Philomena Cunk

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S CUNK ON EVERYTHING ABOUT?
Funny story (well, a story anyway), last week I was in my doctor's office briefly and the nurse was being nice while she prepared to stab me with a knife (or maybe it was a tiny needle, the witness accounts vary) and she asked me what I was reading. I responded with, "Have you seen that show on Netflix called Cunk on Earth?" She hadn't. Which made the whole small-talk pitch so much harder.

Because if you have seen the show (even just a clip or two), this is easy—it's Philomena Cunk's take on just about everything. History, culture, science, art, philosophy, religion, sports, food, and some of the important individuals in those areas. Presented in her idiosyncratic way, of course.

Now, if you haven't watched the show—because you're a reader, or something rare like that—this is trickier. Cunk's approach to the documentary specials on TV or the encyclopedia entries in this book are a combination of naïveté, misunderstandings (especially in mispronunciation/misspellings), and cynicism.

Miscellaneous Observations
I don't know how to talk about this book—especially as it's essentially 1-5 page entries on a wide variety of topics (and that page count is just a guess, I couldn't tell you from my eARC). The topics range from Alexander the Great, the Alphabet, The Alt Right, The Dark Ages, Democracy, Fake News, "Fullosophy," Hair, the iPhone, The Mystery of Life, Sausages, "Weeing in Public," and so on. So, right—forget trying to cover this all intelligibly.

In lieu of that, here are some miscellaneous observations:
* The pacing is a bit odd—the "H" entries are around the fifty percent mark—I've come up with a dozen half-baked ideas/theories/jokes to explain it. It really doesn't matter, but I thought it was odd. I don't care—but it was something I noticed.
* The entry on Jazz is just fantastic.
* There are a couple of running jokes—derogatory comments about the idea of books throughout, repeated use of "Frankingstein" (to describe a certain Mary Shelley character), and that the moon landing was faked. This book doesn't really feel like a vehicle for running jokes, but they work so well.
* The first paragraph about The Oedipus Complex is one of the best things I've read in 2023—the last sentence of that paragraph made me almost laugh out loud (but I was in the waiting room of that doctor's office, so I had to swallow it to prevent strange looks)
* I really didn't think that you could make many jokes about triangles. The authors of this book proved me wrong—and most of them were really funny, too.
* You are going to hear Diane Morgan's deadpan delivery in your head whether you read this or get the audiobook. Just know that going in. (you likely assumed it that already, so know that you're right).
* Mozart and Shakespeare are frequently the targets of jokes—it's not surprising to see them both as topics here. Some of the funniest things I've seen written about both of them are here, too.
* The entry on Xylophones is fantastic—it covers the instrument, the usage of it in alphabet books, the silliness of using it in them (given the pronunciation), and more.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT CUNK ON EVERYTHING?
I didn't see (but maybe overlooked) the writers behind this book listed anywhere—but whoever they were, they deserve a round of applause. Or two.

I chuckled and laughed out loud a lot while reading this. There's really not much more to say—that's what they were going for.

My daughter and I have spent months sending various Cunk videos back and forth to each other. But now I've transitioned to reading her bits and pieces of this as I worked through it. I'm not nearly as good as Morgan at delivering the material, I realize. She's probably glad I'm finished. But, man is this a quotable read—it's virtually impossible to resist the urge to share this material.

Whether you go from cover to cover, or dip into it here and there (probably for longer than you intend to)—these brief entries are almost certainly going to be a burst of entertainment for you. Not all of them are going to work for every reader—but never fear, just turn the page and you're probably going to come across one that will.

I had a blast with this—putting this post together took longer than you'd think based on the brevity of it because I kept getting distracted by the book and re-read large chunks of it. I think you will, too.… (mehr)

I listened to Cunk on Everything, by Philomena Cunk (of course!), at a time when it had a double impact on me. I had just tested positive for COVID and was in bed, too foggy of mind to focus on the printed word, but fully capable of listening to a book. It was almost too good! Between the explanations and my brain fog, I think I could feel brain cells dying with every comment Cunk makes. I had to listen in shorter segments than I would have liked, not to mention I laughed until I cried a couple times, though admittedly not sure whether at the humor or my loss of future brain use.

I have enjoyed Cunk, and especially her interviews with academics and the like, for quite some time. The ability to keep a straight face throughout everything is a skill even the best comic actors can have trouble with, just look up the Tim Conway elephant joke on the Carol Burnett Show for evidence.

There are a couple things I kept thinking about while I listened to this (twice, I had to listen again when I could enjoy it a bit more). First is simply how intelligent one has to be to pretend to be so dim-witted. Knowing what (and how for that matter) to emphasize in your speech to highlight where the misunderstanding is takes more than just comedic timing. Second, these misguided explanations (or questions in the case of the interviews I so love) usually highlight avenues that can lead a reader/listener/viewer on a sometimes enlightening tangent. To use a term currently used by a group here in the US, it highlights just how faulty "common sense" can be, because many of Cunk's misunderstandings stem from a "common sense" approach to things that are better served with at least a bit of rational thought.

I highly recommend the audiobook of Cunk on Everything, hearing her voice makes the words that much more impactful than simply reading them. Though I imagine if you're familiar with her you hear her voice in your head while reading. And that is a bit of a scary thought.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (mehr)