{"title":"Dead Comedians","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe funniest people in the room are usually the most dangerous. These are the ones who proved it. The comedians, satirists, and professional troublemakers who turned discomfort into an art form and whose work still to this day makes people uncomfortable, which is exactly how they intended it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo sanitized legacies. No soft-focus retrospectives. Just the work, the words, and the records of people who knew exactly what they were doing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"love-all-the-people-the-essential-bill-hicks","title":"Love All the People: The Essential Bill Hicks","description":"\u003ci\u003eLove All the People\u003c\/i\u003e, a collection of controversial comedian Bill Hicks' stand-up routines, notebooks, journals, and letters, traces his evolution from brilliant conventional stand-up to something far more interesting and dangerous: a comic speaking without fear. The result is a radical philosopher masquerading as a comedian, plumbing the American psyche with challenging (and side-splitting) conclusions. Hicks, who died of cancer in 1993, didn't go the easy way with his humor. He attacked the lies that justified the carnage of the Gulf War, the preposterous power of the mainstream media to confuse and corrupt, and the demeaning cynicism of the marketing culture. In \u003ci\u003eLove All the People\u003c\/i\u003e, that renegade comic artistry that made Bill Hicks an iconoclastic social commentator is recorded, celebrated, and revealed as true genius in this expanded edition that includes additional routines and other writings.","brand":"Bill Hicks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50638119764258,"sku":"BS-1UE-762018","price":19.69,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0953\/1985\/1298\/files\/9781593762018-HD.jpg?v=1764352018"},{"product_id":"a-carlin-home-companion-growing-up-with-george","title":"A Carlin Home Companion: Growing Up with George","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom the daughter of the iconoclastic comedic performer, Kelly Carlin's memoir\u003ci\u003e A Carlin Home Companion: Growing Up with George\u003c\/i\u003e \"is written in the DNA of a Carlin, honest, biting, savage, funny, sad, dark, and profound...Hold on; like George Carlin, this book gives you a hell of a ride\" (\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author and multi-award-winning comedian Lewis Black).\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTruly the voice of a generation, George Carlin gave the world some of the most hysterical and iconic comedy routines of the last fifty years. From the \"Seven Dirty Words\" and \"A Place for My Stuff\", to \"Religion is Bullshit\" and \"The American Dream\", he perfected the art of making audiences double over with laughter while simultaneously making people wake up to the realities (and insanities) of life in the twentieth century. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFew people glimpsed the inner life of this beloved comedian, but his only child, Kelly, was there to see it all. Born at the very beginning of his decades-long career in comedy, she slid around the \"old Dodge Dart,\" as he and wife Brenda drove around the country to \"hell gigs.\" She witnessed his transformation in the '70s, as he fought back against--and talked back to--the establishment; she even talked him down from a really bad acid trip a time or two (\"Kelly, the sun has exploded and we have eight, no-seven and a half minutes to live!\"). \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eKelly not only watched her father constantly reinvent himself and his comedy, but also had a front row seat to the roller coaster turmoil of her family's inner life--alcoholism, cocaine addiction, life-threatening health scares, and a crushing debt to the IRS. But having been the only \"adult\" in her family prepared her little for the task of her own adulthood. All the while, Kelly sought to define her own voice as she separated from the shadow of her father's genius. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith rich humor and deep insight, Kelly Carlin pulls back the curtain on what it was like to grow up as the daughter of one of the most recognizable comedians of our time, and become a woman in her own right. This vivid, hilarious, heartbreaking story is at once singular and universal--it is a contemplation of what it takes to move beyond the legacy of childhood, and forge a life of your own.","brand":"Kelly Carlin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50638149288226,"sku":"BS-1UE-105769","price":24.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0953\/1985\/1298\/files\/9781250105769-HD.jpg?v=1764352737"},{"product_id":"last-words","title":"Last Words","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFor the last 14 years of his life, the brilliant, caustic, and hilarious George Carlin worked on his autobiography--now, written with bestselling author Tony Hendra and posthumously published, Carlin has proven that even after death, he is still one of the funniest men who ever lived.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the undisputed heavyweight champions of American comedy, with nineteen appearances on the Johnny Carson show, thirteen HBO specials, five Grammys, and a critical Supreme Court battle over censorship under his belt, George Carlin saw it all throughout his extraordinary fifty-year career, and made fun of most of it. \u003ci\u003eLast Words \u003c\/i\u003eis the story of the man behind some of the most seminal comedy of the last half century, blending his signature acerbic humor with never-before-told stories from his own life, including encounters with a Who's Who of 1970s celebrity--from Lenny Bruce to Hugh Hefner--and the origins of some of his most famous standup routines. Carlin's early conflicts, his long struggle with substance abuse, his turbulent relationships with his family, and his triumphs over catastrophic setbacks all fueled the unique comedic worldview he brought to the stage. From the heights of stardom to the low points few knew about, \u003ci\u003eLast Words \u003c\/i\u003eis told with the same razor-sharp wit and unblinking honesty that made Carlin one of the best-loved comedians in American history.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"George Carlin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50638150959394,"sku":"BS-1UE-191101","price":21.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0953\/1985\/1298\/files\/9781439191101-HD.jpg?v=1764352741"},{"product_id":"a-modern-man-the-best-of-george-carlin","title":"A Modern Man: The Best of George Carlin","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA new collection of greatest hits from one of the greatest comedians of our time, George Carlin, now the subject of the HBO documentary G\u003ci\u003eeorge Carlin's American Dream\u003c\/i\u003e, directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e George Carlin was: \"a true, true artist\" (Chris Rock)...\"the master\" (Jon Stewart)...\"one of the Mount Rushmore guys in our profession\" (Jerry Seinfeld)...\"the comedian's comedian\" (Jay Leno)...\"an icon for comedy\" (Margaret Cho)...\"a deep thinker and a very, very funny man\" (Lily Tomlin)...\"one of my heroes\" (Stephen Colbert)...\"brilliant\" (Joan Rivers)...  You can't talk about comedy legends without talking George Carlin. Named the greatest standup of all time by XM Radio's \"All Time Comedy Greats\" (and #2 by both Comedy Central and Rolling Stone), Carlin garnered multiple gold records, 4 Grammys, 6 Emmy nominations, and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. He was the first host of SNL, appeared on the \u003ci\u003eTonight Show \u003c\/i\u003esome 130 times, and acted in beloved films like \u003ci\u003eBill and Ted's Excellent Adventure \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eDogma\u003c\/i\u003e. Dubbed \"the dean of counterculture comedians,\" there was no one like George Carlin. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Featuring a foreword by Lewis Black and an introduction by Carlin's longtime best friend and manager, \u003ci\u003eA Modern Man \u003c\/i\u003eis a perfect introduction for new fans and a must-have for longtime fans, showcasing the longevity, range, and--above all--hilarity of the master. Filled with thoughts, musings, questions, lists, beliefs, curiosities, monologues, assertions, assumptions, and other delicious verbal ordeals, it is drop-dead funny tour through Carlin's singular mind. More than ten years after his death, Carlin's characteristically ironic takes on life's annoying universal truths remain thoughtful, fearless, and somehow more relevant than ever. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"George Carlin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50638151090466,"sku":"BS-1UE-827099","price":21.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0953\/1985\/1298\/files\/9780306827099-HD.jpg?v=1764352745"},{"product_id":"the-essential-dick-gregory-1","title":"The Essential Dick Gregory","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA soulful, generation-defining collection of thought-provoking, agitating, and liberating works from Dick Gregory, the activist and author of sixteen books, including the classic bestseller \u003cem\u003eNigger: An Autobiography\u003c\/em\u003e and the 2017 NAACP Image Award Winner, \u003cem\u003eDefining Moments in Black History: Reading Between the Lies.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA true renaissance man, Richard Claxton \"Dick\" Gregory was one of the pioneering satirists of his generation, a reformer and brilliant spokesperson for the downtrodden and forgotten who dedicated his life to speaking unadulterated truth--and to improving ordinary lives. A revered human rights and environmental activist, fearsome and uncompromising social critic, lauded bestselling author, and beloved nutrition guru, Gregory aimed not only to educate souls, but to liberate them. His words shaped a generation and remain vital for our own turbulent times, offering wisdom to enlighten and inspire a new activist age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis carefully curated anthology of selected writings reflects and celebrates Dick Gregory's wisdom and his vision. Divided into three sections--Body, Mind, and Spirit--it includes previously unavailable transcriptions and excerpts taken from his sixteen books, fifteen albums and audio compilations, and more than 1,200 hours of archival video, including lectures, interviews, and comedic performances. It is a breathtaking tour through the life of one of America's most prophetic and relevant cultural icons. \u003cem\u003eThe Essential Dick Gregory\u003c\/em\u003e is a pointillistic portrait of a man who gave up a lucrative entertainment career to fight injustice on the front line of battle--leading protests and hunger strikes to end the Vietnam War and apartheid in South Africa; supporting civil rights, feminism, and Native Americans; and addressing hunger, poverty, and police brutality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis compelling volume will challenge your beliefs, allow you to see life in unexpected ways, and dare you to make the world a better place.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dick Gregory","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50638157644066,"sku":"BS-1UE-879219","price":20.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0953\/1985\/1298\/files\/9780062879219-HD.jpg?v=1764353025"},{"product_id":"robin","title":"Robin","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e BESTSELLER \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eBOOK REVIEW\u003c\/i\u003e EDITOR'S CHOICE\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eSAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE\u003c\/i\u003e BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eVULTURE \u003c\/i\u003eBEST BOOK OF THE YEAR \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A generous, appreciative biography of Robin Williams by a \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e culture reporter. The author, who had access to Williams and members of the comedian's family, is an unabashed fan but doesn't shy away from the abundant messiness in his subject's personal life.\"--\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e culture reporter Dave Itzkoff, the definitive biography of Robin Williams - a compelling portrait of one of America's most beloved and misunderstood entertainers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom his rapid-fire stand-up comedy riffs to his breakout role in \u003ci\u003eMork \u0026amp; Mindy\u003c\/i\u003e and his Academy Award-winning performance in \u003ci\u003eGood Will Hunting\u003c\/i\u003e, Robin Williams was a singularly innovative and beloved entertainer. He often came across as a man possessed, holding forth on culture and politics while mixing in personal revelations - all with mercurial, tongue-twisting intensity as he inhabited and shed one character after another with lightning speed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut as Dave Itzkoff shows in this revelatory biography, Williams's comic brilliance masked a deep well of conflicting emotions and self-doubt, which he drew upon in his comedy and in celebrated films like \u003ci\u003eDead Poets Society\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eGood Morning, Vietnam\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eThe Fisher King\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eAladdin\u003c\/i\u003e; and \u003ci\u003eMrs. Doubtfire\u003c\/i\u003e, where he showcased his limitless gift for improvisation to bring to life a wide range of characters. And in \u003ci\u003eGood Will Hunting \u003c\/i\u003ehe gave an intense and controlled performance that revealed the true range of his talent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eItzkoff also shows how Williams struggled mightily with addiction and depression - topics he discussed openly while performing and during interviews - and with a debilitating condition at the end of his life that affected him in ways his fans never knew. Drawing on more than a hundred original interviews with family, friends, and colleagues, as well as extensive archival research, \u003ci\u003eRobin\u003c\/i\u003e is a fresh and original look at a man whose work touched so many lives.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dave Itzkoff","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50646217556258,"sku":"BS-1UE-214812","price":23.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0953\/1985\/1298\/files\/9781250214812-HD.jpg?v=1764548020"},{"product_id":"based-on-a-true-story-not-a-memoir","title":"Based on a True Story: Not a Memoir","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e BESTSELLER - \u003cb\u003e\"Driving, wild and hilarious\" (\u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e), here is the incredible \"memoir\" of the legendary actor, gambler, raconteur, and \u003ci\u003eSaturday Night Live \u003c\/i\u003eveteran.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e When Norm Macdonald, one of the greatest stand-up comics of all time, was approached to write a celebrity memoir, he flatly refused, calling the genre \"one step below instruction manuals.\" Norm then promptly took a two-year hiatus from stand-up comedy to live on a farm in northern Canada. When he emerged he had under his arm a manuscript, a genre-smashing book about comedy, tragedy, love, loss, war, and redemption. When asked if this was the celebrity memoir, Norm replied, \"Call it anything you damn like.\"","brand":"Norm MacDonald","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50646217883938,"sku":"BS-1UE-983869","price":21.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0953\/1985\/1298\/files\/9780812983869-HD.jpg?v=1764548085"},{"product_id":"nigger-an-autobiography","title":"Nigger: An Autobiography","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eComedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory's million-copy-plus bestselling memoir--now in trade paperback for the first time.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Powerful and ugly and beautiful...a moving story of a man who deeply wants a world without malice and hate and is doing something about it.\"--\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFifty-five years ago, in 1964, an incredibly honest and revealing memoir by one of the America's best-loved comedians and activists, Dick Gregory, was published. With a shocking title and breathtaking writing, Dick Gregory defined a genre and changed the way race was discussed in America.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTelling stories that range from his hardscrabble childhood in St. Louis to his pioneering early days as a comedian to his indefatigable activism alongside Medgar Evers and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Gregory's memoir riveted readers in the sixties. In the years and decades to come, the stories and lessons became more relevant than ever, and the book attained the status of a classic. The book has sold over a million copies and become core text about race relations and civil rights, continuing to inspire readers everywhere with Dick Gregory's incredible story about triumphing over racism and poverty to become an American legend.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dick Gregory","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50646218604834,"sku":"BS-1UE-086148","price":21.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0953\/1985\/1298\/files\/9780593086148-HD.jpg?v=1764548164"},{"product_id":"how-to-talk-dirty-and-influence-people-an-autobiography","title":"How to Talk Dirty and Influence People: An Autobiography","description":"\u003cp\u003eDuring the course of a career that began in the late 1940s, Lenny Bruce challenged the sanctity of organized religion and other societal and political conventions; he widened the boundaries of free speech. Critic Ralph Gleason said, \"So many taboos have been lifted and so many comics have rushed through the doors Lenny opened. He utterly changed the world of comedy.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough Bruce died when he was only forty, his influence on the worlds of comedy, jazz, and satire are incalculable. \u003ci\u003eHow to Talk Dirty and Influence People\u003c\/i\u003e remains a brilliant existential account of his life and the forces that made him the most important and controversial entertainer in history.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Lenny Bruce","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50646219194658,"sku":"BS-1UE-825293","price":20.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0953\/1985\/1298\/files\/9780306825293-HD.jpg?v=1764548275"},{"product_id":"don-rickles-merchant-of-venom","title":"Don Rickles: Merchant of Venom","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe first comprehensive biography of Don Rickles, the king of insult comedy and honorary rat pack member whose career spanned decades and influenced generations of comedians, written by \u003ci\u003eNew York Post\u003c\/i\u003e television editor and celebrity biographer Michael Starr.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRiding a wave of success that lasted more than sixty years, Don Rickles is best known as the \"insult\" comic who skewered presidents, royalty, celebrities, and friends and fans alike. But there was more to \"Mr. Warmth\" than a devilish ear-to-ear grin and lightning-fast put-downs. Rickles was a loving husband, an adoring father who suffered a devastating loss, and a loyal friend to the likes of Bob Newhart and Frank Sinatra. Don was also a young student at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts with future stars Jason Robards, Jr., Don Murray, and Grace Kelly, and intended to become a seriously committed actor. But it was in small nightclubs where Rickles found success, steamrolling hecklers, honing his acerbic put-downs, and teaching the world to love being insulted. Sex, race, religion, nationality, physical appearance, political leanings--nothing and no one was safe from the \"Planned Parenthood Poster Boy,\" as Johnny Carson referred to him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Merchant of Venom\u003c\/i\u003e traces Don Rickles' career from his rise in the 1950s to a late-in-life resurgence thanks to the \u003ci\u003eToy Story\u003c\/i\u003e franchise, his role in Martin Scorsese's \u003ci\u003eCasino\u003c\/i\u003e, and scores of TV appearances from Carson to Seth Meyers. In the intervening decades, Rickles conquered every medium he worked in, including film, television, and on stage, where the Vegas legend was still performing at the age of eighty-five. In his highly memorable career, he was idolized by a generation of younger comedians including Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and Jay Leno, and performed in the shadow of a shocking open secret: he was the nicest man in town.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn in-depth portrait of the personal and singular professional life of Don Rickles, \u003ci\u003eThe Merchant of Venom\u003c\/i\u003e delivers a hilarious, moving, and long-overdue look at the real man behind the sting.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Michael Seth Starr","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50646221488418,"sku":"BS-1UE-541723","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0953\/1985\/1298\/files\/9780806541723-HD.jpg?v=1764548423"},{"product_id":"too-fat-to-fish","title":"Too Fat to Fish","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOutrageous, raw, and painfully funny true stories straight from the life of the actor, comedian, and much-loved cast member of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eHoward Stern Show\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e--with a foreword by Howard Stern. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Artie Lange joined the permanent cast of \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eHoward Stern Show\u003c\/i\u003e in 2001, it was possibly the greatest thing ever to happen in the Stern universe, second only to the show's move to the wild, uncensored frontier of satellite radio. Lange provided what Stern had yet to find all in the same place: a wit quick enough to keep pace with his own, a pathetic self-image to dwarf his own, a personal history both heartbreaking and hilarious, and an ingrained sense of self-sabotage that continually keeps things interesting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA natural storyteller with a bottomless pit of material, Lange grew up in a close-knit, working-class Italian family in Union, New Jersey, a maniacal Yankees fan who pursued the two things his father said he was cut out for--sports and comedy. Tragically, Artie Lange Sr. never saw the truth in that prediction: He became a quadriplegic in an accident when Artie was eighteen and died soon after. But as with every trial in his life, from his drug addiction to his obesity to his fights with his mother, Artie mines the humor, pathos, and humanity in these events and turns them into comedy classics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrue fans of the \u003ci\u003eStern Show\u003c\/i\u003e will find Artie gold in these pages: hilarious tales that couldn't have happened to anyone else. There are stories from his days driving a Jersey cab, working as a longshoreman in Port Newark, and navigating the dark circuit of stand-up comedy. There are outrageous episodes from the frenzied heights of his coked-up days at \u003ci\u003eMADtv\u003c\/i\u003e, surprisingly moving stories from his childhood, and an account of his recent U.S.O. tour that is equally stirring and irreverent. But also in this volume are stories Artie's never told before, including some that he deemed too revealing for radio.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWild, shocking, and drop-dead hilarious, \u003cb\u003eToo Fat to Fish\u003c\/b\u003e is Artie Lange giving everything he's got to give. And like a true pro, the man never disappoints.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Artie Lange","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50646227026210,"sku":"BS-1UE-526579","price":21.69,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0953\/1985\/1298\/files\/9780385526579-HD.jpg?v=1764548719"},{"product_id":"furious-cool-richard-pryor-and-the-world-that-made-him","title":"Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and the World That Made Him","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Richard Pryor was chain lightning to everything around him. He shocked the world through with human electricity. He blew all our comfortable balance to hell. And \u003ci\u003eFurious Cool \u003c\/i\u003ecaptures it brilliantly.\" --Colum McCann, author of \u003ci\u003eLet the Great World Spin\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRichard Pryor was arguably the single most influential performer of the second half of the twentieth century, and certainly he was the most successful black actor\/comedian ever. Controversial and somewhat enigmatic during his life, Pryor's performances opened up a whole new world of possibilities, merging fantasy with angry reality in a way that wasn't just new--it was theretofore unthinkable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow, in this groundbreaking and revelatory work, Joe and David Henry bring him alive again both as a man and as an artist, providing an in-depth appreciation of his talent and his lasting influence, as well as an insightful examination of the world he lived in and the myriad influences that shaped both his persona and his art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Brothers David and Joe Henry have brought Richard Pryor back to pulsating life, affirming both his humanity and his immortality as a comic--and tragic--genius.\" --\u003ci\u003eThe Huffington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A sleek, highly literate biography that places the comic in the pop-cultural context of his times.\" --\u003ci\u003eBloomberg News\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"It would be enough if \u003ci\u003eFurious Cool \u003c\/i\u003ewas a profile of Pryor's uncanny talents, psychic turmoil, and ungovernable behavior, but it's also a fascinating history of black comedy . . . \u003ci\u003eFurious Cool\u003c\/i\u003e captures Pryor's frenetic routines and stage presence on the page . . . The inextricable legacy of Richard Pryor--his boldness, inventiveness, candor, and empathy--lives on.\" --\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"An addictively readable study of the path of this outsized talent . . . Someday, when fewer people know Richard Pryor's name, \u003ci\u003eFurious Cool \u003c\/i\u003ewill be the best defense against the worst sort of forgetting--the kind that involves who we are now, who we loved once, and why.\" --\u003ci\u003eEsquire\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"David Henry","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50646242165026,"sku":"BS-1UE-204471","price":23.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0953\/1985\/1298\/files\/9781616204471-HD.jpg?v=1764549495"},{"product_id":"rik-mayall-comedy-genius","title":"Rik Mayall: Comedy Genius","description":"Delving into the rude, serious, anarchic and hilarious, Searby highlights Mayall's spectrum of work - not the rumours or an attempt to uncover the deeply private life he led but the more intricate moments that were twisted into creations to make people laugh and subsequently woven in to the fabric of British culture and comic legacy. Narrated by Searby, over 30 exclusive interviews have been lovingly, laughingly and carefully sought from those that stood closest to him over his working years providing the inner-most workings of Mayall and all of the emotions that working next to him brought with it, namely laughter. As Mayall evolved over the years, his acting, his intellect, his manic, intriguing character and his genius became a thing of interest, inspiration and celebration. 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The minister of silly walks, the dead parrot, banter in a cheese shop - here is every silly, satirical skit, every snide insult, every saucy aside.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Monty Python","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51437996474658,"sku":"BS-1UE-726470","price":23.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0953\/1985\/1298\/files\/9780679726470-HD.jpg?v=1773940011"},{"product_id":"the-cambridge-footlights-a-very-british-comedy-institution","title":"The Cambridge Footlights: A Very British Comedy Institution","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn the league table of the funniest universities in the world, Cambridge wears the crown. 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Dangerfield has seen every aspect of the entertainment industry: the rough–and–tumble nightclubs, the backstage gag–writing sessions, the drugs, the hookers, the lousy day jobs – and the red–carpet star treatment. As he traces his route from a poor childhood on Long Island to his enshrinement as a comedy legend, he takes readers on a roller–coaster ride through a life that has been alternately touching, sordid, funny, raunchy, and uplifting – equal parts \"Little Orphan Annie\" and \"Caligula.\" And unlike most celebrity autobiographers, he seems to have no qualms about delivering the unfiltered whole story, warts and all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDangerfield's personal story is also a rollicking show business tale, full of marquee name–droppings (Adam Sandler, Sam Kinison, Jim Carrey, Johnny Carson, Jerry Seinfeld) and good stories about same. Defying the old saws about the fleeting nature of fame and the dearth of second acts in American life, Dangerfield transformed himself from a debt–ridden aluminium–siding salesman named Jack Roy to a multimedia superstar – and stayed an icon for decades. His catchphrase – \"I get no respect\" – has entered the lexicon, and he remains a visible cultural presence and perennial talk–show guest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDangerfield's hilarious and inspiring musings should thrill comedy fans and pop–culture watchers, and his second–act comeback will strike a chord with readers of all stripes. Maybe he'll even get some respect.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rodney Dangerfield","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51552841957666,"sku":"BS-1UE-779245","price":20.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0953\/1985\/1298\/files\/9780060779245-HD.jpg?v=1776582080"},{"product_id":"dirty-daddy-the-chronicles-of-a-family-man-turned-filthy-comedian","title":"Dirty Daddy: The Chronicles of a Family Man Turned Filthy Comedian","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"Hilarious and at times heartbreaking . . .\"--Vanity Fair\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA New York Times bestseller\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMillions of viewers know and love Bob Saget from his role as the sweetly neurotic father Danny Tanner on the smash hit Full House, and as the charming wisecracking host of America's Funniest Home Videos. And then there are the legions of fans who can't get enough of his scatological, out-of-his-mind stand-up routines, comedy specials, and outrageously profane performances in such shows as HBO's Entourage and the hit documentary The Aristocrats.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn his bold and wildly entertaining publishing debut, he continues to embrace his dark side and gives readers the book they have long been waiting for--hilarious and often dirty. Bob believes there's a time and a place for filth. 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