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Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot
In the grand satirical tradition of Swift, Rabelais, and Twain comes... "Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot, and Other Observations" ...
a scathing--but uncompromisingly fair--look at America's largest talk show hostand the rest of the Republican right.
a scathing--but uncompromisingly fair--look at America's largest talk show hostand the rest of the Republican right.
271 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
18 people are currently reading
1760 people want to read
About the author
Al Franken
19 books649 followersAlan Stuart "Al" Franken is an Emmy Award–winning American comedian, writer, progressive political commentator, and, recently, politician. He gained fame as a writer and a performer for Saturday Night Live, eventually writing and appearing in several films. Since then, Franken has become more known for his political commentary, writing numerous bestselling books and hosting a nationally-syndicated radio show on Air America Radio.
He is currently the United States Senator from Minnesota.
On February 14, 2007, Franken announced his candidacy for the 2008 United States Senate election in Minnesota as a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, and was nominated by that party on June 7, 2008. He won the Democratic Party primary on September 9, 2008, defeating his closest opponent 65% to 29%. He was elected to the Senate, narrowly defeating Republican incumbent Norm Coleman. In 2014 he was reelected to a second term.
He is currently the United States Senator from Minnesota.
On February 14, 2007, Franken announced his candidacy for the 2008 United States Senate election in Minnesota as a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, and was nominated by that party on June 7, 2008. He won the Democratic Party primary on September 9, 2008, defeating his closest opponent 65% to 29%. He was elected to the Senate, narrowly defeating Republican incumbent Norm Coleman. In 2014 he was reelected to a second term.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
April 10, 2009
I think that this was Al Franken's first political book, written before he turned into a politician himself. I remember reading it at the gym,on the stair machine and laughing so hard that I almost fell off ... How tragic is it that 14 years after this book was published Rush Limbaugh is still being a big fat idiot, and people still actually listen to him.
January 10, 2009
Don't let the title fool you, this book is very short on personal insults. Rather, Franken the commedian introduces us to Al Franken the logician who demolishes all of Rush Limbaugh's prize arguments by going after his...math? By the time Franken is done, Limbaugh doesn't have a leg to stand on. Quite frankly, it is this part of Franken that is on display and makes reading this book quite a revealation. I was so rapped up in it's arguments and logic that I coudn't put it down.
February 13, 2022
Question: Is it in poor taste to be reading this book right now, so shortly after Limbaugh’s death?
Answer: Absolutely.
And did I do it intentionally? Damn right I did - 100%. Actually went out and bought this on Amazon just to be an unforgiving and petty-minded little shit.
Because I firmly believe that it is really important that with his sad passing (inasmuch as all deaths are “sad,” I guess), we remember Limbaugh not as the Presidential Medal of Freedom-winning “political commentator” for whom Florida governor Rick DeSantis ordered state flags to be lowered to half-mast. No, we should remember him as he is presented here – and as he presented himself for most of his life – a racist, sexist, homophobic, bile-spewing, certainly self-loathing bag of poisonous gas that played a far-too-important role in the decline of American thought and civility over the past 30+ years.
So yeah, I totally read this book as a final middle-finger to ol’ Rush, so that the minute I hit "POST" I will never have to think of him again.
Well, that felt good. As to the book itself…sadly, less than 20% is devoted exclusively to the original “Fat Bastard” (apologies to Austin Powers); but still, the whole thing is pretty funny, if still surprisingly (and depressingly) relevant after all this time. Because while Limbaugh may be gone, the second “star” of this book – Newt Gingrich – remains very much a voice in today’s Republican landscape, and will probably only get louder once he returns from Rome, where his wife has been serving as Donald Trump's Ambassador to the Holy See.*
And that’s pretty scary, because while Limbaugh was in actual fact “a big fat idiot,” Gingrich is genuinely intelligent (as well as, y'know, still alive), which makes him all the more dangerous. Franken devotes several chapters to Newt and his various “factual inaccuracies,” which are just devious enough to be accepted as believable truth to a quasi-educated audience. (Actual Accurate Fact: while conservative radio listeners – particularly Limbaugh’s - consider themselves the “best informed” voting segment, they are in fact the least informed).**
As to the rest, while a surprising number of political references still ring a bell – Al mentions a “boyishly-rugged” John Kasich; Frank Luntz is still an influential yet wildly one-sided "polling consultant;" we get stories of a diabolically motivated Jerry Falwell Sr. (rather than the current Jr.);*** and it’s sad to think that Clarence Thomas holds just as much power today as he did back in 1996 – more often than not, Franken's pantheon of political buffoons have thankfully become mere historical footnotes: Pat Buchanan, Phil Gramm, Dan Quayle,**** Arlen Specter, Al D'Amato, etc., etc.
What does age well are some of Al’s “Other Observations,” as well as the overall mix of cocky egotism and self-deprecation that has been a hallmark throughout his career. Of the latter, I enjoyed this:
I spend time with my kids. And lots of it. I believe the best thing a parent can give his kids is time. And not just quality time, but big, stinking, lazy, non-productive quantity time. In fact, that’s why this book is so badly written. Believe me, you’d be enjoying the experience of reading this book a lot more if I weren’t so dedicated to my children.
And my favorite “Other” chapter is a hilariously un-PC piece on resolving proposed budget cuts to both Medicare and NASA that begins:
Now here are two seemingly unrelated facts.
Fact One: 30 percent of Medicare expenditures are incurred by people in the last year of their lives.
Fact Two: NASA spends billions per year on astronaut safety.
Maybe you see where I’m going…
Oh, and I also got a kick out of his EXTREMELY outdated descriptions of the then-spanking new “information superhighway,” and his primitive adventures with early search engine LexisNexis…really reminded me of just how new this whole internet/email thing is – and makes me genuinely fear for where we will be in another 25 years…
Anyway, sorry – way too long. But I wanted to give this book at least as fond a send-off as its titular character received from FOX NEWS, before it is consigned to the dust bin of history – along with, hopefully, Limbaugh himself.
* That would be his third wife, Callista. Not his first wife, who had also been his high school math teacher whom he married at 19, and who he famously cheated on and then divorced while she was battling cancer (and then skimped on alimony and child support to the point where his wife’s church had to take up a collection for her and the kids).
** Annenberg School for Communications study, University of Pennsylvania
*** "Christians in politics" don't come off particularly well overall here - Franken devotes a whole chapter to Pat Robertson, Ralph Reed and the Christian Coalition's impact on the Republican party and its candidates based solely on the twin issues of abortion and LGBTQ rights (as opposed to, say, the teachings of Jesus); an eerie predictor of the genuine "unholy alliance" between Christian evangelicals and Donald Trump over the past five years. (And I say that as a practicing Christian myself, albeit a Northeast Liberal, science-believing heretic.) Favorite Robertson quote (among way too many): "The feminist agenda...is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft and become lesbians."
**** Along with Limbaugh and Gingrich, Buchanan, Quayle and Gramm all weaseled their way our of serving in Vietnam. Franken makes up for that with a funny reimagining of the five of them serving under Ollie North, who they ultimately frag rather than face the enemy.
Answer: Absolutely.
And did I do it intentionally? Damn right I did - 100%. Actually went out and bought this on Amazon just to be an unforgiving and petty-minded little shit.
Because I firmly believe that it is really important that with his sad passing (inasmuch as all deaths are “sad,” I guess), we remember Limbaugh not as the Presidential Medal of Freedom-winning “political commentator” for whom Florida governor Rick DeSantis ordered state flags to be lowered to half-mast. No, we should remember him as he is presented here – and as he presented himself for most of his life – a racist, sexist, homophobic, bile-spewing, certainly self-loathing bag of poisonous gas that played a far-too-important role in the decline of American thought and civility over the past 30+ years.
So yeah, I totally read this book as a final middle-finger to ol’ Rush, so that the minute I hit "POST" I will never have to think of him again.
Well, that felt good. As to the book itself…sadly, less than 20% is devoted exclusively to the original “Fat Bastard” (apologies to Austin Powers); but still, the whole thing is pretty funny, if still surprisingly (and depressingly) relevant after all this time. Because while Limbaugh may be gone, the second “star” of this book – Newt Gingrich – remains very much a voice in today’s Republican landscape, and will probably only get louder once he returns from Rome, where his wife has been serving as Donald Trump's Ambassador to the Holy See.*
And that’s pretty scary, because while Limbaugh was in actual fact “a big fat idiot,” Gingrich is genuinely intelligent (as well as, y'know, still alive), which makes him all the more dangerous. Franken devotes several chapters to Newt and his various “factual inaccuracies,” which are just devious enough to be accepted as believable truth to a quasi-educated audience. (Actual Accurate Fact: while conservative radio listeners – particularly Limbaugh’s - consider themselves the “best informed” voting segment, they are in fact the least informed).**
As to the rest, while a surprising number of political references still ring a bell – Al mentions a “boyishly-rugged” John Kasich; Frank Luntz is still an influential yet wildly one-sided "polling consultant;" we get stories of a diabolically motivated Jerry Falwell Sr. (rather than the current Jr.);*** and it’s sad to think that Clarence Thomas holds just as much power today as he did back in 1996 – more often than not, Franken's pantheon of political buffoons have thankfully become mere historical footnotes: Pat Buchanan, Phil Gramm, Dan Quayle,**** Arlen Specter, Al D'Amato, etc., etc.
What does age well are some of Al’s “Other Observations,” as well as the overall mix of cocky egotism and self-deprecation that has been a hallmark throughout his career. Of the latter, I enjoyed this:
I spend time with my kids. And lots of it. I believe the best thing a parent can give his kids is time. And not just quality time, but big, stinking, lazy, non-productive quantity time. In fact, that’s why this book is so badly written. Believe me, you’d be enjoying the experience of reading this book a lot more if I weren’t so dedicated to my children.
And my favorite “Other” chapter is a hilariously un-PC piece on resolving proposed budget cuts to both Medicare and NASA that begins:
Now here are two seemingly unrelated facts.
Fact One: 30 percent of Medicare expenditures are incurred by people in the last year of their lives.
Fact Two: NASA spends billions per year on astronaut safety.
Maybe you see where I’m going…
Oh, and I also got a kick out of his EXTREMELY outdated descriptions of the then-spanking new “information superhighway,” and his primitive adventures with early search engine LexisNexis…really reminded me of just how new this whole internet/email thing is – and makes me genuinely fear for where we will be in another 25 years…
Anyway, sorry – way too long. But I wanted to give this book at least as fond a send-off as its titular character received from FOX NEWS, before it is consigned to the dust bin of history – along with, hopefully, Limbaugh himself.
* That would be his third wife, Callista. Not his first wife, who had also been his high school math teacher whom he married at 19, and who he famously cheated on and then divorced while she was battling cancer (and then skimped on alimony and child support to the point where his wife’s church had to take up a collection for her and the kids).
** Annenberg School for Communications study, University of Pennsylvania
*** "Christians in politics" don't come off particularly well overall here - Franken devotes a whole chapter to Pat Robertson, Ralph Reed and the Christian Coalition's impact on the Republican party and its candidates based solely on the twin issues of abortion and LGBTQ rights (as opposed to, say, the teachings of Jesus); an eerie predictor of the genuine "unholy alliance" between Christian evangelicals and Donald Trump over the past five years. (And I say that as a practicing Christian myself, albeit a Northeast Liberal, science-believing heretic.) Favorite Robertson quote (among way too many): "The feminist agenda...is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft and become lesbians."
**** Along with Limbaugh and Gingrich, Buchanan, Quayle and Gramm all weaseled their way our of serving in Vietnam. Franken makes up for that with a funny reimagining of the five of them serving under Ollie North, who they ultimately frag rather than face the enemy.
July 21, 2010
0.5 stars. This is the book that made me wish you could give the 0 star rating. The worst part of this experience is my personal commitment that once I open a book to read it, I will see it through to the end (no matter how INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY PAINFUL that experience might be).
Anyway, not much to say about the body of the book other than it is poorly written, disingenuous and....biggest crime of all...NOT FUNNY.
Anyway, not much to say about the body of the book other than it is poorly written, disingenuous and....biggest crime of all...NOT FUNNY.
August 10, 2017
This had me guffawing on a flight from Copenhagen to New York. It's amazing how little things have changed since the time when John Kasich could be accurately described as "boyish" (*shudder*): people were still entertaining weird white nationalist populist fantasies, clamoring for a border fence, and hoping that wealth indicated some form of competence. Franken skewers them all, most notably: Rush, Newt, and ol' Ronnie.
One issue I had with this: does Franken really think that Clinton was the greatest president of the 20th Century? God, I hope not.
One issue I had with this: does Franken really think that Clinton was the greatest president of the 20th Century? God, I hope not.
August 12, 2007
I read it the *day* it came out in hardback, and just LOVED it. Franken is brilliant, and has a crack team of ivy-league researchers to do his bidding, which doesn't hurt.
May 1, 2008
Truly dreadful. Full of lies and half-truths, this book has been thoroughly debunked.
January 24, 2010
Very distorted material and never made me laugh once. Even if you like Franken and hate Rush you'd think it would be revolting to make fun in the title of a book of anyone being overweight. The funny part is Franken is now fatter than Rush. Do you think a book called "Al Frankem is a big Fat Idiot.' would sell?
September 25, 2011
I picked up the audio to this book. I am disgusted to say that it starts out NOT with Al Franken's work but some right-wing reviewer named Jean Kirkpatrick who goes on about her own credentials (geo-political etc) and "why oh why!! *sob cry moan*"
was she made to review this book instead of what was given to P.J. O'Rourke. My suggestion is that obviously she doesn't know anything at all (especially about political comedy - satirical or otherwise - or her professed area of expertise. WHICH IS the focus of this book.) and shouldn't be reviewing a work period. This is a diatribe praising Limbaugh (Who btw is a big fat idiot et al - that's an observational truth not an insult.*) and the conservative party line -- not a review of the actual work presented. Her voice is also extremely annoying.
Further I am of the opinion that while your political, social, etc. opinions will inflect your reviews it should not ever be the basis or focal point for a professional literary review, if you cannot review it on its merits and THEN provide a personal opinion at the conclusion (and then only if absolutely needed) then you need to find a different line of work. I'd have been flunked for turning in such a review based upon personal opinion on a work in college.
I'm giving this first section negative 37 stars and SHAME ON THE NEW YORK TIMES for hiring such an unqualified person.
The second session begins with Al Franken reading his work. My sincere sympathies to him for having to plough through over 180 hours of that [censored] being. Apparently I cannot even hack someone really reviewing [Limbaugh] or commenting on the subject. I also freely admit that while I respect Al Franken's current actions as a Senator he isn't my favorite political satirist. So I'm only giving it 3 stars. I think if it wasn't this subject I'd have enjoyed it more. But Franken does point out some extremely valid counter-points to conservative double think or sheer "ignore the facts" aka "facts? we don't need no stinkin' facts!" attitude that is so pervasive these days. I do think it is worth a listen for that alone. I would venture to say that this isn't comedy, but illustrates Franken's shift into the political non-fiction sphere.
*You do not want to know my real opinion about that sorry excuse for a human carcass named Rush Limbaugh. I've held this opinion for a few decades and it isn't politically based. It is based on having a brain that can think and sheer common sense.
was she made to review this book instead of what was given to P.J. O'Rourke. My suggestion is that obviously she doesn't know anything at all (especially about political comedy - satirical or otherwise - or her professed area of expertise. WHICH IS the focus of this book.) and shouldn't be reviewing a work period. This is a diatribe praising Limbaugh (Who btw is a big fat idiot et al - that's an observational truth not an insult.*) and the conservative party line -- not a review of the actual work presented. Her voice is also extremely annoying.
Further I am of the opinion that while your political, social, etc. opinions will inflect your reviews it should not ever be the basis or focal point for a professional literary review, if you cannot review it on its merits and THEN provide a personal opinion at the conclusion (and then only if absolutely needed) then you need to find a different line of work. I'd have been flunked for turning in such a review based upon personal opinion on a work in college.
I'm giving this first section negative 37 stars and SHAME ON THE NEW YORK TIMES for hiring such an unqualified person.
The second session begins with Al Franken reading his work. My sincere sympathies to him for having to plough through over 180 hours of that [censored] being. Apparently I cannot even hack someone really reviewing [Limbaugh] or commenting on the subject. I also freely admit that while I respect Al Franken's current actions as a Senator he isn't my favorite political satirist. So I'm only giving it 3 stars. I think if it wasn't this subject I'd have enjoyed it more. But Franken does point out some extremely valid counter-points to conservative double think or sheer "ignore the facts" aka "facts? we don't need no stinkin' facts!" attitude that is so pervasive these days. I do think it is worth a listen for that alone. I would venture to say that this isn't comedy, but illustrates Franken's shift into the political non-fiction sphere.
*You do not want to know my real opinion about that sorry excuse for a human carcass named Rush Limbaugh. I've held this opinion for a few decades and it isn't politically based. It is based on having a brain that can think and sheer common sense.
November 25, 2007
Downloaded from Audible.com
Narrator: Al Franken
Length: 2 hours and 48 min. (abridged)
Grammy Award Winner, Best Spoken Word Comedy Album, 1996
Publisher's Summary
Fed up with the Republican Right? Then you'll love Al Franken's scathingly hilarious look at America's largest talk show host and his conservative cronies. Hear this Emmy-winning Saturday Night Live writer's thoughts on exploding Medicare costs ("Why not shoot the elderly into space?"), feminism ("Limbaugh was railing about how feminists believe that all heterosexual sex is rape. The thing is, though, I know a lot of women, almost all of whom consider themselves feminists, and I know of only one who holds this belief. And we've been married nearly twenty years"), and Rush Limbaugh's fact-checker, the man with "the easiest job in America." Funny yet uncompromisingly fair, Franken tackles the issues - and the politicians - in ways few have dared.
Narrator: Al Franken
Length: 2 hours and 48 min. (abridged)
Grammy Award Winner, Best Spoken Word Comedy Album, 1996
Publisher's Summary
Fed up with the Republican Right? Then you'll love Al Franken's scathingly hilarious look at America's largest talk show host and his conservative cronies. Hear this Emmy-winning Saturday Night Live writer's thoughts on exploding Medicare costs ("Why not shoot the elderly into space?"), feminism ("Limbaugh was railing about how feminists believe that all heterosexual sex is rape. The thing is, though, I know a lot of women, almost all of whom consider themselves feminists, and I know of only one who holds this belief. And we've been married nearly twenty years"), and Rush Limbaugh's fact-checker, the man with "the easiest job in America." Funny yet uncompromisingly fair, Franken tackles the issues - and the politicians - in ways few have dared.
June 6, 2007
I wasn't a huge Al Franken fan when this book first came out. I knew him from Saturday Night Live and I thought his Stuart Smalley stuff was worth a good chuckle. This book changed that for me. It revealed Franken's brilliance in all its glory. I am now a hardcore fan of his.
August 29, 2007
I grew up with this man’s lunatic ravings constantly blaring from the family radio. For any recovering conservative turned progressive, this is a laugh-out-loud-must-read.
July 7, 2016
He used to be a funny guy. Now one would only find it funny if you have an anger management problem and love the polemics of Karl Rove.
January 19, 2021
Pretty superficial, still good for a chuckle
January 19, 2010
Read this in college at a time when I was trying to stay friends with someone who was listening to Rush Limbaugh and talking to me about it. It was really hard to have a conversation like that. When I sampled his radio program to see what I could say in answer to it, I noticed that Limbaugh would state some pretty obscure facts and to refute his arguments you would have to chase around figuring out if he made it up or just took it out of context or if he had a point - which like anyone, he sometimes does have - just not as big a point as he manages to make out of it. I needed the internet to refute his arguments, but it was just getting borned (Netscape 2.0 came out this year, I believe) and so I had to read Al Franken instead.
The problem was, Al made it clear to me that I just couldn't have a conversation about these things with someone who wanted to listen to Rush. To want to listen to Rush was to want to see the world in a certain way that I didn't choose to see the world. I don't think everyone should pull themselves up by their bootstraps or that the government is inherently evil, and I doubt I ever will.
To want to read Al Franken was to want to laugh at the absurdity of someone presenting such an ideology as the only true way to look at things, instead of as an ideology.
It was a funny book and it did well because, as I later learned, liberals don't just like to listen to themselves talk about how right they are (RIP AirAmerica), they like to be satirical, or ironic, or wry - or at least examine things rationally, maybe concede a point or two, lose the debate as far as the audience is concerned, and feel enlightened.
Conservatives tend to like to win. They like being told by their polemicists to tell them that they are absolutely right and the other guy is unequivocally wrong, weak and stupid (thus, the title is not really meant as an insult, it's meant to be ironic, and appeal to liberals). Liberals like to believe that they are taking an open-minded and intelligent position that will be respected, even if you disagree. In this way I believe we really are like French people, as the conservatives like to insinuate.
So of course at the time Al Franken was just a comedian from Saturday Night Live and now he is a United States Senator. A rare but interesting case of someone who stops heckling the players and jumps onto the field and scores a home run.
The problem was, Al made it clear to me that I just couldn't have a conversation about these things with someone who wanted to listen to Rush. To want to listen to Rush was to want to see the world in a certain way that I didn't choose to see the world. I don't think everyone should pull themselves up by their bootstraps or that the government is inherently evil, and I doubt I ever will.
To want to read Al Franken was to want to laugh at the absurdity of someone presenting such an ideology as the only true way to look at things, instead of as an ideology.
It was a funny book and it did well because, as I later learned, liberals don't just like to listen to themselves talk about how right they are (RIP AirAmerica), they like to be satirical, or ironic, or wry - or at least examine things rationally, maybe concede a point or two, lose the debate as far as the audience is concerned, and feel enlightened.
Conservatives tend to like to win. They like being told by their polemicists to tell them that they are absolutely right and the other guy is unequivocally wrong, weak and stupid (thus, the title is not really meant as an insult, it's meant to be ironic, and appeal to liberals). Liberals like to believe that they are taking an open-minded and intelligent position that will be respected, even if you disagree. In this way I believe we really are like French people, as the conservatives like to insinuate.
So of course at the time Al Franken was just a comedian from Saturday Night Live and now he is a United States Senator. A rare but interesting case of someone who stops heckling the players and jumps onto the field and scores a home run.
December 2, 2024
FRANKEN'S FIRST "POLITICAL" BOOK, AND A GREAT ONE
Alan Stuart Franken (born 1951) was a United States Senator from Minnesota, and former writer and performer on "Saturday Night Live," as well as a political commentator, former Air America Radio host, and author of books such as 'Lies & the Lying Liars Who Tell Them.'
He wrote in the 1998 Preface to this 1996 book, "In the shadow of the whole Lewinsky scandal (I think the President f----d up very badly and that Kenneth Starr is a sick prig), it is important to remind ourselves how dishonest, misguided, and hypocritical the leaders of the Republican Revolution are and why they can't be allowed to run the country. This book is that reminder."
He states, "So Newt Gingrich is a deadbeat dad who presented his first wife with terms for divorce while she was in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery. That's not the point of this piece. But it's fun to repeat." (Pg. 47) He observes, "It's funny how many hawkish Republicans didn't go (to Vietnam). Phil Gramm had student and teaching deferments; George Will had student deferments; Clarence Thomas was 4-F." (Pg. 56)
He asserts, "Rush lies about a lot of stuff. Some of the lies I don't really hold against him. These are the ones where he's been on the air for an hour or so, and he's really on a roll... He's so far in the zone that he's left objective reality behind and entered this parallel universe where things are true because Rush wants them to be... Other lies bug me a lot. These are the rational, carefully constructed, deliberate lies of a man running a giant propaganda factory dedicated to two things: convincing people who were screwed sideways by Reaganomics that it was actually good for them, and encouraging the people who turned the screws to feel good about themselves." (Pg. 124-125)
He also argues that Bill Clinton was "The Greatest President of the Twentieth Century." He adds, "I think it's time someone made the case for Bill Clinton. In fact, I believe one of the reasons we lost control of Congress in '94 was that he hasn't received anywhere near the credit he deserves." (Pg. 248)
Conservatives will hate this book, and liberals/progressives will love it; but any reader is unlikely to not hold a strong opinion about the book, one way or the other.
Alan Stuart Franken (born 1951) was a United States Senator from Minnesota, and former writer and performer on "Saturday Night Live," as well as a political commentator, former Air America Radio host, and author of books such as 'Lies & the Lying Liars Who Tell Them.'
He wrote in the 1998 Preface to this 1996 book, "In the shadow of the whole Lewinsky scandal (I think the President f----d up very badly and that Kenneth Starr is a sick prig), it is important to remind ourselves how dishonest, misguided, and hypocritical the leaders of the Republican Revolution are and why they can't be allowed to run the country. This book is that reminder."
He states, "So Newt Gingrich is a deadbeat dad who presented his first wife with terms for divorce while she was in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery. That's not the point of this piece. But it's fun to repeat." (Pg. 47) He observes, "It's funny how many hawkish Republicans didn't go (to Vietnam). Phil Gramm had student and teaching deferments; George Will had student deferments; Clarence Thomas was 4-F." (Pg. 56)
He asserts, "Rush lies about a lot of stuff. Some of the lies I don't really hold against him. These are the ones where he's been on the air for an hour or so, and he's really on a roll... He's so far in the zone that he's left objective reality behind and entered this parallel universe where things are true because Rush wants them to be... Other lies bug me a lot. These are the rational, carefully constructed, deliberate lies of a man running a giant propaganda factory dedicated to two things: convincing people who were screwed sideways by Reaganomics that it was actually good for them, and encouraging the people who turned the screws to feel good about themselves." (Pg. 124-125)
He also argues that Bill Clinton was "The Greatest President of the Twentieth Century." He adds, "I think it's time someone made the case for Bill Clinton. In fact, I believe one of the reasons we lost control of Congress in '94 was that he hasn't received anywhere near the credit he deserves." (Pg. 248)
Conservatives will hate this book, and liberals/progressives will love it; but any reader is unlikely to not hold a strong opinion about the book, one way or the other.
February 28, 2009
Of the three Al Franken books I've read, this one is my least favorite. It's also one of his earlier books, before Lies and The Truth, so maybe he just hadn't hit his stride yet, politcal satire-wise.
Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations has a great title, mostly because it's to TRUE. How it differs from his other books that I've read is that it is a series of independent essays compiled into a collection. And while I enjoy his sharp wit and scathing humor most of the time, some of the stuff in this book seemed a little mean-spirited, even for Franken.
He spends an inordinate amount of time on Limbaugh's weight, which doesn't seem fair. Of course, I could just be a little sensitive in this department myself. But where Franken really shines is in his analysis of all the crap that Limbaugh says. This is where Franken's talent truly lies: in exposing Limbaugh (and others) for the outright liars and dangers to society and free thought they are.
The book doesn't focus strictly on Rush Limbaugh, though time and again throughout, Franken comes back to him. It also talks about some of his experiences participating in various political rallies and campaigns, which are fun to read. Franken really knows how to make an impression, I can assure you.
There was one bit that made me snort. There's an essay titled, "Stop This Man Before He Kills Again," in which Franken address the absurd claims that the Clintons are murderers. Franken was at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and shook hands with President Clinton. He says, tongue firmly planted in his cheek, "Had I known at the time that the man was a murderer, I would never have shaken his hand. I have never knowingly shaken the hand of a killer. Once I did a fund-raiser for Pol Pot, but that was before I'd seen The Killing Fields."
All in all, an okay book and another good example of Franken's sharp wit and ability to use humor to cut through all the crap. I must admit, however, that the book left me a little cold in the end and gave me the feeling of being a little too mean.
Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations has a great title, mostly because it's to TRUE. How it differs from his other books that I've read is that it is a series of independent essays compiled into a collection. And while I enjoy his sharp wit and scathing humor most of the time, some of the stuff in this book seemed a little mean-spirited, even for Franken.
He spends an inordinate amount of time on Limbaugh's weight, which doesn't seem fair. Of course, I could just be a little sensitive in this department myself. But where Franken really shines is in his analysis of all the crap that Limbaugh says. This is where Franken's talent truly lies: in exposing Limbaugh (and others) for the outright liars and dangers to society and free thought they are.
The book doesn't focus strictly on Rush Limbaugh, though time and again throughout, Franken comes back to him. It also talks about some of his experiences participating in various political rallies and campaigns, which are fun to read. Franken really knows how to make an impression, I can assure you.
There was one bit that made me snort. There's an essay titled, "Stop This Man Before He Kills Again," in which Franken address the absurd claims that the Clintons are murderers. Franken was at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and shook hands with President Clinton. He says, tongue firmly planted in his cheek, "Had I known at the time that the man was a murderer, I would never have shaken his hand. I have never knowingly shaken the hand of a killer. Once I did a fund-raiser for Pol Pot, but that was before I'd seen The Killing Fields."
All in all, an okay book and another good example of Franken's sharp wit and ability to use humor to cut through all the crap. I must admit, however, that the book left me a little cold in the end and gave me the feeling of being a little too mean.
April 1, 2009
Ironically, just as I was finishing Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot, I happened upon an essay by Limbaugh's niece, Julie Limbaugh, about the ups and downs of being second cousin to a man who makes a living by (in his own words) making half the people in America hate him. She calls her cousin's long-playing farce a "self-aware self-parody," a "caricature"--in other words, a phony act (which, not incidentally, has made him a millionaire many times over).
In this book, Al Franken, who has no fear about wading into shark-infested waters, pulls no punches in lampooning Rush and his cohorts on the lunatic fringe of Republican conservatism. Franken is a very smart guy, and if his prose is often bent, he shoots accurately and straight from the hip.
After a poignant description about her conflict between love of a family member and discomfort at being judged by her name, Julie Limbaugh summarizes her current state of mind by saying, "it seems that Rush is no longer just playing the political game he plays so well. Rather, he has been attacking hope, and now it feels like there's little room for that."
That's exactly why Franken's book (first published in 1996) is still relevant. As long as Rush Limbaugh continues to be a parody of a man, an ambassador of hate, and an assassin of hope, someone out there has to call him on it.
In this book, Al Franken, who has no fear about wading into shark-infested waters, pulls no punches in lampooning Rush and his cohorts on the lunatic fringe of Republican conservatism. Franken is a very smart guy, and if his prose is often bent, he shoots accurately and straight from the hip.
After a poignant description about her conflict between love of a family member and discomfort at being judged by her name, Julie Limbaugh summarizes her current state of mind by saying, "it seems that Rush is no longer just playing the political game he plays so well. Rather, he has been attacking hope, and now it feels like there's little room for that."
That's exactly why Franken's book (first published in 1996) is still relevant. As long as Rush Limbaugh continues to be a parody of a man, an ambassador of hate, and an assassin of hope, someone out there has to call him on it.
November 27, 2014
Al Franken is sort of the anti-Ann Coulter. Only he does research and is actually funny.
Yes, his need to name drop can wear a bit thin, except it usually happens in a very funny story and gives you some insight into how out of whack some pundits and political types are.
And yes, he does take some easy potshots at Rush and company, but lets face it, most of those guys have said worse and they really do make it too easy.
Plus, Rush is pretty darn fat.
Love the bits featuring Al's assistant and Rush's fact checker. Thought those were the best parts of the book.
Yes, his need to name drop can wear a bit thin, except it usually happens in a very funny story and gives you some insight into how out of whack some pundits and political types are.
And yes, he does take some easy potshots at Rush and company, but lets face it, most of those guys have said worse and they really do make it too easy.
Plus, Rush is pretty darn fat.
Love the bits featuring Al's assistant and Rush's fact checker. Thought those were the best parts of the book.
September 30, 2008
I started reading this book in April. Started reading it again in July. Then finally brought it back to the library, 3 months and $15 in library fines later. I really didn't think it was very funny. I picked it up because I thought I might learn something about Al Franken's political views, but I learned little except that he thinks Rush Limbaugh is the biggest piece of (insert your own noun here) in the country. Maybe Franken is meant to be a politician after all.
May 16, 2008
I need to say that I hadn't been exposed that much to Rush Limbaugh. I've only read about him. So I know why Al Franken wrote the way he did in his book. I just failed to understand.
Lack of relevance.
So instead of taking this book as a witty (or even satire?) comeback, I could only see plain rudeness.
Lack of relevance.
So instead of taking this book as a witty (or even satire?) comeback, I could only see plain rudeness.
October 14, 2017
This was an ok book. I really enjoyed Al Franken, Giant of the Senate, so decided to read some of his earlier work. This book is not as well written or focused. It's also a lot more snarky. Not that most of Franken's targets didn't deserve it, but it got a bit much after awhile.
November 17, 2020
It's dated by now, but the information is eye-opening and the writing is entertaining.
I read and re-read it in my college days.
The one issue I have with it is I dislike the way the title uses "fat" as an insult. Limbaugh's many issues are independent of whether or not he is fat.
I read and re-read it in my college days.
The one issue I have with it is I dislike the way the title uses "fat" as an insult. Limbaugh's many issues are independent of whether or not he is fat.
December 29, 2024
I was curious what Franken put in this book. How far can the title go? Is it all about calling Limbaugh stupid with body shaming jokes? Nope, there’s a fair amount of that but there’s commentary on the 1995ish Republican Party—Dole, Gramm, Buchanan all get slammed. You also get stories from Franken’s past. And some fiction-ish commentary and some investigative journalism—research, show down interviews (sort of) and embedded reporting (he attends events).
I found the main draw of this book to be Franken’s conversational prose. The book’s very readable. I found the humor a little forced but found Franken charming enough. I was impressed with the amount of research and interviews. This made the book not feel like fluff. I mean he talks to some of the people he makes fun of. That’s journalism.
Although it sounds like a lot of work was conducted by his research assistant, Geoff Rodkey (who is mentioned a lot but should have gotten a by line on the book).
But he also has these comedy pieces which are fictional. I found that kind of frustrating when mixed in with the other stuff. He writes this Vietnam action story about all these hawkish politicians who got out of serving in that war. It’s a funny premise but I found it frustrating when the real life stuff was so much more interesting.
It’s interesting reading Franken’s description of how the Republican Party operates using tactics like “Go Negative Early” “Don’t Try to Educate” and “Never Back Off.”
I don’t think this book would have convinced any Republicans to vote for Bill Clinton but Franken does a good job of exposing false statements of Limbaugh and others. Was it funny? It’s amusing, but I didn’t break any ribs or fall out of my chair.
I found the main draw of this book to be Franken’s conversational prose. The book’s very readable. I found the humor a little forced but found Franken charming enough. I was impressed with the amount of research and interviews. This made the book not feel like fluff. I mean he talks to some of the people he makes fun of. That’s journalism.
Although it sounds like a lot of work was conducted by his research assistant, Geoff Rodkey (who is mentioned a lot but should have gotten a by line on the book).
But he also has these comedy pieces which are fictional. I found that kind of frustrating when mixed in with the other stuff. He writes this Vietnam action story about all these hawkish politicians who got out of serving in that war. It’s a funny premise but I found it frustrating when the real life stuff was so much more interesting.
It’s interesting reading Franken’s description of how the Republican Party operates using tactics like “Go Negative Early” “Don’t Try to Educate” and “Never Back Off.”
I don’t think this book would have convinced any Republicans to vote for Bill Clinton but Franken does a good job of exposing false statements of Limbaugh and others. Was it funny? It’s amusing, but I didn’t break any ribs or fall out of my chair.
October 4, 2019
You know what you're getting with Al Franken - smartarse satire. But he's often funny as he exposes the lies & hypocrisy of right wing nut jobs across the America. Franken eventually made it to the U.S. Senate but his tenure was brought short when he resigned after a single, later discredited, accusation of sexual assault. Meanwhile, the President accused over 20 times of sexual assault, including rape, remains in the Oval Office.
February 27, 2021
It's funny when people take this piece of satire and comedy as some sort of serious journalistic endeavor. It's even funnier when you see Rush fans get mad at this thinking it was just released after his death.
April 21, 2020
Witty, hilarious, overall fantastic. Read it in about three days. Rush Limbaugh is a big fat idiot.
July 26, 2017
Read this after Franken's Giant of the Senate, because I enjoyed that so much. Decided it would be fun to start at the beginning with Franken. Well actually, the beginning was when he was on Saturday Night Live, and I didn't think he was very funny. In fact, I cringed each time he was onscreen because I thought his humor was stupid and his voice annoying. Well, times have changed. It's kind of sad that 21 years after he wrote this book, much of what he says is still valid today. (Pat Buchanan was urging that the US build a border wall to keep out immigrants way back in the 1990's. Sigh. Some idiotic suggestions just never change.....) A lot of what he wrote in RLIABFI is laugh-out-loud funny So -- on to his next book!
April 13, 2025
Oh how I wish I was alive when the fascist wings of the American right were only on the radio. But hey, I suppose if this book is still available of Libby we haven’t gone to the very end. Franken continues to be a wonder voice of a bygone age of American liberalism. If only we had listened, and by listen I mean not fall for the Green Party as a “viable choice” against the present day. See you in four years Jill and I’ll see you in hell, Rush.
July 23, 2017
This is a brilliant book that is remarkably prescient, particularly given the current state of affairs in D.C. Some of the same players are still active, despite this book having been written back in the early '90s, before Franken became a senator from Minnesota, and a fine one at that. Please read and enjoy this wonderful book.
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