Hi Everyone and welcome back to The Boss Book club!
Today I’m going to talk about a thoroughly funny and enjoyable autobiography from one of the world’s late, great comedians, Rodney Dangerfield.
If you don’t know who Rodney Dangerfield is by name, chances are you will know his voice, or recognize him as that poor schmuck who gets “no respect, no respect at all!” A quick Youtube search may make you an instant fan!
If you already know Rodney and enjoyed his comedy, or his appearances in movies such as Caddyshack or Back to School then you will find this autobiography a fascinating and of course, very funny read. On every single page of this relatively short autobiography, Rodney has included one of his famous quips, so you’re guaranteed at least a smile, if not a giggle every page. Some classics include:
“l tell ya, my wife was never nice to me. On our first date, I asked her if I could give her a good-night kiss on the cheek. She bent over.”
And….
“I tell ya, my family were always big drinkers. When I was a kid, I was missing. They put my picture on a bottle of Scotch.”
Ah, one more won’t hurt…
“I asked my wife, “Last night, were you faking it?” She said, “No, I was really sleeping.”
One of those little gems on every single page! Your ongoing entertainment is virtually guaranteed. Rodney of course discusses his whole life in this book, from his childhood, to the running of his nightclub and all the celebrities he’s met in between. If you’re a fan of comedy, show business, and the Las Vegas scene then let Rodney tell you all about it. The book does have a serious side though, and Rodney doesn’t flinch away from talking about the difficult points of his life, including his troubled relationship with his mother, his health problems and his lifelong battle with depression. One of the most impactful moments of the book for me was discovering that Rodney gave up comedy when he was 28 years old, and for 12 years worked as a labourer. It was only when he turned 40 that he decided to give comedy another crack and ended up becoming a comedy superstar. I found this fact to be inspiring as I think today there’s a certain pressure to have your entire life sorted out before you turn 30 years old! He showed that you can follow your dreams and passions at any age and be successful.
A nice addition to this book is a foreword by Jim Carrey and afterword by Roseanne Barr. These little segments nicely bookend Rodney’s story and highlight how much Rodney did to support other comedians and their acts. After this book you will experience a greater appreciation for Rodney Dangerfield, relive some of his best jokes, and realize the hard work that goes behind the scenes to what looks like effortless comedy.
And who knows, you might even respect him a little.
Thank you for joining the Boss Book Club, feel free to tell me your favourite Dangerfield joke in the comments below! Happy Reading.
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