Customer Reviews

Schmucks!: Our Favorite Fakes, Frauds, Lowlifes, Liars, the Armed and Dangerous, and Good Guys Gone Bad

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Jackie Mason is a comedian I like very much. I enjoy his point of view, the way he delivers his material, and the fact that he is willing to base his humor on what he actually thinks about the world rather than adopting something he things the audience wants to buy. That he was actually a rabbi (briefly) at one time shows through and I think to the benefit of the humor and his audience.

This book is done with Raoul Felder and they go through popular culture, politics, social issues, daily life, and the world to take on those people, policies, and customs that are schmucks (they explain exactly what the word means in the introduction - it is not a compliment). They take on Tom Cruise, Al Sharpton, Madonna, the French, Waiters, Starbucks, Mark Cuban, and dozens of others.

None of the articles are very long and all have a sharpened point. The humor is delivered in the twist of the accusation and explanation of why they are indeed schmucks. For example, they ask of the French: "Are the French a nation of lowlifes? Has glory faded from this once-major player on the world's stage? Do they continue to be, in the words of the great philosopher Bart Simpson, "cheese-eating surrender monkeys"? In a word: Oui."

Do you like this kind of humor? Yes? Well, then this book is for you (it was for me)!

It's not everyday that you get to speak to a legend, but that's what happened to me last month when I found myself interviewing Jackie Mason. He was my uncle's favorite comedian and I'd seen him on television numerous times so I was pleasantly surprised to hear his voice on the other end of the receiver. Although not included in my piece, the funniest parts of our exchange were due to my failing to recognize the rhetorical nature of his aside, "Is this understood?" I kept breaking in with "Yes, sir." Hopefully, he got a kick out of that, but there's no need to wonder what readers will think about his new book, Schmucks!: Our Favorite Fakes, Frauds, Lowlifes, Liars, the Armed and Dangerous, and Good Guys Gone Bad, as it's got all the laughs that audiences have come to expect from him.

With the help of co-author, Raoul Felder, Jackie Mason has put together a mostly lighthearted series of vignettes illustrating the schmuckery of 62 persons who have done much to advance the cause of human misery. As one might expect, the principal offenders are mostly found on the left side of the political spectrum and include self-righteous nebbishes like Hillary Clinton, Cindy Sheehan, and Ramsey Clark along with entities like the ACLU, The New York Times, and Jews for Jesus. The entries are brief enough to ensure the attention and pleasure of the average reader.

Here, in Schmucks!, the wordplay is occasionally as clever as Mason's stand-up bits. In fact, many of his fans of will recognize some of the material as emanating from his act.There's more here than just guffaws though. It's good to see that at least somebody somewhere remembers the media's false sense of outrage over Rick Lazio. During his 2000 debate with Hillary Clinton the former Congressman walked over and asked her to sign a pledge concerning campaign finance reform. She refused to do so, but a wholly vanilla situation got turned into "the Rape of Sabine Women" by legions of Hillaryophile journalists. It seems that our country has now confused being placed into an unscripted moment with full frontal oppression. Not in every society does an all-powerful, conquering superwoman insist on being treated like Our Lady of Fatima. If we really want to enhance the marketplace of ideas, we should convince the junior Senator from New York to go toe-to-toe with Mr. Mason in a debate. The venue for that battle would sell out faster than tickets to a Yankees-Mets World Series. Alas, it will never be as Hillary, nor practically any other politician, possesses a sense of humor let alone the ability to ever laugh in their own direction.

The authors have done a fantastic job of writing. They are truly the Mark Twains of the 21st. century. The book is so true and the delivery in the writing so well done that I read this in three days. I could have read it in one, but had to read segments to my family. The book is so on target.

While I did enjoy the hard back version, a full audio book would be better.

On second thought, maybe you should not try to listen while driving

In written form, or audio book, this work is a real joy

"Schmucks!" is a fun and funny book that spears the people of our culture who are...well, schmucks. There are also a few putzs thrown in for good measure.

I usually do not agree with many of the people listed in "list" type books, although these two hit the nail on the head pretty well. I agreed with the vast majority of choices, which range from Tom Cruise to Al Gore (and not for the reason you may think) to Barry Bonds. The book does have a conservative tilt, but all books of this nature lean one way or another and I'm not sure it would be possible to write a book of this sort without some tilt.

I only found one real factual error, which involved the Saudis. The authors claim Clinton was way to cozy with them, but think Bush is doing a fine job keeping them in line. They apparently do not remember that the Bush and Bin Laden Families are almost like kissing cousins. But, if that's the only "fact" I can find wrong, then they did a very good job!

I would recommend this book to all. It's a good, quick, funny read that is sure to irritate many people. That's what makes it so good!

Gai gezunterhait!

Finally, two authors have written a reference tome of idiots and morons. Those two authors are legendary comedian Jackie Mason, and famed celebrity divorce attorney Raoul Felder. I received my copy yesterday, and tore through it in a couple of hours. Felder and Mason "call-out" everything that sane, sensible people think about our insane, non-sensible pop culture. This book will be a valuable "desk reference" every time I see a schmuck praised in the media. I will be so relieved in knowing that at least these two gentlemen will not let them get away with this. The only problem with this book, which, by the way, is a sad statement on our culture, is that it needs a sequel, and then another, and another right away, to document all the scmucks that are around. I hope people buy this book and have it next to their Webster's, Roget and Funk and Wangnalls. Maybe then, will more people say what Mason and Felder so eloquently state. The book flows so easily from one lowlife to another, with the authors' great narrative and razor sharp wit. Thank God, that Mason and Felder are no scmucks themselves.

Classic Jackie Mason - this book is artfully written and very funny. It's written in classic Jackie Mason style - you can almost hear him telling this to you in his distinctive style. The authors hit most of the nails on their respective heads. I'm sure a second volume will be forthcoming since they missed a few in this one. The authors hilariously point out gaffes and hypocrisy particularly in the most self-important public figures. It's an entertaining read especially for Mason fans.

I read it overnight. Half of it is tongue in cheek vintage Mason. Half is equally funny but a true depiction of certain notables in contemporary life....not very complimentary...but true. If you can't laugh at this, maybe a bloodtest is in order.

Illustrating some of the absurdities of modern life is exactly what Felder and Mason plan to do in this book and they do it very well. I was going to take this book with me on a flight from Honolulu to Cairo (don't ask) but began reading it the morning I was supposed to leave and was finished by the time I boarded. It was such an entertaining book that it really made for a quick read. And although I've noticed one-star reviews on this book (written, I suspect, by people who have had one of their idols or their lifestyle mercilessly deflated by this book) the only problem I had with it is that they devoted too much space to Cindy Sheehan and her attampts to extend her "fifteen minutes of fame." Every mention of this shameless woman just puts her pinkie back in the limelight she craves.

But who am I to Kvetch?

I think Jackie Mason is great and the books short chapters were relaxing to read. The beginning of the book reads like Mr. Mason, but as I read on it lost it's Mason humor and a number of times the writer refer to "him" which I think is Jacie Mason. I don't know if most was written by Mr. Mason or Mr Felder. As I said at the beginning I felt I was listening to Mr. Mason on the TV or stage, then he disappeared. I did enjoy the book.