Friday, August 6, 2010

i KNOW i AM, BUT WHAT ARE YOU? REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
I KNOW I AM,
BUT WHAT ARE YOU?

BY SAMANTHA BEE

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Candid, outspoken, laugh-out-loud funny essays from the much-loved Samantha Bee, the Most Senior Correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart .

Critics have called her "sweet, adorable, and vicious." But there is so much more to be said about Samantha Bee. For one, she's Canadian. Whatever that means. And now, she opens up for the very first time about her checkered Canadian past. With charming candor, she admits to her Lennie from
Of Mice and Men–style love of baby animals, her teenage crime spree as one-half of a car-thieving couple (Bonnie and Clyde in Bermuda shorts and braces), and the fact that strangers seem compelled to show her their genitals. She also details her intriguing career history, which includes stints working in a frame store, at a penis clinic, and as a Japanese anime character in a touring children's show.

Samantha delves into all these topics and many more in this thoroughly hilarious, unabashedly frank collection of personal essays. Whether detailing the creepiness that ensues when strangers assume that your mom is your lesbian lover, or recalling her girlhood crush on Jesus (who looked like Kris Kristofferson and sang like Kenny Loggins), Samantha turns the spotlight on her own imperfect yet highly entertaining life as relentlessly as she skewers hapless interview subjects on
The Daily Show. She shares her unique point of view on a variety of subjects as wide ranging as her deep affinity for old people, to her hatred of hot ham. It's all here, in irresistible prose that will leave you in stitches and eager for more.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Samantha Bee joined the cast of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in 2003 and now holds the title Most Senior Correspondent, having systematically eliminated all those before her. (Her husband Jason Jones joined the cast in 2005.) In addition to her work on The Daily Show, Samantha played the role of Cinnabon Cashier in The Love Guru and can be seen opposite Uma Thurman and Minnie Driver in the upcoming feature Motherhood. She was born and raised in Toronto Canada and is the recipient of the 2005 Canadian Comedy Award for 'Pretty Funny Female'. When she is not working she enjoys walking her toddlers in circles around her tiny apartment and correcting spelling errors on menus.

MY REVIEW:

Comedian Samantha Bee, best known as the Most Senior Correspondent on “The Daily Show” is seldom vulnerable and like her fellow “correspondents“ hides her true personality and is careful not to reveal too much about herself. In her new memoir, I KNOW I AM, BUT WHAT ARE YOU?, readers will get to know a little more about this gifted comedienne as she writes about her life and job in a series of short essays. Sharing some of the good, the bad, and the funny parts of her life, including working on the show with Jason Jones, her husband, Samantha Bee takes her already remarkable stories to hysterical new heights with her almost straightforward style.

Born and raised in Canada, Bee describes and admits to having a had a curiously unconventional upbringing up. She grew up an only child as her parents divorced young, and left Samantha to grow up in three different households: grandparents, divorced parents, and step mom. In her essays, she describes her youth as a protected child that rarely went outdoors for the fear that was instilled in her of the dangers of everyday life.
Mostly she was left on her own, except by her wise grandmother and great-grandmother, who were always “there to wipe my face with a warm wet cloth if I tried going to school again dripping with hair product after an unsuccessful third attempt at a Jheri curl.” Samantha’s stepmother was concerned by her always playing indoors on her own and so would haul her and her father on ill-fated camping trips.

Adding to all this was the fact that her mother was Wiccan. Samantha was taught about the birds and the bees through what else but hardcore pornography. This was often acted out by Samantha with her dolls. With the chapters named rather appropriately, the one entitled “Man-Witch” is about Samantha’s crush on Jesus. This wasn’t a normal love and worship of Jesus, but rather, she saw Jesus as her boyfriend.

Samantha described her “first love” by writing, "My Jesus was cool. He looked like Kris Kristofferson circa A Star Is Born, only with penetrating blue eyes and a nonthreatening admiration for children that I, as a child, both understood and appreciated. He wore a freshly pressed robe all the time, but you knew He had a great ass and could have pulled off a pair of jeans and worn-out cowboy boots, even if you weren't sure why you would want that." Obviously the fact that her mother was Wiccan, complicated this brief relationship with Jesus especially when her mother took Samantha to a Wiccan wedding ceremony where she was sure she was going to sacrificed to Satan as a virgin

Other chapters include “May-December Never Come” in which Bee discusses the
anxiety over May-December romances, including when at times people thought of her mother as her lesbian lover, as well as Bee’s self-confessed talent to appeal to men with unusual (I‘ll be less frank) genitals. Also, one of my favorite’s is “When Animals Attack” in which Bee’s cat tried to get on her head…not unusual but hilarious when written about by someone who also has no problem describing her mother who loves animals and how when she dies, they will probably all “gather sadly around her and eat her corpse”. Cringe, laugh, but don’t leave out probably everyone’s favorite chapter, “Sailor Moon” which describes the various jobs Bee held down to make money including being in a supposedly children’s stage show dressed like the Sailor Moon character. The show is hilariously described but most eventful as this is the place and time where Samantha meets her future husband, Jason.

All of these chapters, or essays/stories, are written with a healthy sense of humor and there is no holding back. Bee is just as open about allowing older men to try and seduce her as she is to describing her youth in which she stole several cars for fun! If you love Jon Stewart, The Daily Show, Steven Colbert, and of course, Samantha Bee, you will laugh until you cry with I KNOW I AM BUT WHAT ARE YOU? If you don’t know this talented mother who is literally expecting her third child momentarily as I write this review, then you really must give this book a chance as it is laugh out loud funny. She is the master at sarcasm and satire, and as critics describe her “sweet, adorable, and vicious”!

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO KRISTIN AND THE GOOD
FRIENDS AT SIMON & SCHUSTER,
I HAVE THREE COPIES OF THIS
LAUGH OUT LOUD BOOK TO GIVE
AWAY TO THREE LUCKY WINNERS




--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER

+1 ENTRY:
COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT THE INFORMATION, VIDEO, AND REVIEW FOR I KNOW I AM, BUT WHAT ARE YOU? THAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU WANT TO WIN AND READ THIS BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY:
BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND THEN COME BACK AND LEAVE A LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY:
COMMENT ON ONE OTHER CURRENT GIVEAWAY YOU HAVE ENTERED. ONLY ONE THIS TIME, PLEASE!


GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, AUGUST 19!

42 comments:

Colleen Turner said...

She sounds awesome! She seems to be such a witty person and it is so much fun to get into the minds of funny people we see on tv or in movies (they often aren't what they seem).
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

I entered the Take Hatchette To The Beach giveaway.
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

+5 swagbucks.
candc320@gmail.com

Katia said...

I love that she's candid and can't wait to laugh-out-loud.
kr_moreau(at)doglover(dot)com

Amy said...

I love her on the Daily Show and am psyched to have a chance at her book. My husband loves her too, but that is another story.

Amy said...

I love her on the Daily Show and would love to win her book.

Amy said...

I entered your Hamlet's Blackberry giveaway.

traveler said...

Her talent and ability are amazing and she is a unique indvidual. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I entered the Vintage Affair giveaway. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

petite said...

Her openness about her youthful escapades and her growing up is interesting. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I entered The Beach giveaway. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

debbie said...

I had no idea she went through so much as a child. It is really good she can laugh about it. I love her on the daily show. I wonder what kind of a parent she is now, since she is having her third child? I bet she is trying to be as normal as possible.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

I entered crazy for love giveaway.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

Shirley said...

+5swag shundelt@yahoo.com

Christine H said...

+5swag chirth7@yahoo.com

Jeff said...

+5swag jeff72768@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I entered the Trilogy giveaway.

monagarg@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I would love to read these humorous essays. The essay topics sound hilarious. Her mom her lesbian lover?! I love the description of her by critics, "sweet, adorable, and vicious."

monagarg@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I am a follower. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

Linda Kish said...

I love her honesty and openness.

Poor kids..no outdoor life. Unheard of in California.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

I entered the Queen Pin giveaway.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Carol said...

I have an award for u here

http://dizzycslittlebookblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/my-first-award-versatile-blogger.html

carol

Bingo said...

Thank you, "Dizzy C" Carol! I am honored and shall pass it on soon!

degood said...

I love the daily show and samantha bee. The sailor moon chapter sounds hilarious! I can't wait to read this book. kerrie@mayansfamily.com

degood said...

I entered the crazy for love giveaway.

kerrie@mayansfamily.com

Sarah said...

I think she sounds funny and witty:)

foxchick0323@live.com

Sarah said...

I entered the A vintage affair giveaway.
foxchick0323@live.com

Ruthie said...

It seems that people can sometimes overcome a tough childhood with humor...more power to them!

ruthiekb72@yahoo.com

Ruthie said...

Entered Vintage Affair

ruthiekb72@yahoo.com

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

This sounds like an entertaining and hilarious read


(\___/)
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alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/

ossmcalc said...

Samantha Bee sounds like a very interesting person to know. Her stories in her book are hilarious but blunt which is humor that I enjoy. I would love to read about her very "adventurous" life.

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I tweeted about this giveaway http://twitter.com/ossmcalc/status/21435047999

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I entered The Capitol Game Giveaway and would really love to win it. This book sounds very realistic and is a thriller.

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

Entry 1

+5 SWAG Bucks

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

Entry 2

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Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

Entry 3

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Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

Entry 4

+5 SWAG Bucks

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

Entry 5

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Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

Allison said...

I love her on the daily show! I can't read to her book!

allisonsbj3(at)gmail(dot)com

Allison said...

I entered Danielle Steele's Giveaway.

allisonsbj3(at)gmail(dot)com

bloggingmom said...

I found out that Samantha Bee is Canadian! Whatever that means. So funny. I would love to read this book. garczynski (at) aol (dot) com

bloggingmom said...

I entered "A Stranger Like You" giveaway. garczynski (at) aol (dot) com

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