Does Anybody Have a Problem with That? The Best of Politically Incorrect (Paperback)

by Bill Maher (Author) "SAT scores are plummeting, college graduates can't read, and Americans are paying good money for bell-bottoms again..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Bill Clinton, Joe Queenan (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Politically incorrect humor is nothing new. It seems most jokes from stand-up comedians through the years have poked fun at race, religion, gender or sex while the rest have intended to be downright offensive. (Remember Don Rickles?) But Bill Maher has refined his humor on the nuances and sometimes ridiculousness of all things "politically correct." Host of the talk show "Politically Incorrect," he unloads a collection of his gems for this book, such as: "Should we require a seven-day waiting period to have a child, and if so, would it be called the Brady Bunch bill?" One book you won't want to take to the Rainbow Coalition meeting. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Comedy Central channel's premier talk show, Politically Incorrect, appears to have single-handedly revived political satire on television. Acerbic host Maher supplies an eclectic assortment of guests, who are goaded into quibbling, arguing, and shouting about everything from gays in the military to violence in the media. While the television show is a refreshing breath of topnotch satire, Maher's attempt to capture the essence of individual programs in this compilation of commentaries falls short of the mark. Maher has assembled some of the program's most memorable highlights, but outside the context of the programs, his tongue-in-cheek observations seem less interesting. Still, the book provides a useful record of individual programs, broadcast dates, and guests. That, coupled with the show's popularity, would make it a reasonable purchase for most libraries.?Joe J. Accardi, Northeastern Illinois Univ. Lib., Chicago
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (May 20, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345412818
• ISBN-13: 978-0345412812
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #171,405 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars By "Ride Alone" instead!!!, February 10, 2003

By A Customer

I found myself at an event in November 2002 where Bill was pushing his "When you Ride Alone, you Ride with Bin Laden" book. I was so fascinated with how good it was, and how creative it is, that I kind of went on a Bill Maher kick. I bought this book afterward.

Being an incredibly SLOW reader, I was still halfway though this little paperback in under an hour. It's mostly questions that were asked at a show, the occasional comment by Bill, and very rarely sprinkled with guests' answers. There are a few gems in it, but overall, your money is much better spent on "When you Ride Alone you ride with Bin Laden."

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing!, March 29, 2002

By	Lee Markowitz (Yorktown Heights, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Maher is great but this book isn't. Bill often has profound viewpoints that I agree with. In this book, however, Maher too often placed a higher priority on being funny than making intelligent remarks. Also, although the cover says "The Best of POLITICALLY INCORRECT," the book is not really related to the show. I expected intelligent comments by both Maher and a wide variety of guests. Instead, nearly all of the book consists of statements made by Maher (not on his show) and not by his guests. This book is not worth reading although Maher's show is worth watching.

Lee J. Markowitz, Ph.D. Student

17 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fairly Funny, But a "Shotgun" Approach, August 7, 2000

By	Brian Curtis (Duluth, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Bill Maher has cranked out a number of clever, memorable, very funny one-liners. Unfortunately, to do this he's had to toss off a much larger number of gags that just don't work very well. The book reflects this scattershot approach to his comedy: a few gems with a lot of mediocre filler. It doesn't diminish the value of his truly hilarious comments, but you do have to wade through a lot to get to the good stuff--kind of like a Mel Brooks movie.

As for the political content, I didn't make the mistake of bringing my personal politics into the process of reading political satire. If you're so hardcore that you think "I'm a Republican, so satire of Republicans can't be funny," then I pity you. Humor can and should rise above mere political affiliations, and I'd welcome equally funny material from any writer on the spectrum. Neal Boortz, for example, although I despise his politics, can be a very funny guy. So can Howard Stern. Do the "political ramifications" _really_ matter?

Leave your flag and soapbox at home and approach this book the way it's meant to be approached: as political satire, often mediocre, but occasionally brilliant.