Encyclopedia of Bad Taste

Rating:
Summary: bought it as a first edition, still read it!
Review: A wonderful book. if you are mid 30's to mid 50's, this book's for you. I bought it in 1990- laughed out loud MANY times---I still read parts of it today, although the cover has come off! It has short articles on some of our nations funnier, and awfull-er things, from accordians to zoot suits- with stops at dino parks, liberace,diners, & fake fur, to name but a few. Reading it now, some things are definitely dated, and I would LOVE to see an updated edition ( hint hint, jane & micheal stern). All in all a fun, fast read, blast from the past for all of us to laugh at ourselves, and recognize someone we knew. and remember,"just because something is in bad taste, doesnt mean it has to taste bad."( the sterns, on cool-whip)

Rating:
Summary: not funny...
Review: An obnoxious couple write a very stupid book.I was looking for something far more funny,ala PJ O'rourke.Not here-- sure its easy to poke fun at jim bakker and trailer homes,but not all that funny... no wonder it's out of print.

Rating:
Summary: A barrel of laughs
Review: Even today, although the book is somewhat dated (published in 1990) it's good for a fun time.

By all means, if you can find a copy, get it.

Rating:
Summary: All The Mysteries Revealed
Review: How was cheez-in-a-can invented? What is personal nude boidoir photography? Who makes enormous bosoms? And what of Chia-Pet? These and many other wonderfully vexing questions are answered in this lexicon of tacky-ness. Other worthy instalments include Sammy Davis Jr.'s wardrobe, Jerry Lewis telethons, celebrity death cars, bumper stickers, t-shirt messages, lava lamps and low riders. The quick-witted Sterns take no prisoners in their tour of the truly awful. The only risk in giving this to friends is the scope of the coverage: because of in their comprehensive treatment, there is almost always some vice of which even reasonable people are guilty.

Rating:
Summary: Funny, informative, but uneven blasts at popular culture
Review: The Sterns, best known for their books about vernacular American cusine, dug their claws into pop culture in this book full of short (1-3 page) essays about topics as diverse as Death Cars, Fish Sticks, and Florida's Fountainblu hotel.

The tone is generally mocking, sometime excessively so (some of the phenomena the Sterns spear are not so much in bad taste, but merely goofy), but the pieces are almost always informative and entertaining.

Out of print? What a shame. But come to think of it, this book could use an entirely new edition, with the Bad Taste items of the 1990s worked in and a few obscure items (Boudoir photos) expunged.

The entry on Las Vegas, which has outdone itself in recent years, could be expanded into a book.

Rating:
Summary: Love it, want another
Review: This book is hilarious. The Sterns provide history and facts about some of our culture's more notorious fads, and explain why they might now be "past their prime." The writing is hilarious, and the Sterns make sure to take a goodhearted look at these entries without offending those who might enjoy them (I used to love heavy metal, but was howling at the descriptions of my favorite bands of the late 80's/early 90's). I've had this book for years, and it still makes me laugh until I can't read any more. I'm hoping for a second volume soon!

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding look at America's more regrettable phases.
Review: Witty and sharp-tongued, this book guides readers in a primer of that which was bizarre and tasteless in the 70s and 80s. Topics range from "Frederick's of Hollywood" to Jell-O [tm] to Chippendale's Dancers to those obnoxious cedar plaques you used to be able to find at truck stops across the country (and maybe still can, somewhere). Some of these topics will be totally lost on younger readers -- my 25-year-old boyfriend had never heard of the Mayflower Madame, never knew the glory of ring-pull caps, and had never seen a macrame plant hanger. For me, however, a child of the 80s, these are just part of the general background of my life.

Some topics are strangely absent (where was the section on raccoon-style eyeliner? Where were edible underwear, slogan-bearing buttons, and Love's Baby Soft perfume?), and others are explored in far more depth than might be strictly necessary (Charo is a prime example -- she just never blipped my radar like fish sticks did, I guess).

I loved it, though. It's a good source of laughs. Actually, it made me feel a bit nostalgic. I'm making Jell-O tonight.

Warning: There is some strong language in this book, including a few examples of the F-word. There are also some R-rated pictures in it. Also, it really pokes fun at people named Tiffany. I wasn't offended, but I thought I'd mention it in case someone else wanted to avoid such things.