What do you think?
Rate this book
The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy
It's finally here-the definitive, authorized story of legendary sketch comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall. Meticulously researched and written with the full cooperation and participation of the Kids by critically acclaimed biographer and comedy aficionado Paul Myers, The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy features exclusive interviews with Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson, as well as key players from their inner circle, including producer Lorne Michaels. Marvel as the Kids share their intimate memories and behind-the-scenes stories of how they created their greatest sketches and most beloved characters, from the Chicken Lady and Buddy Cole to Cabbage Head and Sir Simon & Hecubus. The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy spans the entirety of the Kids' storied career, from their early club shows in Toronto to their recent live reunion tours across North America-and everything in between. Along for the ride are a plethora of fans, peers, and luminaries to celebrate the career and legacy of Canada's most subversively hilarious comedy troupe. You'll hear tributes from Seth Meyers, Judd Apatow, Garry Shandling, Paul Feig, Mike Myers, David Cross, Michael Ian Black, Brent Butt, Jonah Ray, Dana Gould, Bob Odenkirk, Andy Richter, and Canada's newest comedy sensation, Baroness Von Sketch.
Audio CD
First published October 23, 2018
55 people are currently reading
654 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
August 7, 2018
(I received an advance copy of this book.)
Disclosure: I'm a big Kids in the Hall fan. I may be THE Kids in the Hall fan. I'm known for having absolutely no chill, no distance, and no objectivity when it comes to the Kids in the Hall. So you may be tempted to disregard what I'm about to say, but hear me out:
This book is PERFECT. It is essential for comedy nerds, it is honest, and above all, it is hysterically funny. The stories in this book about the genesis of the troupe and their most famous sketches, some of them were well-known to me as a superfan; but MANY were not. MANY. And if the stories are new to me? They're new to you. And they are gold. Kevin McDonald's contributions in particular left me laughing out loud time and time again - he almost wrote a book like this himself, so he had a lot of stories "on deck" and ready to go, and he lets Paul have all of them.
I gobbled this book up in a day. It's a fast, utterly enjoyable read. I want to give it to all of my friends so they understand the forces that shaped me as a human. If you were an outsider as a kid in any way, you will understand these guys, and you will understand their humor, and you will relish their story.
This book isn't cobbled together from years of press interviews and second-hand accounts - this is all of the truth (some of it ugly!) and all from the mouths of the people who were there to witness comedy history being made, and doing the making. The Kids in the Hall have always been fearless, and their candor with Paul in sharing their rawest stories is no exception here.
Read this book.
Disclosure: I'm a big Kids in the Hall fan. I may be THE Kids in the Hall fan. I'm known for having absolutely no chill, no distance, and no objectivity when it comes to the Kids in the Hall. So you may be tempted to disregard what I'm about to say, but hear me out:
This book is PERFECT. It is essential for comedy nerds, it is honest, and above all, it is hysterically funny. The stories in this book about the genesis of the troupe and their most famous sketches, some of them were well-known to me as a superfan; but MANY were not. MANY. And if the stories are new to me? They're new to you. And they are gold. Kevin McDonald's contributions in particular left me laughing out loud time and time again - he almost wrote a book like this himself, so he had a lot of stories "on deck" and ready to go, and he lets Paul have all of them.
I gobbled this book up in a day. It's a fast, utterly enjoyable read. I want to give it to all of my friends so they understand the forces that shaped me as a human. If you were an outsider as a kid in any way, you will understand these guys, and you will understand their humor, and you will relish their story.
This book isn't cobbled together from years of press interviews and second-hand accounts - this is all of the truth (some of it ugly!) and all from the mouths of the people who were there to witness comedy history being made, and doing the making. The Kids in the Hall have always been fearless, and their candor with Paul in sharing their rawest stories is no exception here.
Read this book.
December 23, 2018
It's great to finally have a history about The Kids in the Hall. While some of these tidbits have made their way into the troupe's public narrative, there are many untold stories that fill necessary gaps. Great, too, were the lengthy interviews Myers conducted with all five members—their voices filled each page.
But ultimately, this authorized biography ends up reading like a long fluff piece. While I understand the reasoning behind hiring Myers to handle this book, he's too close to the players, which hurts any attempt to paint their more negative moments and really unearth the difficulties they've overcome. (Not to mention truly, deeply analyze their contribution to the history of comedy.) Take, for example, when he brings up the infighting that took place during the Rivoli days. He never details the creative riffs that arose in the troupe. Maybe it's not important to know specifically why they fought, but I would've appreciated more than cursory mention. The closest he gets to any sort of specifics occurs when the Kids trash their dressing room after the run-through for their HBO special. But it all reads like surface.
Adding to that narrative problem, the book is poorly edited. I realize most books go to print these days with the occasional typo, but this one was rife with errors. Everything from extra words in sentences to not attributing quotes took away from Myers' authority as an author. House of Anansi Press should have done better by him.
Maybe this is just the foundational biography that allows other writers to get more critical (read: analytical) about the Kids' place in comedy. A good start, but not nearly enough.
But ultimately, this authorized biography ends up reading like a long fluff piece. While I understand the reasoning behind hiring Myers to handle this book, he's too close to the players, which hurts any attempt to paint their more negative moments and really unearth the difficulties they've overcome. (Not to mention truly, deeply analyze their contribution to the history of comedy.) Take, for example, when he brings up the infighting that took place during the Rivoli days. He never details the creative riffs that arose in the troupe. Maybe it's not important to know specifically why they fought, but I would've appreciated more than cursory mention. The closest he gets to any sort of specifics occurs when the Kids trash their dressing room after the run-through for their HBO special. But it all reads like surface.
Adding to that narrative problem, the book is poorly edited. I realize most books go to print these days with the occasional typo, but this one was rife with errors. Everything from extra words in sentences to not attributing quotes took away from Myers' authority as an author. House of Anansi Press should have done better by him.
Maybe this is just the foundational biography that allows other writers to get more critical (read: analytical) about the Kids' place in comedy. A good start, but not nearly enough.
October 21, 2018
The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy group that formed in 1984. I was a fan and watched their show in the late 1980s/early 1990s. As such, I thought it would be interesting to read about them.
The book starts with the childhoods of the Kids and ends with what they are doing today (as of 2018). In the 1980s, Mark McKinney and Bruce McCulloch were known as "The Audience" in Western Canada and Kevin McDonald and Dave Foley were known as "The Kids in the Hall" in Toronto. When McKinney and McCulloch moved to Toronto, they connected with McDonald and Foley and the four become the Kids in the Hall. Scott Thompson soon joined the group.
The Kids in the Hall performed regularly here in Toronto in the mid-1980s and eventually caught the eye of Lorne Michaels who helped them get their own show, which ran from 1989 to 1994. When that ended, they made the movie Brain Candy and then went their separate ways and did various things. They got back together years later and have done a short TV miniseries and some tours (Gord and I saw them on their 2015 tour).
I liked the writing style. There were many interviews with the Kids, plus others including Seth Meyers, Judd Apatow, Garry Shandling, Paul Feig, Mike Myers, Brent Butt, Bob Odenkirk and Andy Richter. The Kids were honest and didn't try to hide when there were issues when they were working (or not working) together. It's nice that despite the hostilities over the years that they are back to being close friends again.
It was an interesting book which The Kids in the Hall fans will enjoy.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2018/10...
The book starts with the childhoods of the Kids and ends with what they are doing today (as of 2018). In the 1980s, Mark McKinney and Bruce McCulloch were known as "The Audience" in Western Canada and Kevin McDonald and Dave Foley were known as "The Kids in the Hall" in Toronto. When McKinney and McCulloch moved to Toronto, they connected with McDonald and Foley and the four become the Kids in the Hall. Scott Thompson soon joined the group.
The Kids in the Hall performed regularly here in Toronto in the mid-1980s and eventually caught the eye of Lorne Michaels who helped them get their own show, which ran from 1989 to 1994. When that ended, they made the movie Brain Candy and then went their separate ways and did various things. They got back together years later and have done a short TV miniseries and some tours (Gord and I saw them on their 2015 tour).
I liked the writing style. There were many interviews with the Kids, plus others including Seth Meyers, Judd Apatow, Garry Shandling, Paul Feig, Mike Myers, Brent Butt, Bob Odenkirk and Andy Richter. The Kids were honest and didn't try to hide when there were issues when they were working (or not working) together. It's nice that despite the hostilities over the years that they are back to being close friends again.
It was an interesting book which The Kids in the Hall fans will enjoy.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2018/10...
January 12, 2019
What a great book! I became a KITH fan after Comedy Central picked them up back in the 1990's and played them three times a day. That was during the days of satellite TV! I never got tired of watching them and became a huge fan of Scott Thompson because he was one of the only open gay actors on TV at the time who always played gay characters. In fact, I was enamored by how opening the KITH approached homosexuality and even dressed in drag to play the female roles.
Fast forward 20 years and I got to meet and work with Scott! Wow, what a dream come true. He told me about the forthcoming book and I knew I had to have it. If you ever wanted to know how it all got started, Paul Myers does a brilliant job of chronicling the kids from start to...dare I say it...finish. Because the kids all admit in the end they aren't finished yet, so there's open for reunion work.
It was great learning about their early days a live sketch troupe in Canada, how Lorne Michaels came calling and helped get them on TV, the Brain Candy movie, their personal struggles and health issues, and so much more. It took me weeks to read the book because I kept stopping and going to the internet to watch old sketches I'd forgotten about.
Every KITH fan needs to read this book! It's hard to believe it's been 30 years, but it was great to ready about all the actors and comedians they inspired. That includes me!
Fast forward 20 years and I got to meet and work with Scott! Wow, what a dream come true. He told me about the forthcoming book and I knew I had to have it. If you ever wanted to know how it all got started, Paul Myers does a brilliant job of chronicling the kids from start to...dare I say it...finish. Because the kids all admit in the end they aren't finished yet, so there's open for reunion work.
It was great learning about their early days a live sketch troupe in Canada, how Lorne Michaels came calling and helped get them on TV, the Brain Candy movie, their personal struggles and health issues, and so much more. It took me weeks to read the book because I kept stopping and going to the internet to watch old sketches I'd forgotten about.
Every KITH fan needs to read this book! It's hard to believe it's been 30 years, but it was great to ready about all the actors and comedians they inspired. That includes me!
May 17, 2019
Myers does an excellent job weaving a compelling narrative out of the personal lives and careers of the troupe’s members both before and after the Kids’ initial TV success. Loved the behind-the-scenes anecdotes. A great read.
Read
March 14, 2019Imagine your brother being Mike Myers but you don't blurt that out to everyone you meet, or even mention it in your author's bio????
September 26, 2019
Decent bio but feels very authorized.
November 5, 2018
"Individually, I think we're all very smart. Just together as a group, we're really just one dumb guy"- Mark McKinney
If you were a comedy nerd in the 90's, The Kids in the Hall were your Beatles. Or your Clash. Or even your Pixies. Inspiring not just laughs at quiet lives of dysfunctional suburban desperation, but inspiring creativity in nearly all those who came across them late nights on HBO, then CBS, THEN Comedy Central. Quietly, subversively building "their brand" of gender-fluid chaos in reruns and worn out VHS cassettes traded back and forth between budding acolytes like the Upright Citizens Brigade, Mr. Show, or The State. While you will get some of the "how did they come up with that sketch/character?" inside baseball, there's no real backstage gossip here. Because author Paul Myers has known the Kids since they arrived in Toronto in the 80's (and, fun fact: is the brother of Mike Myers, the SNL alum who very nearly might have been one of the Kids, but instead took an offer to tour England with Second City improv). There are some good stories here. Even some great ones. I found the chapters on the period after the TV show's end to be the most illuminating- especially the ones detailing the production of their movie, "Brain Candy" that nearly finished them as a group instead of launching their film careers. Being told as almost an oral history by the Kids themselves, with plenty of interviews with comedy and TV luminaries, this is a great first-hand account of having a crazy dream and how when enough people have the same crazy dream, it might come true. Just in different ways than you thought.
If you were a comedy nerd in the 90's, The Kids in the Hall were your Beatles. Or your Clash. Or even your Pixies. Inspiring not just laughs at quiet lives of dysfunctional suburban desperation, but inspiring creativity in nearly all those who came across them late nights on HBO, then CBS, THEN Comedy Central. Quietly, subversively building "their brand" of gender-fluid chaos in reruns and worn out VHS cassettes traded back and forth between budding acolytes like the Upright Citizens Brigade, Mr. Show, or The State. While you will get some of the "how did they come up with that sketch/character?" inside baseball, there's no real backstage gossip here. Because author Paul Myers has known the Kids since they arrived in Toronto in the 80's (and, fun fact: is the brother of Mike Myers, the SNL alum who very nearly might have been one of the Kids, but instead took an offer to tour England with Second City improv). There are some good stories here. Even some great ones. I found the chapters on the period after the TV show's end to be the most illuminating- especially the ones detailing the production of their movie, "Brain Candy" that nearly finished them as a group instead of launching their film careers. Being told as almost an oral history by the Kids themselves, with plenty of interviews with comedy and TV luminaries, this is a great first-hand account of having a crazy dream and how when enough people have the same crazy dream, it might come true. Just in different ways than you thought.
July 4, 2020
2.5 I saw the kids in the hall live on the 2000 tour. I was fifth in line behind two college couples. As we waited to get in Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald came out. They asked us where there was to eat around there. Kevin said "somewhere with alot of cheese". We just so happened to be steps away from Geha's, Chicago's fondue restaurant of note, which was my suggestion, but the two couples, absolutely starstruck and loud shouted that down saying they were in Chicago so of course they had to have Chicago style pizza! They said Gino's East. Dave and Kevin said they would just wander around then, and walked off. That story is more interesting than anything in this book. It's true. It's a fact.
June 14, 2022
This is a fun, breezy take on the story of the Kids in the Hall. While you can get the same story distilled into the recent—and excellent—two-part 80-minute Amazon Prime documentary “Comedy Punks” (the author of this book also served as an Executive Producer on the documentary), the book format naturally allows for greater detail. For casual fans, the documentary is probably sufficient, but if you own all the DVDs and have sketches committed to memory like me, you’ll appreciate the extra depth.
October 27, 2018
A huge Kids In The Hall NERD from the beginning of their career at the Rivoli on Queen. My brother introduced me to their groundbreaking Canadian roots, raw, wonderfully weird, dark, edgy and insanely hilarious comedy styles. I was thrilled to finally discover an excellent authorized biography of them. I enjoyed it immensely learning the webs they all spun together as a comedy troupe from hate to love and everything in between. Great read. Now I want to rewatch all 5 seasons again, which I do every couple of years. ❤️
December 29, 2018
As a long-time KITH fanatic (the hours of meticulously recorded VHS tapes from circa 1989 are still reverently boxed away despite having all the episodes on DVD now!), I had to read this book-- But while I enjoyed learning more of the details and other collaborators from the pre-KITH days I found the general fawning tone, interspersed with cutesy wordplay inspired by various KITH quotes (e.g., "Same Guys, New Stresses"), and more fawning praise by various comedians (with way too many references to them as "the new Python"), a little hard to stomach.
Since the majority of the book was formed from interviews with the Kids, and much was made in passing about the hell they put each other through, it was strange to get to the end of the book and realize I had not learned much more than I had already known (and reading the sources, I had already read all the ones mentioned). Were the harsher details edited out, or just actually never spoken out loud during these interviews? I especially felt Scott had more to say than was included in the book.
It was also weird that it only mentioned the fandom later in their career (when I know there was an equally engaged fandom during the taping of the original series, thanks to a passionate network of KITH pen pals at the time). It seemed a little dismissive of the original fans (though that honestly didn't strike me until the "new wave" of fans was mentioned). I don't think it was intentional but the random mix of focusing on one aspect vs. glossing over another (like old vs. new fans), combined with the fawning tone and no real revelations made this book feel a little unsatisfying; it seemed to skim the surface when I was expecting a deeper dive.
Maybe this is written for non-fans? As a fan I did not need to read dialogue or descriptions of their most popular sketches (it seemed like filler), though I could see how maybe that could pique interest in people who don't really know about the Kids. Though I find it hard to believe non-KITH fans would want to read it (or that quoting a sketch or describing it in detail is really going to convey the magic that watching the same sketch would, so seems like a waste of time).
Since the majority of the book was formed from interviews with the Kids, and much was made in passing about the hell they put each other through, it was strange to get to the end of the book and realize I had not learned much more than I had already known (and reading the sources, I had already read all the ones mentioned). Were the harsher details edited out, or just actually never spoken out loud during these interviews? I especially felt Scott had more to say than was included in the book.
It was also weird that it only mentioned the fandom later in their career (when I know there was an equally engaged fandom during the taping of the original series, thanks to a passionate network of KITH pen pals at the time). It seemed a little dismissive of the original fans (though that honestly didn't strike me until the "new wave" of fans was mentioned). I don't think it was intentional but the random mix of focusing on one aspect vs. glossing over another (like old vs. new fans), combined with the fawning tone and no real revelations made this book feel a little unsatisfying; it seemed to skim the surface when I was expecting a deeper dive.
Maybe this is written for non-fans? As a fan I did not need to read dialogue or descriptions of their most popular sketches (it seemed like filler), though I could see how maybe that could pique interest in people who don't really know about the Kids. Though I find it hard to believe non-KITH fans would want to read it (or that quoting a sketch or describing it in detail is really going to convey the magic that watching the same sketch would, so seems like a waste of time).
October 8, 2020
what new is there to be said about the kids in the hall in 2018? apparently, not much. or if there is, paul myers was the wrong man for the job. while certainly an engaging and easy read, one dumb guy suffers from a biographer far too close to, or too fond of, his subjects. the end product, even coming in at over 300 pages, feels light and insubstantial—not near hefty enough for one of comedy's most controversial yet enduring heavyweights.
myers discloses early on that he's been a fan for a long time, going to their live shows back in the 80s with his brother, mike (yes, that one), and though the admission contextualizes all that follows, it doesn't lead to any revelations in the interviews with the kids themselves. the five of them have, by and large, been very candid with what it's like to work with the other four and to be in a comedy troupe that has managed to stay in business for over 30 years. as myers says, it's each of the kids' longest marriage, and their conflict—as well as their candor—is something of a thing for anyone who interviews them. (you can always tell if an interviewer hasn't read up before talking to one of them—they'll ask questions about memories and hanging out together, despite the fact that inter-troupe strife is by no means a secret.) so it's incredibly disappointing to see someone who's moderately close to the kids so utterly squander such a unique opportunity to divulge some actually new information out of them. much of the quotes that might seem provocative are essentially a rehashing of what they said to the a.v. club back in like, 2004. readers are under no obligation to troll the AVC archives, but the least myers could have done was cite tasha robinson, who it seems like did the work for him.
most of the truly new stuff is about the behind-the-scenes action throughout their time together in the 80s and 90s. interviews with producers; wardrobe, hair, and makeup women; friends-turned-writers; and of course, the lorne michaels yield things we finally don't already know, but unfortunately, even that isn't really what we want to know. these periphery characters give fine enough answers, but the kids, even if they hated each other, trusted each other in a way they didn't with almost everybody else, so there just isn't enough to be gleamed from people who weren't in the inner sanctum. outsider perspectives on the troupe, not the show, essentially restate what we've been told by the five: they were ornery, obstinate, and hilarious; a gang that took on each other as much as the rest of the world. the one particularly good exception is the through line of women "backstage" who frequently saw something in the kids and went out on a limb for them in worlds like HBO or the CBC. comedy, like many-an industry, has historically been a boys' club, and even beyond the five kids, the well-known secondary characters of their narrative are more men, so it was enjoyable to see how many of those "right place-right time" moments that have to happen to subjects of biographies were indeed facilitated by women. female comedy peers and women who worked at the show's various networks are, to me, the best at succinctly capturing what makes the kids special.
when discussing the sketches and characters of the eponymous tv show, myers doesn't flex much knowledge of their extensive back catalog. old standards like chicken lady, buddy cole, or simon & hecubus get their origin stories—stories they've all very much told before, whether in interviews or providing commentary for the KITH dvds—but it would have been nice to hear what inspired some of their other great, if less obvious, sketches. (i will concede that some of this is me being crotchety about the fact that NO ONE seems to want to talk to bruce about tammy, which is what my interview with him would consist entirely of.) nor does myers seem interested in prodding at some of their more questionable characters in any meaningful way; in this portrait, the kids are somehow both provocateurs of humor and mythologized figures who have only made the mistake of sticking to their comedy guns, conveyed more as a sign of integrity than a real flaw. but the fact is, the kids dealt, and still deal, in a lot of racism in their quest for strange comedy; i continue to find it incredibly weird that no one will ask mark mckinney—or the others, but mark had a specific recurring character—about the blackface. so much of the kids in the hall still plays as fresh and weird as it did 30 years ago, both resonant and challenging—the reason these more-than-middle aged men no longer confined to a hall are still being watched and written about—but some of it doesn't, though you'd never know it reading myers' uncritical look at their oeuvre.
i think it says a lot that all of the quotes on either the cover or the first few pages are about the troupe, not the book. i suppose 'the authorized biography' isn't the place where someone's going to press hard and make stuff uncomfortable. and it is no requirement of a biography to interrogate a legacy beyond legendary sketch comedy troupe, though in my opinion, not doing so means you simply did the bare minimum of the assignment, which means you get a C. but hey, C's get degrees and apparently also, really enviable book deals. it's really no fault of myers' that this book was fun to read and it doesn't seem like he asked anything interesting, but lucky for him, the kids are still ridiculously funny guys who really thrive on making each other laugh, and they've got a compelling narrative, no matter who's writing it. but based on what we do know, that narrative has been uncomfortable sometimes, and one dumb guy ultimately doesn't have enough new information on their history or new insights on their body of work to be truly satisfying. perhaps i'm too big a fan, but i also feel like that's who's picking this book up in the first place. we're the only ones who could enjoy it, but by that very nature, we can't. there is a charming irony there, one i'm sure the kids would find humor in.
myers discloses early on that he's been a fan for a long time, going to their live shows back in the 80s with his brother, mike (yes, that one), and though the admission contextualizes all that follows, it doesn't lead to any revelations in the interviews with the kids themselves. the five of them have, by and large, been very candid with what it's like to work with the other four and to be in a comedy troupe that has managed to stay in business for over 30 years. as myers says, it's each of the kids' longest marriage, and their conflict—as well as their candor—is something of a thing for anyone who interviews them. (you can always tell if an interviewer hasn't read up before talking to one of them—they'll ask questions about memories and hanging out together, despite the fact that inter-troupe strife is by no means a secret.) so it's incredibly disappointing to see someone who's moderately close to the kids so utterly squander such a unique opportunity to divulge some actually new information out of them. much of the quotes that might seem provocative are essentially a rehashing of what they said to the a.v. club back in like, 2004. readers are under no obligation to troll the AVC archives, but the least myers could have done was cite tasha robinson, who it seems like did the work for him.
most of the truly new stuff is about the behind-the-scenes action throughout their time together in the 80s and 90s. interviews with producers; wardrobe, hair, and makeup women; friends-turned-writers; and of course, the lorne michaels yield things we finally don't already know, but unfortunately, even that isn't really what we want to know. these periphery characters give fine enough answers, but the kids, even if they hated each other, trusted each other in a way they didn't with almost everybody else, so there just isn't enough to be gleamed from people who weren't in the inner sanctum. outsider perspectives on the troupe, not the show, essentially restate what we've been told by the five: they were ornery, obstinate, and hilarious; a gang that took on each other as much as the rest of the world. the one particularly good exception is the through line of women "backstage" who frequently saw something in the kids and went out on a limb for them in worlds like HBO or the CBC. comedy, like many-an industry, has historically been a boys' club, and even beyond the five kids, the well-known secondary characters of their narrative are more men, so it was enjoyable to see how many of those "right place-right time" moments that have to happen to subjects of biographies were indeed facilitated by women. female comedy peers and women who worked at the show's various networks are, to me, the best at succinctly capturing what makes the kids special.
when discussing the sketches and characters of the eponymous tv show, myers doesn't flex much knowledge of their extensive back catalog. old standards like chicken lady, buddy cole, or simon & hecubus get their origin stories—stories they've all very much told before, whether in interviews or providing commentary for the KITH dvds—but it would have been nice to hear what inspired some of their other great, if less obvious, sketches. (i will concede that some of this is me being crotchety about the fact that NO ONE seems to want to talk to bruce about tammy, which is what my interview with him would consist entirely of.) nor does myers seem interested in prodding at some of their more questionable characters in any meaningful way; in this portrait, the kids are somehow both provocateurs of humor and mythologized figures who have only made the mistake of sticking to their comedy guns, conveyed more as a sign of integrity than a real flaw. but the fact is, the kids dealt, and still deal, in a lot of racism in their quest for strange comedy; i continue to find it incredibly weird that no one will ask mark mckinney—or the others, but mark had a specific recurring character—about the blackface. so much of the kids in the hall still plays as fresh and weird as it did 30 years ago, both resonant and challenging—the reason these more-than-middle aged men no longer confined to a hall are still being watched and written about—but some of it doesn't, though you'd never know it reading myers' uncritical look at their oeuvre.
i think it says a lot that all of the quotes on either the cover or the first few pages are about the troupe, not the book. i suppose 'the authorized biography' isn't the place where someone's going to press hard and make stuff uncomfortable. and it is no requirement of a biography to interrogate a legacy beyond legendary sketch comedy troupe, though in my opinion, not doing so means you simply did the bare minimum of the assignment, which means you get a C. but hey, C's get degrees and apparently also, really enviable book deals. it's really no fault of myers' that this book was fun to read and it doesn't seem like he asked anything interesting, but lucky for him, the kids are still ridiculously funny guys who really thrive on making each other laugh, and they've got a compelling narrative, no matter who's writing it. but based on what we do know, that narrative has been uncomfortable sometimes, and one dumb guy ultimately doesn't have enough new information on their history or new insights on their body of work to be truly satisfying. perhaps i'm too big a fan, but i also feel like that's who's picking this book up in the first place. we're the only ones who could enjoy it, but by that very nature, we can't. there is a charming irony there, one i'm sure the kids would find humor in.
February 19, 2019
The four stars is more like 4.5, maybe? The writing wasn't perfect--the chapter-to-chapter transitions, in particular, could have been more elegant--but overall this is by far the best popular-figure (well, "figures," in this case) biography I've read in AGES. Paul Myers incorporates (SUBSTANTIAL) material from interviews seamlessly, and that material is extremely well-organized. THIS is the kind of book I've been waiting for.
I will gladly read anything else Paul Myers writes--he is a dab hand at this genre.
Accolades aside: if you like The Kids in the Hall, read this book. If you are into comedy history, or comedy in general, or sketch comedy, read this book. If (like me) you vaguely remember The Kids in the Hall from Comedy Central reruns, know the members from other stuff, and want to learn more? DEFINITELY read this book. Their stuff is funny even decades later, in print.
tl;dr Paul Myers is better at writing the celebrity-bio genre than almost anyone else. This book is great. Do recommend.
I will gladly read anything else Paul Myers writes--he is a dab hand at this genre.
Accolades aside: if you like The Kids in the Hall, read this book. If you are into comedy history, or comedy in general, or sketch comedy, read this book. If (like me) you vaguely remember The Kids in the Hall from Comedy Central reruns, know the members from other stuff, and want to learn more? DEFINITELY read this book. Their stuff is funny even decades later, in print.
tl;dr Paul Myers is better at writing the celebrity-bio genre than almost anyone else. This book is great. Do recommend.
January 15, 2019
Serviceable.
May 19, 2021
In the late Eighties, a group of Canadian comedians came together and began a TV show that would be hugely influential if criminally underappreciated in its own time. I discovered that show probably during its run on late-nite CBS in the early Nineties, but I really got into it when, during my brief run at college living in the latter half of that decade, I came across it on Comedy Central. "The Kids In the Hall" had an amazing theme song (which is currently stuck in my head as I write this), a bizarre view of life, and a hilarious cast of characters whose creators invested them with deeper levels of humanity than even Monty Python had often managed, at least on a sketch comedy show.
"The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy" by Paul Myers takes me down memory lane with a history of the troupe as they came together in the Eighties, found their comedic voices, and stormed to the heights of CBC and American television (well, they were certainly popular in their homeland, though it would take us stupid Americans some time to appreciate them). Interviewing all five of the Kids (Dave Foley, Mike McKinney, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, and Scott Thompson), Myers shows how the group began to form around a shared love of subversive humor and a shared sense of trauma from their difficult childhoods. There were factions and fighting to get certain performers more time onscreen, of course, but the picture that emerges is of a group of men who genuinely loved performing together, and who continue to do so to this day whenever they can find the time to do so.
The book also features quotes from people associated with the show (Paul Bellini, Lorne Michaels, and so on), as well as famous fans who went on to create their own comedic universes as a result of the Kids' influence (Bob Odenkirk, Dana Gould, and so on). This is really a treat for anyone who ever loved the show or the Kids' one movie (so far), "Brain Candy." A cult legend when they wrapped their TV show in 1995, KITH has found renewed life not just as a nostalgia act but as a live performance with new material interspersed with the hits. And each of the cast members has found his own degree of post-show success (with some failures along the way, too). But all five as of this writing are still alive and well, and who knows what could be in the future for the Kids In the Hall.
"The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy" by Paul Myers takes me down memory lane with a history of the troupe as they came together in the Eighties, found their comedic voices, and stormed to the heights of CBC and American television (well, they were certainly popular in their homeland, though it would take us stupid Americans some time to appreciate them). Interviewing all five of the Kids (Dave Foley, Mike McKinney, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, and Scott Thompson), Myers shows how the group began to form around a shared love of subversive humor and a shared sense of trauma from their difficult childhoods. There were factions and fighting to get certain performers more time onscreen, of course, but the picture that emerges is of a group of men who genuinely loved performing together, and who continue to do so to this day whenever they can find the time to do so.
The book also features quotes from people associated with the show (Paul Bellini, Lorne Michaels, and so on), as well as famous fans who went on to create their own comedic universes as a result of the Kids' influence (Bob Odenkirk, Dana Gould, and so on). This is really a treat for anyone who ever loved the show or the Kids' one movie (so far), "Brain Candy." A cult legend when they wrapped their TV show in 1995, KITH has found renewed life not just as a nostalgia act but as a live performance with new material interspersed with the hits. And each of the cast members has found his own degree of post-show success (with some failures along the way, too). But all five as of this writing are still alive and well, and who knows what could be in the future for the Kids In the Hall.
September 4, 2019
I read an advanced reading copy of this book by Mike Myers older brother, Paul, which is all about the origin and history of the Canadian sketch comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall. I first saw the show in its second go around while having cable for the first time living in my first apartment around 1993. I thought they were hilarious and way funnier than SNL. I only knew they were on HBO prior due to the fact that in the ending credits it said as much.
I was unaware of all the trials and tribulations the group had to go through just to get that HBO show.
Myers goes through each individual member's upbringing ( most had alcoholic fathers ) and how they ended up finding each other and developing a show. All the bumps, bruised egos, fights, and health issues are detailed in full.
Since this was an advanced copy, mine was sans pictures and a bit full of mistakes probably rectified in the final version. But I recommend the book for any fan of the show.
I was unaware of all the trials and tribulations the group had to go through just to get that HBO show.
Myers goes through each individual member's upbringing ( most had alcoholic fathers ) and how they ended up finding each other and developing a show. All the bumps, bruised egos, fights, and health issues are detailed in full.
Since this was an advanced copy, mine was sans pictures and a bit full of mistakes probably rectified in the final version. But I recommend the book for any fan of the show.
November 17, 2018
I love Kids in the Hall and was glad to read a book that chronicles their history. I was entertained throughout. I especially liked learning more detail about what was going on behind the scenes during the Brain Candy era. My only small nitpick is that there weren’t enough details I wanted, and too many of others I didn’t. Like, I’d like to know more about what life looks like for the Kids now, beyond their recent acting credits, and less of some of the dry listings of names of people involved with this or that. Overall, a great book for a Kids in the Hall fan!
March 14, 2019
Thank you to the House of Anasi for a copy of The Kids in the Hall for review.
I feel like there is nothing more Canadian than reading a book about The Kids in the Hall and buying tulips in March to try and pretend spring is coming soon!
The Kids in the Hall is a pretty straightforward history of the group and how they formed. It goes through the years they were together but I found it just skims the facts. There was nothing deeper or more in depth which was a shame. I wish there was more than that, maybe some behind the scenes stuff or more of the inspiration for their famous sketches.
A good general history but nothing to be excited for I’m afraid. It did make me miss the days of kids singing “These Are The Daves I Know” for no reason, or squashing your heads with your fingers.
I feel like there is nothing more Canadian than reading a book about The Kids in the Hall and buying tulips in March to try and pretend spring is coming soon!
The Kids in the Hall is a pretty straightforward history of the group and how they formed. It goes through the years they were together but I found it just skims the facts. There was nothing deeper or more in depth which was a shame. I wish there was more than that, maybe some behind the scenes stuff or more of the inspiration for their famous sketches.
A good general history but nothing to be excited for I’m afraid. It did make me miss the days of kids singing “These Are The Daves I Know” for no reason, or squashing your heads with your fingers.
January 17, 2022
The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy by Paul Myers is a must-read for fans of the Canadian comedy troupe. Myers digs into the comedy roots that brought the five guys together and follows their ups and downs over the decades. I particularly enjoyed learning about the origins of some of the sketches and who brings what to the table for a sketch. It wasn't what I expected. In fact, there were a lot of things I didn't expect! In all, I think it helped me develop a deeper appreciation of their work.
Bonus points: I did not know that Mark is the son of a diplomat. I knew I liked that guy.
Bonus points: I did not know that Mark is the son of a diplomat. I knew I liked that guy.
August 20, 2023
A truly cutting-edge comedy troupe that's worked together on and off since the mid-eighties and is still continuing despite fights, solo careers, health issues, and many other obstacles. Their story is dramatic, funny, moving, tragic and inspiring all at once. A unique blend of talents and personalities. Everything they touched turned to cult. - BH.
January 17, 2021
I definitely learned more about the Kids in the Hall than I already knew from other books, podcasts, live shows/Q&As and so on, but I'd agree very much with most of the criticisms of the book that appear in other reviews.
January 26, 2019
Very surface-level stuff that you can probably read on wikipedia, but I love the Kids, so it's OK.
Also, there's only half of a sentence about Bruce's genius show "Carpoolers" which is disgraceful.
Also, there's only half of a sentence about Bruce's genius show "Carpoolers" which is disgraceful.
November 8, 2024
Good to see, the good old 'kids' doing well. You will enjoy reading it, you will be "crushing it"!
November 26, 2024
The Kids (and Python) helped me through the true trials and tribulations of being weird in high school. Of course, maybe liking sketch comedy too much is what made me weird in high school.
September 26, 2021
I was never the biggest Kids in the Hall fan - I never really "got it" - but this book makes me want to revisit some sketches. A basic biography, but Myers being friends with the troupe for 30+ years really comes through in his love for them and how in-depth they allow him to get.
June 14, 2020
Let me claim my seat: I loved the Kids in the Hall since their HBO debut. Even went to see one of their final tapings in 1995.
And despite all that, Paul Myers' book made me love them even more.
It's a really brisk read that provides some great behind-the-scenes details. It also makes the case that KITH were the Nirvana or Replacements of Comedy: a troupe whose work provided immediate identification and could hit the right emotional tone.
A must-read.
And despite all that, Paul Myers' book made me love them even more.
It's a really brisk read that provides some great behind-the-scenes details. It also makes the case that KITH were the Nirvana or Replacements of Comedy: a troupe whose work provided immediate identification and could hit the right emotional tone.
A must-read.
June 18, 2018
(Note: I received an advanced electronic copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)
When I was first introduced to Kids in the Hall through the syndicated reruns on Comedy Central, I remember being a bit more bewildered than anything by their brand of humor, which ranged from straight faced monologues on the most absurd topics to skits that were practically art films. But it wasn’t very long until I warmed up to the troupe whose creatively gutsy sketches could make me near-incapacitated with laughter. After that it was a pretty quick jump to a genuine adoration of Bruce, Kevin, Dave, Mark, Scott, and a deep respect that bordered on reverence for their ability to take comedy to new what felt like a magical next level. In other words, eventually I became part of the Kids in the Hall’s following, a band whose dedication continues to hold strong.
And now, I and the many other fans are lucky enough to not merely have a history of the Kids to enjoy, but what is undoubtedly the definitive history. It’s difficult to see how anyone will be able to top Paul Myers' fine work here, which covers everything from each troupe member’s beginnings up until the present day, written with both the finest of researched detail and the honest and open collaboration of the Kids themselves.
At the very least, this book will renew its readers love of the Kids, and if they’re anything remotely like me they’ll find themselves occasionally taking breaks just so they can re-watch classic sketches online. But it will also be difficult to get through “One Dumb Guy” without ending up with an even greater grasp on just how daring and groundbreaking the troupe has been, and how much their influence continues to be felt throughout sketch comedy.
To try and sum it up succinctly to my fellow fans of the Kids in the Hall - this is our book, and we couldn’t have hoped for better.
When I was first introduced to Kids in the Hall through the syndicated reruns on Comedy Central, I remember being a bit more bewildered than anything by their brand of humor, which ranged from straight faced monologues on the most absurd topics to skits that were practically art films. But it wasn’t very long until I warmed up to the troupe whose creatively gutsy sketches could make me near-incapacitated with laughter. After that it was a pretty quick jump to a genuine adoration of Bruce, Kevin, Dave, Mark, Scott, and a deep respect that bordered on reverence for their ability to take comedy to new what felt like a magical next level. In other words, eventually I became part of the Kids in the Hall’s following, a band whose dedication continues to hold strong.
And now, I and the many other fans are lucky enough to not merely have a history of the Kids to enjoy, but what is undoubtedly the definitive history. It’s difficult to see how anyone will be able to top Paul Myers' fine work here, which covers everything from each troupe member’s beginnings up until the present day, written with both the finest of researched detail and the honest and open collaboration of the Kids themselves.
At the very least, this book will renew its readers love of the Kids, and if they’re anything remotely like me they’ll find themselves occasionally taking breaks just so they can re-watch classic sketches online. But it will also be difficult to get through “One Dumb Guy” without ending up with an even greater grasp on just how daring and groundbreaking the troupe has been, and how much their influence continues to be felt throughout sketch comedy.
To try and sum it up succinctly to my fellow fans of the Kids in the Hall - this is our book, and we couldn’t have hoped for better.
December 12, 2018
A seemingly thorough account of the career of the Kids in the Hall, however it fails to really cover the men behind the kids to any great degree.
November 26, 2018
The Kids in the Hall have this nasty habit of always being here for me. First, as a high school kid thirsty for comedy, then as a bonding experience with my girlfriends and college friends, then as a source of solace during a recent rough patch. What sticks out, of course, is just now funny and relevant the show has stayed for more than 2 decades.
And that shouldn’t surprise me, because the KITH were a punk rock response to mainstream comedy. That theme song has been imbedded in my DNA to the point that I occasionally hum the bass line to myself. Always being thirsty for new material, this biography by Paul Meyers is just the thing a fan like me would want until the kids return.
Having access to all the heavy players in the KITH’s career, it’s no wonder this book offered a big insider’s look. But what also stands out is just how much fun this book is. KITH: One Dumb Guy is the perfect read on a rainy Sunday night with your cat on your lap. And that’s exactly what I did.
Having watched featurettes on the KITH in the past, I was always under the impression that McKinney was sort of the “leader” of the group, but not so. Meyers’ book places McCulloch as the head honcho of the KITH, both in forming them, and keeping them going all these years. There are so many interesting accounts here, both their struggle to keep control of their art and finding success on their own terms. It seems like the troupe was constantly striving to dominate whatever scene they were in and trying to move on to the next step as quickly as possible. The formula was Monty Python’s: make a TV show then do a bunch of movies. The kids were a perfect example of how they were greater than the sum of their parts: McKinney’s comedy was completely character driven, Thompson brought an edge to the group as an openly gay member, Foley had the charm (and cheekbones), and McDonald had an incredible eye for detail. That, and of course, they were all really funny and held each other to high standards.
Meyers got input from everyone who played a mayor roll in the career of the KITH, from early troupe members, writers, to Paul Bellini, Lorne Michaels, The Shadowy Men, to people who were greatly influenced by their comedy like Paul Feig and Bob Odenkirk. This book is in-depth and engrossing.
My only gripe, as a fan, was that it wasn’t longer. I could easily have read another 100 pages behind the process of making the seasons of the TV show, the Brain Candy movie, and Death Comes to Town. But that’s just a testament to how much I miss this show.
KITH: One Dumb Guy is a great supplement for curious about the process of how the KITH make comedy and just how they got to where they were. They might not have been a smash hit, but they’re a cult hit. And that’s so much cooler.
And that shouldn’t surprise me, because the KITH were a punk rock response to mainstream comedy. That theme song has been imbedded in my DNA to the point that I occasionally hum the bass line to myself. Always being thirsty for new material, this biography by Paul Meyers is just the thing a fan like me would want until the kids return.
Having access to all the heavy players in the KITH’s career, it’s no wonder this book offered a big insider’s look. But what also stands out is just how much fun this book is. KITH: One Dumb Guy is the perfect read on a rainy Sunday night with your cat on your lap. And that’s exactly what I did.
Having watched featurettes on the KITH in the past, I was always under the impression that McKinney was sort of the “leader” of the group, but not so. Meyers’ book places McCulloch as the head honcho of the KITH, both in forming them, and keeping them going all these years. There are so many interesting accounts here, both their struggle to keep control of their art and finding success on their own terms. It seems like the troupe was constantly striving to dominate whatever scene they were in and trying to move on to the next step as quickly as possible. The formula was Monty Python’s: make a TV show then do a bunch of movies. The kids were a perfect example of how they were greater than the sum of their parts: McKinney’s comedy was completely character driven, Thompson brought an edge to the group as an openly gay member, Foley had the charm (and cheekbones), and McDonald had an incredible eye for detail. That, and of course, they were all really funny and held each other to high standards.
Meyers got input from everyone who played a mayor roll in the career of the KITH, from early troupe members, writers, to Paul Bellini, Lorne Michaels, The Shadowy Men, to people who were greatly influenced by their comedy like Paul Feig and Bob Odenkirk. This book is in-depth and engrossing.
My only gripe, as a fan, was that it wasn’t longer. I could easily have read another 100 pages behind the process of making the seasons of the TV show, the Brain Candy movie, and Death Comes to Town. But that’s just a testament to how much I miss this show.
KITH: One Dumb Guy is a great supplement for curious about the process of how the KITH make comedy and just how they got to where they were. They might not have been a smash hit, but they’re a cult hit. And that’s so much cooler.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews