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Tough Shit: Life Advice from a Fat, Lazy Slob Who Did Good
by
That "Kevin Smith? The guy who did Clerks a million years ago? Didn t they bounce his fat ass off a plane once? What could you possibly learn from the director of Cop Out ? How about this: he changed filmmaking forever when he was twenty-three, and since then, he s done whatever the hell he wants. He makes movies, writes comics, owns a store, and now he s built a podcastin
...more
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Hardcover, 263 pages
Published
March 20th 2012
by Gotham Books
(first published January 10th 2012)
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Start your review of Tough Shit: Life Advice from a Fat, Lazy Slob Who Did Good

I don't like memoirs that are written as a way to settle scores and it seems that a lot of film director Kevin Smith's memoirs are either about talking trash against other celebrities (like Neil Patrick Harris and Bruce Willis) or sucking up to them (Ben Affleck, Harvey Weinstein).
I totally get that Willis can be a prima donna but isn't it your job as a director to manage that megalomania commonly found amongst "stars", get a performance out of them and achieve the movie you envision? I have a ...more
I totally get that Willis can be a prima donna but isn't it your job as a director to manage that megalomania commonly found amongst "stars", get a performance out of them and achieve the movie you envision? I have a ...more

May 09, 2012
Michael
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audio-book,
read-in-2012
I "discovered" Kevin Smith's Clerks years ago on my college's cable system and immediately loved it. I've been a fan of Smith's voice ever since that time, enjoying his films and then subscribing to many of the podcasts Smith produces as part of his Smodcast network.
If you've listened to a lot of Smith's commentaries, podcasts and various question and answer DVD releases, you've probably heard different variations of the some of the stories and incidents Smith relates here in Tough Shit: Life Ad ...more
If you've listened to a lot of Smith's commentaries, podcasts and various question and answer DVD releases, you've probably heard different variations of the some of the stories and incidents Smith relates here in Tough Shit: Life Ad ...more

I have followed Kevin Smith for many years now not as much as to follow his movies or shows or blogs or podcasts. But enough that I have seen his older stuff at least till Red State and I see his YouTube videos of his, I love the passion which he brings to the movie reviews. Dude just loves movies and comics he is my people. So I had this so I had to read it. This is circa 2011 Kevin Smith who had discovered Weed and was an active smoker, was fatter, didn't have his heart attack 2019 Kevin Smith
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http://www.owltellyouaboutit.com/posts/tough-shit/
For someone who was around seven when Clerks premiered, I was very excited when I opened my box from Penguin Audio and saw this book. I didn’t need anyone to tell me who Kevin Smith is, what he looks like, or why he’s famous. I knew all that already thanks to my two older brothers. So I would like to half-heartedly dedicate this review to them. Brian and Blake, without you I would have been as clueless about who Kevin Smith was as all my friends ...more
For someone who was around seven when Clerks premiered, I was very excited when I opened my box from Penguin Audio and saw this book. I didn’t need anyone to tell me who Kevin Smith is, what he looks like, or why he’s famous. I knew all that already thanks to my two older brothers. So I would like to half-heartedly dedicate this review to them. Brian and Blake, without you I would have been as clueless about who Kevin Smith was as all my friends ...more


" I finally said it aloud. “I want to be a filmmaker.” I’d say that for a few weeks until my sister, Virginia, gave me awesome advice.
“Then be a filmmaker.”
“That’s the idea,” I said. “I want to be a filmmaker.”
“You don’t have to want to be a filmmaker, just be a filmmaker,” Virginia said. “Every thought you have, think it as a filmmaker. You’re already a filmmaker; you just haven’t made a film yet.”
كيفن سميت ، مخرج افلام مميز و انسان رائع
استمتعت بقراءة الكتاب كثيراً كثيراً ،
رغم اني كنت ابح ...more

Since I saw a headline on my RSS feed - "Fat Director kicked off flight" - and clicked on it, then (after reading the brief article surrounded by many ads) going to the Smodcast website, I've been hearing about Kevin Smith's life ever since. For a solid 2 years and change I've had Smodcast and its many, many attendant podcasts whenever I've had a long drive with myself or a walk to work or washing up and needing something non-musical. But having listened to the many entertaining stories Kevin ha
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I'm going to start this by saying that my favorite film is a black and white indie from 1990s (you know where I'm going with this).
So I have no problem with Kevin Smith ranting about being too fat to fly. Or eating his wife's pussy. Also, he recorded his own audiobook and he was high while doing it. I'd say this was well worth 5:55 hours of my time. ...more
So I have no problem with Kevin Smith ranting about being too fat to fly. Or eating his wife's pussy. Also, he recorded his own audiobook and he was high while doing it. I'd say this was well worth 5:55 hours of my time. ...more

Reading Kevin Smith is kind of a guilty pleasure for me. On the one hand, his humor can be base and vulgar. On the other hand, he is a very good writer, extremely intelligent, and his sense of irony and effortless wit are a joy to behold. (It doesn't hurt that I also happen to find him very attractive, and that I am a fangirl who understands the whole comic book thing.) Sometimes he hides his light under a barrel tagged with profanity, but it strikes me as more of a marketing ploy to keep his yo
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It's been 10 years since I watched my first Kevin Smith movie. Since then, I've seen all of his films, read all of his books and graphic novels, listened to hundreds of episodes of shows contained on the SModcast network and taken in two live shows. Therefore, it's fair to say that I'm a pretty big fan of his. With that information, it's hard to feel like I'm really reviewing this book given my massive bias. I'm going to give it a shot though.
I knew that even before I picked up this memoir/motiv ...more
I knew that even before I picked up this memoir/motiv ...more

Listened to on audio, read by the author. The guy's done enough podcasting that it works pretty well.
If you're not really familiar with Kevin Smith, this is an awesome point of entry.
Do me a favor, if I ever write a book someday, don't refer to it as a Point of Entry. Sorry, Mr. Smith.
But really, he goes through his whole career here, the interesting parts, the weird parts, and some of the funniest.
One of my favorites, the oft-told tale where Kevin and friends decided to protest the churchy pro ...more
If you're not really familiar with Kevin Smith, this is an awesome point of entry.
Do me a favor, if I ever write a book someday, don't refer to it as a Point of Entry. Sorry, Mr. Smith.
But really, he goes through his whole career here, the interesting parts, the weird parts, and some of the funniest.
One of my favorites, the oft-told tale where Kevin and friends decided to protest the churchy pro ...more

Smith discusses a wide variety of topics in this book -- what inspired him to make Clerks, the Weinstein's, making Cop Out with Bruce Willis, Wayne Gretsky, Red State, the Southwest incident, George Carlin, podcasts, Quentin Tarrantino, and meeting his wife. But if you are looking for any sort of motivation or advice in any of them, you can safely skip this book. If you are looking for occasionally funny, always interesting look at Hollywood from a fringe insider, this is a decent book to read.
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If you are interested in reading this book, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version that Kev himself narrates. Yes, @ThatKevinSmith narrates his own book, but are you surprised? The man just has such a way with words, and anyone who is familiar with SIR! or any of his podcasts will know what I am talking about. He's mesmerizing as a reader, or narrator, and I could not help but being fully transfixed to his narration of his own story. No one could have read it any better than he di
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By now, everybody has probably heard of Kevin Smith, to some degree. He's the guy that made Clerks, and even refers himself, a couple of times, as "The Guy that did Clerks". One of favorite movies, as well as Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back; not movies that I go to all the time. Just some that I watch every now and then to keep the humor alive and are fun to quote.
What I liked the most about this book was the book itself. It reads like Kevin Smith really wrote this, and it does have his humor, bo ...more
What I liked the most about this book was the book itself. It reads like Kevin Smith really wrote this, and it does have his humor, bo ...more

If you are a Kevin Smith fan, you'll dig this book. If you have no idea who Kevin Smith is, but like intelligent hilarity even if it is overrun with profanity and bodily fluids, you'll also dig this book. Otherwise steer clear.
I have been a Kevin Smith fan ever since I saw Clerks in a tiny Budapest art movie theater. I like dude-humor, the honesty of it. It is odd because I am not a fan of pointless cursing. But Kevin Smith and his bros have a way of twisting that language in creative, hilarious ...more
I have been a Kevin Smith fan ever since I saw Clerks in a tiny Budapest art movie theater. I like dude-humor, the honesty of it. It is odd because I am not a fan of pointless cursing. But Kevin Smith and his bros have a way of twisting that language in creative, hilarious ...more

That was great! Although most of the stuff in this book I heard during one or another Q&A recordings it was really interesting and inspirational to read it all at once.
Kevin Smith is a great story-teller and he takes you to a whole new level of entertaining. I think I could listen to him reading some restaurant menu and he still would find a way to make it funny and interesting.
I just don't agree with his description of himself. I think Kevin Smith is really talented man. You can see it not on ...more
Kevin Smith is a great story-teller and he takes you to a whole new level of entertaining. I think I could listen to him reading some restaurant menu and he still would find a way to make it funny and interesting.
I just don't agree with his description of himself. I think Kevin Smith is really talented man. You can see it not on ...more

You seem to either love or hate Kevin Smith. I have yet to find someone who is ambivalent about the director (unless they literally have no idea who he is). And that's OK; someone like Smith who turned filmmaking on its head with "Clerks" deserves to be revered or reviled.
This is an interesting, if expletive-filled, book. Yeah, there's a lot of swearing here, so if you've got delicate ears - or eyes, I guess - this may not be something you want to pick up. Smith writes exactly the way I imagine ...more
This is an interesting, if expletive-filled, book. Yeah, there's a lot of swearing here, so if you've got delicate ears - or eyes, I guess - this may not be something you want to pick up. Smith writes exactly the way I imagine ...more

***Warning***
If you are easily offended or not a fan of crass, crude, and expletive ridden humor do not read this book!
This book, written and narrated by Kevin Smith, is the genuine article and very....well Kevin Smithish.
This is not the traditional chronological from birth to now memoir but is more event focused and will very often jump back and forth in time. The events that are discussed are chosen based on their importance and impact on Smith's life and creative process.
The major topics dis ...more
If you are easily offended or not a fan of crass, crude, and expletive ridden humor do not read this book!
This book, written and narrated by Kevin Smith, is the genuine article and very....well Kevin Smithish.
This is not the traditional chronological from birth to now memoir but is more event focused and will very often jump back and forth in time. The events that are discussed are chosen based on their importance and impact on Smith's life and creative process.
The major topics dis ...more

I remember watching Kevin Smith’s Clerks and Chasing Amy back in the day – I was big into slacker movies in the 90s. I think those are the only two of Smith’s movies I’ve seen – now I’m more of a romantic comedy kind of girl. Still, I remember the two films fondly; they introduced me to Smith’s humor, and in turn led the way to me listening to this audiobook. Now I know Kevin Smith more as a personality, as well as an annual public speaker at Hall H at Comic-Con. Based on all this I knew I was s
...more

I have always loved Kevin Smith and his work. I've found myself at times feeling bad for him for not receiving the critical acclaim I feel that his work is worthy of. It's all too easy to cast aside something that is different or look past the depth of one's inelegance because they chose to use crude humor to illustrate their point. After reading this book, I no long feel sorry for Kevin Smith because, for better or worse, he did things his way.
This book is an inspirational text about chasing d ...more
This book is an inspirational text about chasing d ...more

At times hilarious, disturbing, insightful and inspiring the one thing this book wasn't was boring. For those who want an in-depth, detailed biography of Kevin Smith's life look elsewhere. This isn't that book. Instead Smith looks at the key moments in his life, both good and bad, and how they influenced his philosophy and life decisions.
Told in the typical Kevin Smith manner it is irreverent, filthy, funny but at times a bit of a rant with a touch of fanboy thrown in. A lot of what he said reso ...more
Told in the typical Kevin Smith manner it is irreverent, filthy, funny but at times a bit of a rant with a touch of fanboy thrown in. A lot of what he said reso ...more

The infuriating thing about Kevin Smith is his determination to hide his intelligence and sensitivity behind a cloud of vulgar profanity and fart jokes. CLERKS and CHASING AMY were the films that prompted me to start writing screenplays and making my own short movies, and for years I held him up as an indie role model, although I lost a bit of faith when Smith squelched his unique voice and began churning out mainstream-ish comedies like COP OUT and ZACK & MIRI. Smith feels my pain -- he's appar
...more

This biography about Kevin Smith, narrated by Kevin himself, was incredibly inspiring and exciting to me in ways I can't even begin to describe. It easily has escalated as a late runner in the year towards being a heavily favored choice for my #1 Favorite Book of the Year! I have been a fan of Kevin Smith's movies since the beginning of his career making CLERKS. So to hear him tell essentially his film life story, I was highly interested and intrigued by the stories he told! I especially liked t
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If you know me, you know I love this man and his sense of humor. This is a brilliant extension of his podcast that I have enjoyed over the last 5 years. This book is a retelling of many stories I have heard many times but put together this is a gem of a book. Ironically, this is also a great motivational book told by someone who never strove for greatness but has achieved it many times over by just being himself and doing what makes him most happy. It has a great message as well as being stinkin
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Having watched multiple times his Q&As and heard some of his podcasts....and read some of his blog posts.....and seen all of his movies I can say that I had already read at least half of the book before I even read the title.
The audiobook is read by Kevin Smith and I really suggest that you try it first instead of another format. I couldn't imagine a better narrator for this book.
I thought I had gotten over Kevin Smith and his pompous cocky attitude but I guess that deep down I'm still a fan wh ...more
The audiobook is read by Kevin Smith and I really suggest that you try it first instead of another format. I couldn't imagine a better narrator for this book.
I thought I had gotten over Kevin Smith and his pompous cocky attitude but I guess that deep down I'm still a fan wh ...more

Okay I picked this book up and put it down and finally in a April managed to read it all the way through.
If you are not a fan of blatant honesty, nerdisms, and profanity, this shit ain't for you.
I love Kevin Smith's podcasts, movies, tv shows etc. This guy is your best friend who is obsessed with comics and Star Wars. He's a relatable human who just happens to be famous.
This book just further cements him into my mind as an amazing human being who is also very inspiring and encourages people to ...more
If you are not a fan of blatant honesty, nerdisms, and profanity, this shit ain't for you.
I love Kevin Smith's podcasts, movies, tv shows etc. This guy is your best friend who is obsessed with comics and Star Wars. He's a relatable human who just happens to be famous.
This book just further cements him into my mind as an amazing human being who is also very inspiring and encourages people to ...more

I was never a super fan of Kevin Smith but still always liked him as a person through what I have seen on twitter and other forms of media.
This book really had me laughing and I just love this kind of background information and inside scoop on what really is going on behind the scenes of different films. It was really interesting hearing about his relationship with Harvey Weinstein considering how he is in the media now. It really seemed like the beginning of his downfall.
I really enjoyed this ...more
This book really had me laughing and I just love this kind of background information and inside scoop on what really is going on behind the scenes of different films. It was really interesting hearing about his relationship with Harvey Weinstein considering how he is in the media now. It really seemed like the beginning of his downfall.
I really enjoyed this ...more

I don't know what I was expecting, but I definitely wanted to read about Kevin Smith's rise to fame. He went from being a regular dude working in a convenience store to the legendary creator of Clerks in only two years. And that transformation came after a sudden decision to become a filmmaker.
Smith breezes through this incredible story, and most of his filmography, in the first few chapters. What is he going to do with 200 more pages, I wondered. Well. Let's walk through the remaining chapters ...more
Smith breezes through this incredible story, and most of his filmography, in the first few chapters. What is he going to do with 200 more pages, I wondered. Well. Let's walk through the remaining chapters ...more

I wouldn't recommend that everyone live his/her life according to the wit and chronic wisdom of Kevin Smith. For me, however, Smith's work in film, podcasting, and now in print have been a literal and figurative lifesaver. I had followed his films and the maiden voyage of SModcast for a long time, but Smith's dive into the full-blown world of podcasting corresponded with a time in my life when I had, well, WAY too much time on my hands. I listened hardcore, and I was hooked.
Smith book reveals t ...more
Smith book reveals t ...more

Really more of a 2.5-star book than a 3-star book for me, this was an enjoyable autobiography of sorts from the man who brought us Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and other great and not-so-great flicks. There were some great stories in here, including the "full story" of the Southwest "too fat to fly" incident. There were a lot of war/film lover/film industry stories, as well. I admit I'm not much of a movie buff. I sometimes watch them, but really only on the order of a handful each year...I suspe
...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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Smod? | 3 | 19 | Sep 08, 2013 08:14AM |
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, director, as well as a comic book writer, author, and actor. He is also the co-founder, with Scott Mosier, of View Askew Productions and owner of Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash comic and novelty store in Red Bank, New Jersey. He also hosts a weekly podcast with Scott Mosier known as SModcast. He is also known for participating in long, humorous Q
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