Rating: 
Summary: Behind the Scene look at SNL
Review: A two year autobiography of Jay Mohr's life during his SNL days. Being an autobiography, don't expect a laugh out loud read with lots of bits and jokes. You'll find the drive, hard work, and insecure moments that go into creating the weekly show on the fly. You'll also see the antics resulting in keeping the cast and crew loose. Sometimes it seems amazing they put shows together at all. It definitely is a fast entertaining read with humorous moments and anixous times where you feel for him.
Not being one of the stars of the show makes this book more interesting. Struggles and small victories are detailed. He doesn't whine... in fact he states there was no conspiracy to limit his airtime, and one had it in for him. He details what bits made the shows and why. There's politics and ego's involved, but no personal affronts designed to limit him personally.
Jay's has a soft spot for Chris Farley and expresses it well. Showing Chris's raucus side and the man's demons.
Rating: 
Summary: A breezy read for the SNL fan
Review: Even though this book clocks in at 293 pages, most readers will cruise right through this book in an afternoon thanks to its large typeface along with its relatively breezy and 'easy to digest,' writing style. Unless you're a die-hard Jay Mohr fan, you're probablly picking this one up because you're interested in the behind the scenes dish and dirt at SNL which this book does indeed offer albeit in somewhat small doses. The most interesting portions of this book aren't necessarily the celebrity and SNL cast gossip but rather the creative process that take place prior to the live broadcasts of the show - the sketch pitch sessions, the collaboration between writers, the rehearsal and walk-through process that would ultimately flesh out the show, etc. The chief complaint of this book would be its lack of structure as Jay will start a chapter seemingly on a specific subject and then suddenly drift into tangents that drift all over the place. By the end of it all you will be slightly entertained but left wishing for better overall editing to keep the book's focus intact.
Rating: 
Summary: Shallow but amusing
Review: Extremely fast read and it kept me hooked. The inner workings of how SNL functions on a weekly basis are fascinating; however, after a while Mohr's stories felt more like random celebrity name-droppings than meaningful content. Mohr's short two-year stint on the show wasn't nearly enough time for an in-depth perspective on the show's meaning and changing casts. Entertaining nonetheless, and provides some good cocktail party anecdotes.
Rating:
Summary: SNL? No SN-HELL!
Review: I always thought it would be cool to be on Saturday Night Live, be on T.V., be known across america. Now HELL NO! not anymore after reading Jay's book i have a new respect for the people ever on that show. it's good from the "i'm going to be on SNL" to "when people ask me what i'm up to i don't say SNL" find out why. It's not the best book, but it is the only book about the real SNL as a comic could only tell it.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but only for SNL fans
Review: I bought this book because SNL intrigues me. I read the book Live from New York and was highly entertained. I don't know much about Jay Mohr, but I have seen him in some movies and recently on Last Comic Standing. I have watched SNL since I can remember, and unfortunately, I think Mr. Mohr was on the show at one of its really low points. He should be grateful that he has a career at all, since the time was was on SNL is forgettable.His book varies between self involved whining and mildly entertaining tidbits about the show. I think the complaining far outweighs the tidbits. It is obvious that he is not over the pain of the show and the fact that his skits were seldomly selected to air. I really could have done without his insistance on remembering those skits word for word and telling me all about it. They didn't get on air for a reason, and writing them in a book (without the visuals), was annoying. It did take guts to admit to stealing someone else's work, but even that left me a bit cold. The man he stole from was known in New York... why didn't any of the other castmembers, producers, writers, etc., recognize what he did before it went as far as it did? That seemed somewhat odd to me. The book was definitely interesting, even if I did have some problems with it. I just can't seem to decide if Jay Mohr is a cry baby, or a man with talent desperate to make people laugh.
Rating:
Summary: A Quick and Enjoyable Read for the SNL Fan...
Review: I bought this book not because I am particularly a fan of Mohr's, but because I love SNL. While Live From New York was certainly a more comprehensive, informative book on the show, this book has it's own advantages. It was very interesting to get one man's personal experiences from the show, however anguishing and difficult as they were. In telling his story, Mohr also gives us a lot of insight into the actual grueling, day-to-day process of putting this great show together. I now watch the show with a new sense of awe--how does all that chaos end up in such a great final product? I would recommend this to any die-hard SNL fan, as well as to the merely curious!
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Summary: THE LAST COMIC STANDS UP FOR HIMSELF!!!
Review: I never knew that Jay Mohr, the host of NBC's "The Last Comic Standing" was a performer on Saturday Night Live until I read this book. I had seen him play a jerk sports agent in the movie "Jerry McGuire" and I've also heard him on the Jim Rome Show, however. This is an interesting read (a good but not great book) about the challenges he faced as a struggling comedian and writer trying to make it on Saturday Night Live. What is most interesting are the inside stories about other performers like Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Chris Farley, Norm McDonald, Mike Myers, and Phil Hartman. There are also some funny things about some of the guest hosts like Marisa Tomei, Rosanne Barr, Eric Clapton, and Christopher Walken to name a few. What I never would have guessed is that Jay suffers from severe panic attacks. He has always seemed to be so totally in control of things and it makes him seem like a much more real person. To see how well he's done since the Saturday Night Live gig is a true success story. For people who enjoy "The Last Comic Standing" or are "Jungle clones" from the Jim Rome Show, I think that you'll like this book and come away with a new found respect for this brilliant and dedicated entertainer. Great job JJ!
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Summary: Whining, Bitterness, & Much Much Mohr
Review: I remember first seeing Jay Mohr when he was the host of "Lip Service" on MTV in the early 90s. When that was cancelled, he popped up on a TGIF ABC sitcom called "Camp Wilder" that lasted a full-season if I remember correctly. After that was cancelled, I was happy to see that he was a new featured player on SNL. I guess I was happy because it was good to see a young comic actor staying busy and finding work on TV. However, long before I read "Gasping for Airtime," I always thought that Jay Mohr was a comedian/actor who never really made that breakthrough to A-list, even though he had one great opportunity after another. MTV, ABC, SNL, "Jerry Maguire," a string of costarring roles in major motion pictures, FOX's critical hit "Action,"--all great opportunities that didn't last or lead to something bigger. Even his most recent sorta sad, but temporarily very popular, "Last Comic Standing" fizzled out before getting cancelled a few months ago by NBC. With all this in mind, I wasn't surprised to find a very bitter Mohr writing about his brief stint on SNL.
First and foremost, this is a very interesing and quick read. It's essential reading for any big fan of SNL. Reading about how the show works and stories about the best players in the show's history (Meyers, Sandler, Farley, Hartman, etc.) was very entertaining. It's especially interesting considering that Mohr was on the show during one of the most interesting period in SNL's history, when seasoned players like Sandler, Meyers, Hartman, and Farley were on their way out, and it often seemed like the show was creatively suffering perhaps because of the glut of SNL movies that were coming out one after another in the early/mid 90s. However, Mohr seemed to come to the show expecting to be on every week and be at the same level of the regular cast members right off the bat. When this didn't happen, Mohr discusses his series of panic attacks stemming from the frustration of working in a very tense, hectic, insecure environment.
In the end, the only person Mohr has to blame for his frustration with his time on SNL is himself. However, since he was just 23 when he was on the show, it's understandable how such a young person would react to the frustration. Mohr talks about how certain hosts, writers, and cast members basically caused many of his ideas to never see the light of day. It's unfortunate at the time that he didn't realize that nearly ALL new "featured players" on SNL do not begin to see serious airtime until their 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th years. But, as he states himself towards the end of the book, he didn't do the show to "eventually" become a star. Ironically, I bet Will Ferrell didn't come to SNL at *all* to be a star--he probably just joined to showcase his comedic ability and work in a creative environment. And look what happened. That's the difference between Mohr and someone like Ferrell--and that's why their in totally different positions today.
Mohr seems also intent on dissing the easy targets (from David Spade to Crash Test Dummies) and fawning over the "hip" (from Farley to Nirvana). He also amazingly leaves a story that made my jaw drop to the very end of the book--something I had never heard before, but made me think that Lorne Michaels must've really liked Mohr to keep him around for as long as he did.
All in all, this is a great, quick read that all SNL fans, and Mohr fans, would enjoy. As much as I think he comes across smarmy, I think Mohr is funny and I truly hope he finds that one project that takes him to the next level.
Rating:
Summary: Divulging and Detailed
Review: I'm a stand-up comic (http://www.JasonComedy.com) and I enjoyed this book not only for the subject matter but also because Jay appeared to be very candid and open everything. I loved the technical details about how SNL worked and the behind the scenes stories. Overall, the tone was sad. Jay had, as he admitted, a great opportunity and it just didn't work out the way he wanted it to. My brother was recently on the hit show Survivor Pearl Islands and unfortunately he was voted off early and I felt some parallels between both of their experiences.
I breezed through the book - it was pretty interesting and easy reading. I found myself wanting even more stories about the show and the interpersonal dynamics between cast members and staff. Perhaps he could have scaled back on some of the more detailed personal pain in favor of more universally appealing topics. But, it's definitely a good book for anyone a fan of comedy, SNL, Jay Mohr, or just the plight of reaching your dreams.
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Summary: WaldenBooks Reader
Review: Jay Mohr - One of the funniest comics of the early 90's and today. That's right! Jay Mohr is the guy that hosts Last Comic Standing. He was on Saturday Night Live! Yes, Jay was a great talent along with those other great comics: Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, David Spade, Tim Medows, Ellen Cleghorn and Rob Snider just to name a few. Gasping for Air time is his journey through the halls of the prestigious 30 Rockefeller Plaza. This book is one hilarious ride through the mind of Jay Mohr during his best and worst times as a comedian in the 90's. I've been a long time fan of the show since I saw Eddie Murphy play Mr. Robinson and this book was a must read for me. Plus I loved Jay Mohr on the show. That's right I actually remember him on the show. I have never seen a better Christopher Walken (an actor who I love) or Dick Vitale (I admit I didn't know who Dick was but loved the character. Then when I actually saw him on a sports news cast - I laughed out loud and thought that Jay had him down! He was a genius). And I will never forget Rock and Roll Real Estate the answer to that bugging question - Whatever happened to those Rockers of the 80's with the big Aqua Net Hair? During the time he was on the show, I never understood why he was used so infrequently. I found out why in the book. And let's just say that it is true what they say in life - it is who you know, or who knows you. Insightful, funny, laugh out loud - this book is a must for Jay Mohr fans (he is hard not to love), SNL fans and humorist the world over. It's a book of history and a comedic look into one of the funniest men in the business.
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