Ask the Fruitcake Lady: Everything You Would Already Know If You Had Any Sense

by Marie Rudisill

Marie Rudisill, aka "The Fruitcake Lady," made her first Tonight Show with Jay Leno appearance in December 2000 in a now classic segment, when she helped Jay Leno and Mel Gibson make fruitcake. Since 2002 she has regularly dished out sassy advice to fans in her popular segment called "Ask The Fruitcake Lady." A frenzied mother asks, "My teenage son sleeps all the time. How do I get him to help around the house?" The Fruitcake Lady responds with a no-nonsense answer: "Well, all you got to do is get up there and say, Get your ass out of the bed! And I mean get it out!" Ask the Fruitcake Lady will gather together some of Marie's finest morsels of wisdom and advice, including: -Spicy advice on profanity in children -Nutty wisdom of talking to houseplants -Dishing out a good helping of sass when she addresses curing hangovers -Outrageous ways of dealing with mothers-in-law and bachelor parties -Finding a rich man to marry -What a single, soon-to-be 40 woman needs more than a man "The Fruitcake Lady" is not just any nonagenarian from Florida. She is Truman Capote's aunt, and it was her book, Fruitcake: Memories of Truman Capote and Sook , which brought her to the attention of Jay Leno. Her quips to viewers questions have made her a favorite on the The Tonight Show with Jay Leno .

Genres: Humor

208 pages, Hardcover

First published November 7, 2006

Reviews

[Marjorie McGuire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had forgotten about Marie, whom I had seen on Jay Leno years ago, until I noticed a YouTube link on Facebook of her the other day. Googling her name I found that she had passed away a few years ago. But her forthrightness and gutsiness are still applicable today! Very short read, but she had me laughing out loud several times. A great lady!

[Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is laugh out loud funny! I loved watching the fruitcake lady on Jay Leno. I picked this book up at a yard sale because of this. I was not disappointed. I could hear her giving the advice.

This was a quick read. If you are looking for a laugh you should definitely read this one!

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

She was so sweet and funny with a sarcastic side. You can't help but be entertained by her wit and wisdom. I laughed my way through this book and very much appreciated her take on things.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is hilarious. Super quick read. I didn't know who the Fruitcake Lady was, but she does have some good answers to some pretty ridiculous questions. All of her answers don't necessarily age well, but the tone she sets throughout the book is hilarious and, with several exceptions, I thought she offered some pretty sound advice!

[Heather Pope · Rating 2 out of 5]

This lady use to appear on the tonight show with Jay Leno and was a hit. This book is people sending in questions about different topics and her answering them. It’s at times funny. Other times it’s obvious that it’s out dated because I feel like people don’t think or talk like she does anymore.

[Tommy Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious!

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quick and entertaining read. Some of her responses to questions people have asked her had me laughing out loud!

[Sue Dorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funniest book ever!

[Shahrun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered The Fruitcake Lady last week after a friend of mine shared an old YouTube video of her on Facebook. I was gobsmacked and throughly entertained. I had to find out more about the gorgeous lady in the video. And that's how I came across this collection of her wisdom. I think she spoke without thinking, which gave honest answers, even if she sometimes contradicted herself. I loved every second of this book! I especially agree with the last chapter - Faith. I think I will keep this book to used as a pick-me-up in low times. After all, Laughter is the best medicine!

If she was still alive, my question would be:

"It's so refreshing to come across a person who speaks so much sense. May I come and visit a while with you Fruitcake Lady?"

[d4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

An extremely quick read. The author's age makes the advice more amusing than it would otherwise be--there's just something about a ninety-five year old woman responding to an inquiry with "You must be a lazy bitch." Although all of her advice doesn't seem logical to me,--advising one man not to buy sex toys for his wife because "it will damage her organs," for example--the book is worth the short time investment required to finish it.

(Also, it has a rather broad appeal. My sixty-five year old mother read and enjoyed it; at the same time, my sixteen year old niece found the excerpts I pointed out to her amusing enough.)

[V2adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laugh out loud funny!!! Oh my goodness, If you haven't read this, then you need to either buy this book or head to your nearest library to check this book out. You will not be sorry at all! This is one of the funniest books that I have read in quite a while. It's a quick read and will leave you laughing out loud almost the entire way through it. Marie Rudsill gives her opinions on different things from child rearing to religion to home life among others from her view at her age (in the 90's). She's a completely no holds barred type of person. I would recommend this book for adults only as there is some language and subjects in it that I don't feel is appropriate for children.

[Melissa Mc Lees · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay from a sarcastical side, but I did not really get anyting good from it other than reading this book. I love to read, so I thought this book would be okay. It was okay but I did not learn anything new from it.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

She is the funniest thing. She tells it like it is with a twisted but true sense of humor.

[Zach · Rating 1 out of 5]

just watch her on tv.

[Marcantonio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the fruitcake lady.
I hope to be this wise one day.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truman Capote's aunt -- how can you go wrong?

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

So funny!