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Still Bitter More Baggage
Going for the Bronze Still Bitter, More Baggage by Stefan Hagen. Published by Bloomsbury USA,2005, Hardcover
80 pages, Hardcover
First published August 24, 2005
About the author
Sloane Tanen
24 books163 followersAuthor of nine books including Bitter With Baggage Seeks Same--being re-released by Bloomsbury January, 2019. New novel There's A Word For That, coming from Little, Brown on April, 2019
Instagram: sloane.tanen
Instagram: sloane.tanen
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 26, 2012
I first fell in love with Sloane Tanen's work when I read the caption above the photo: "Samantha looked around the playground in amazement. Her mother had been right. She really WAS the smartest and the prettiest."
If you thought you had to give up picture books when you graduated from second grade, have I got a treat for you! Writer Sloane Tanen and photographer Stefan Hagen take those tiny little stuffed yellow chicks you can find at Easter and put them in wickedly funny scenarios in gorgeously detailed dioramas. This is the first book in the series BITTER WITH BAGGAGE SEEKS SAME: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SOME CHICKENS and it's both delightfully bitter and sunny-natured. And who can't relate to adorable little spoiled tyrant Coco who is rarely seen without her tiara and dreams "that one day she would grow up to be a benevolent queen...or a supermodel?"
The second book in the series--GOING FOR THE BRONZE: STILL BITTER, MORE BAGGAGE is equally hilarious. One of my favorite pages shows two chickens peering over the side of the Titanic while a chicken floats beneath them and one of them comments, "I don't know, the last thing he said was something about being king of the world and then I may have accidentally pushed him." No one is safe from the satire including Charles and Camilla, American Idol, and Hooters. And the photographs are so detailed that you can spend hours just noticing things in the background.
I should warn you that, due to a wee bit of naughty language, these picture books are for adults only, but Sloane Tanen has also written a children's book called COCO ALL YEAR ROUND. If you want your child to develop a deliciously dark and dysfunctional sense of humor right along with you, you can read them rhymes featuring the adorable Coco like "I walk down the street with my whole Girl Scout troop. It would have been fun had I not slipped in poop." (I'll spare you a description of the illustration on this one.)
If you thought you had to give up picture books when you graduated from second grade, have I got a treat for you! Writer Sloane Tanen and photographer Stefan Hagen take those tiny little stuffed yellow chicks you can find at Easter and put them in wickedly funny scenarios in gorgeously detailed dioramas. This is the first book in the series BITTER WITH BAGGAGE SEEKS SAME: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SOME CHICKENS and it's both delightfully bitter and sunny-natured. And who can't relate to adorable little spoiled tyrant Coco who is rarely seen without her tiara and dreams "that one day she would grow up to be a benevolent queen...or a supermodel?"
The second book in the series--GOING FOR THE BRONZE: STILL BITTER, MORE BAGGAGE is equally hilarious. One of my favorite pages shows two chickens peering over the side of the Titanic while a chicken floats beneath them and one of them comments, "I don't know, the last thing he said was something about being king of the world and then I may have accidentally pushed him." No one is safe from the satire including Charles and Camilla, American Idol, and Hooters. And the photographs are so detailed that you can spend hours just noticing things in the background.
I should warn you that, due to a wee bit of naughty language, these picture books are for adults only, but Sloane Tanen has also written a children's book called COCO ALL YEAR ROUND. If you want your child to develop a deliciously dark and dysfunctional sense of humor right along with you, you can read them rhymes featuring the adorable Coco like "I walk down the street with my whole Girl Scout troop. It would have been fun had I not slipped in poop." (I'll spare you a description of the illustration on this one.)
January 7, 2019
The truly bizarre dioramas featuring zillions of tiny toy chenille chicks are back for more postmodern reflections on life.
Once again, I found myself imagining the author buying cart after cart of these things at Eastertime, and store workers' baffled reactions.
Yes, the "trendy" references are dated by now, but the oddball humor is timeless. I think I liked best the scenes in which the chick hanged herself from a diner ceiling fan because her friend would't shut up about her baby's diapers; and the "kissing cousins" who had a boatload of kids with feet growing from their heads and eyeballs all over their bodies.
Once again, I found myself imagining the author buying cart after cart of these things at Eastertime, and store workers' baffled reactions.
Yes, the "trendy" references are dated by now, but the oddball humor is timeless. I think I liked best the scenes in which the chick hanged herself from a diner ceiling fan because her friend would't shut up about her baby's diapers; and the "kissing cousins" who had a boatload of kids with feet growing from their heads and eyeballs all over their bodies.
December 13, 2010
This book was given to my wife as a gift by someone who I'm pretty sure only looked at the pictures. It somehow ended up on our shelf among the children's books, which is obviously not where it belongs. But even taken out of that unfortunate context, it's still a shriveled little abomination of a book.
I like to think I can enjoy a bit of dark humor. The problem is, this book is never actually funny. It's just bleak. The central conceit seems to be "people are shallow, soulless and doomed to a life of misery, know what I mean? Eh? EH?!? WHY ARE YOU WALKING AWAY FROM ME!" Juxtaposing that poisonous outlook against cute, fuzzy chickens somehow makes it even more unpleasant.
One star for the illustrations, which if you couldn't read English would be kind of nice to look at.
I like to think I can enjoy a bit of dark humor. The problem is, this book is never actually funny. It's just bleak. The central conceit seems to be "people are shallow, soulless and doomed to a life of misery, know what I mean? Eh? EH?!? WHY ARE YOU WALKING AWAY FROM ME!" Juxtaposing that poisonous outlook against cute, fuzzy chickens somehow makes it even more unpleasant.
One star for the illustrations, which if you couldn't read English would be kind of nice to look at.
April 13, 2020
This is a hilarious coffee table book with adult-ish comments from the characters who are tiny toy baby chickens dressed as humans inside immaculate sets. The sets are marvellously detailed as the comments are acerbic, such as we open to a Tv Night Show, presumably The Carson Show. He is sitting behind his desk looking impatient while a girl chicken (you can tell by the high heels & false eyelashes) is comfortably leaning back with her mouth open as if in mid speech. The commentary below is Carson’s inner monologue:
Johnny was losing his patience. This bimbo had been droning on about the war for six minutes now. It was Sweeps Week, for God’s sake! “Let’s hear about your Brazilian wax, honey.”
Page after page of laugh out loud situations that aren’t all as racy as the example just given. Great icebreakers for shy guests who are newcomers at your home-held luncheons.
Johnny was losing his patience. This bimbo had been droning on about the war for six minutes now. It was Sweeps Week, for God’s sake! “Let’s hear about your Brazilian wax, honey.”
Page after page of laugh out loud situations that aren’t all as racy as the example just given. Great icebreakers for shy guests who are newcomers at your home-held luncheons.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2019
Dioramas and miniatures are so cute, but it's the captions that really make me laugh! I'm happy to see reoccurring characters.
September 21, 2019
I loved this darkly hilarious book!
I love 💕 it so very much!😁
I love 💕 it so very much!😁
September 6, 2024
Si alguna vez has sentido que la vida es una eterna competencia en la que, en el mejor de los casos, te llevas la medalla de bronce... este libro es para ti. Sloane Tanen regresa con sus inconfundibles pollitos, esos maestros del sarcasmo y la ironía, para recordarnos que el tercer lugar también merece su propio podio... aunque sea el del cinismo.
Con un humor afilado “Going for the Bronze” es una colección de viñetas y fotos donde los pollitos no solo te sacan carcajadas, sino que te hacen sentir menos mal por todas las veces que optaste por quedarte cómodamente dentro del promedio. Un libro es perfecto para quienes hemos hecho las paces con la mediocridad... pero con estilo. Tanen nos demuestra que ser un eterno bronce no es una derrota, sino una forma elegante de decir “póngame un 1,0 ¿y qué weá?”.
Con un humor afilado “Going for the Bronze” es una colección de viñetas y fotos donde los pollitos no solo te sacan carcajadas, sino que te hacen sentir menos mal por todas las veces que optaste por quedarte cómodamente dentro del promedio. Un libro es perfecto para quienes hemos hecho las paces con la mediocridad... pero con estilo. Tanen nos demuestra que ser un eterno bronce no es una derrota, sino una forma elegante de decir “póngame un 1,0 ¿y qué weá?”.
June 13, 2008
HILARIOUS!!!! More chickens in compromising positions!!! OMG, if you have not checked out these books (also Bitter With Baggage Seeks Same) please do!!!!
Another review:
What the pluck is that? Still lifes of chenille chickens posed in modern scenarios from artist Sloane Tanen's new book, ''Bitter With Baggage Seeks Same: The Life and Times of Some Chickens.'' Why chickens? ''You can just project anything onto these guys because they're so blank,'' says the NYC-based Tanen. ''They don't look like they're saying anything, but when you read the caption, it's like suddenly that's exactly what they're thinking!'' What's the appeal? The juxtaposition of poultry and ''Cosmo''-girl musings, as in the caption above: ''Maude was peeved. Her 3:30 yoga class was full again.'' Other pics include send-ups of high-end shopping, the Atkins diet, and Jewish dating.
Another review:
What the pluck is that? Still lifes of chenille chickens posed in modern scenarios from artist Sloane Tanen's new book, ''Bitter With Baggage Seeks Same: The Life and Times of Some Chickens.'' Why chickens? ''You can just project anything onto these guys because they're so blank,'' says the NYC-based Tanen. ''They don't look like they're saying anything, but when you read the caption, it's like suddenly that's exactly what they're thinking!'' What's the appeal? The juxtaposition of poultry and ''Cosmo''-girl musings, as in the caption above: ''Maude was peeved. Her 3:30 yoga class was full again.'' Other pics include send-ups of high-end shopping, the Atkins diet, and Jewish dating.
December 12, 2010
(before reading)
Gosh,
I'm so tired of being sad.
So sick of being cynical.
What comes after cynicism?
How do I get there?
Is there a cure?
Consider the fluffy bunny,
The perky puppy,
The LOLCAT.
How happy they are.
How innocent.
But how can I learn their secrets?
Shall I lick myself?
Shall I poop on the floor?
Maybe I should read this photo book of cute dioramas instead.
It's full of adorable baby chickens,
teeming with innocence
and festivity
and googly plastic eyeballs.
Maybe this will be like chicken soup for my soul?
But with live fake chickens
Instead of dead real ones
Or something?
(after reading)
Oh goddammit,
that was the wrong book.
Now I just want to die
and take all you fuckers with me.
Sloane Tanen,
I poop on your floor.
Gosh,
I'm so tired of being sad.
So sick of being cynical.
What comes after cynicism?
How do I get there?
Is there a cure?
Consider the fluffy bunny,
The perky puppy,
The LOLCAT.
How happy they are.
How innocent.
But how can I learn their secrets?
Shall I lick myself?
Shall I poop on the floor?
Maybe I should read this photo book of cute dioramas instead.
It's full of adorable baby chickens,
teeming with innocence
and festivity
and googly plastic eyeballs.
Maybe this will be like chicken soup for my soul?
But with live fake chickens
Instead of dead real ones
Or something?
(after reading)
Oh goddammit,
that was the wrong book.
Now I just want to die
and take all you fuckers with me.
Sloane Tanen,
I poop on your floor.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2008
Building off the success and humor of the first book in this "adult" series. Still humorous, although some might find it little more than repetition from the first book. Although, honestly, if you like Bitter With Baggage, how can you dislike this one?
December 17, 2011
How can these books even begin to be described? I am a big fan of these wacky little chickens and their strange and absurd happenings (though it may bot be to everyone's taste). The humour and still-life-chicken pictures are biting, sharply funny, and dare I say, relatable?
July 20, 2020
Who would think a tiny fuzzy chicken from a crafts store would be such a big hit? I read Bitter with Baggage previously and had to get this book as well. It's just as funny and made me laugh every time I read it. She's a children's author as well, but her adult books are priceless.
July 31, 2007
very funny
August 16, 2007
Hilarity ensues.
June 20, 2008
*Almost* as hilarious as the first book and definitely worth collecting!
August 30, 2008
OK I just love the dioramas with little chicks in them! If that sounds too much like I'm reading the book for the pictures that's because it's true!
October 14, 2014
first read: 2007
reread: 2014
reread: 2014
October 25, 2008
Not quite as funny as the original, but still worth a look. I'd like to be friends with Sloane Tanen.
March 17, 2009
Another gift from the same warped friend. Equally as funny as Bitter with Baggage.
April 15, 2009
hillarious...
January 7, 2010
this is the sequel to bitter with baggage seeks same. the first one was better, but how can you not love both?
July 30, 2011
Chicken soup for the soul it ain't, chicken craziness for the funny bone it is.
September 9, 2011
A wicked sharp little gem that puts most web comics to shame.
March 8, 2012
It's hard to beat the original, but this is a valiant effort.
January 2, 2013
So funny and so well made. I love it.
August 3, 2016
Another humorous adult picture book from Sloane Tanen filled with chicken dioramas and comical anecdotes.
July 28, 2017
Actually laugh out loud funny...again!
June 21, 2007
not quite as great as the first one, but still awesome.
February 23, 2008
2nd in the series...hope there are more to come!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews