Customer Reviews

Chocolate, Please: My Adventures in Food, Fat, and Freaks

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The reigning queen of insult comedy has got to be Lisa Lampanelli. Brassy, bold and oh-so-naughty, Lampanelli rose to prominence with memorable performances on many of Comedy Central's celebrity roasts. The self proclaimed "lovable Queen of Mean," she has been compared to Don Rickles and has a take-no-prisoners approach to comedy. With Lampanelli, there are no sacred cows--every topic is fodder for her humor. Political correctness goes out the window as she skewers everything from ethnic stereotypes to religion to family to addictions to her own insecurities. Even Lampanelli herself is a prime target for her own material, and I think it's this openness that makes her so likable and accessible even when she's being nasty!

So why the lengthy introduction? Well, if you know Lisa Lampanelli then you know what to expect from her new comedic memoir "Chocolate, Please: My Adventures in Food, Fat and Freaks." Traveling down the road many comedians have journeyed before her, Lampanelli tells a tale that's not all laughs. Often times her own worst enemy, she has struggled to overcome a series of bad decisions, unhealthy relationships, and serious self-worth issues. And it is refreshing to see Lamanelli's critical eye as she turns it upon herself.

But fear not, the self analysis is done in brief comedic vignettes. Don't expect anything too weighty, for even the most serious of topics is filtered through the superficial lens that is focused on a punchline. Come on, what did you expect? Sylvia Plath? "Chocolate, Please" is a fun and fast read even if it lacks the emotional depth and insight you might hope for in a more serious memoir. But this one is FUNNY too. A bonus, though, comes in the last section (after the life story ends) called "Lisa's Rules to Live By." This collection of short essays are as hilarious as they are true! Enjoy.

As a HUGE fan of Lisa Lampanelli I was expecting a book that would have me laughing out loud, encouraging awkward looks from people near me. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The book is a lot more deep than I expected, going into Lisa's rehab days with great detail. Most of the jokes in her book are from her stand-up so I've heard them many times before. As someone who LOVED "Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea" I expected this book to be at par if not better. Definitely didn't even come close!

I'd still recommend this book to any fans of Lisa's. You learn a whole new side of her, and it turns out to be a lot more emotional and human than the person we see on stage.

I still love her!

Damn good book and happy to have read it. I have everyone of her CDs and this book was worth both my time and money. I continue to be a happy fan.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary review copy of this book. I'd like to think it didn't influence my review, but who knows.

"Chocolate, Please" by Lisa Lampenelli is unlike many books by comics I've recently read. Instead of taking her best hour of stand up, adding another two hours of second rate jokes and typing them up, Lampenelli takes the reader on a voyage of her struggles with weight, food and men, and the rehab clinics she attended because of them. This isn't to say the book isn't funny, it is, but this book stands on its own without you needing to be a fan of the writer or her comedy beforehand. (I was only vaguely familiar with her myself.)

Being a comedian I wanted to read more about Lampenelli's comedy career struggles and less about her weight struggles. But then again, that seems to be her point: You can be really successful in one part of your life and a complete failure in other parts, and the success doesn't fully matter until you've dealt with the failing parts. Along that train of thought, the line "As I believe is true in anything and especially comedy, all you need is one person who believes" struck me as especially poignant.

When Lisa does mention comedy, she hits the nail on the head with such observations as, "Comedy is a strange profession. People who have been onstage two times in their lives have business cards that say "Comedian." Therefore, a comic's entire career is focused on separating himself from the delusional wackos." Other good observations include, "Comics who stand at the bar after their sets are either drunks or trying to get laid", "When you're an adult, it's easy to ruin someone's life. But when you can do it as a kid - that's a gift" and "Our entire economic system is based on people succeeding just to stick it up the ass of people who were mean to them in high school."

While I enjoyed reading the book, I would've liked it more without the last section, which drops her story and goes into random jokes and musings. (Although if you're already a Lampenelli fan, you'll probably like that section.)

Overall: This is an above average book in the comedy genre because it's honest and follows an actual storyline. Read this book if you're struggling with relationships and/or self image, or if you like a good "hero's journey" type of autobiography. This also makes for a great gift if someone is just getting out of, or on their way to, rehab.

"Chocolate Please" is a total change of pace for Ms. Lampanelli, but a very refreshing one. I don't agree with the reviews that say the book is hilarious or bawdy. Sure, Lisa throws in some zingers here and there, but this is a walk through Lisa's life and demons and gives you some real insight into comedy's "Lovable Queen of Mean." Lisa's honesty and candor is admirable. She lets you inside her life before she was famous, her family, her path to stardom, and most notably her rocky relationships with men and food. I applaud Lisa for pulling back the curtain on her hilarious tough as nails persona and writing about her emotional wounds. I have even more respect for her now. Through reading the book I came to realize how self aware Lisa is, how she is always working on herself, and how seriously she takes the art of comedy. Listening to her discuss her dedication to her craft as she prepared for roasts or for Howard Stern and various other television appearances, you realize Lisa is a top notch entertainer who does not half-ass anything. She is a dedicated comic performer. Like many stand-ups, Lisa has her demons and her issues and bravely shares her trips to rehab for food addiction. The book does end on a hysterical note with Lisa doing some rants on some of her pet peeves-it is LL in rare form. However, I was really moved by the book and inspired by Lisa. The woman has a heart of gold and her "lovable" persona is truly herself. She loves to slay you with her barbs and then give you a high five. For a loud mouth, foul mouth Italian insult comic, Lisa Lampanelli is a class act on all counts.

In her memoir "Chocolate, Please: My Adventures in Food, Fat, and Freaks," comedian Lisa Lampanelli hilariously explores her time in the limelight as the "Lovable Queen of Mean," her addiction for black men (whom she endearingly refers to as "chocolate" in the title), several stints in rehab, almost-too-funny-to-be-true relationship encounters (that must be the "freaks" part), as well as issues with food and co-dependence. The writing is very conversational and not chronological. Indeed, this felt more like a stand up comedy routine than a memoir as Lampanelli skips around telling stories about her career, men, personal problems, and childhood. She includes a whole section dedicated to her career firsts such as appearing on "The Howard Stern Show," being driven in a limo, going on Comedy Central, and etc. One of my favorite sections in the book focused on Lampanelli's past celebrity roasts for people like Donald Trump, Pamela Anderson, and Chevy Chase (favorite jokes and backstage gossip included). At the end of Lampanelli's memoir there's also a long section dedicated to her hilarious musings on life's issues, like pregnant women in the work force, family vacations, odd names given to children, and distracted dates among other things. Through it all, Lampanelli is bold, politically incorrect, sassy, and--just being herself. She's not afraid to assess her own imperfections and mistakes, taking the time to candidly reflect on various obstacles. In the end, she reminds me of a modern-day Bridget Jones--a middle-aged woman battling weight issues, suffering through numerous unlucky relationships, and putting down her issues in a book closer to a diary than a formal bio. Despite her various obstacles, however, there's no doubt that Grammy-nominated Lampanelli achieved more during her eighteen-year comedy career than some people do during their entire lives, which certainly provides a happy ending like no other.

I am only about 40 pages in but if you are a fan of Lisa Lampanelli (I love her on the roasts!) then you will love this book. Vulgar and fun! I would recommend this to a friend.

This was an enjoyable read - Lisa gets personal and still remains the great comic that she is through the book. There were often times I laughed out loud as I was reading.

I just ove love Lisa Lampinelli and was thrilled to get this book so quickly and in pristine condition. The book was so very funny I would recommend to any of her fans, but as Lisa is famous for, she says it like it is, which I love about her.

I thought I would read this book after watching Lisa Lampanelli on tv. She reveals where here humor comes from and demonstrates that she isn't evil. I'm halfway done reading it, but I've enjoyed it very much. While giving us some background into her life, she makes a lot of jokes about other comedians throughout the book which is refreshing. Her book is witty and well-written, I recommend to anyone who wants to know more about Lisa Lampanelli.