17 October 2007

Jackass: The Book



I've just about had it with these gag books; some slacker vows to wear his underwear over his jeans for 12 months and next thing you know Simon & Schuster are buying him lunch at some $$$ Michelin rated ristorante enoteca. What gives? And when, if ever, will it end?!

So your boy A. J. Jacobs has a new book, "The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible". In it, Jacobs chronicles 12 months living a remarkably strict Biblical life full of charity, chastity, and facial hair. You may recognise Jacobs from his first book "The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World". I mean, this guy just can't go wrong.



It's tough for me because I am a devout non-fictionalist, so these books should be right up my arse, unfortunately they are not. I'm also into documentaries, but that doesn't mean I'll watch these insipid reality shows.

In fact, I think gag books have become the new reality show. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, yes it is, but if I wear a clown wig for a year does that mean I should write a book about it and you should want to read it? Oh, and someone should pay me to do it?!

I hereby declare Kurt Harland the king of all gag books, even though he never wrote one. Kurt was the singer of Information Society. Kurt lost a bet and had to wear roller skates for 2 years everywhere he went. If that's not a gag book I dunno what is!



Debating The Year of Living Biblically {Slate}

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