Hilarious! READ IT!

Never was a huge fan of Bernie Mac, and now I'm even less so. I'm not overtly sensitive, or offended usually, especially with comedians, but though this was written 20 years ago, it reads more like 50. I'm not even compelled to review what is bad about it, because I feel like it would take all day, and I've wasted enough of my time reading it already.

I listened to Bernie himself read this to me. I loved it. I have always liked his voice and think he is pretty funny.


He had a rough childhood but knew from when he was young that he would make people laugh.

Enjoyable!

Any fan or anyone else who has had a hard life growing up w/an ethnic family will embrace this book! Bernie Mac lays it down, and that ain't no bull! He tells about how soft kids are nowadays due to lack of discipline, the truth of how a family reacts to a celebrity, life on the streets in the city of Chicago along with how he's had to cope with the death of various family members, including his mother. This book if funny, silly, sad, touching and overall an amazing and easy read.

I loved this book. It offers insight into Bernie's philosophy and comedy point of view. It was loose at times, breaking down into skits and with friends dropping in as if the entire book was assembled from transcribed interviews. But that also made it feel alive.

I Ain’t Scared of You by Bernie Mac

This is outrageously funny.
Although, I had the chance to read only a few pages, in 50 Funniest American Writers…according to Andy Borowitz

-t“Black funerals? Don’t go to no more black funerals. Bar ’em. Because black funerals are full of shit.”

This is the first line in the extract.

-t“Layin’ up there in the fuckin’ coffin, and we gotta go see this motherfucker, and he dead for three days.”

The very idea that one could have such fun with…talk about funerals.
And that the generally respected deceased- De mortuis nihil nisi bonum- could be called “this motherfucker”.

Of course, the comedian has nothing against the departed, just the principle and the rules surrounding some rituals.
It makes me think of The Loved One.

That is a dark, hilarious comedy with Rod Steiger, the most connected actor, not Kevin Bacon as some thought and one of the best.
The Loved One is also about funerals and the departed, referred to with unctuous respect as The Loved Ones.

-tWhite folks, you die tonight they bury your ass tomorrow.

So it is also about cultural differences.
And I guess there are advantages in disposing sooner of the corpse, especially in warm climates and if the ceremony is about phony feelings.

-tHe die, we gotta take some clothes over there, like he goin’ some-motherfuckin’-where.

Of course, the humor is highlighted, emphasized or maybe relies mostly on the manner of speaking, with the absence of some verbs.
And the “motherfuckin’, ass, fuck, shit…”

-tOLD WOMAN 1: How he die?
-tOLD WOMAN 2: Girl, I was rollin’ my hair and I heard a thump. I went downstairs, that motherfucker was on the floor dead. I knew somethin’ was wrong ’cause it was rainin’ and I was rollin’ my hair.

A good comedian is an excellent observer and even if the dialogue did not really sound exactly like this, I am sure it was close.
The repetition is also noticed and used, the Old Woman 2 keeps repeating through the ceremony the details of the rolling hair and the thump.

-t“Then you got the wake. Why they call it the wake? He ain’t wakin’ up!

Good point!

-t“And then black preachers... I’m sick of ’em… (I think this is just for laughs) ...It’s gotta be dramatics, theater. Why the preacher gotta growl at us?”

And the reader keeps laughing:

-t“BLACK PREACHER: Heh-heh-heh... I-I-I... I just wanna tell somebodeee... Heh-heh. Okay? I just wanna teeell somebodeee... Aw, whoa, Lord. Oh, Lord! Hunh-hunh! Ohhh, Looordd... I just wanna tell somebodeee... Tell it! Tell it!
-tOLD WOMAN 2: I was rollin’ my hair…”
-t

This book was really funny. I enjoyed this book from the beginning all the way to the end. Bernie Mac talks about his childhood and his career as a comedian and an entertainer. This book is not just funny but there are parts where you can relate to in reality. If you like to laugh and like a story with a moral then you will love this book.

God Bless him and rest in piece. Thank you for your contributions to comedy and making us laugh til we can't breathe. This is hands down the funniest book that I have ever read. Bernie Mac tells it to you straight in this no holds barred collection of Bernie's life experiences on his way to the top. The book had me laughing out loud several times. I was embarrassed to read it while out in public. You will look like you are crazy laughing to yourself . It should be labeled "Warning: Read Indoors". Truly funny book and a breezy read. Its written in the way that Bernie Mac would speak so you get the rhythm quickly.

I would have rated this a four but for the bad language. Otherwise this was very good and very funny. I laughed out loud more than a couple times.

Bernie Mac…one of comedy’s greatest legends. I miss this man. From his hilarious anecdotes about family life to his no-holds-barred commentary on society, Warning: reading this book may cause embarrassing, involuntary and prolific use of foul language, which may, or may not impact your future life prospects. Proceed with caution, but definitely proceed!

this was a very good read. I always enjoyed Bernie mac he was always so funny to me. I miss him very much though. damn he turned out to be alright though.

Mixed feelings on this one, mainly because the book needs an editor so so so damn badly. It's basically several shows worth of comedy, but in little bites that don't string together - they jump from subject to subject, then suddenly you're back at a premise from six pages ago. Such a shame.

One good example is that he mentions a followup to a routine that we haven't seen in the book yet (Milk and Cookies) and what happened to his nieces and nephews. If you're not familiar with what he's talking about, it's completely out of left field and means nothing. It's only a few chapters later that the little skit of Milk and Cookies and the backstory to it is explained. This might be OK in a regular book with a plot, but this is all just muddled up bits of comedy and it just doesn't work in this format.