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Diana O'Neill
Book review: Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
By Diana O’Neill
Too hot to Handler? You be the judge.
E! Network’s late-night lady Chelsea Handler is at it again with another collection of personal essays, aptly called Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang. Vanity Fair declared her the queen of comedy and Handler’s best friend, fellow comedian Heather McDonald, sums up her appeal: “She’s the king of drunk, hot blondes. They’ve been wandering the earth, they’ve never had a leader, until Chelsea arrived with her big boobs and long hair and sassy attitude, and they’re like, ‘She’s me!” Don’t be taken aback by her confidantes eager and candid remark – Handler is the real deal and her slow-building success is the proof.
This is Handler’s third book and much like her first two works, this one will likely hit the New York Times Bestseller list. My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stand reads much like a memoir, whereas Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea is a humorous, yet still highly personal, essay collection.
She was repeatedly encouraged to throw her life down on the printed page, by friends who got such a kick out of her outrageous tales and said the masses would agree. Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang is as good and addictive as being privy to an inside joke.
The 35-year old comedian has been making a name for herself ever since the ratings for her late night talk show, Chelsea Lately, starting packing a punch against her male counterparts. The last woman to lock in a late-time slot was Joan Rivers – and that was in 1986! Handler acknowledges the surprise of her success despite often featuring less than the expected A-list celebrities.
In a 2008 interview Handler said, “The worse the guests are, the more pathetic they are, the funnier the show is.” Her half-hour late night talk show has slowly been generating buzz with its unique format featuring a celebrity panel who sarcastically muse on current events and pop culture happenings. But Handler’s fans loyally tune in each weeknight to see her frank monologues at the top and bottom of each episode.
The youngest born in a Jewish/Mormon family of six, raised in New Jersey, Handler has said her stint as a best-selling author still feels ridiculously improbable even though critics and fans alike eat up her words like a pack of rabid dogs. This is an obvious must-read for those fans, but anyone not familiar with her style, attitude and antics should give her latest release a try.
With sharp wit and a biting tongue, Handler delivers possibly some of the most laugh-out-loud worthy (literally!) and shocking stories of her writing career. It reads like an XXX-rated Judy Blume diary entry – natural, scandalous, cheeky, the makings of a true page-turner. The first chapter entitled ‘The Feeling,’ begins on a racy note, with Handler’s admission of what she believed was a secret discovery, of her body, and masturbation at the age of 8.
She is spontaneous and off-the-cuff and her writing is a strong indication of her capable and strong storytelling skills.
One of the best chapters starts, “Every once in awhile I like to send out an all-staff email to find out who the dumbest people working on my show are,” and the antics that ensued involve a fake gynecologist, Dudley the bulldog and a napkin.
The stories in Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang are smart, clever and embarrassingly relatable – spewing from the mind of someone you wished was in your closest circle. This is definitely a book with a bang, one that you will most likely read in one sitting and will leave your jaw sore with laughter.
