Product Description

Outrageous, raw, and painfully funny true stories straight from the life of the actor, comedian, and much-loved cast member of The Howard Stern Show—with a foreword by Howard Stern.

When Artie Lange joined the permanent cast of The Howard Stern Show 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.

A 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.

True fans of the Stern Show 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 MADtv, 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.

Wild, shocking, and drop-dead hilarious, Too Fat to Fish is Artie Lange giving everything he’s got to give. And like a true pro, the man never disappoints.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3962 in Books
• Published on: 2009-06-02
• Released on: 2009-06-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780385526579
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
This debut memoir from the comedian best known as Howard Stern's radio show sidekick is scrappy, funny, tumultuous and profane, just like its author. Lange, a self-proclaimed fat guy with a heroin problem, is difficult to love, but easy to like, his shaggy-dog life story full of derogatory self-awareness and cheerful vulgarity (often in the form of casual profanity and sexism). Many episodes from this life story will be familiar to Stern listeners, including the infamous "Pig Story," wherein Lange snorts cocaine while in full pig costume on the set of television's MADtv. Less familiar to fans will be a sobering account of Lange's suicide attempt and fond childhood memories of his beloved father. Lange's outrageous and horrific behavior involves prostitution, jail time and several trips to rehab; perhaps the saddest recurring theme is the frequency with which Lange thanks someone who's helped him, only to reveal that that person is no longer a part of his life. Glossing over Lange's penchant for alienating people is just one oversight that keeps this warts-and-all memoir from feeling fully honest. Still, for those with a taste for his aggressive, self-loathing brand of humor will find this volume full of compulsively readable stories. Photos.
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Review
“Compulsively readable . . . this debut memoir from the comedian best known as Howard Stern’s radio show sidekick is scrappy, funny, tumultuous and profane.”—Publishers Weekly


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Review
“Compulsively readable . . . this debut memoir from the comedian best known as Howard Stern’s radio show sidekick is scrappy, funny, tumultuous and profane.”—Publishers Weekly

Customer Reviews

Do Yourself a Favor: Read this Book
There is just no way to not love this book. Whether you are a fan of Artie Lange or not, the book is fresh and insightful, and it almost goes without saying, funny as hell. Not for the faint of heart (but seriously is anything connected with Howard Stern for the faint of heart?), the narrative is laced with expletives, the situations are sometimes raunchy or downright gross, and the author is not trying to paint a pretty picture of his addiction-riddled life. Once you get past the reality backwash, it is a book filled with honesty and humor as well as some surprising insights.

Artie Lange fully admits to having lived his life thus far as a first-class f***-up, allowing himself to be caught up in every imaginable vice and addiction. But he firmly believes, along with his boss, that his vices feed his amazing comedic genius. His ability to survive his own behavior in itself seems an act of genius. Personally, I think that Artie is one of that rare breed of comedian who can make people laugh hysterically with the most offhand unscripted comment. The life of decadence may make for some inherently funny situations, but I think this guy could make the telephone book funny. Ease up on yourself Artie, the world needs funny guys like you.

While I expected a book filled with humorous stories, what I didn't expect was the down-to-earth telling of them. The narrative is sometimes simplistic, but it really makes you feel like Artie is in the room with you telling you these stories. While I laughed myself sick at times, I also had tears in my eyes over the author's description of his relationship with his father, and his family's life after his father's tragic accident.

All in all the book will leave you feeling that there is a great deal more to Artie Lange than raunchy humor. He came across to me as a genuinely nice human being who cares deeply about the people who make up his universe. His occasional deeper insights (such as his description of the happiest moment of his childhood) reveal him as a complex man, whose flaws only make him that much more interesting. I loved this book, and I like Artie Lange more than ever. I wish him a long life with many fishing trips.

Funny and Edgy
A quick-witted master storyteller, Artie pens his tales with an edgy raw humor while unveiling his uncontrollable propensity for self-sabotage. It's an endearing, provocative memoir, filled with a compilation of stories from Lange's tumultuous life that will bring a dual set of extreme reactions. The anecdotes and insane mind are bursting at the seams, but you many find yourself biting your lip as he bares his soul.

And in a way it all works.

Heroes without flaws appear untouchable. People want their hero with cuts, and blemishes and flaws. And Artie has a lot of them.

It's easy to relate to his funny recollections growing up in Union, NJ, with the typical poor small town stories. He was raised in a close-knit Italian family; reared with all the vintage Jersey sarcastic shields. Artie grew up an obsessed Yankees fan, a wild and unleashed young buck, with the rugged hands from toiling as a longshoreman, to the cynical attitude of a late night cabbie.

There are numerous hysterical observational humor bits throughout. I particularly liked his little tale about his Dad's obsession with Franki Valli. Classic stuff. Shortly thereafter his dad becomes a quadriplegic and passes away, before witnessing Artie being catapulted to fame and hell at the same time. The story is well known, from standup to movies to comedian, to the Stern Show. With success in his back pocket, he begins a smorgasbord of reckless addictions. Shocking revelations that paint a life of success and tragedy that remain to this day. Battles with alcohol, cocaine, gambling, and heroin that makes you cringe with the excesses.

Reading this biography feels like the Belushi/Farley scenario is being played out again. This story is gut wrenching at times, and the tears fill the eyes from laughing uncontrollably, as well as feeling sorry for him the next page; an emotional roller coaster that you never want to get off of. He writes with such a regular guy on the bar stool likeable demeanor, you can feel his honesty from the first page. Totally absorbing, funny, tragic, and sad all at the same time.

Another hilarious recommended title:
High Heels and Dirty Deals - Globetrotting Tales of Debauchery from a Binge-drinking Nymphomaniac

Too Fat to Give a F*#&
As a devout Howard Stern fan, I might have a different perspective than someone who is not as familiar with the Howard Stern radio show. I like Artie. I think he's great on the Stern show and more than earns his keep. Okay here is the big butttttttt.....if you are a fan of the show there is very little this book contains that you haven't heard before like the bank robbery and the pig stories and a very clear omission of his relationship with Dana, who was his long term girlfriend and is/was the love of his life and about his life on the Stern show. Sadly, I found this book to be another "junkie" story but one with whose stories I have heard many times over. If you aren't familiar with Artie Lange, I think you will enjoy this book. For me, it was familiar ground.