I’ve been a fan of Jackie Mason for years – his common sense approach to humor has really set him apart from other comics. Years ago – I think I was a kid at the time – he even had a talk-show were political topics were discussed – picture Real Time with Bill Maher without the blond putz proving that all blond stereotypes are in fact true.
That said, I was looking forward to his new book where he joined forces with Raul Felder to identify the real shmucks in our society. Growing up with parents from the City, I picked up plenty of Yiddish along the way – so words like shmuck, putz, and meshuggah always get my attention and evoke a chuckle.
For about $25 anyone can pick this up at Borders like I did and get a good 200 pages of humorous social commentary. Honestly though, I think the book should have been half the length, cost $12.95, and nix the lawyer. The head of steam this book picks up is rapidly lost the moment Felder drafts a chapter. I can’t recall the specific moment, but I’d say it was bout 1/4 of the way into the book where some executive decision to throttle Jackie Mason’s signature shtick came into play. Now it’s one thing to hear Jackie Mason complain about something – it’s always worth a laugh and based in common sense. I can hear a lawyer comment any day of the week – a burn from Mason is always a treat.
It’s definitely a quick read, I’m nearly done with the book after about 2 days – so my recommendation is find a Library and save the $25. I know I should have.
