Of Thee I Zing: America's Cultural Decline from Muffin Tops to Body Shots
by
Laura Ingraham,
Raymond Arroyo (Goodreads Author)
While Laura Ingraham was walking through a Northern Virginia shopping mall one Saturday afternoon, it all became clear to her. Everywhere she turned, she saw signs of the impending disaster: zombie teens texting each other across a café table; a man having his eyebrows threaded at a kiosk; a fiftyish woman shoe-horned into a tube top and skinny jeans; and a storefront ad f...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
July 12th 2011
by Threshold Editions
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FUNNIEST, BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!!! Everybody in America needs to read this book!! (I'm listening to it on audio with Laura narrating - I definitely recommend 'reading' it this way.)
I love Laura Ingraham--she is so intelligent, brutally honest, and has good old fashioned common sense (something SERIOUSLY missing nowadays). She points out and makes fun of so many irritations going on in our society today. Some points she makes are so brutally honest that I have found myself laughing out loud, scream...more
I love Laura Ingraham--she is so intelligent, brutally honest, and has good old fashioned common sense (something SERIOUSLY missing nowadays). She points out and makes fun of so many irritations going on in our society today. Some points she makes are so brutally honest that I have found myself laughing out loud, scream...more
What a narcissist who clearly doesn't understand Christianity! This author is nothing but a ranting whiner! The entire book is nothing more than a list of complaints and unfortunate situations that Ms. Ingraham has come across in her life. Claiming to be Christian and whining about others beliefs and practices does not demonstrate Christianity. True Christians don't judge. While some of her complaints I may sympathize with, I had no idea a publisher would allow someone to simply list them out an...more
I liked the idea of a less serious book about American culture that goes beyond the politics. Laura Ingraham had the right idea, focused on the right cultural details, and had the right style in mind; but I felt the writing could have been executed a little better.
"Of Thee I Zing" is an attempt at pointing fun at the "decline" of American culture, but ends up sounding like a long rant. The book has its moments, but that's just the point: laughs are few and far in between. For a book dedicated to...more
"Of Thee I Zing" is an attempt at pointing fun at the "decline" of American culture, but ends up sounding like a long rant. The book has its moments, but that's just the point: laughs are few and far in between. For a book dedicated to...more
I love Laura Ingraham. I think she is intelligent, provocative, charismatic and admirable in the way that she has dealt with cancer and other personal hardships. My wife and I spent our 10th wedding anniversary at a Laura meet-and-greet for her earlier book "Power to the People" and she was gracious and friendly in person.
The problem is that she is just not that funny.
This is supposed to be a humorous book in which Laura ridicules pop culture and points out our cultural decline with wicked lit...more
The problem is that she is just not that funny.
This is supposed to be a humorous book in which Laura ridicules pop culture and points out our cultural decline with wicked lit...more
DNF.
I read portions of this while staying at my MIL's house, but I cannot bring myself to read the whole thing. The title is catchy, and sounds like something I might have been interested in, but WOW.
This "lady" makes the entire Republican party and conservative platform look bad. Normally, I would not say an author's politics have anything to do with my opinion of their talent and/or career trajectory (Orson Scott Card and Anne Rice are polarizing characters, and I don't think either of their...more
I read portions of this while staying at my MIL's house, but I cannot bring myself to read the whole thing. The title is catchy, and sounds like something I might have been interested in, but WOW.
This "lady" makes the entire Republican party and conservative platform look bad. Normally, I would not say an author's politics have anything to do with my opinion of their talent and/or career trajectory (Orson Scott Card and Anne Rice are polarizing characters, and I don't think either of their...more
I've seen Laura Ingraham on TV and thought she often raised well-thought out opinions. Maybe it was because I saw her in limited doses that I kind of liked her; however, this book is a large dose of her. While I chuckled once in a while (e.g., "People meticulously tend their virtual crops on Farmville, while their children eat takeout." I mean come on, that's funny), this book was nothing more than a long rant about how awful she thinks everything is. Nothing is off limits here: Facebook (of cou...more
Nov 22, 2011
Alison
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
cranky old people who want reiterations of stuff they already bitch about
Recommended to Alison by:
some evil spirit who led me to miss the conservative cues?
Ok, friends, don't hate me for the fact that I somehow ended up taking this book home from the library, this book which, I discovered only after having gotten it home,is authored by a "frequent guest of the O'Reilly Factor." What the hell was I thinking? Shouldn't I have been able to tell from the cover that the person doing the zing-ing is a conservative? (I'm drunk on the awesome library system where I now live, and on the fact that I can take. books. home. for. free. You can't blame me, reall...more
Mixed feelings about this one. The book is separated into independent chapters, each of which contains about 50 bits dealing with the inanity of contemporary American culture and mores. These bits don't really follow a narrative arc. So, chapters end abruptly. I did enjoy much of the book. Other chapters I skipped completely.
Author Laura Ingraham acts almost as an anthropologist of the current American scene. The author is quite funny at times, discussing subjects like "spirituality", where an...more
Author Laura Ingraham acts almost as an anthropologist of the current American scene. The author is quite funny at times, discussing subjects like "spirituality", where an...more
This book was a mixed bag. On the one hand, conservatives are frequently seen as humorless and mean spirited. I have many conservative friends, so I know this is not the case, but many of the people who are the public face of conservatism seem to validate the stereotype. Not Laura Ingraham. She seems to have a fairly developed sense of humor, though she is not as funny as her counterparts on the left like Paul Begala or Bill Maher. Yeah, I continually found myself comparing this book to Bill Mah...more
Honestly, I would have normally given this book 3 stars. For the most part, her observations are hilarious and spot-on. It's true, American culture has morphed (at least in some aspects) into something that is sad and embarrassing.
However, I can't ignore the fact that so many of the things that are "wrong" in our culture, she tries to pass off as the "liberals" fault. Seriously? Do you really think that conservative parents don't do the same idiotic things you point out? Newsflash: they do. I co...more
However, I can't ignore the fact that so many of the things that are "wrong" in our culture, she tries to pass off as the "liberals" fault. Seriously? Do you really think that conservative parents don't do the same idiotic things you point out? Newsflash: they do. I co...more
I bought this book while I was waiting for my husband to land at Dulles Airport. I'd attended a week-long conference and had begun to run low on reading material. The Barnes and Noble was on the secure part of the terminal; in the non-secure part, there were only newsstands. This book was one of the offerings.
At first, I found this book hilarious. I laughed, smiled, and nodded in agreement. But then I think I read too long. The anger, bitterness, and negativity wore on me. I began to recognize m...more
At first, I found this book hilarious. I laughed, smiled, and nodded in agreement. But then I think I read too long. The anger, bitterness, and negativity wore on me. I began to recognize m...more
If you're not a thin-conservative-weekly going-christian-who only likes fox news-,then you're going to be insulted and offended in some way by this book. There are things that I thought were funny throughout the book including disrespectful neighbors and the invasive TSA wand. I agreed with her views on a lot of things and thought it was interesting and sometimes funny when she categorizes herself among those she's complaining about. But there were sections of the book that I found ridiculous an...more
Jun 10, 2012
Doreen
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who meets the criteria from my review
Recommended to Doreen by:
saw it at the library
Okay, so I gave this book a 3-star rating. It's more of a 2 1/2 stars, but there are parts that were REALLY funny, hence the 3. If you're a liberal, don't read it. It'll be just one more thing to gripe about. If you're an extreme conservative, you shouldn't read it either. You'll find there aren't enough slanders toward liberals! Yes, there's the occasional crack about Obama, but it's very light stuff.
If you can appreciate poking fun at the lack of manners in society, read it. If you view pajama...more
If you can appreciate poking fun at the lack of manners in society, read it. If you view pajama...more
I agree with almost everything in this book! The last chapter on religion is my favorite. I also really liked the sections on "Redshirting Kindergartners" (one of my pet peeves - I don't get it...who wants to be almost 19 when they graduate high school?!); "Yearbooks" (talks about elementary school yearbooks in which the only children featured are the PTA leaders' children); "Gym Clothes" - "I hate to break it to you, ladies, but a job-bra isn't a shirt."; "Spiritual but Not Religious"; and "Ort...more
At first this book started as promising. I thought it was going to be focused on shallow, consumerist, north american culture and the problems that causes. But no, it just became a rant on things that the author doesn't like. It was seinfeld-esque but the lines were not merely so memorable.
Alrhough there were some great points about permissive parents and the creation of ridiculous and uselss products there was also alot of subjective opinion and political bashing. And yes, she has the right to...more
Alrhough there were some great points about permissive parents and the creation of ridiculous and uselss products there was also alot of subjective opinion and political bashing. And yes, she has the right to...more
I'm not a conservative or a liberal, so to speak (which I'm certain would horribly offend this woman). When I started Of Thee I Zing, I couldn't believe it's 3-star reviews--it's hilarious and so true. Funny because some of the things Ingraham addresses are right in front of our noses and we don't even notice. Funny, also, because most of what she had to say rang so true--or else was something you knew to be true about yourself, so there's a good laugh in there at your own expense. But the last...more
I borrowed this book from the library because she writes a mostly a-political analysis of what she sees wrong with society these days (from texting/FBing/etc. on a date to lack of personal boundaries) - a rare feat for a strongly conservative talk show host & author. But the analysis was something I myself could've expounded on better and, I often found myself questioning whether she was really as in touch with reality as she purported to be - For example, a single mother who chose it, and o...more
A book of complaints about the current state of America, including muffin tops, people being attached to their phones, and more. Some of them were funny, some I found myself nodding along with, but some were a little prudish and over the top. Overall, a funny book, but I have to admit there were several points where Ingraham's opinion seemed so overbearing that I wanted to stop reading. As an aside: Let it be known that I had no clue who Ingraham is, and still don't really, but picked up the boo...more
One word describes "Of Thee I Zing"...hilarious. It's not the typical political book (in fact the politics is very limited) that you would expect from Laura Ingraham. It really could almost be described as a stand-up comedy routine in book form. Dripping with sarcasm (though does get a little preachy at the end) and irreverent humor, the book will cause you to laugh aloud - loudly. I think the people in my lunchroom must have thought I was crazy. So, if you are tired of crazy parents, cell phone...more
Oct 12, 2011
Lisa Eggers
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
that chick in the black dress, what's-her-name.
I was expecting so much more from this book. I usually like Laura Ingraham. I was tempted to throw her an extra star here, but I just can't do it. This book was really, REALLY bad. And did you notice the cover: BY LAURA INGRAHAM (with Raymond Arroyo). You mean you couldn't come up with your muffin top one-liners by youself Laura? And are you serioulsy going to start ranting on baby names (yes I agree, they are awful) with a son named Dmitri? Unless he's named after your Russian grandfather, what...more
Ingraham is an excellent radio talk show host, but I have no idea what convinced her to branch out into comedy writing. Even great comedians like Stephen Colbert, Chelsea Handler and Ellen Degeneres generally have difficulty making their jokes work in print, but Ingraham so completely misses the mark here that it's downright embarrassing (and THE OBAMA DIARIES isn't any better). Ingraham's style of comedy is basically like listening to your grandmother complain about "kids these days," only bett...more
I didn't agree with everything she complained about and I agree with a lot of the other reviewers that she had moments of arrogance and ignorance, but overall I found the book hilarious and cathartic. Maybe it's because I felt some of her "complaints" were spot-on and maybe because to me, in a world of over-the-top political correctness, hypersensitivity, and moral relativism, it's kind of refreshing to have somebody just come out and say it like it is.
Good one-time read, especially if you've h...more
Good one-time read, especially if you've h...more
I must admit that I'm more than a little surprised-- I never would have thought I'd enjoy a book by anyone even loosely affiliated with FOX nearly as much as I enjoyed this book. Ingraham is incredibly witty and acerbic and I found myself agreeing with her more often than not, when it comes to the rude and crude people who surround us in an ever increasing number. Of course, I did not always agree with her and felt my feathers ruffled at a few things, but even then, I couldn't help but love her...more
I agree with Laura Ingraham on many things she denigrates in her book, but her overall tone is so heavily sarcastic and outright obnoxious that she comes off not so much as someone with something important to say as much as your slacker co-worker who's planning for retirement (even though she's in her 40s) and won't shut up.
There is literally nothing wrong with some of the things she whines about in this book, but her attitude is "my way or else." Coming from a three-year-old, this would be mild...more
There is literally nothing wrong with some of the things she whines about in this book, but her attitude is "my way or else." Coming from a three-year-old, this would be mild...more
I don't often read non-fiction, but I noticed this book while I was shelving in the library. It seemed interesting, and it was, but a lot of it seemed more like the author's list of pet peeves then concerns in our cultures decline. She made some good points about grammar, texting, rudeness,and religion(including atheist who turn anti-god into its own religion), but then she nit picks about barefoot people and men who carry there children in baby slings. So mostly I just flip through this book an...more
1 1/2 stars.
I had no idea what to expect from this book going into things. I thought perhaps it would be funny commentary on things in the USA today that also bother me. Nope. If I had seen that the back says this book is classified as Poli Sci and that Ingraham associates herself with Bill O'Reilly, then I would have run for the hills. Alas, I had already decided to read this book with my mom for our book club. Below are all the notes I took on the book, because there is no way I am writing up...more
I had no idea what to expect from this book going into things. I thought perhaps it would be funny commentary on things in the USA today that also bother me. Nope. If I had seen that the back says this book is classified as Poli Sci and that Ingraham associates herself with Bill O'Reilly, then I would have run for the hills. Alas, I had already decided to read this book with my mom for our book club. Below are all the notes I took on the book, because there is no way I am writing up...more
Although I lean to the left, I do enjoy reading conservative literature for the entertainment value. Of Thee I Zing had its entertaining moments to be sure. It was a page turner that was hard to put down, but many times this was for all the wrong reasons. The hypocritcal stances taken by Ingraham are many and no doubt left me shaking my head. However, she was successful in some cases of showing how society has taken a turn from decency. It was interesting if nothing else.
This was a hard book to rate. I really like Laura Ingraham's radio show. I liked the book when I started out. She had a lot of valid points, especially when it came to morals (lyrics and some shows on TV, for example). However, the more I read, the more self-righteous she seemed. She griped about everything. And if you didn't agree with her, something was wrong with you. I mean, it's OK to not like cruises. They're not for all people. But that doesn't mean that those who do like them have someth...more
Didn't finish. Parts were funny, others offensive. Overall it was like reading some crotchety old person scold people. I particularly despised a paragraph where she bemoaned that a homeless person who held up a sign saying will work for food freaked out at her when she offered him food. Where she saw someone lazy and not willing to work, I saw someone with a mental health problem. Sensitivity is apparently a quality she only requires from others.
I was given this as a gift over the holidays and read it when nothing else was available. Instead of reading this book, I highly recommend going down to the old folks home, surrounding yourself with very grumpy old men who like to hit young whippersnappers with canes, and listening to their conversation about the decline of America and young people in general. That would be significantly more entertaining than reading this book.
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Conservative political commentator and talkradio host.
She is a staunch critic of the Barack Obama administration
More about Laura Ingraham...
She is a staunch critic of the Barack Obama administration
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“When did atheists become so evangelical? I mean, if you don't believe something to be true, wouldn't you just ignore it? That's certainly what I do. Whether it's leprechauns or a congressional debt reduction plan - if I'm convinced it's fiction, I simply put it out of my mind. Not the atheists. They are obsessed with faith and religious practice. Their identities and their works are one big reaction to that which they hate. No longer content to simply dismiss God and those who follow in Him, the New Atheists have created a cult of unbelief.”
—
4 people liked it
“I hate to break it to you, ladies, but a job-bra isn't a shirt.”
—
2 people liked it
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Apr 20, 2013 07:12am