I’ve been a fan of David Cross since the late 1990s when his sketch comedy show, Mr. Show with Bob and David, aired on HBO. He is a harsh, vulgar, and insightful comic who calls attention to serious issues through exaggerations so extreme most people are instantly offended. I remember one sketch that assaulted America’s public schools by juxtaposing Hitler and Anne Frank — brilliance. So, when I saw his book, I Drink for a Reason, I was psyched to download the audio book from iTunes and give it a listen. Wow! Does it suck! The comedy takes a turn for the worse about two hours in; it moves quickly from amusing social critique to the trite ramblings of a tired comedian. 

The best example of Cross’s follies are his numerous references to why the reader is lazy for buying the audio book rather than purchasing the print edition. Apparently, anyone wanting I Drink for a Reason on audiobook baffles him. The first three times he made that joke, I laughed. Then it went from not funny to really annoying — after all, I did pay for it. So I will answer his nagging question: David, I bought the audio book because, while a great comedian, you’re an unmeritorious writer who doesn’t deserve to share shelf space with essayists like David Foster Wallace, Kurt Vonnegut, or David Sedaris, much less with literary classics by authors like Willa Cather, Herman Melville, or Edgar Allan Poe. But I thought it might be fun to listen to you ramble on my daily commute — I was wrong. 

Another problem with the book is the recycled content, which is ironically placed after a brief rant about how he doesn’t want to write a book of his old tired stand up routines in print. However, there is no wink to help the listener to know if this is meant as a joke or not. My opinion is, not. The material is clearly outdated and too often the punch is quelled if not lost entirely. 

The pieces about Cross’ feuds with Larry the Cable Guy and Jim Belushi are hysterical. They make up an hour or so of the total read time. This not to say I didn’t occasionally chuckle at other spots, but I was hoping for more from Cross because his humor is more evolved than people like Larry the Cable Guy. Oh well, I’ve read much worse. 

Everyone has bad days, and I’m hoping this was a bad day for David Cross. I’d still be willing to give his next book a listen, though I’ll probably wait to see if it goes on sale.

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