It's Not Easy Bein' Me: A Lifetime of No Respect but Plenty of Sex and Drugs (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Roy and Arthur was a vaudeville comedy team..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, The Tonight Show, Long Island (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A Vegas headliner for 20-plus years, Dangerfield became a huge comedic success while maintaining his image as a hassled everyman. He is, says Carrey, "as funny as a carbon-based life form can be." After writing I Couldn't Stand My Wife's Cooking, So I Opened a Restaurant; I Don't Get No Respect; and No Respect, he now presents this anecdotal autobiography, effectively blending honesty and humor. He was born Jacob Cohen in 1921 to a vaudevillian father constantly on the road and a "coldhearted," "selfish" mother: "I guess that's why I went into show business—to get some love." As Jack Roy, he began performing in his teens, struggled in clubs across the country but quit in 1949 to spend 12 years as an aluminum-siding salesman. At 40, he changed his name and his act: "I was older and wiser, yeah, but I was funnier too." In a major comeback, he made 70 Tonight Show appearances and opened his own nightclub in 1969, followed by TV specials and commercials, albums and hit movies. Writing with hip, showbiz savvy and a backstage bawdiness, he regales with tales of Lenny Bruce, Andy Kaufman and many more, and devotes full chapters to sex and drugs. Sidebar jokes, relevant to the text, appear throughout, along with cartoons and b&w photos.
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Review

"Rodney has found a way to appeal to every generation."
-- Jim Carrey --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: It Books (May 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0066211077
• ISBN-13: 978-0066211077
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #408,299 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TONS OF JOKES MIXED INTO AN INTERESTING LIFE STORY!, July 8, 2004

By	Steve Nakamoto "The Friendly Voice of the... (Huntington Beach, California USA) - See all my reviews

I saw Rodney a couple of years ago in the Salt Lake City airport sitting in a chair waiting for his flight to LAX with his wife. He looked old and frail, but I gave him a wave and he gave me back a wink with his trademark okay sign. That was very cool.

So when I bought this book I was really looking forward to an interesting read....and I found it.

This book has a tons of jokes that are used to separate his stories (and he's got a lot of them) within the chapters. I now realize how hard he worked and really how little he received back in terms of material riches. (He only received $35,000 for Caddyshack with no residuals!)

There are so many funny stories about show business, struggling as a comedian, sex, women, drugs, his youth, his health, friends, marriage, and of course, not getting any respect.

I know that Rodney may not be with us very long as he is in his 80's and dealing with health issues, but I feel lucky to have seen him since the Ed Sullivan days, through the Johnny Carson years, the Miller Lite Beer commercials, the hilarious movies, and up to my incident at the Salt Lake City airport.

Here's a real success story in disguise from a kind man who has made us all laugh for decades.

This book adds so much to my appreciation of this humble and very human man. I'm going to watch "Back To School" and "Caddyshack" again soon.

Thanks Rodney. You have my respect.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rodney Reflects On His Life, August 1, 2004

By	Mike King "Michael A. King" (Taunton, MA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

In typical Dangerfield fashion, the depressing parts of Rodney's life are interspersed with jokes. His father was rarely at home, his mother never showed him any affection, and he turned to show business for love and acceptance. "What a childhood I had. Once on my birthday, my old man gave me a bat. The first day I played with it, it flew away." Rodney survived life on the road as a struggling comic with the help of loose women, smoking pot and drinking booze. "I solved my drinking problem. I joined Alcoholics Anonymous. I still drink, but I use a different name."

When Rodney tweaked his act from nothing goes right to I don't get no respect, his career took off. He bought the nightclub Dangerfield's in New York City, then went from playing nightclubs to appearing on TV to starring in movies. Unfortunately, with his advancing age, Rodney has endured many health problems. He faces his mortality with his sense of humor intact, going so far as to write his own eulogy. "We are here today to bid farewell to Rodney Dangerfield. A man who cared about the homeless. He was always looking for a girl who needs a room. A man who always loved his neighbor, if she was easy. Farewell, Rodney. We know you'll be in good hands - your own!" Rodney achieves just the right balance of facts and jokes in this humorous look at his less than humorous life.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Huge Fan, May 27, 2004

By A Customer

Bobbie Anne Jones,learning to be a writer

Not only am I an avid memoir reader, but I also am a fan of Rodney Dangerfield. When I found out his book was coming out, I had to buy it. What I found was nothing like I expected. this man that for years has made me laugh is showing sides of him that are brutal and sad. The humanistic reality of him. I think because of this book and his willingness to come clean about his life, I find that I am even more of a fan of someone that is willing to tell it like it is. There is no glory story. This is honesty. I would recommend this book highly. Read and get to know Mr. Dangerfield.

Also recommending other memoirs: Nightmares Echo,I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings,Name All The Animals, The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter