Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Almost Interesting The Memoir by David Spade Almost Interesting: The Memoir. A hilarious and biting memoir from the actor, comedian and Saturday Night Live alumnus. David Spade is best known for his harsh "Hollywood" Minute Sketches on SNL , his starring roles in movies like Tommy Boy and Joe Dirt , and his seven-year stint as Dennis Finch on the series Just Shoot Me . Now, with a wit as dry as the weather in his home state of Arizona, the "comic brat extraordinaire" delivers a memoir. Spade takes fans back to his childhood as a wannabe cool younger brother and recounts his excruciating road-tour to fame—when he was regularly mistaken for a fourteen year-old. He dishes about his time on SNL during the beloved Rock/Sandler/Farley era of the 1990s, and brags about the ridiculous perks that fame has brought into his life, including a crazy assistant who attacked him while he was sleeping, being threatened on the street in Beverley Hills by Eddie Murphy, and being one of the shortest guys at the Playboy mansion (the views weren't bad). Sometimes dirty, sometimes just plain silly, David Spade reminds us what made him one of our favorite funny people. Barb's Book Reviews. Mysteries, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Memoirs, Literary Novels, Humor. all kinds of books. Monday, January 8, 2018. Review of "David Spade is Almost Interesting: The Memoir" by David Spade. David Spade. I know David Spade best from his stint on Saturday Night Live (SNL) in the 1990s. He's also a stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. In this memoir Spade provides a glimpse of his childhood and the long road to success, which - though not easy - was fueled by support from family and friends. I listened to the audiobook version of this memoir - narrated by the author - with appropriate sound effects that add to the fun. Spade was born in Michigan, but his family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona when he was very young. Young David Spade. Spade's father left soon afterwards, leaving his mother to raise her three boys - Bryan, Andy, and David - alone. without a cent of alimony or child support. David grew up as a mama's boy, but enjoyed the rare visits from his dad - who was a fun guy with an outsize personality. Young David Spade with his mother and brothers. When David was nine his mother married again, her new husband being a quiet doctor who was 'strange but nice.' David's stepdad gave him a shotgun on his tenth birthday, and the Spade boys regularly carried guns as they played in the deserts of Arizona. David was a smart youngster. He made it to the chess state finals, was the reading champion in sixth grade (47 books), and won the school spelling bee. Unfortunately, David wiped out in the first round at state - on the word apparatus. (I guess you remember that kind of thing. ) Spade's stepfather was a troubled man with PTSD, and he committed suicide when David was a teen - another sad event in the youth's life. Spade's nice-looking brother Andy was well-liked in high school, and David shamelessly rode Andy's coattails. Thus David - nicknamed Mini-Spade - was a popular student, though this didn't translate to sex with girls. [FYI: Sex is one of Spade's favorite topics, and - in the course of the book - David relates anecdotes about his endless quest to get laid; losing his virginity; his first (accidental) hooker; inadvertently using his 'fame' to attract girls; and so on. For details you'll have to read the book. LOL] In high school David was intent on being a cool funny guy, and his grades slipped. One class, though, was a blessing. From sophomore through senior year, David took 'Motivational Speaking', a course that let him show off his comedy skills - and led to sketches in the high school 'Extravaganza' show. David Spade in high school. By the time Spade was in college, he was doing the rounds of local comedy clubs - and won the comedy contest at Arizona State University. Thus, David was on a 'slow rise to medium fame' and - after graduation - moved to Los Angeles to do spots in improv clubs. He also worked the New York comedy scene, traveling back and forth from coast to coast. During these lean years, Spade was constantly broke, often borrowed money from friends, and slept on people's couches. David Spade doing stand-up early in his career. In 1989 Spade got a spot on HBO's 'Young Comedians Special', a huge deal that led to a job as a writer/performer on Saturday Night Live (SNL) - where he worked from 1990 to 1996. David also got to do the 'Johnny Carson Show' one time - shortly before the famous host retired. David Spade became a regular on Saturday Night Live. David talks A LOT about his years on SNL: the friendly(ish) rivalry; how hard it was to get sketches accepted for the show; attempts to write skits featuring himself - so he'd get to perform; some memorable guest hosts (Alec Baldwin, Roseanne Barr, Patrick Swayze; Tom Hanks; Andrew Dice Clay, Candace Bergen, and others); his best friends in the cast - Chris Farley and Chris Rock; and much more. This is easily the most interesting - and funniest - part of the book. David Spade (left) with Chris Rock (middle) and Chris Farley (right) Spade describes some memorable SNL sketches, like the one that made Chris Farley famous. In the skit, Farley and Patrick Swayze are both auditioning for an available spot with the Chippendale dancers (male strippers). Swayze is ripped (and a professional dancer) and Farley is chubby and out of shape, but the judges are dead serious - closely watching them both. It's hilarious (and available on YouTube if you want to see). Patrick Swayze (left) and Chris Farley 'auditioning' to be Chippendale dancers in SNL skit. In a memorable skit Spade developed for himself, he's a haughty receptionist for Dick Clark, and gives visitors a VERY hard time. For instance, when Roseanne Barr walks in, Spade acts like he doesn't know who she is - though 'Roseanne' is the #1 comedy show in the nation. Spade even tells Clark's biological mother - and Jesus - to 'take a seat.' It's very funny. SNL skit with Roseanne Barr and David Spade. In Spade's best known role, he's the regular host of Weekend Update's 'Hollywood Minute' - where he disses celebrities. David Spade doing the Hollywood Minute on SNL. For instance: "Michael Bolton - hey, your hair's really long in the back, but we all know what's happening on top. It's called Rogaine. look into it." Egged on by cast mates, Spade riffed on anybody and everybody. which led to the Eddie Murphy fiasco. Eddie had been in two flop movies in a row, 'Harlem Nights' and 'Vampire in Brooklyn." So, on the 'Hollywood Minute' - with Eddie's photo in the background - Spade said: "Look kids - a falling star. make a wish." Murphy was FURIOUS. He reamed Spade out and didn't return to SNL for more than 20 years, when he made a brief appearance on the 40 year anniversary special. Eddie Murphy fiasco on SNL. During his SNL years Spade also started to make movies, and regularly contributed ideas for the scripts and scenes. 'Tommy Boy' was probably David's most successful film, but he's also proud of his work in 'Joe Dirt', 'The Emperor's New Groove', and others. David went on to do TV sitcoms, an HBO special, etc. - and crafted a very successful career. Spade comes across as a quirky, good-natured guy who doesn't have a bad word to say about anyone. He doesn't dish any dirt or name any names. Even when David got beaten to a pulp by his personal assistant - who was disappointed about not getting a role in 'Joe Dirt', or robbed by his cleaning ladies - who stole thousands of dollars in cash. Spade didn't press charges. Spade's a great story teller, and his anecdotes are amusing and - if you're a SNL fan - very informative about how the show works. I'd highly recommend the book to readers who enjoy celebrity memoirs. Rating: 3.5 stars. Book Review: Almost Interesting by David Spade. David Spade is best known for his harsh “Hollywood” Minute Sketches on SNL , his starring roles in movies like Joe Dirt and Tommy Boy, and his seven-year stint as Dennis Finch on the series Just Shoot Me . Now, with a wit as dry as the weather in his home state of Arizona, the “comic brat extraordinaire” tells his story in Almost Interesting . First taking fans back to his childhood as a wannabe cool younger brother and recounting his excruciating road-tour to fame—when he was regularly mistaken for a ten year-old, Spade then dishes about his time crisscrossing the country as a comedian, for low-paying gigs and dragging along his mother’s old suitcase full of props. He also covers his years on SNL during the beloved Rock/Sandler/Farley era of the 1990s, including his close working relationship and friendship with Chris Farley and brags about the ridiculous perks that fame has brought into his life, including the constant fear of being fired, a crazy ex-assistant who attacked him while he was sleeping, a run-in with Eddie Murphy on the mean streets of Beverly Hills, and of course an endless supply of hot chicks. Sometimes dirty, always funny, and as sharp as a tack, Almost Interesting reminds you why David Spade is one of our generation’s favorite funny guys. I’ve always been intrigued by David Spade. His Hollywood Minute bits on Saturday Night Live were hilarious and so well-written. He’s been a scene-stealing supporting cast member in the TV series Just Shoot Me and Rules of Engagement . In both shows, he played a womanizing jerk. However, in his appearance on talk shows, he is self-deprecating to the point where it seems like he really does have low-self-esteem. Yet at the same time, he’s kind of a womanizer like his characters. But then, he dated Heather Locklear?! He’s an enigma. I picked up his book, hoping I could get to the bottom of who the heck is David Spade. Almost Interesting starts in David’s childhood but the bulk of the book is about his career leading up to and as a cast member of Saturday Night Live. If you want an in-depth look at how an episode of SNL is put together, this is the book for you. I enjoyed learning about how the writer’s room at SNL works. David was there for five years and had imposter syndrome (that’s my diagnosis, not his) basically the whole time. He was always worried that he was going to get fired. I think that the self-deprecating humor he portrays on talk-shows comes from a place of genuine vulnerability that is in this book as well. There are also some stories about the movies he made with Chris Farley, who was a close friend. He doesn’t go into much detail about Chris’s personal demons but I wouldn’t expect him to. There’s almost nothing about the two TV series he was in. The biggest disappointment is that there is NOTHING about Heather Locklear. I can only hope that he held back some info to include in a second memoir. Memoirs from comedians can be hit or miss. Often their humor doesn’t translate well to the page. While some of the humor in the book was on the obnoxious, swarmy side, I thought that the sincere parts of the book made up for it. Recommended, especially for SNL fans. I’m a reading, knitting, scrapbooking, running mom of four crazy kids. Welcome to the chaos! Die größten Hörerlebnisse nur bei Audible. Erlebe Audible auf dem Smartphone, Tablet, am Computer oder deinem Amazon Echo. Auch offline. Die größten Hörerlebnisse. Entdecke genau das, was du hören willst: Wähle aus 200.000 Titeln und inspirierenden Audible Original Podcasts. Natürlich werbefrei. Genieße dein Hörerlebnis ohne Unterbrechung. Einfach ausprobieren. Teste Audible 30 Tage kostenlos. Du kannst jederzeit kündigen. Hör die Welt mit anderen Augen. Mit Audible Originals und exklusiven Geschichten. Wir können dich kaum erwarten! Entdecke Audible einen Monat lang völlig kostenlos. Genieße jeden Monat ein Hörerlebnis deiner Wahl - und so viele exklusive Audible Original Podcasts, wie du willst. Keine Bindung, keine Frist – du kannst dein Abo jederzeit pausieren oder kündigen. Almost Interesting: The Memoir. A hilarious and biting memoir from the actor, comedian and Saturday Night Live alumni David Spade. David Spade is best known for his harsh “Hollywood” Minute Sketches on SNL, his starring roles in movies like Joe Dirt and Tommy Boy, and his seven-year stint as Dennis Finch on the series Just Shoot Me. Now, with a wit as dry as the weather in his home state of Arizona, the “comic brat extraordinaire” tells his story in Almost Interesting. First Taking fans back to his childhood as a wannabe cool younger brother and recounting his excruciating road-tour to fame—when he was regularly mistaken for a ten year-old, Spade then dishes about his time crisscrossing the country as a comedian, for low-paying gigs and dragging along his mother’s old suitcase full of props. He also covers his years on SNL during the beloved Rock/Sandler/Farley era of the 1990s, including his close working relationship and friendship with Chris Farley and brags about the ridiculous perks that fame has brought into his life, including the constant fear of being fired, a crazy ex-assistant who attacked him while he was sleeping, a run-in with Eddie Murphy on the mean streets of Beverly Hills, and of course an endless supply of hot chicks. Sometimes dirty, always funny, and as sharp as a tack, Almost Interesting reminds you why David Spade is one of our generation’s favorite funny guys.