Tag: satire

Step Aside, Pops (Hark! A Vagrant, #2) by Kate Beaton

Step Aside, Pops (Hark! A Vagrant, #2) by Kate Beaton

An incredibly clever collection of comics with topics ranging from history to literature to pop culture and everything in between.

You don’t have to know a thing about Kate Beaton’s Hark! A Vagrant to enjoy this book. (I didn’t.) And it is so much fun.

Like any great observational comedian, Kate takes idiosyncrasies or exaggerates details to create comic gold.

For instance, here’s the dialogue from a comic about the Black Prince and some of his early exploits: “How are you feeling about being a hero of the battle of Crecy?” “Bro I am stoked.” “This is quite a momentous event so far in the war…” “Those French guys were like ‘Whoaaaaaa’.” “I keep forgetting you are sixteen.” “And my army was like eat it. Ka chow!!” pg 114

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There’s another one I liked about the Greek god Zeus going on a first date that doesn’t make much sense without the pictures so you’ll just have to check it out for yourself on page 123. Basically, it’s a play on all of the mythological stories about Zeus revealing himself to mortals as a swan, shower of gold or something else and still getting the girl. Kate has a point. I mean, how does that even work… showing up as a shower of gold. It’s ridiculous and almost begging for a comic to make fun of it. Like this one. 🙂

In addition to the observational humor, Kate takes characters from old posters, newspaper clippings or magazine photos and gives them a back story. Some of her creations are just hysterical.

Photo by brotiN biswaS on Pexels.com

The spare and pencil-drawn style strongly reminded me of Nimona, which I also enjoyed. I highly recommend this collection for readers who enjoy comics or satire.

Thanks for reading!

Päntsdrunk (Kalsarikänni): The Finnish Path to Relaxation (Drinking at Home, Alone, in Your Underwear) by Miska Rantanen

Päntsdrunk (Kalsarikänni): The Finnish Path to Relaxation (Drinking at Home, Alone, in Your Underwear) by Miska Rantanen

Päntsdrunk, a satirical self help read, seemed fairly straight-forward to me. To keep your cool, occasionally you should take a page out of the Finnish playbook and put on your most comfy underwear, grab your favorite alcoholic beverage and chill out. But then Miska Rantanen had to write something to fill up the rest of the pages. There was quite a lot of filler material.

Päntsdrunk doesn’t demand over-the-top arrangements. Affordability and democracy are its hallmarks. It’s quick acting and suitable for all who have reached the age of majority.” pg 16

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Rantanen talks about how Finland developed this coping mechanism from a couple of different factors: freezing weather, long distances between cities and towns, and very little sunlight near the winter solstice.

“The Finnish term kalsarikanni is a simple compound word: kalsari (underwear) + kanni (state of inebriation). This pithy idiom crystallizes the essential: at its simplest, pantsdrunk means imbibing alcohol in one’s underwear at home without any intention of going out. The term’s ingenuity lies in everything it doesn’t imply.” pg 21

But pantsdrunk practitioners don’t have to stay in or solitary. You can drink as a couple, with friends, with a couple of friends. As the night wears on, you can go from pantsdrunk to plus pants at the club or bar, if the mood lends itself that way. The trick is to go with the flow of the evening and enter a state of total relaxation.

“As a philosophy, pantsdrunk is not in conflict with lagom and hygge. Au contraire. They all spring from the same Nordic origins and share the same ultimate goals: optimal peace of mind, joie de vivre, comfort, equilibrium, and recuperation as embodied in a snug coziness.” pg 22

Pantsdrunk is not about getting blasted as fast as possible. It’s a slow slide into mellow.

Photo by Mitchell Henderson on Pexels.com

“At its most minimal, pantsdrunk is a device for balancing life and work. It can, however, be expanded into a lifestyle and worldview. The beauty of pantsdrunk lies in its possibilities.” pg 27

I’m not sure about some of the statistics Rantanen cites in his book, but he claims Finland is one of the stablest, safest, most educated countries in the world. And he credits the practice of pantsdrunk with part of this fantastic result.

Heidi, you may say, what could your problem be with pantsdrunk? Anyone who has dealt with an alcoholic can easily point out the potential roadblocks to happiness with this. Also, there’s addiction issues to consider. None of which can be dealt with if you’re indulging in this behavior by yourself and aren’t aware there’s a problem.

Rantanen does say that if pantsdrunk becomes a conscious choice every day to deal with stresses, that a reshuffling of your life may be in order. He also suggests counting bottles or cans to keep tabs on how much you’re consuming. Or gauging how well you’ve managed to balance drunk and relaxed by your hangover the next day.

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I’m not entirely convinced this is possible. Rantanen also talks about how pantsdrunk has gotten a bad rap with some films depicting people drinking in their underwear alone as sad and pathetic rather than empowered and relaxed.

One of the most uplifting performances (of pantsdrunk) can be seen during the credits of Bridget Jones Diary (Maguire 2001), when Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) belts out the quintessential pajama playback solo while sloshed on red wine. pg 76.

But wasn’t that one of her lowest points?

Recommended for brave readers over 21 who mostly have their lives together, but need to allow themselves to chill out now and then.

For other satirical self-help reads, please see the following reviews:

Get Your Sh*t Together by Sarah Knight

Check out Sarah Knight’s latest self help: You Do You

How to Be Dull by Basil Morley, Esq.

And thanks for reading!

The Taco Cleanse: The Tortilla-Based Diet Proven to Change Your Life by Wes Allison

The Taco Cleanse: The Tortilla-Based Diet Proven to Change Your Life by Wes Allison
tacocleanse

Deciding what to eat for dinner was becoming a drag, but luckily for me, the library has an enormous foodie section. I dug through the cookbook collection and discovered this gem- The Taco Cleanse.

Part satire, part traditional recipes, The Taco Cleanse makes you laugh while you prepare delicious, vegan eats.

From the copyright page: “This book contains the opinions and ideas of its authors, plus large quantities of total BS. Although the recipes are intended to be accurate and tasty, all other content is solely intended to be hilarious.” And it is.

This book isn’t just about the food: “Now, we want to be clear that supplementing- that is, drinking beverages that traditionally accompany tacos- is acceptable as long as you are getting all of your tacos in. Margaritas should be added on an as-needed basis for the top levels of the cleanse, but at Fuego (the highest cleanse level) you should be adding them at least a couple of times a week, working up to every day.” pg 4.

To your health. 🙂

My favorite part was the author’s insistence on Taco Journaling: “One of the most powerful things you can do in your taco journey is taco journaling. Writing down your thoughts during your Taco Cleanse now will be like having a time machine for your future. Future You can go back and see how you’ve changed over time, where you had taco successes and taco failures. … Every time you open your journal, you will feel peace in your heart.” pg 26.

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They really nailed the self help tone that is prevalent in most “dietary” cookbooks. It is really very clever and worth the read, even if you’re not planning on trying the recipes.

Speaking of which, I personally plan on trying Minimalist Nacho Cheese pg 128, Infinite Fish Tacos pg 145, Smoked Brisket and Jalapeno Mac and Cheese Tacos pg 149, and the Frito Pie Tacos pg 152. Decadent.

Recommended for people who are experiencing a dinner idea slump or anybody looking for an excuse to drink a margarita (or two).

Thanks for reading and happy taco eating!

How to Be Dull: Standing Out Next to Genius by Basil Morley, Esq.

How to Be Dull: Standing Out Next to Genius by Basil Morley, Esq.
howtobedull

How to Be Dull: Standing Out Next to Genius is one of the funniest books I’ve read this year.

I read a lot of self help, self improvement, self actualization books and How to Be Dull shines a hilariously dark spotlight on the myriad benefits of staying just as you are. The humor is dry and the delivery is completely serious and matter-of-fact, rather like a Monty Python classroom sketch.

It is also surprisingly educational.

Do you know why we remember Chaucer’s name but so very few of his contemporaries? : “…Chaucer succeeded by adapting Italian masters, appropriating a wide range of old folk tales, mixing them with Greek myth, writing in the vernacular rather than hoity-toity Latin or snooty French, and adding a wide range of characters to represent the whole of modern 14th century life from the top to the bottom… He was a true original, though one must admit his originality was made of things familiar mixed up, changed, innovated and slapped together in wholly unexpected ways.” loc 68, ebook.

It’s so true! People don’t want new stuff- they want old stuff repackaged to look new. How dull is that. Chaucer knew what was up.

This whole dull thing is very appealing to introverts: “Be dull. Be boring. Make no splash. Make no waves. Put your head down and do the work you wish to do and present such a bland face to the world that they leave you in peace to get on with it. Do not make the mistake of seeing this as some kind of capitulation. You are not defeated if you are dull. You merely refuse, wisely, to spend your precious time convincing others of your originality.” loc 105.

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Being left in peace to do what I want to do- now there’s a philosophy I can get behind.

If you were curious as to the enduring popularity of socialites who don’t seem to contribute in any meaningful way to society, Morley suggests that it is because of dull people just like you and me.

Imagine our importance! : “Be below notice. For you will find it easy to make your way unseen into important places, for the truth is the appeal of these ‘personalities’ is their true blandness. They are screens upon which we project our home movies of illusion. And they need dull people to make them sparkle.” loc 168, ebook.

I do enjoy an author who isn’t afraid to put in a good word for themselves: “How to explain this conundrum without falling into dullness myself and losing your attention? I do wish to teach you to be dull, but you must attend to my brief lesson long enough to say, ‘Yes I read that book and I rather liked it’ so you can recommend it on ReadGood or whatever those places are before you go back to sipping your own martini and forget all about my delicious tome.” loc 796, ebook.

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Ah, self promotion, the height of dullness. Now, back to my martini…

Let’s end with Morley’s exhortation to be a “shining example” to those who try to stand out from the crowd: “It helps one to know that whilst one appears to be useless and idle, one can congratulate him or herself on being a shining example to those who would wish to be extraordinary. It is the normal thing, or should I say the usual thing.” loc 923, ebook.

Know anybody who forgets to laugh about the silliness that is the self improvement rat-race? I have just found the perfect Christmas present for them. You’re welcome. 🙂

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Some more humorous books about popular culture: The Joy of Leaving Your Sh*t All Over the Place: The Art of Being Messy or The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck: How to Stop Spending Time You Don’t Have with People You Don’t Like Doing Things You Don’t Want to Do. But, How to Be Dull is superior to either of those books because the author never wavers from his/her beautifully worded, high brow observations or resorts to vulgarity to make a point.

Thank you to NetGalley and Women’s League of Ale Drinkers Publishing for a free digital copy of this book. (What a great name for a publishing firm, by the way.) And, thank you for reading!

The Joy of Leaving Your Sh*t All Over the Place: The Art of Being Messy by Jennifer McCartney

The Joy of Leaving Your Sh*t All Over the Place: The Art of Being Messy by Jennifer McCartney

I laughed, but I’m not proud of myself. This satire for fans or non-fans of the book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō, takes no prisoners in its scathing examination of the minimalist movement. As it clearly states in the intro, this is not a self help book. As a librarian, I’d add that it is under the Dewey Decimal classification 818s (humor) rather than the 130s (self help), so that claim would be true.

First, let’s make one thing clear, I’ve loved ‘de-cluttering’ various rooms in my house and finding those objects that ‘spark joy.’ But, I couldn’t help but laugh at the process of it through the lens Jennifer McCartney provides.

Here’s what she has to say about ‘life changing magic’: There’s nothing wrong with wanting to improve your station in life or making changes to things you’re unhappy with. I guess. But be wary of neat slogans and books that promise life-changing magic. The only real magic in the world is from unicorns and the high you get from poppers. pg 19

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I’ve never felt like a failure at the ‘tidying process’ but Jennifer’s book should appeal to those who do. Here’s her advice for how to ‘Be Free’: “Let go of caring, let go of guilt and feelings of failure. Breathe in good messy, breathe out boring tidy.” pg 28

In her book, Marie Kondo writes about thanking her small purse for its service at the end of every day. Jennifer has different ideas about the care and functionality of your handbag: “…you should always purchase the biggest purse you can carry. Here’s a good purse test: Can it fit a bottle of wine? No? Move on. Yes? Buy it.” pg 75

At times, Jennifer is downright dismissive of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing‘s teachings about every object having a “spirit” and she’s particularly vitriolic about the way Kondo rolls her socks. If that is going to bother you, you may want to skip this one.

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A humorous read alike: The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck: How to Stop Spending Time You Don’t Have with People You Don’t Like Doing Things You Don’t Want to Do by Sarah Knight. Warning: contains approximately a billion f-words.

Thanks for reading!