Goodreads | Jenni's review

Jenni's review

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto
by Chuck Klosterman

[close]

blog this review

Copy/paste the text below into your blog.

<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/599.Sex_Drugs_and_Cocoa_Puffs_A_Low_Culture_Manifesto?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto" border="0" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1157059726m/599.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/599.Sex_Drugs_and_Cocoa_Puffs_A_Low_Culture_Manifesto?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/375.Chuck_Klosterman">Chuck Klosterman</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6824206?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 3 of 5 stars Recommended for: English majors who like to play deconstruction, hipsters who used to make mix tapes,anyone who knows of Lloyd Dobbler, guys who are really into music and didn't get laid until college, the girls who love them 
 
 
 Forgive me for what I'm about to do. I'm really not a complete curmudgeon, and I feel nefarious for the review I'm about to give, mostly because everyone I know likes this book, but I simply can't promote all of these essays as refreshingly creative and brilliantly written pop culture analyses. 
 
 (disregard this review with respect to Tracks [the essays are tracks for the metaphorical mix CD Klosterman has created] 2, 5 , 12, and 15) 
 
 Klosterman is that witty and perspicacious guy in the Misfits Tee we all know from college who began dating around his sophomore year when women realized he was smart and amusing (and Klosterman himself attributes this to the Woody Allen/MiaFarroworDianeKeaton paradigm). But in Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs he seems as if he still has to prove how hip, smart, and deserving of ladies (and attention)he really is. There's a telling point when Klosterman is discussing country and alt country music (see "Toby Over Moby") and chastises hipsters for their elitism and fickleness, but simultaneously, Klosterman name drops obscure little bands, and makes sure to let readers know what hallowed and respected hipster singers inhabit his CD shelf ( he has 17 Dylan and Phair albums, to be exact).
 
 Actually, there's no shortage of evidence about how hip, cool, and sensitive Kklosterman is. This collection is his ode to his coolness, and it feels amateurish. These are the essays we've all virtually written after rounds of drinks at the local dive bar. These are the musings of anyone who has ever had any knack or talent for deconstruction (or charming, somewhat intellectual bullshit) after overdosing on Mountain Dew and the equally empty calories of Teen dream television (Klosterman chooses Saved By The Bell and MTV'S first Real World here). 
 
 Klosterman's writing is problematic because many of these essays feel like they were written for a junior composition class (although I have to admit, Klosterman would certainly be a favored student). I can practically feel the teacher's notes on the pages: "Chuck, need to end with a WOW! statement" --- all the ending sentences are the mass produced Eng 300 variety: concise, annoyingly clever, and they sort of pertain to something mentioned in the essay. 
 
 The good news: These essays will resonate with you, overeducated hipster reader. If you grew up in the 80s and early 90s, then you will get these, and they will likely be the encapsulation of everything you and your drunkard Chuck Taylor wearing, irony branded, PBR drinking buddies discussed on the long walk home from the party. I admit, Chuck Klosterman amused me, but mostly because he wrote down all the thoughts my friends and I used to discuss. 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/421492?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Jenni's review
rating:

Recommended for: English majors who like to play deconstruction, hipsters who used to make mix tapes,anyone who knows of Lloyd Dobbler, guys who are really into music and didn't get laid until college, the girls who love them

Forgive me for what I'm about to do. I'm really not a complete curmudgeon, and I feel nefarious for the review I'm about to give, mostly because everyone I know likes this book, but I simply can't promote all of these essays as refreshingly creative and brilliantly written pop culture analyses.

(disregard this review with respect to Tracks [the essays are tracks for the metaphorical mix CD Klosterman has created] 2, 5 , 12, and 15)

Klosterman is that witty and perspicacious guy in the Misfits Tee we all know from college who began dating around his sophomore year when women realized he was smart and amusing (and Klosterman himself attributes this to the Woody Allen/MiaFarroworDianeKeaton paradigm). But in Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs he seems as ...more Recommended for: English majors who like to play deconstruction, hipsters who used to make mix tapes,anyone who knows of Lloyd Dobbler, guys who are really into music and didn't get laid until college, the girls who love them

Forgive me for what I'm about to do. I'm really not a complete curmudgeon, and I feel nefarious for the review I'm about to give, mostly because everyone I know likes this book, but I simply can't promote all of these essays as refreshingly creative and brilliantly written pop culture analyses.

(disregard this review with respect to Tracks [the essays are tracks for the metaphorical mix CD Klosterman has created] 2, 5 , 12, and 15)

Klosterman is that witty and perspicacious guy in the Misfits Tee we all know from college who began dating around his sophomore year when women realized he was smart and amusing (and Klosterman himself attributes this to the Woody Allen/MiaFarroworDianeKeaton paradigm). But in Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs he seems as if he still has to prove how hip, smart, and deserving of ladies (and attention)he really is. There's a telling point when Klosterman is discussing country and alt country music (see "Toby Over Moby") and chastises hipsters for their elitism and fickleness, but simultaneously, Klosterman name drops obscure little bands, and makes sure to let readers know what hallowed and respected hipster singers inhabit his CD shelf ( he has 17 Dylan and Phair albums, to be exact).

Actually, there's no shortage of evidence about how hip, cool, and sensitive Kklosterman is. This collection is his ode to his coolness, and it feels amateurish. These are the essays we've all virtually written after rounds of drinks at the local dive bar. These are the musings of anyone who has ever had any knack or talent for deconstruction (or charming, somewhat intellectual bullshit) after overdosing on Mountain Dew and the equally empty calories of Teen dream television (Klosterman chooses Saved By The Bell and MTV'S first Real World here).

Klosterman's writing is problematic because many of these essays feel like they were written for a junior composition class (although I have to admit, Klosterman would certainly be a favored student). I can practically feel the teacher's notes on the pages: "Chuck, need to end with a WOW! statement" --- all the ending sentences are the mass produced Eng 300 variety: concise, annoyingly clever, and they sort of pertain to something mentioned in the essay.

The good news: These essays will resonate with you, overeducated hipster reader. If you grew up in the 80s and early 90s, then you will get these, and they will likely be the encapsulation of everything you and your drunkard Chuck Taylor wearing, irony branded, PBR drinking buddies discussed on the long walk home from the party. I admit, Chuck Klosterman amused me, but mostly because he wrote down all the thoughts my friends and I used to discuss. ...less

Like this review? yes (6 people liked it) flag

comments (showing 1-4 of 4)

newest »

date

message 1: by Tara

09/26/2007 11:54AM

I heart this book. It made me laugh but it actually made me think too.

post a comment »

flag abuse *

message 2: by Brian

01/22/2008 11:13AM

Jenni,

I think that I enjoyed this book more than you did, but I can see your point.

One of the more annoying aspects of the book was Chuck's insistence that everything that you thought was clever and sophisticated is really pedestrian, and everything you thought was pedestrian is really clever and sophisticated. It's a gimmick that was clever for awhile, but it got grating over the course of a whole book.

That said, the Billy Joel chapter (track?) is worth the price of the book.

post a comment »

flag abuse *

message 3: by Jonathan

03/01/2008 06:46PM

hahaha. Best review I've ever read on this site! (granted, it's only the third review I've ever read on this site)

post a comment »

flag abuse *

message 4: by Michelle

06/07/2008 12:54AM

I completely agree! You stated your point much more eloquently than I. It's nice to see I'm not the only one who felt as I did after reading this. I kinda came away thinking...that's what everyone's been talking about?!

I do, however, agree with the poster above about the absolute awesomeness of the Billy Joel track. But don't buy it...visit you local public library! Err...can you tell I work in a libary???

post a comment »

flag abuse *

all Jenni's books »