Lewis Black happens to be one of my favorite comedians. His topical, and often political, humor appeals to me with its perspective, but the best part of it all is the delivery. Lewis Black is angry. (Lewis Black would use stronger words in the place of “angry,” though.) He sees ridiculousness all around him, and to me, his humor serves as a way to vent about these issues while also having a good laugh. Just in time for the holidays, Lewis Black has released I’m Dreaming of a Black Christmas, and it’s a doozy.
While I’m quite familiar with both Black’s stand-up style and his regular appearances on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, much about this book surprised me. Sure, he starts off with a warning to readers that this will be no happy-go-lucky trip through the holiday season, and that in order to proceed, one must have a strong stomach for “what some people call profanity,” and these parts were fully expected. I wasn’t necessarily prepared for the more personal self-reflections on the path his life has taken, specifically the fact that at 62 he is unmarried and childless, not the typical American lifestyle. He goes on for much of the book about his lack of the adult life that most expect- marriage and family, whiny children and all- and it was a bit touching to read his honest declarations… although of course, he ends it all with acceptance peppered with colorful language, so readers aren’t left worrying about his happiness.
Details on just how a curmudgeonly Jewish man celebrates the Christmas holiday form the outline of the book, with side stories about his life, politics and religion rounding out the rest of the text. In what is appropriately titled “An Abnormal Appendix,” the book closes with Black’s descriptions of his experience with the USO Christmas tour in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2007, which at first glance might appear disjointed from the other chapters, but works because it continues to allow Black to express both his frustrations and respect, his cynicism and his insight.
If you’ve got a special someone on your holiday gift list who appreciates the razor-sharp, and often genuinely ticked off wit of Lewis Black, I’m Dreaming of a Black Christmas would make for much welcomed holiday reading.
Dawn absolutely appreciates the need to rant and rave, which she has been known to do now and again on her own blog, my thoughts exactly.