“I Am America” Mini Review
We drove down to Brantford this weekend to visit family, and on the way, listened to Stephen Colbert's book, "I Am America (And So Can You!)".
If you're considering reading this book I'd recommend the audiobook version. It's narrated by Stephen Colbert himself, with some extra voices done by Jon Stewart and a few other recognizable names. There's also background music. It's more like a radio show than an audiobook - a nice surprise.
However good the production value may be, I can't say I really recommend the book.
Here's the problem: It's definitely Colbert's brand of humour, but Colbert's humour can be a bit over the top. It's really best in the Colbert Report format: News and interviews interspersed with little blasts of over the top liberal bashing.
The audiobook is 3.5 hours of over the top with very little news or issues.
Part of what makes what he says funny is that you just don't expect it. An absurd assertion out of the blue is a lot funnier than the hundredth absurd assertion in a continuous stream of them. Perhaps reading the paper book in short sittings would actually be better, because you wouldn't become so desensitized.
It kinda feels like Stephen Colbert does Dave Barry. A lot of people like Dave Barry so maybe we're the ones in left field here. I guess the problem is as regular Daily Show and Colbert Report viewers, we expected more.