Customer Reviews

Who Stole the Funny?: A Novel of Hollywood

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Who Stole The Funny is a fantastic book about how screwed up the entertainment industry has become. If you're in the industry or about to enter, this book does a great job at exposing how absurd things have become. Written by Robby Benson, no stranger to the field, this book is full of real life situations and characters disguised as fiction. I wouldn't doubt this will be turned into a movie.

Benson gives a true insiders look at the absurdities of Hollywood in this hilarious novel. WHO STOLE THE FUNNY? Benson did--and put it all in this book.

I happened to be shopping in Borders Book store when a crowd caught my attention. I asked who the rather good looking guy signing the books were and was told he was a 70's teen idol. His book looked interesting so I bought it but did not get an autograph. I later asked my mom had she heard of a Robby Benson and she went nuts...hahahaha. Now I wish I would have gotten an autograph. The book is hilarious i'm standing in lines at the store or banking and laughing out loud.
I've never seen any of Robby's movies but I give him credit for being a good author. If you are interested in a little inside look into hollywood and love to laugh get this book. It's well written and funny, and I wonder if not a little autobiographical.

Robby Benson has taken any bitterness he has about the business and turned it into a terrific, funny book. There are so many laugh-out-loud moments here. And there were probably a dozen times that I HAD to read paragraphs out loud to anyone who was nearby.

Wow, this book really took me behind the scenes and gave me a taste of how Hollywood works. And it's not so pretty. Pretty funny however, as I laughed out loud many times. This is definately a book you can't put down once you start it. Kudos to Robby Benson for having the guts to show the truth behind what we think is glamour. I was expecting a good story and got one...but it was surprisingly educational also which I wasn't expecting. A must read for anybody considering going into show business -- television for sure. I hope he can eat lunch in Hollywood now, if not, he can have lunch with me anytime.

According to "The Hollywood Dictionary," definitions from which are sprinkled throughout this book, in Hollywood, "brilliant" is said of anything ordinary.

And Who Stole The Funny is a better-than-ordinary book. I really enjoyed it, even without knowing which parts are roman and which parts are clefs. I was genuinely entertained.

And that's about all I was asking for from this book, anyway, and, I think, all Benson wished to do. He succeeded.

I wish I could think of more to say about it, because I don't want to damn with faint praise. But what more can I say other than that this books delivers what the back cover promises?

Well, I can say that I know of one or two books where that's not true...

Thanks Robby - Loved the book! All your fans are pleased to have you writing. Pulling from your years in the business helps create a great book for all of us to enjoy! Please make some calls to the studio and get some of your great 70's films released on DVD for us to enjoy!

If you are looking for a perfect Christmas stocking stuffer, or a gift for all those friends for whom you ponder what to buy, think no longer. Who Stole The Funny by Robby Benson is the perfect choice. It's a fast read, well written, that I didn't put down until the end. The book gives an insight into the "business" called "Hollywood" that I've never known. For most of us who don't come from L. A., it's an eye opener. At the price being offered on Amazon.com, I bought several for gifts, myself!

I loved this book! Unlike the last reviewer instead of skimming the pages I devoured each one for an inside look at this crazy industry. I know that I will be placing this book under the tree for many of my friends to enjoy.

Yes, THAT Robby Benson, the one that was a child sitcom star and, turns out, went on to directing and producing sitcoms, including Ellen and Friends. According to the blurbs, Benson has taken that experience and turned it into a satiric look at Hollywood in general and the process of creating sitcoms in particular.

Ostensibly, the story is about 7 days in the life of J.T. Baker, a principaled director trying desperately to produce an episode of a wildly popular sitcom (suspiciously similar to Frends) in spite of the malicious interference of a cast of zany characters, to include sex- and ratings-crazed network executives, corrupt network lawyers, greedy agents, incompetent producers, over-indulged actors, and a host of other wacky characters. Oh, and everyone pretty much speaks Yiddish. Have I omitted any entertainment stereotypes? I assure you, Benson hasn't!

In other words, don't mistake this for some sort of "insiders" perspective into the world of Hollywood. While Benson does inject some realism in the form of process insight and industry lingo (indeed, there's a running gag in which Benson provides sarcastic footnoted definitions for the more obscure terms), this is pure, broad farce. The characters are one-dimensional stereotypes, the plot is preposterous, and there's nothing subtle about the gags (goofy nailgun accidents, a bar mitzvah featuring a hip hop superstar rapping the Torah - you get the idea). All that's missing is a laugh track, but not to worry - you'll almost certainly supply that yourself.

In summary, there's nothing here that hasn't been done before ... over and over and over again. Still, this is readable, engaging, and undeniably funny, so you (probably) won't begrudge the time you spend reading it. My advice: save it for those times when you're in the mood for light entertainment or really need a laugh, however cheap.