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The New York Times called Dennis Miller's The Rants "a pleasing mix of profanity and wit...that will make fans of his irreverent liberal angst laugh out loud." Readers across the nation clearly agreed, because the book stayed on the Times hardcover bestseller list for months, with more than 130,000 copies in print. Now, an even broader audience can discover Miller's stinging wit in paperback.
Dennis Miller respects no boundaries. Whether the subject is dope-addled baseball players who can no longer swing their bats, do-nothing politicians who devote their careers to creating meaningful sound bites, or the nation's resigned acceptance of violence as a way of American life, these thematically arranged monologues are funny and angry. More significantly, they shatter the conventions of comedy by simultaneously making us laugh, think, and seethe.
When Miller takes the stage, the audience demands, "the rants, the rants, the rants." Here is the collection of his invigorating and thought-provoking monologues that showcase his singular point of view.
"Now," he usually starts, "I don't want to get off on a rant here," whereupon the sage of cable TV walks the walk and talks the talk. Commenting on current events, Miller is a latter- day Will Rogers on speed. He's hot. He's cool. He's truly hip as he steers a course between laughs and logic. The editorial fustian covers everything from infomercials to schadenfreude, activism to parenthood, with a nod, inevitably, to the O.J. trial. He knows about men and women. "Women don't like guys who are dangerous," he instructs. "Women want us to think that because women are trying to kill us." There are references to multitudes who have achieved a few moments of fame and are scratching for the rest of their allotted 15 minutes. (Who will be able to identify Gary Busey, Dave Del Dotto, or Rico Suave a year from now? Who can identify them now?) The rap doesn't eschew all of the Seven Dirty Words, either, but, hey, "it's a madhouse out there," says Miller. He feels "like Heston waking up in the field and seeing the chimp on top of the pony." So don't expect Leno or Letterman (though there is an occasional decalogue not unlike a Letterman list). In Miller's Manichaean view everything is either Good or, more likely, Bad, and all is painted either black or blue. But as he admits in his standard tag line, "that's just my opinion. I could be wrong."
Much of the mockery is ephemeral hipster babble at a fever pitch, but there's also common sense and, okay, even a nugget of wisdom in what could be, if one stretches the point, a kind of self-helper for those simpletons whom Miller calls "mooks."
Anonymous
Posted November 2, 2000
If you are into politics, or interested in American sociology, 'The Rants' will surely bring a smile to your face. This book kept me eagerly awaiting the next page again and again. Miller's traditional sarcasm shines through this text just as if he were speaking directly to you! I would suggest this book if you are looking for some comical relief from everyday issues. It's alright to laugh at topics that are generally viewed as 'serious' every once and awhile!!!
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 29, 2012
Dennis Miller has an infantalized view of the world and this awful book proves it. I don't know what happened to him but his schtick is whiny and mean. The most unfunny pile of crap ever.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 13, 2000
Dennis Miller's Rants are just the right length - about the size of a Dave Barry Column. You can read them one at a time in five minute bursts and get through the whole book in a week. The material is funny, but somewhat dated due to the current events of the time he discusses.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 20, 2011
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Posted March 15, 2010
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Overview
The New York Times called Dennis Miller's The Rants "a pleasing mix of profanity and wit...that will make fans of his irreverent liberal angst laugh out loud." Readers across the nation clearly agreed, because the book stayed on the Times hardcover bestseller list for months, with more than 130,000 copies in print. Now, an even broader audience can discover Miller's stinging wit in ...