7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Meh. Unimpressive. Not funny., August 5, 2010
This review is from: Wanted - Bear Cubs for My Children: One Hundred of the Weirdest Posts Ever Seen on Craigslist (and Their Responses) (Paperback)
Well, I was not at all impressed by this book. It's a collection of Craigslist postings by the author to illicit responses from the public. Although that's obvious, I just rarely found it funny. The personal ads got the best and most replies, but were also the most risque. For example:
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Title: "Pee on me - w4m - 26"
Message: "Oh, will you please pee on me?"
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I guess the interesting (disturbing??) part is that people reply positively to such things. But, as most, not really funny. Another reason I wasn't impressed is that the vast majority of the "humor" of the book is in the author's posts themselves, not the responses. AAMOF, many have only one or two replies, none of which are humorous. A few examples:
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Title: "Light my house on fire - w4m"
Message: "This sort of thing really gets me off"
Only reply (typical): "well il give a ride you wont for get"
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Title: "Hiring Test Subjects - $5000"
Message: "At the Ann Arbor Center for Neuropathology and Brain Studies, we are holding test throughout the month of April on the human pain threshold. Candidates must be drug free and between the ages of 21 and 45. Subjects will take part in a combination of the following experiments while outfitted in a neurocap:
1) Needles in forehead
2) Hot water on genitals
3) Spider bites on neck and back
4) Blunt trauma to stomach and kneecaps
5) Rope whippings on arms and legs
6) "The Treatment"
7) "The Works"
8) Cigarette burns on buttocks
9) Bamboo lashings on abdomen
10) Scrotal scratching an pinching"
Only reply: "I'm interested in this study would like to know what I need to do to take part. Thank you."
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Title: "Free Pauly Shore cardboard cutout"
Message: "Lifesized!! From that movie about when he dates a military man's daughter (can't remember the name). Been sitting in my garage for ten years now and I cant just throw it away!"
Reply #1: I'm sure it's been taken, but if you still have the cardboard Pauly Shore, I REALLY want it."
Reply #2: "HOW MAY IU PICK IT UP?"
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If you find the above funny, then this book is for you. If you don't (like me), don't bother.
To top it all off, the last chapter are the listings that were flagged by users as "too obvious or too offensive," but that the author "thought the material was too good to discard." One is about giving his sister away for free and another is about grafting an iPhone to one's skull. <yawn>
Anyway, hope this helps you avoid this book. You can do a LOT better.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Funniest book I've ever read, January 6, 2010
This review is from: Wanted - Bear Cubs for My Children: One Hundred of the Weirdest Posts Ever Seen on Craigslist (and Their Responses) (Paperback)
This is the funniest book I have ever read. The author took such a simple concept and made it a novel--he puts silly topics on Craigslist and waits for the responses. The humorous (and sometimes sick) responses to his posts are what make the book. With keen insight, and a taste for satire Fingercastle really nails our society to the wall. Excellent.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A whole lot of meh, February 28, 2011
This review is from: Wanted - Bear Cubs for My Children: One Hundred of the Weirdest Posts Ever Seen on Craigslist (and Their Responses) (Paperback)
While the introduction of the book had me believing I would get a few laughs out of it, as I continued reading I became more and more disappointed. Being an internet geek familiar with all the -isms the internet has to offer, I rarely found this book amusing beyond the introduction. Anyone familiar with the online community, especially the people on Craig's list who the author is targeting, knows what kind of responses to expect even for the author's fake posts.
I made it as far as the third chapter before I started skipping entries and still seeing expected responses to the author's so-called "crazy" posts. The posts in themselves were, at times, amusing but nothing I haven't read before on numerous sites that already poke fun at how crazy people are. Not to mention the sites are free. I would honestly not recommend this book.
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