KINKY FRIEDMAN
My friend, John Taylor, loaned me his copy of "Scuse me while I whip this out," book by Kinky Friedman. And though it won't rank at the tippy-top of my favorites list, it's a fun and refreshing read. Especially the parts about Willie Nelson, Hank Williams and mental institutions. Leave it to someone like me to single out those areas...
My first introduction to Kinky Friedman came several years ago and was introduced by that same friend, John Taylor. It was a Willie Nelson version of a Kinky Friedman song called "Ride 'em Jewboy." My first reaction then was horror - the title of the song itself seemed irresponsibly provocative and anti-PC. I'm very much an anti-PC type of guy, but I do have my limits.
However, after listening to the song, I fell in love with it, and still consider it as one of my favorite songs. There, I learned to take the Kinkster with a grain of salt and to relish his sardonic humor.
"Scuse me while I whip this out" offers behind-the-scenes views into the lives of many noteworthy celebrities, and some not-so-noteworthy. It's almost voyeuristic at times, but every bit as enjoyable as voyeurism should be. I suspect that the lines between fact, hearsay and embellishment are a bit blurred but that doesn't matter; if those lines, indeed, are blurred, it still makes for a damn good read.
I highly recommend the book - but if you have a hang-up with the word "Kinky," it'll probably take you up to 20 pages to get into the book. But by then, you'll be a Kinkster fan.