with family money went ahead and wrote a book huh?!?!? God forbid a woman not go out of her way to be likeable! sheesh.
Here’s the thing about Cazzie David’s book: it is peak millennial, it’s super self aware and self deprecating, and it is extremely sarcastic. So if you can’t pick up on sarcasm, are not 16-30 years old, and have never had anxiety, this one probably will not resonate with you.
I appreciated Cazzie’s candor and I really enjoyed her sharp wit and the sardonic tone. She really nails the discussion of her personal anxieties and phobias, and I think she will go on to be a very good writer with a prolific career. My criticism is really that some of these essays felt redundant, and the book could have been shorter. Some of her best work was when she talked about her very public, devastating breakup from a long term relationship with someone struggling with a mental illness, her experience in in-patient mental health clinics, and some of her family experiences. It’s clear that she’s an extremely perceptive, intelligent, self-aware person.
Other essays were a bit rambly, which overshadowed the core of what the individual essay itself was about. It lacked polish in places, but hey- shes 26 and wrote her first book, and you gotta start somewhere. Looking forward to reading more from her in the future.
Here’s the thing about Cazzie David’s book: it is peak millennial, it’s super self aware and self deprecating, and it is extremely sarcastic. So if you can’t pick up on sarcasm, are not 16-30 years old, and have never had anxiety, this one probably will not resonate with you.
I appreciated Cazzie’s candor and I really enjoyed her sharp wit and the sardonic tone. She really nails the discussion of her personal anxieties and phobias, and I think she will go on to be a very good writer with a prolific career. My criticism is really that some of these essays felt redundant, and the book could have been shorter. Some of her best work was when she talked about her very public, devastating breakup from a long term relationship with someone struggling with a mental illness, her experience in in-patient mental health clinics, and some of her family experiences. It’s clear that she’s an extremely perceptive, intelligent, self-aware person.
Other essays were a bit rambly, which overshadowed the core of what the individual essay itself was about. It lacked polish in places, but hey- shes 26 and wrote her first book, and you gotta start somewhere. Looking forward to reading more from her in the future.
July 20, 2021
4.5
My eyes hurt from the intensity with which I devoured Cazzie David's debut, No One Asked for This: Essays. Hilarious, smart, acerbic in the best way. More!
*Disclaimer: if a privileged daughter of a celebrity's essays about her myriad insecurities/neuroses are going to be annoying to you, don't read this book. David acknowledges her privilege more times than I can count... but those aren't things she can change. If you want to read about a "good" person, or a "likable" person, and you think of yourself as a "good" and "likable" person... if you don't laugh at yourself. If you love taking photos to post to instagram, if you fancy yourself a budding influencer. If you generally take things seriously... if you are usually able to avoid existential dread. If you never gossip about your friends to your other friends... If you can look at your aging parents and not be constantly inundated with the knowledge of their certain impending death... don't read this book.
...but for sh*theads like me, it's a rare treat.
My eyes hurt from the intensity with which I devoured Cazzie David's debut, No One Asked for This: Essays. Hilarious, smart, acerbic in the best way. More!
*Disclaimer: if a privileged daughter of a celebrity's essays about her myriad insecurities/neuroses are going to be annoying to you, don't read this book. David acknowledges her privilege more times than I can count... but those aren't things she can change. If you want to read about a "good" person, or a "likable" person, and you think of yourself as a "good" and "likable" person... if you don't laugh at yourself. If you love taking photos to post to instagram, if you fancy yourself a budding influencer. If you generally take things seriously... if you are usually able to avoid existential dread. If you never gossip about your friends to your other friends... If you can look at your aging parents and not be constantly inundated with the knowledge of their certain impending death... don't read this book.
...but for sh*theads like me, it's a rare treat.
February 2, 2021
Super relatable for me and super funny.
March 16, 2022
Nate got me this book as a joke for Christmas, so naturally I read the whole thing out of spite. And now, for my scathing review: this fucking sucked. Absolute fucking garbage from start to finish, I have never seen a more embarrassing nor unabashed display of nepotism and unfounded indignation in my entire goddamn life.
Very aptly titled “No One Asked For This,” Cazzie’s momentary bout of self-awareness stops there, as her pitifully adolescent style of essay writing reads self-conscious at best for the remaining 300+ pages of this atrocity. Her uninspired, anti-climactic internet-centered musings could perhaps be forgiven if her literary voice was even kind of funny or interesting, but sadly her mundane account of jobless rich girl millennialhood is never intriguing enough to keep this from being total horse shit.
Cazzie is 27, lives with her dad (critically acclaimed comedy writer Larry David, creator of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, she continuously reminds us), and is addicted to her phone. Because of this, we are supposed to feel really bad for her, and resonate with how caustic & uncaring she is towards her friends, family, and significant others alike. Oh, and also because she has anxiety and depression. You know, those mental illnesses no one talks about.
While taking good care to recite every one of her neuroses, moral failings & deep-seated flaws to her unwilling audience, Cazzie is simultaneously hell-bent on assuring us she *knows* how shameful & embarrassing her ineptitude at being a person is, and freely acknowledges the amount of privilege, love, & support she has received & benefitted from her entire life. Yet, in the very same breath, she insists her experiences with anxiety & depression are singular, and no one—NO ONE—could possibly understand the debilitating hypersensitivity she experiences every day. Not even her ex-boyfriend with BPD (yes, Pete Davidson) whose constant need for reassurance & emotional support lead her to end their relationship. No no, he can’t relate to her—that was something totally different! He was mean & crazy!
Aside from the piss-poor elementary style of writing & mind-numbingly boring content we are mercilessly subjected to, the real disgrace here—even more than her claims of getting “too full to fuck” or wishing there was a “third gender for non-idiots”—is her utter failure to showcase why she *is* worth caring about. Why the fuck *am* I reading this?! Cazzie reassures us time and time again that she knows she has no qualifications or reasonable justification to be writing ANYTHING (let alone a whole ass book) other than to garner more attention for herself outside of being the fail-daughter of a celebrity.
We are never for a moment to forget that this is an unoriginal, uninteresting person, who would not be given a moment of the public’s time or interest had she been born to a more conventional, non-famous family—and she knows it! And wants us to know she knows it! Which somehow makes her unrelenting self-involvement okay. This purported argument appears to be the thesis of this mess, that Cazzie is a person we should care about because she *knows* there’s no reason to care about her. Apparently, she thinks self-awareness is not only enough to absolve her of her complete lack of talent and/or positive qualities, but also reason enough to be the subject of… an entire book. An unsurprisingly ass-backwards conclusion for the world’s most unsympathetic narrator to draw.
Cazzie is an insurmountably difficult person to muster up sympathy for, as any acknowledgement of privilege or triviality quickly devolves into yet another irritating round of public self flagellation. “I know I’m selfish & that makes me hate myself more!! Wahhh!!” But there is no moment of absolution for our poor, tortured soliloquizer. Hating yourself does not absolve you from being a bad person, nor does it promise the inherent relatability of your material—you know, coming from a family of multi-millionaires & all.
Yes yes sure, there may be a kind of generational relatability to this introverted caricature who smokes weed every day and thinks self-proclaimed empaths are sooo embarrassing. But by trying to establish herself as the antithesis of the influencer culture she so boldly proclaims to hate, Cazzie commits to an alternate form of influencership, one that encapsulates a sect of internet culture far more prevalent in younger millennial & gen z social circles—doomposting. The internet is obsessed with emotional exhibitionism, and Cazzie is at least smart enough to exploit her own psychological demons (albeit, her very boring, twee, Olivia Rodrigo ass version), for perhaps an hour of attention from Bitch Media subscribers. Sure, she’s a bad writer and has nothing to say, but her moody, Victorian looks and nihilist perception of people who are beautiful & happy will surely resonate with the emo-cosplaying borings of the 2020s.
But did I mention she’s Larry David’s daughter & Pete Davidson’s ex? Yeah, she does too.
Very aptly titled “No One Asked For This,” Cazzie’s momentary bout of self-awareness stops there, as her pitifully adolescent style of essay writing reads self-conscious at best for the remaining 300+ pages of this atrocity. Her uninspired, anti-climactic internet-centered musings could perhaps be forgiven if her literary voice was even kind of funny or interesting, but sadly her mundane account of jobless rich girl millennialhood is never intriguing enough to keep this from being total horse shit.
Cazzie is 27, lives with her dad (critically acclaimed comedy writer Larry David, creator of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, she continuously reminds us), and is addicted to her phone. Because of this, we are supposed to feel really bad for her, and resonate with how caustic & uncaring she is towards her friends, family, and significant others alike. Oh, and also because she has anxiety and depression. You know, those mental illnesses no one talks about.
While taking good care to recite every one of her neuroses, moral failings & deep-seated flaws to her unwilling audience, Cazzie is simultaneously hell-bent on assuring us she *knows* how shameful & embarrassing her ineptitude at being a person is, and freely acknowledges the amount of privilege, love, & support she has received & benefitted from her entire life. Yet, in the very same breath, she insists her experiences with anxiety & depression are singular, and no one—NO ONE—could possibly understand the debilitating hypersensitivity she experiences every day. Not even her ex-boyfriend with BPD (yes, Pete Davidson) whose constant need for reassurance & emotional support lead her to end their relationship. No no, he can’t relate to her—that was something totally different! He was mean & crazy!
Aside from the piss-poor elementary style of writing & mind-numbingly boring content we are mercilessly subjected to, the real disgrace here—even more than her claims of getting “too full to fuck” or wishing there was a “third gender for non-idiots”—is her utter failure to showcase why she *is* worth caring about. Why the fuck *am* I reading this?! Cazzie reassures us time and time again that she knows she has no qualifications or reasonable justification to be writing ANYTHING (let alone a whole ass book) other than to garner more attention for herself outside of being the fail-daughter of a celebrity.
We are never for a moment to forget that this is an unoriginal, uninteresting person, who would not be given a moment of the public’s time or interest had she been born to a more conventional, non-famous family—and she knows it! And wants us to know she knows it! Which somehow makes her unrelenting self-involvement okay. This purported argument appears to be the thesis of this mess, that Cazzie is a person we should care about because she *knows* there’s no reason to care about her. Apparently, she thinks self-awareness is not only enough to absolve her of her complete lack of talent and/or positive qualities, but also reason enough to be the subject of… an entire book. An unsurprisingly ass-backwards conclusion for the world’s most unsympathetic narrator to draw.
Cazzie is an insurmountably difficult person to muster up sympathy for, as any acknowledgement of privilege or triviality quickly devolves into yet another irritating round of public self flagellation. “I know I’m selfish & that makes me hate myself more!! Wahhh!!” But there is no moment of absolution for our poor, tortured soliloquizer. Hating yourself does not absolve you from being a bad person, nor does it promise the inherent relatability of your material—you know, coming from a family of multi-millionaires & all.
Yes yes sure, there may be a kind of generational relatability to this introverted caricature who smokes weed every day and thinks self-proclaimed empaths are sooo embarrassing. But by trying to establish herself as the antithesis of the influencer culture she so boldly proclaims to hate, Cazzie commits to an alternate form of influencership, one that encapsulates a sect of internet culture far more prevalent in younger millennial & gen z social circles—doomposting. The internet is obsessed with emotional exhibitionism, and Cazzie is at least smart enough to exploit her own psychological demons (albeit, her very boring, twee, Olivia Rodrigo ass version), for perhaps an hour of attention from Bitch Media subscribers. Sure, she’s a bad writer and has nothing to say, but her moody, Victorian looks and nihilist perception of people who are beautiful & happy will surely resonate with the emo-cosplaying borings of the 2020s.
But did I mention she’s Larry David’s daughter & Pete Davidson’s ex? Yeah, she does too.
Read
August 26, 2023My favorite part is knowing that Pete Davidson and her broke up, he started dating Ariana almost immediately, and she had to grieve the relationship while her sister was graduating from GW #raisehigh
August 21, 2023
a pretty big letdown - this book honestly just made me concerned for Cazzie and endlessly question why she didn’t just go to therapy rather than write this book?? i think the essays have a facade of being self aware but are really just miserable, pitiful, self hating, woman hating, entitled, ungrateful ruminations from a girl born to a famous and hilarious dad who’s really just ordinary and can’t stand it. like that’s ok girl!!! please stop beating yourself up and maybe don’t write a book about it, or if you’re going to maybe have it be after you’ve worked out your own shit.
April 30, 2022
Perhaps Exhibit A when making the case that dysfunction and unhappiness are not inherently interesting or deep. Yes, you have depression and anxiety, and yes, I have sympathy. But so what?
January 24, 2022
This is what I get for choosing a book based on its cover.
Admittedly, I suspect teen me would have liked this book. Would have found it witty and cool and self-aware in ways I wasn't. Given that I'm, erm, far removed from those teen years, though....maybe it just isn't for me. Or maybe I'm trying to be nice and it's actually bad.
Another admission: I didn't know Cazzie David was the daughter of Larry David until I was a good way into the book (I'm telling you, I literally picked this up because of the cover). It clicked for me then why it was published, as there's no way it would have surpassed the personal blog stage if David wasn't the child of a celebrity. I'm sure she's a funny person, and some of these essays would have been great....on a blog! But together, as a book, it misses the mark. She and her family aren't as eccentric as the book brands them, her stories aren't particularly unique or worthy of a whole essay, a lot of the content feels repetitive and self-indulgent with no real point. Every funny person doesn't need a book!
I bumped this up a star because David does write in a relatable and self-aware way about anxiety and depression. This content is unfortunately just drowning too much in her under-acknowledged privilege. Also, for all the clarity she writes about mental illness, she's far less self-aware about other things (her relationship with her sister; watching an ex move on; and yes, there is a classic "I'm a pretty girl writing about what it's like to not be pretty" essay). If she writes another book (and I'm sure she'll easily get another deal), it would be entirely unsurprising to see an essay in it addressing the bad reviews this one received and David's "of course, because my life is so unfair" analysis.
Admittedly, I suspect teen me would have liked this book. Would have found it witty and cool and self-aware in ways I wasn't. Given that I'm, erm, far removed from those teen years, though....maybe it just isn't for me. Or maybe I'm trying to be nice and it's actually bad.
Another admission: I didn't know Cazzie David was the daughter of Larry David until I was a good way into the book (I'm telling you, I literally picked this up because of the cover). It clicked for me then why it was published, as there's no way it would have surpassed the personal blog stage if David wasn't the child of a celebrity. I'm sure she's a funny person, and some of these essays would have been great....on a blog! But together, as a book, it misses the mark. She and her family aren't as eccentric as the book brands them, her stories aren't particularly unique or worthy of a whole essay, a lot of the content feels repetitive and self-indulgent with no real point. Every funny person doesn't need a book!
I bumped this up a star because David does write in a relatable and self-aware way about anxiety and depression. This content is unfortunately just drowning too much in her under-acknowledged privilege. Also, for all the clarity she writes about mental illness, she's far less self-aware about other things (her relationship with her sister; watching an ex move on; and yes, there is a classic "I'm a pretty girl writing about what it's like to not be pretty" essay). If she writes another book (and I'm sure she'll easily get another deal), it would be entirely unsurprising to see an essay in it addressing the bad reviews this one received and David's "of course, because my life is so unfair" analysis.
September 27, 2023
A good number of reviews seem to boil down to, "You're rich, white, and pretty... so shut up."
It should be common knowledge by now that mental illness and heartbreak doesn't discriminate and one who seems to "have it all" may very easily be and falling apart. But I get a sense that people are misdirecting their anger at the privileged towards David, someone who is doubtlessly privileged (and very aware of it) and still manages to not have their shit together. It's easy to hate on someone privileged for "being bitter." But admit it though, if you're a severely anxious person who thought you were going on a break with your partner only for them to get with someone who's even more privileged and conventionally desirable, initiating a cascade of hate mail from fans of that new someone, you'd be pretty bitter too. We forget that celebrities are human and for the mentally ill, the pressures of fame can be overbearing.
Books aren't always written with the intent of being novelistic masterpieces or demonstrations of the author's superior character. Sometimes they're written for catharsis or to appeal to a certain subsect of people. From the title, it's clear that David was aware that this was the case and deliberately chose to do so anyways. Those who complain that it paints a flawed picture of her character miss its purpose.
It should be common knowledge by now that mental illness and heartbreak doesn't discriminate and one who seems to "have it all" may very easily be and falling apart. But I get a sense that people are misdirecting their anger at the privileged towards David, someone who is doubtlessly privileged (and very aware of it) and still manages to not have their shit together. It's easy to hate on someone privileged for "being bitter." But admit it though, if you're a severely anxious person who thought you were going on a break with your partner only for them to get with someone who's even more privileged and conventionally desirable, initiating a cascade of hate mail from fans of that new someone, you'd be pretty bitter too. We forget that celebrities are human and for the mentally ill, the pressures of fame can be overbearing.
Books aren't always written with the intent of being novelistic masterpieces or demonstrations of the author's superior character. Sometimes they're written for catharsis or to appeal to a certain subsect of people. From the title, it's clear that David was aware that this was the case and deliberately chose to do so anyways. Those who complain that it paints a flawed picture of her character miss its purpose.
May 15, 2023
read this for the drama and larry and i like her a lot but this was kinda exhausting to read especially seeing myself in her but knowing ive taken a lot of steps to ease that mental burden. it felt like how i used to feel scrolling through twitter lol and there was really no point to the book which i guess is covered by the title
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November 29, 2020I never like to judge a book on anything other than its own merit, but that becomes difficult when the writer has such a visible public persona. While Cazzie David isn’t necessarily a celebrity in her own right, she has a kind of adjacent fame, due to her father’s success and her relationship with Pete Davidson. David is also fairly young, which doesn’t mean her work is juvenile by default, but does give me pause. The point has been made that without her father’s fame, David would not have this book out, and I tend to agree. While No One Asked for This shows definite potential and some of the essays are worth reading, the book is sloppily cobbled together with essays of middling and low quality in addition to the more polished ones. I do think some of the essays are genuinely good and I did enjoy parts of the book. But when putting out essays they should be of uniform quality, and this ain’t it, chief.
In terms of the make up of the book, I would say 50% of the essays were totally intolerable, which automatically means I cannot recommend it in good conscience. 30% of the essays were decent, and 20% were excellent. I can only assume that David had to pad the book with some slapdash work, because her best efforts show a decent writer. It’s just disappointing to read something good, and then immediately be hit in the face with the written equivalent of a leaky garbage bag.
I am probably the closest thing to an ideal reader for this book: I am a mentally ill, Ashkenazi Jewish woman in her mid-twenties who enjoys comedy. That being said, I found some of David’s writing impossible to stomach and way more self-involved than self-exploratory. She exposes a lot of vulnerability, but without any artistic merit, it is completely superfluous and soulless. If you’re going to get deep, you have to draw something out of it, and it felt more like she was like, “Look! Look at my thorny pain!” Which is fine, but not especially interesting. I did find her anxiety relatable, but at some point an essay needs to be about more than just your feelings of dread. I also felt a little weird about her insistence that she didn’t want to take medication for her mental health, which was repeated throughout the book. Why? Medication is pretty great. She described herself as someone bowing under the weight of anxiety and depression in an alternating manner, which sounds pretty terrible when the alternative is going to the doctor and possibly some side effects.
The best essays in the book are “Mean Sister,” “Tweets I Would Tweet If I Weren’t Morally Opposed to Twitter: I,” “I Got a Cat for My Anxiety,” “Moving Out,” and “Erase Me.” The rest are either outright bad or mostly forgettable, so I would advise just checking the book out of a library and reading these ones. I did enjoy reading David’s depiction of her family, which seems about as eccentric as you’d expect. Her obligatory Pete Davidson essay was actually quite impressive- being the ex of a person who suddenly becomes Very Famous for dating someone Ridiculously Famous is a rare experience. I think it comes across that Davidson was deeply mentally ill, as was David. I don’t agree that it’s an unflattering depiction of Davidson or his ex-fiancé, pop star Ariana Grande. Frankly, given how David was treated by the media and Grande’s army of child fans, the way she writes about them is fair. Leaving an emotionally exhausting and unsteady relationship is a fair thing to do, and I think becoming more Famous by Relation than David was used to effected her a lot. Being a famous person’s kid is very different than being the ex-girlfriend of the fiancé of one of the most famous people in the world. Overall, I thought it was fine.
While I wasn’t overly impressed by No One Asked for This, I will keep an eye out for further writings by David. I think her work shows a lot of potential and I’m interested to see what is next for her.
In terms of the make up of the book, I would say 50% of the essays were totally intolerable, which automatically means I cannot recommend it in good conscience. 30% of the essays were decent, and 20% were excellent. I can only assume that David had to pad the book with some slapdash work, because her best efforts show a decent writer. It’s just disappointing to read something good, and then immediately be hit in the face with the written equivalent of a leaky garbage bag.
I am probably the closest thing to an ideal reader for this book: I am a mentally ill, Ashkenazi Jewish woman in her mid-twenties who enjoys comedy. That being said, I found some of David’s writing impossible to stomach and way more self-involved than self-exploratory. She exposes a lot of vulnerability, but without any artistic merit, it is completely superfluous and soulless. If you’re going to get deep, you have to draw something out of it, and it felt more like she was like, “Look! Look at my thorny pain!” Which is fine, but not especially interesting. I did find her anxiety relatable, but at some point an essay needs to be about more than just your feelings of dread. I also felt a little weird about her insistence that she didn’t want to take medication for her mental health, which was repeated throughout the book. Why? Medication is pretty great. She described herself as someone bowing under the weight of anxiety and depression in an alternating manner, which sounds pretty terrible when the alternative is going to the doctor and possibly some side effects.
The best essays in the book are “Mean Sister,” “Tweets I Would Tweet If I Weren’t Morally Opposed to Twitter: I,” “I Got a Cat for My Anxiety,” “Moving Out,” and “Erase Me.” The rest are either outright bad or mostly forgettable, so I would advise just checking the book out of a library and reading these ones. I did enjoy reading David’s depiction of her family, which seems about as eccentric as you’d expect. Her obligatory Pete Davidson essay was actually quite impressive- being the ex of a person who suddenly becomes Very Famous for dating someone Ridiculously Famous is a rare experience. I think it comes across that Davidson was deeply mentally ill, as was David. I don’t agree that it’s an unflattering depiction of Davidson or his ex-fiancé, pop star Ariana Grande. Frankly, given how David was treated by the media and Grande’s army of child fans, the way she writes about them is fair. Leaving an emotionally exhausting and unsteady relationship is a fair thing to do, and I think becoming more Famous by Relation than David was used to effected her a lot. Being a famous person’s kid is very different than being the ex-girlfriend of the fiancé of one of the most famous people in the world. Overall, I thought it was fine.
While I wasn’t overly impressed by No One Asked for This, I will keep an eye out for further writings by David. I think her work shows a lot of potential and I’m interested to see what is next for her.
November 25, 2020
Ever since I watched Eighty-Sixed for the first time (I feel compelled to make this distinction because I’ve watched it literally dozens of times since 2017 and if you haven’t watched it yet you’re MISSING OUT), I’ve been a Cazzie David cheerleader. I truly think she is the voice the Millennial generation doesn’t *yet* know we actually somewhat desperately need. She comes for influencer culture as much as she does herself, which strikes a refreshing comedic balance of being neither wholly extrospective nor introspective. Her observations, and commentary on her observations, are simultaneously honest and apologetic.
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I once saw a tiktok (I’m sorry) with audio that stated something to the effect of, “The Millennial generation has literally one thing that no other generation does, and that is an active awareness of how much we suck.” Cazzie David is the embodiment of this audio - she constantly acknowledges, in vivid detail, how imperfect and flawed she is, which somewhat ironically lends credence to the validity of her subsequent observations of how flawed and imperfect (and material) the our society is.
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I’m not usually one for celebrity essays or memoirs because I find them either vapid or ghostwritten or too try-hard (with some notable exceptions of course), but this couldn’t be further from any of those things. This book is honest, genuine, insightful, perceptive, and HILARIOUS. Cazzie blends self awareness and self deprecation with such creativity and artistry that it’s quite clear she was born with a gift, even though her anxiety occasionally gave me anxiety as I was reading.
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So much of No One Asked for This it is surprisingly relatable, and the parts of it that aren’t relatable per se (to me at least) were, for the most part, hysterical. Having said that, it’s an intelligent book that wasn’t designed solely for humor, so there’s some raw social commentary, sensitivity, and poignancy incorporated throughout as well. Highly recommend reading this. (And watching Eighty-Sixed!!!)
⠀
I once saw a tiktok (I’m sorry) with audio that stated something to the effect of, “The Millennial generation has literally one thing that no other generation does, and that is an active awareness of how much we suck.” Cazzie David is the embodiment of this audio - she constantly acknowledges, in vivid detail, how imperfect and flawed she is, which somewhat ironically lends credence to the validity of her subsequent observations of how flawed and imperfect (and material) the our society is.
⠀
I’m not usually one for celebrity essays or memoirs because I find them either vapid or ghostwritten or too try-hard (with some notable exceptions of course), but this couldn’t be further from any of those things. This book is honest, genuine, insightful, perceptive, and HILARIOUS. Cazzie blends self awareness and self deprecation with such creativity and artistry that it’s quite clear she was born with a gift, even though her anxiety occasionally gave me anxiety as I was reading.
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So much of No One Asked for This it is surprisingly relatable, and the parts of it that aren’t relatable per se (to me at least) were, for the most part, hysterical. Having said that, it’s an intelligent book that wasn’t designed solely for humor, so there’s some raw social commentary, sensitivity, and poignancy incorporated throughout as well. Highly recommend reading this. (And watching Eighty-Sixed!!!)
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