UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, February 21, 1996
5A
Comedian's book on political 'observations' has people talking
By Jason Strait Kansan staff writer
Rush Lambaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations is grabbing attention with its title and content.
The book, written by Al Franken of Saturday Night Live fame, is fourth on the best-seller list, and its popularity is gaining momentum, said Eric Peters, Overland Park senior and employee at Hastings Books,
Music and Video, Southwest Plaza.
"A lot of people don't like Limbaugh," he said. "People look at the title, and it grabs them. It's selling a lot of copies."
Franken, who is a regular on Comedy Central's Politically Incorrect, combines humor and factual evidence to ridicule Limbaugh and other political figures in American politics.
Some examples from the book:
Newt Gingrich? "He's the father of the kid who spends a lot of time at your house."
Phil Gramm? "If you get beyond the fact that Gramm is ugly, mean, hypocritical, has a breast fetish, and drives his wife like a mule, he does have a certain folksy charm."
Ken Collier, assistant professor of political science and government, said that although several sections of the book rang true to him in a serious context, he read it mainly for entertainment purposes.
"The commentary on the tone of debate in politics hit home to me," he said. "Political debate in America has become so nasty, we can barely talk to each other. We're a prosperous country. He points out that we don't act like it."
While Franken's book may seem like a brash forum to mock political figures, Collier said the book displayed a sense of political resnect.
"He does pick on a lot of people in the book, especially Rush Limbaugh," he said. "But throughout the book, he expresses admiration for them at the same time."
While most American politicians are heavily scrutinized in the book, two political figures that largely escape Franken's wrath are Bill Clinton and Bob Dole.
Franken voices admiration for
both Clinton and Dole in the book and said he was looking forward to the presidential race.
"Some people are disappointed by the prospect, but I think these are two huge figures in this country," Franken said in an interview with Cox News Service. "Clinton is the best politician the Democrats have had in a long time. And Dole is a war horse. I think this is a mammoth battle between two able guys."
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