Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1130269 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 296 pages

From the Back Cover


“Highly Recommended! A sharp one man show. Durst is at his sly, savvy best”

- The New York Times


“Funny! Combines the best elements of vintage George Carlin and Dennis Miller!”

- Daily News


“Smashing ‘Bashing!’ Brilliantly crafted! The natural successor to Mort Sahl…Rivals George Garlin!”

- The New York Post


“He’s perfected a verbal jitterbug of comedy taking on politics, war, and rhetoric”

- The New Yorker


“I laughed my butt off! A comedian who is actually funny! One of the greatest commentators of all things political! I think he’s one of the best!”

- Air America Radio


“A great political satirist! One of the funniest guys around! If you really want to laugh, you might want to consider seeing Will Durst!”

- Fox News


“Side-splittingly funny! Durst is a brilliant racounteur and an astute political philosopher. There is some Will Rogers there, Lewis Black’s uninhibited rage, Mort Sahl’s electric speed chatter and Lenny Bruce’s wisdom mixed with cynicism. But he is an original for today. Treat yourself to Will Durst: The all American Sport of Bipartisan Bashing!”

- WBAI- 99.5 FM in New York City


“If you’re tired of politics as usual, you’ll love Will Durst!”

- WOR- Radio 710 AM


“Sharp political commentary! An equal opportunity offender!”

- CD101.9 Smooth Jazz


“Funny and bright!”

- Associated Press Radio

About the Author


As the sacred cows routinely paint targets on their foreheads practically begging for someone to puncture their pomposity, America cries out for a man with the aim, strength, and style to hit them where it hurts the funniest. Will Durst is that man. Sweeping both sides of the aisle with a quiver full of arrows dipped in common sense, Durst transcends party ties, having performed at events honoring former Presidents Bill Clinton and George HW Bush as well as acclaimed appearances at both a Mayors Convention and Governors Conference.

Outraged and outrageous, Durst is as current as today’s headlines, as accurate as a sniper, and universally acknowledged by even his peers as the nation’s foremost political comic.

A Midwestern baby boomer with a media- induced identity crisis, Durst, according to the New York Times is “quite possibly the best political satirist working in the country today.” This equal opportunity offender is exceptionally adept at swatting both partisan political piñatas upside their heads.

Although a prolific writer, he professes little need for material, having it regularly delivered at 7:00 a.m. every morning in the five papers he reads daily. Busier than a blind squirrel neck deep in an almond sorting warehouse, Durst is a regular commentator for audible.com, Air America, CNN and NPR, writes a nationally syndicated op- ed column, daily website jokes—yet still finds time to perform hundredss of comedy shows every year—at clubs, corporate events, theaters and benefits…not to mention the occasional acting and voice-over role.

Reigning as C-SPAN’s favorite comic (8 appearances,) Durst is a 5-time Emmy nominee and recipient of 7 consecutive nominations for the American Comedy Awards Stand Up of the Year. He is the first comic invited to perform at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and the first American to be nominated for the prestigious Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the show “Myth America.” He has racked up more than 400 television appearances in 14 different countries while slinging jokes around the globe in his one man crusade to make people laugh out loud on purpose against their will. Hobbies include the never-ending quest for the perfect cheeseburger, while his heroes remain the same as when he was twelve—Thomas Jefferson and Bugs Bunny.

Will Durst’s performances are made possible by the First Amendment.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.


LUMPY & HUCKY


Just when you thought the Republican primary was all over but the shouting, along comes The New York Times with a potential bombshell about possible indiscretions that may or may not have involved John McCain and a woman who does not necessarily look unlike his wife. But don’t let that fool you, the charges aren’t that solid. Murkier than 8 mm footage of Sasquatch grilling on a Cayman Islands condo balcony filmed from a boat across the harbor on a foggy night. The only certainty is the Gray Lady managed to unite the Conservative Right to fight the reviled shared enemy they represent. Isn’t that just like the liberal media elite? Throwing synthetic dirt on the hill to make Obama’s comeback climb even more impressive.

McCain’s response to the suppositious expose about ostensible malfeasance did provide his wife, Cindy, with serious face time to demonstrate that she was more than just the blonde lady who looks like the head stewardess for Republican Air. And the fact that the lobbyist in question, Vicki Iseman, is her doppelganger, simply means John has really good taste in Stepford Wives.

Over at the Mike Huckabee camp, the shouting is tinged in desperation. But still this Energizer Razorback Bunny refuses to give up. As the former portly former governor from Arkansas says, we’ve entered the “survival of the fittest” phase of the election. Strange talk from a man who doesn’t believe in evolution. From my perspective it seems more like a “gnawing off one of your legs to escape from the coyote trap” phase of the election.

The GOP is down to a man who believes humans and dinosaurs walked the earth together and another who can refute that since he was there. Huckabee explains away his Sisyphean perseverance by saying he doesn’t believe in numbers, he believes in miracles. The hell does that mean? He’s waiting for God to smite John McCain dead? Don’t laugh. It could be working. I got to tell you, I’m worried about the good Senator from Arizona. He don’t look so good.

Not just the deer in the headlights grimace at his recent entanglement- denial press conference. I don’t know if you noticed but the lump in his face that he had surgically removed a couple years ago is back, and it brought its big brother with it. Looks like he’s hoarding nuts for the winter. That can’t be good. Generally, I find people are rather disinclined to vote for a president who resembles a marsupial.

This is particularly distressing because, let’s face it, Lumpy is not a young man. At 72, he’d be the oldest white man to ascend to the Presidency. What does it say about a country when the president’s motorcade continually holds up traffic doing 30 in the fast lane with their left blinkers on? State Dinners held at Denny’s on Wednesdays to take advantage of the senior discount? His campaign slogan: “Hey, you punks, get off my lawn.”

The allegation by the Times could be a speed bump or a spike strip to the front wheels of the Straight Talk Express. After all, McCain’s major attraction to independents is his credibility. And his steadfastness, best exemplified by his early support of the Iraqi surge and his expectation for us to be there for 100 years. No big surprise. We still have a base in Cuba: a residue from the Spanish American War, which ended in 1898. Ask John McCain. He was there too.

Customer Reviews

Dead on, and funny
I'm only 1/4 way through the book and it's a keeper. Durst is as funny in book form as he is on the stage. His observations are dead on, sane, and make me laugh out loud.
If you're frustrated with the current state of our union, buy this book. You'll feel better.

One of the Funniest Books I've Ever Read
Being a teacher, I read this book during the summer (at the pool). I must have laughed out loud at least 20 different times. People started asking me what I was reading that was so funny. I love Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert, Bill Mahr and Keith Olbermann. Now I love Will Durst, too. He speaks the truth, hits the nail on the head, and has you laughing out loud, all at the same time. Read it - you'll love it!! I didn't want to finish the book, because it would be over, but I couldn't wait to loan it to my sons, who love satire and sarcasm.