Of Thee I Zing, by Laura Ingraham

Perhaps if I had known what to expect of Laura Ingraham's Of Thee I Zing: America's Cultural Decline from Muffin Tops to Body Shots, I would have been less disappointed.  Based on the subtitle, you know there's going to be some humor here.  But this is really her attempt at stand-up comedy (on paper).  You know those comedians whose wry, observational humor is fun to listen to for a half hour or so?  It's funny to commiserate with them about the stupid, annoying things people do.  But Ingraham takes this basic idea, recycles it through a variety of themes, and comes off sounding like a whiny, elitist bore.

It's not that she didn't make me laugh occasionally, and it's not that I didn't share some of her contempt, but she just got to be dull and grating after a while.  Have you ever had a friend with lots of pet peeves, and at first when he's talking about them, you nod and laugh and say "Yes! I know exactly what you mean!"  But then when that's all he talks about, and just won't shut up, you really don't want to be around him any more.

That's how Laura Ingraham is in Of Thee I Zing.  She is perfect.  Everyone else in the world is just about intolerable.  Good luck getting through this one.