TOW #8 IRB "Don't Get Too Comfortable" by David Rakoff

         For this cycle of TOW's I finished reading, Don't Get Too Comfortable: The Indignities of Coach Class, The Torments of Low Thread Count, The Never-Ending Quest for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems, by David Rakoff. In the second half of the book, he continued to use a humorous, and mildly sarcastic tone to ridicule American culture. I really admire the seamless balance of fun and seriousness he created throughout the book, as this harmony is essential to his purpose, which is to show his frustration and bafflement with the upperclass culture, particularly the "Log-Cabin right-wingers," as he often refers to them. As a very openly gay liberal, his disdain for this group of people must be noted as having some bias.

          He is able to hit on heavy, sometimes rather dry topics, such as socioeconomics and the implications of capitalism, in a very entertaining way through his tone that gives the audience know choice but to burst out in laughter. He achieves this degree of humor with dashing, colorful, figurative language, in addition to breaking his narrative mode of writing with phrases that break the fourth wall and allow him to communicate with the audience. Near the end of the book, he interrupts an informative piece about Swiss foreign police and writes, "I am shocked, shocked, to hear that the Swiss..." (Rakoff, pg. 210).  He is able to take a step back from the seriousness of his subject, and engage his reader. In doing so, he is able to appeal emotionally, while also composing a book that people want to read for pleasure. Contrastingly, he maintains some level of academia throughout the book through his subject matter, and intellectual jargon. Although it is a laugh-out-loud funny kind of book, it is not merely a crowd pleaser. Undoubtably, Rakoff is a very intelligent person with a unique perspective and something meaningful to say. He writes about very serious things in Don't Get Too Comfortable, as well, such as AIDS, "A young man, dead at the age of twenty-nine from hemophilia derived AIDS," (Rakoff, pg. 212). While he uses lots of humor, he is also able to communicate a serious message and share his insights on topics that are far from humorous. This helps him achieve his purpose, while also making a highly-enjoyable read that I would definitely recommend.

This is the cover created by Rakoff, that I think accurately reveals his tone. It also, perhaps, reveals how he earned the nickname, "the witty pessimist".