I Drink for a Reason
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3.9 • 50 Ratings
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
The star and creative force behind Mr. Show and Arrested Development pens his "first and final book, chronicling his meteoric rise and abysmal fall in the literary world."
After a decade spent in isolation in the Ugandan jungles thinking about stuff, David Cross has written his first book. Known for roles on the small screen such as "never-nude" Tobias Funke on Arrested Development and the role of "David" in Mr. Show With Bob And David, as well as a hugely successful stand-up routine full of sharp-tongued rants and rages, Cross has carved out his place in American comedy. Whether deflating the pomposity of religious figures, calling out the pathetic symbiosis of pseudo-celebrity and its leaching fandom, or merely pushing the buttons of the way-too-easily offended P.C. left or the caustic, double-standard of the callous (but funnier) right, Cross has something to say about everyone, including his own ridiculous self.
Now, for the first time, Cross is weaving his media mockery, celebrity denunciation, religious commentary and sheer madness into book form, revealing the true story behind his almost existential distaste of Jim Belushi ("The Belush"), disclosing the up-to-now unpublished minutes to a meeting of Fox television network executives, and offering up a brutally grotesque run-in with Bill O'Reilly. And as if this wasn't enough for your laughing pleasure in these troubled times, some of the pieces splinter off with additional material being created online in exclusive video and animated web content created solely for the book-a historical first (presumably)!
With a mix of personal essays, satirical fiction posing as truth, advice for rich people, information from America's least favorite Rabbi and a top-ten list of top-ten lists, I Drink for a Reason is as unique as the comedian himself, and cannot be missed.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cross, a comedian best known for his role on TV's Arrested Development, is one of the few comedians working today with an easily identifiable comic voice, and his authorial debut ensures that his voice is heard on every page. Mixing bitterness and absurdity, the result is often piercing sarcasm, beginning with the preface (in which Cross imagines life as a famous author) and opener "Don't Abandon Your Baby"; though he may send up easy targets, Cross consistently hits his mark without sounding like a hack. Though largely irreverent, he often seems genuinely angry (even hurt) when responding to negative reviews or misquotes. Much of the book is devoted to getting even with his detractors, but they aren't all as good as the Pitchfork.com-skewering "Top Ten CDs to Listen to While Listening to Other CDs"; his response to a blogger who accused him of bigotry is strangely joke-free. Cross reserves his greatest vitriol for fellow entertainers Larry the Cable Guy and Jim Belushi, whom he accuses of, respectively, exploiting and outright disdaining their audiences. Though he admits inviting the charge of elitism with some of his material, Cross avoids condescending to his demographic while knocking out a steady stream of laugh-out-loud quips.
Customer Reviews
Awesome book
Perfect for the bathroom read as each chapter has that specific length. Makes you wanna poop, hilarious book!
Meh.
Was so looking forward to reading this book as a fan of David Cross on Arrested Development, Mr. Show, and other programs over the years. His character Tobias Funke is my absolute favorite of Arrested Development's genius cast.
Needless to say, I expected wit, humor...some laughs. One chapter to the next: an insensible story, a bizarre essay, and him always finding a way to squeeze in a mention that he's an atheist. Fine with me, but he didn't have to keep hitting me over the head with it. By the way, he's an atheist. Did you know he's an atheist? He was born Jewish, but became an atheist. He thinks religion is crazy, and he's an atheist. He can't deny science: you guessed it! He's an atheist.
Well Good God, so to speak, I kept trudging through to the bitter end...I really wanted to like this book. But it was boring, a bit elitist and inside in that "cool hipster intellectual writer" way, and most importantly it simply was not funny.
But I did learn something: David Cross is an atheist :) Good. To. Know.
Self absorbed ahole
An amazing ability to express his views with humor but ultimately leaves you feeling sad. At first it's an interesting read but gets a little old and you quickly find yourself skipping ahead hoping to get to the end.