I Am America (And So Can You!)
by Stephen Colbert
It’s a trip down memory lane to write a review of Stephen Colbert’s I Am America (And So Can You!). It was released in 2009 and since then, he’s written three additional humorous books. I was a completely different person with completely different political views when I read this book, and so for the sake of this review, I’ll go back in time.
Fans of Stephen Colbert’s faux-Republican persona on his television program The Colbert Report will have tears streaming down their cheeks as they laugh their way through his political humor book. It’s written entirely in tongue and cheek, and it covers a wide array of topics, from politics to religion, family dynamics, free thinking, hobbies, cultural hallmarks, and countless others. No matter what your beef is with American politics or culture, you’ll find something to laugh at in this book. It really is hilarious, unless you’re a conservative Republican who doesn’t like laughing at how others see you. Then again, you probably wouldn’t be picking up his book anyway if you don’t like his sense of humor.
My favorite parts of the book were the margin notes. On every page, Colbert includes margin notes as a constant running commentary as he reads through and proofs his book. It’s laugh-out-loud funny as he contradicts himself, adds in side-gags that run throughout the rest of the book, and re-contradicts himself later so that he sticks to his original opinion. While this might be dated, given the current political climate, it was an extremely fun read at the time, and it’s very fun if you want to turn back the clock and laugh at and reminisce in 2009.
Fans of Stephen Colbert’s faux-Republican persona on his television program The Colbert Report will have tears streaming down their cheeks as they laugh their way through his political humor book. It’s written entirely in tongue and cheek, and it covers a wide array of topics, from politics to religion, family dynamics, free thinking, hobbies, cultural hallmarks, and countless others. No matter what your beef is with American politics or culture, you’ll find something to laugh at in this book. It really is hilarious, unless you’re a conservative Republican who doesn’t like laughing at how others see you. Then again, you probably wouldn’t be picking up his book anyway if you don’t like his sense of humor.
My favorite parts of the book were the margin notes. On every page, Colbert includes margin notes as a constant running commentary as he reads through and proofs his book. It’s laugh-out-loud funny as he contradicts himself, adds in side-gags that run throughout the rest of the book, and re-contradicts himself later so that he sticks to his original opinion. While this might be dated, given the current political climate, it was an extremely fun read at the time, and it’s very fun if you want to turn back the clock and laugh at and reminisce in 2009.