Two generations of comic genius
October 12, 2008
Brilliant piece of humor from Chris Elliott and his legendary father, Bob. Penned back when the original "Late Night with David Letterman" was in its heyday on NBC and the younger Elliott was regularly causing mayhem there, father and son alternate chapters. Chris' tale is a Hellish child of a celebrity existence beneath the uncaring shadow of his showbiz father, who is portrayed as an upper-crust megalomaniacal tyrant that would make the Joan Crawford of "Mommie Deartest" look like a sweetheart. Bob's rebuttal chapters barely mention Chris and are the kinds of wonderful deadpan non-sequiters that made Bob & Ray famous. David Letterman wrote the forward, and the book is full of non-stop bellylaughs, with bizarre and hysterical references to things like Bella Abzug floppy hats and of course Gold Toe socks! For fans of Chris' later books, the cult sitcom "Get a Life", "Late Night" of the 1980s or Bob & Ray, this book is a must-read.
Funniest. Novel. Ever
(1 of 1 Found this Helpful)
February 16, 2006
I read this book ages ago and enjoyed it completely. Chris Elliott is one of the most underrated comics around and this book is proof. Virtually nobody has read it, but everyone who has loves it.
Chris is still deepy & achingly in luv with Pamela Sue Martin
(1 of 3 Found this Helpful)
December 16, 2005
And that's the reason Chris interpolated THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE into DADDY'S BOY. Pamela Sue was at the apogee of her scrumptiousness in 1973. In the squeezy-wet summer of her sweet goosey youth. Don't be fooled by Chris's distractionary references to "the leggy blonde in the wedgie sandals". Carol Lynley means nothing to Chris. There's only you, Pamela Sue. Only you.
If Bobby Darin was a triple-threat, Bobby Elliott was a megatuple-threat: "When I entered his world, he was at his height. You couldn't turn on the radio without hearing his deep manly baritone belting out a lilting romantic lullaby. You couldn't go to the movies without seeing his rock-solid shoulders and receding hairline fill the screen, and you couldn't go to the supermarket without seeing his cherubic face emblazoned on the labels of Bob Elliott's Famous Salad Dressing, or Bob Elliott's Popcorn, Chewing Tobacco, and Turkey Franks. He monopolized the talk shows and gossip columns. His appearance could turn a boring party into an 'event'. He composed, he performed, he lifted weights, and he painted all the murals in the lobby of the RCA Building. He was King of Comedy, King of Drama, and Teen Beat's Hunk-of-the-Month at age 53."
Let it also be known that Chris shamelessly borrowed a bit of shtick from THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE: "He [Wulfgang Herbert] also felt that since there were no right angles in nature, there should be no right angles in anything man-made, including architecture. Every attempt at constructing a Herbert school without right angles met with disaster before the school could be completed, and so classes were held outside, literally on 68th and Lexington."
Chris appropriated Monty Python's Trim-Jeans joke with complete peace of mind: "Still later that night, with my mind lost in the parking lot of the Bates Motel, my nostrils filled with the familiar Mum aroma. I woke immediately, and there, standing in the doorway, was Daddy. He was naked except for a pair of inflatable undershorts. (The undershorts were something he had seen advertised on television. Supposedly, if you wore them to bed, you could lose weight in your sleep.) He stood swaying in the doorway for an eternity. Then, in a hushed voice, almost a whisper, he implored: 'If you eat spaghetti, please watch out for the bay leaves!' He turned and was gone as suddenly as he had appeared."
But the best reason to hate Chris is for the following passage: "The twins, A and B, shaved their heads, moved to Iran, and opened a chain of Bob's Big Boys, and the rest of the thugs were at Stanford Medical School trying to come up with a cure for those obnoxious people who insist on closing their eyes whenever they talk."
It just so happens that some of those eye-closers are thinking of Pamela Sue Martin. And there's nothing wrong with that. Isn't that right, Chris.
Chris Elliott to be on Mania TV
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October 17, 2005
The legendary CHRIS ELLIOTT will be LIVE in the MANIATV! studios on Wednesday October 19th at 1:00 pm est. Our very own CJ Christy will be talking with him about his hilarious new book, THE SHROUD OF THE THWACKER and his roles in cult film and television. So whether you're the world's biggest Cabin Boy fan or know of him as David Letterman's Guy Under the Bleachers, this is an exclusive interview you won't want to miss.
ManiaTV! is a live internet television station found at [...]. It is absolutely free to watch 24/7.
If there is anything you've ever wanted to ask CHRIS ELLIOTT, [...]and we'll consider adding them!
Recent interviews include George A. Romero, Death Cab For Cutie, Blackalicious, Paul Feig, Dashboard Confessional, Margaret Cho and Jeff "the Dude" Dowd.
[...]
I'll be brief...
(3 of 4 Found this Helpful)
May 24, 2005
I laughed my ass off, non-stop, from cover to cover.
Any questions?
