'Scuse Me While I Whip This Out: Reflections on Country Singers, Presidents, and Other Troublemakers

by Kinky Friedman

Kinky Friedman is back, and with 'Scuse Me While I Whip This Out he gets it on with all manner of egos. In this collection of twisted takes on life, the Kinkster gives us funny, irreverent, and insightful looks at outsized personalities from people he's known, like Bill Clinton, George W., Willie Nelson, and Bob Dylan -- not to mention Joseph Heller and Don Imus -- to people he's known in spirit, such as Moses, Jesus, Jack Ruby, and Hank Williams. With his meditations on subjects ranging from sleeping at the White House, marriage, his pets, fishing in Borneo, country music, and cigars to the tribulations of possessing talent, Kinky doesn't deny us the "flashes of brilliance and laugh-out-loud observations" (Rocky Mountain News) that are present in all his other work. Hilarious, irreverent, and passionately twisted, 'Scuse Me While I Whip This Out reads as if it were written by a slightly ill modern-day Mark Twain.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Essays

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

About the author

Richard S. "Kinky" Friedman is an American singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician and former columnist for Texas Monthly who styles himself in the mold of popular American satirists Will Rogers and Mark Twain. He was one of two independent candidates in the 2006 election for the office of Governor of Texas. Receiving 12.6% of the vote, Friedman placed fourth in the six-person race.

Friedman was born in Chicago to Jewish parents, Dr. S. Thomas Friedman and his wife Minnie (Samet) Friedman. The family moved to a ranch in central Texas a few years later. Friedman had an early interest in both music and chess, and was chosen at age 7 as one of 50 local players to challenge U.S. grandmaster Samuel Reshevsky to simultaneous matches in Houston. Reshevsky won all 50 matches, but Friedman was by far the youngest competitor.

Friedman graduated from Austin High School in Austin, Texas in 1962 and earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin in 1966, majoring in Psychology. He took part in the Plan II Honors program and was a member of the Tau Delta Phi fraternity. During his freshman year, Chinga Chavin gave Friedman the nickname "Kinky" because of his curly hair.

Friedman served two years in the United States Peace Corps, teaching on Borneo in Malaysia with John Gross. During his service in the Peace Corps, he met future Texas Jewboy road manager Dylan Ferrero, with whom he still works today. Friedman lives at Echo Hill Ranch, his family's summer camp near Kerrville, Texas. He founded Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch, also located near Kerrville, whose mission is to care for stray, abused and aging animals; more than 1,000 dogs have been saved from animal euthanasia.

Series:
* Kinky Friedman Mystery

Reviews

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Scuse Me While I Whip This Out: Reflections On Country Singers, Presidents, and Other Troublemakers by Kinky Friedman (William Morrow 2004) (814.54) (3683).

You know Kinky Friedman, right? He is bats, and I am a fan. He’s the singer-bandleader and author who bills himself as “The Original Texas Jewboy.” If you don’t know Kinky, then stop right there and go pull up Kinky’s song on YouTube called “The Ballad of Charles Whitman,” which is about the University of Texas Clock-Tower massacre. (On August 1, 1966, UT student and former US Marine Charles Joseph Whitman rode the elevator to the twenty-eight floor observation deck on the University of Texas campus clock-tower and then opened fire with a rifle on the pedestrians below. Over the course of ninety minutes, Whitman killed sixteen and wounded thirty others before he was shot and killed by authorities.)

Kinky wrote a song about it. A funny song. That’s the Kinkster in a nutshell.

Kinky Friedman has authored numerous (occasionally) humorous books of essays, observations, and ruminations about life, about Texas, and evidently about whatever came to mind while he had pen in hand. His work reminds me very much of the writings of Dave Barry and P.J. O’Rourke.

This volume from 2004 reflects Friedman’s body of printed literary work. He riffs here on his favorite Texans (including Willie Nelson), politicians (particularly George W., who is also a Texan), and songwriters (Hank Williams, who should be an honorary Texan) among others.

I’ve read a handful of Kinky Friedman’s nonfiction and commentary. These books are completely fungible. I see little difference between the various volumes. Although his books are all amusing diversions, I see no reason to recommend this one over any of the other Kinky Friedman books.

But be sure to find Kinky’s song about Charles Whitman.

I purchased a HB copy in like-new condition at McKay’s Books for $1.25 on August 15, 2022.

My rating: 7/10, finished 9/20/22 (3683).

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Priscilla King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinky Friedman is another one of those self-sabotaging musicians you never hear on the radio because, for a start, they call their bands things nobody's allowed to say on the radio. So I never heard of him until I started reading his books. Well, he's funny. He writes goofy forgettable novels, and then there's this slightly more substantial memoir, written as a campaign autobiography when he ran for public office.

Let's just say I would not have voted for him. But I did chortle. Repeatedly.

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

My husband has a signed copy of this from when we visited Echo Hill Ranch in Texas years ago and the man himself was there and invited us for a beer. Husband went to summer camp there as a boy, Kinky was his camp counsellor which must have been quite something. Finally actually read this cover to cover, its certainly interesting.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of essays from Kinky Friedman. There are some good stories here. My favorite was the story about Joseph Heller. Kinky has an easy style which made reading this book enjoyable. It's not classic literature, but it is entertaining and well written.

[Dyana · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are certainly worse

The Kinkster compiled essays for this one. They're great for reading on the toilet or other times of spiritual meditation.

[Jason Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the few writers that makes me laugh out loud a lot. A shame TX didn't elect The Kinkster governor.

[Randy Lowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

very "LITE", very cute. I laughed several times.

[Gelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably more enjoyable if you know more about who he’s speaking of besides Nelson.

[Therese]

$2.99

[Larry Hightower]

Kinksta, stinksta

As a fan, I'm more in the fiction faction? More hard boiled fiction, por favor. Less parboiled Kartofel.

Goodreads requires more words here. The Merriam Webster word du jour is
Gadzookery.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

From a blog post I wrote in 2005:

If you could look up the phrase "colorful character" in a dictionary, it wouldn't be surprising to find a picture of Kinky Friedman as an example.

Friedman's latest work is a collection of fiction and fact and filled with tales of his adventures. The cast of characters includes Bill Clinton, W and Laura Bush, Don Imus, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, Jack Ruby, Joseph Heller and Kinky's Dad, Tom Friedman. That's just the short list - there are lots of other folks mentioned during stories about touring with bands, working in the Peace Corps, traveling to Australia, London and other locales.

Fun read - I liked the semi-true stories more than the fictional ones but it was all entertaining.

Friedman is currently trying to get on the ballot for Governor of Texas. I think it would be great if he succeeded. You gotta love the slogan - "Kinky Friedman Why The Hell Not?"

[Tyler McGaughey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book isn't much more than Kinky rambling on about his life and friends, which is just fine with me. A lot of the anecdotes blend together in my memory, especially since I don't have the book sitting in front of me right now, but I do remember the part about being stoned as a Peace Corps volunteer in Borneo as being pretty amazing. Also, one of the chapters is a screenplay about the last days of Hank Williams.

I have a special fondness for this book since my copy was signed by Mr. Friedman himself when I saw him on the gubernatorial campaign trail at the American Legion Hall in Menard, TX.

[Mum · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well I got caught by the old cover trick.
More credence should be given tot he adage
"Don't judge a book by it's cover"
I expected fun - crazy - laughable stories.
I got NONE of the above.
Waste of time.

[Allison Floyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, the Kinkster. These essays (several of which I admittedly skimmed/skipped) are varying degrees of profound, annoying, funny, and poignant. The man can certainly turn a phrase. I definitely like him better in nonfiction mode. Entertaining!

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinky Friendman is a trip, a nut and extremely intelligent. Short read but he did lose me from time to time.
All in all im glad i come across this Author. Tho, i cant give a 5 star i look foward to reading more of his work and sure ill find a gem within that will sure pass the 5 star mark.

[Sharpie T. Silverwater · Rating 4 out of 5]

The guy can turn a phrase. Very funny.

[Rick Caster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinky Friedman in a very digestible form... essays about everything that he is interested in... people, presidents, Texas, music, etc. Good stuff.

[Randy Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the best book I've found to read on the shitter.

[Ari Sarkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always hilarious. I have been missing his 'detective' novels, which I wish he would go back to.

[Bobby Daugherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinky Friedman's stories of political friends George W. Bush and Bill Clinton as well as other celebrities such as Willie Nelson.