“As if Johnny Carson and Dick Cavett weren’t enough in the way of humor, the state of Nebraska has now given us Kurt Andersen. As his debut in adult public life—unless you happen to count being an editor of the Harvard Lampoon part of adult public life—Mr. Andersen has written The Real Thing. . . . It can be very witty, as well as a number of other things.”—Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, New York Times
You may already know that Belgium is the most boring country on planet Earth, but do you know why? Or what makes the Mark 44, Model O Lazy Dog Missile Cluster, the sexiest piece of military hardware on wheels? Or how LSD edged out all contenders as the Platonic Ideal of illicit drugs?From cities to sitcoms, from scotch to soda, from English monarchs to French movies, The Real Thing is a compendium of the quintessential, providing definitive answers to some of the most compelling questions of our time: What confection out-cholesterols the competition? Why is The Country Club the country club? Which Charlie Chan proved the least scrutable? Author Kurt Andersen’s pithy pronouncements sparkle with wit, sophistication, and a healthy dose of skeptical good humor as he strips world culture of accumulated hype and accepted wisdom, laying bare the sine qua nons and the ne plus ultras in a sassy series of satirical essays that give credit where credit is due while simultaneously foreclosing on the bogus, the ersatz, the would-be, and the has-been. The Real Thing is the real thing. These days, that’s really something.
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A compendium of the quintessential, providing answers to some of the compelling questions: What confection out-cholesterols the competition? Why is The Country Club the country club? And, which Charlie Chan proved the least scrutable?
Les mer
Introduction to the Bison Books EditionIntroductionBeerAffectationsUnpleasant SurprisesSupermarketsBreakfast CerealsFearsCarsDessertsBourbonLaw FirmsFast-food HamburgersIndustrial FoodsBoring American CitiesBrothelsFun That Isn'tColasCountry ClubsScotch WhiskyBasketball PlayersFolk SingersBeauty QueensBroadway ShowsNew England TownsNamesFestivalsCutenessSituation ComediesThe Great OutdoorsScreenwritersMilitary WeaponsBeautiful PeopleMyths About ChildhoodPresidential PrivilegesPlanetsLabor UnionsWoodImpressionistsTax SheltersSelf-improvement TechniquesTelephone CompaniesHomosexualsMeatHaikuOpera SingersSelf-help QuizzesRacesAstrological SignsReminders of the 1960sLimericksBalletsSexual PositionsEnglish MonarchsGurusMass MurderersHippie Rock BandsCharlie Chans"Tonight Show" Guest HostsProverbsBoring CountriesFrench MoviesIllegal DrugsJobs You and I Will Never HaveSaintsTelevision Game ShowsDays of the WeekEnemiesFabiansSimiliesBiblesBritish WordsLiberal IssuesFashion DesignersWritersSpecious Historical AnalogiesFunny DiseasesInsectsFurnitureEpilogueEpilogue to "The Real Thing"Acknowledgments
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A compendium of the quintessential, providing definitive answers to some of the most compelling questions of our time (not)
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780803220553
Publisert
2008-12-01
Utgiver
Vendor
Bison Books
Vekt
222 gr
Høyde
213 mm
Bredde
143 mm
Aldersnivå
01, G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Forfatter
Introduksjon ved