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My culture is depraved, Not sure it can be saved . . . Of Thee I Zing. Land filled with STDs, Pants way down to the knees, Nary a “thanks” or “please” This is going to sting. . . .
While Laura Ingraham was walking through a Northern Virginia shopping mall one Saturday afternoon, it all became clear to her: Our country is in grave peril. Our culture of ignorance, arrogance, and gluttony undermines our present and endangers our future. Everywhere she turned, she saw signs of the impending disaster: zombie teens texting each other across a café table; a man having his eyebrows threaded at a kiosk; a fiftyish woman shoehorned into a tube top and skinny jeans; and a storefront ad featuring a Victoria’s Secret model spilling out of her push-up bra and into the faces of young passersby. Ingraham wondered, “Is this it? Is this what our forefathers fought for? What my parents struggled for? I wonder if Victoria’s Secret is still having that two-for-one sale?”
In an act of patriotic intervention, the most-listened-to woman in talk radio casts her satirical eye upon all that ails American society. In this sharp-witted comic romp, Laura Ingraham takes you on a guided tour through ten levels of our cultural hell.
You know we’re in trouble when . . .
Airplane seats shrink—just as the passengers expand.
Celebrity baby names go from the peculiar (Apple, Stetson, and Daisy Boo) to the pathetic (Bamboo, Blanket, and Bronx).
People meticulously tend their virtual crops on Farmville, while their children eat takeout.
“Breaking News” usually means it happened yesterday.
The weddings last longer than the marriages.
Facebook has become a verb and reading has become an ancient art form.
Of Thee I Zing is cultural commentary too funny to ignore, igniting a national conversation long past due. America, your cultural recovery begins here.
Radio talk show host and conservative author Laura Ingraham (The Obama Diaries; Power to the People) thinks that it would take only one alert jaunt around your local shopping mall to convince you that our culture is in full collapse. In her latest book, she dispenses her observations and opinions with the candor and verve that her millions of fans have come to anticipate. A spirited read for like-minded readers.
Laura Ingraham is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Obama Diaries and Power to the People, the most listened-to woman in political talk radio as host of her own nationally syndicated radio program, a Fox News contributor, and permanent substitute host for The O'Reilly Factor. A former Supreme Court law clerk and white-collar criminal defense litigator, she lives in the Washington, D.C., area with her two children.
Introduction 1
1 "Mommy, Make It Stop!" 5
2 Missed Manners 32
3 Popped Culture 73
4 Relation-Slips 111
5 Skhool 4 Foolz 145
6 Disgracebook;-) 166
7 Are We Having Fun Yet? 197
8 Why Do the Wrong People Travel? 231
9 Holidays from Hell 255
10 Eat, Pray … Just Keep God Out of It 282
Acknowledgments 307
Anonymous
Posted July 12, 2011
Laura has a valuable insight into what is happening in America. She says what more people should be willing to say.
12 out of 17 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 15, 2011
It was an entertaining account of Laura's accurate observations of daily living in America today. While reading the book, I was anticipating that towards the end, Laura would discuss why our culture has decayed and what can be done to restore a portion of what has been lost. That didn't happen. Perhaps a sequel is planned where Laura will discuss the fundamental causes of the cultural decay and prescribe what is necessary for improvement.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 23, 2011
Of Thee I Zing, Laura Ingraham's fifth book, is a genuinely significant contribution to contemporary philosophy (ethics, aesthetics) and cultural analysis, which may come as a surprise to those who only know her from her previous books of right-wing polemics. Her 2007 book Power to the People was perhaps her most successful book in that vein, as concise a statement of far-right conservatism as I've seen, and far preferable to similar manifestos from her many peers (such as the ever-diabolical, let's-make-things-worse Ann Coulter). 2010's The Obama Diaries (so far Ingraham's most popular book) was an inspired idea, whereby she invented a Watergate-like intrigue involving herself in an epic (if fictional) leak of President Obama's diaries to her. The only problem was, this current president is about as funny a subject as Calvin Coolidge, so despite the neat premise, that book did not actually deliver the laughs it promised. With Of Thee I Zing Ingraham has her finest hour in that this is not a political book at all (a real surprise) and this time the humor really sparkles. The book is a cleverly organized and well-thought-out series of complaints about American culture as it is today, focusing on areas of daily life where our fellow citizens seem to want to wallow in their own ignorance, selfishness and narcissism. Most of Ingraham's targets are dead-on, and she seldom uses these topics as springboards for foisting more right-wing propaganda. In avoiding this temptation to belch out yet another rhetorical dinosaur, Ingraham leaps far ahead of the pack, allowing her wit to shine and to dazzle, and giving readers the opportunity to explore the various topics raised in the book without being forced to swallow any political speeches. Seen from an objective perspective, Ingraham's litany of complaints is curious in that it makes her an almost tragic figure, in that the-anything-for-a-buck capitalist ideology she has so fervently been defending all her life has delivered to her a world that she doesn't seem to like very much. Seen through this vantage point, her book is all the more significant, resembling in a sense the memoirs of dedicated communists who were greatly disappointed with the regimes of corruption that the nations of the Warsaw Pact had to offer. But rather than confront the free market causes of her cultural disappointments, she retreats to blaming individuals who have different tastes and unfortunately she focuses her rage oftentimes on women who are more sexually open, and this is where Ingraham runs into the most trouble, risking looking judgmental and stridently so (and thereby losing the sympathies of readers, who have likely been in agreement with the majority of her book's other points). Once again there is an element of tragedy here. In a chapter on relationships, Ingraham admits to being unlucky in love, and many will be surprised to learn that someone as famous, rich, whip-smart and movie-star gorgeous as Laura still has to resort to computer dating to find companionship. (Oh Laura, there is true love for you in this world - I promise you.) Despite these subjective forays away from the cultural complaints, these parts of the book are welcome in that they humanize Ingraham in ways both positive and negative, and you come away knowing more about her and what makes her tick. In fact, an autobiography ought to be her next book. Laura Ingraham is a national treasure. This from a far-left socialist!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 26, 2011
I listened to the audio book and enjoyed the first few chapters. Later I found that Laura was trying to come across as a commedienne.
She obviously has a problem with over weight people and unfortunately is always among those with body odor.
She related much that has happened to this country and I have experienced many of the same situations. I guess I liked Laura but I see a side of her I do not care for with this book.
I found her to be mean and not at all funny.
4 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 15, 2011
Great fun if one can leave political persuasions at the door! Ingraham's take on so many daily facts of current American life! If you are for deep analysis, this is not it. But if an easy very humorous take on today's society is your interest, try this one! It is just a funny relaxing book!
4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 1, 2011
well, please understand that I started out as a very enthusiastic reader - then my enthusiasm quickly dropped off - pretty soon I wfound myself holding my nose for the first 1/3 of the book and then, well, I put it away - for good - and now all I can say is that I hope she put some of her publisher's advance toward psychiatric care - she needs it - unfortunately there is not a "zero" star or I would have clicked it.
2 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 31, 2011
We all have our opinions of things and people. Her listing of issues and trends gets tiring because they are hers alone. If a new dad wants to carry his baby in a "Man Sling" I don't care. Apparently it bothers her. Andy Rooney she is not and I fail to distinguish whether this is supposed to be humor or social analysis. I may not make the effort to finish reading this.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 29, 2011
It was funny at first but then it's just complaining.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 9, 2011
This book waslaugh out loud funny in some spots. It was not at all partisan or a rant about overweight people, as some reviewers suggested. Was it the best book I ever read? No, but it was entertaining. Some people just need to find a sense of humor and not take things so personally. They need to lighten up!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Its great to write a book on america and its faults, but something else to present it with only one political point of view. I was infuriated in the second chapter. Kept reading thinking it would balance out, but never did. This should be named, " Of Democrats I Zing" Wasnt worth the 11.99 i spent on the ebook.
1 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 7, 2012
I just watched laura ingram on fox and friends. And she is a great kindhearted person that is a great politicion. I recommend the book to anyone who loves Mitt Romney. Vote for Mitt Romney.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 5, 2012
This book starts to grate after about ten pages. She basically just rants about random sh*t, like my grandpa at Thanksgiving. Who cares if you name your kid Sparrow or if a man wears a baby sling? Honestly, she comes off as bitter, judgemental (jealous?) and super angry. Not the fun, witty read I was anticipating.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 11, 2012
Skip it
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 8, 2012
Well done and worth reading! Check it out!
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Posted January 7, 2012
A grear book
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 17, 2011
I tried to give this 2stars but my reader wouldn't let me. My sense of humor must have been out to lunch because I didn't smile until page 83. Most of the facts were interesting. Others, a bit insensitive. As I said, I might have read it on an off day.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.BunkyDD
Posted November 8, 2011
This is a great book. As a 57 year old male who has seen how technology has changed the world this book reflects how people have changed too. And if I say so myself not for the better. This book reflects in a humorous way how far we have fallen from having good manners and common courtesy. Everyone who reads this book will enjoy it.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.pff-indiana
Posted October 19, 2011
I have read most of Laura's books and found them informative and enjoyable. I even went to one of her book signings. I remember thinking what a stunning beauty she was and couldn't believe no one snatched her up and married her. Now I know why. All she does for 300 pages is whine about everything imaginable. No guy could handled her b*tch*ng. She finds fault with everything and everyone. Save your money!
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 4, 2011
Snarky at best
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I agree with about 80% of Laura's viewpoints in this book. Most of it is common sense with quite a bit of humor! Some things in life are not one size fits all & are just none of her business. I was disappointed because I thought this book was something else. However I did enjoy hearing her viewpoint & her sense of humor! Would recommend this book - see if you can borrow from the library...
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
My culture is depraved, Not sure it can be saved . . . Of Thee I Zing. Land filled with STDs, Pants way down to the knees, Nary a “thanks” or “please” This is going to sting. . . .
While Laura Ingraham was walking through a Northern Virginia shopping mall one Saturday afternoon, it all became clear to her: Our country is in grave peril. Our culture of ignorance, arrogance, and gluttony undermines our present and endangers our future. Everywhere she turned, she saw signs of the ...