Good morning, party people! Sharing another review of mine from Pure Textuality!
In the tradition of the late great George Carlin, New York Times bestselling author and lead singer of Slipknot and Stone Sour Corey Taylor sounds off in hilarious fashion about the many vagaries of modern life that piss him off.
Whether it’s people’s rude behavior in restaurants and malls, the many indignities of air travel, eye-searingly terrible fashion choices, dangerously clueless drivers, and—most of all—the sorry state of much modern music, Taylor’s humor and insight cover civil society’s seeming decline—sparing no one along the way, least of all himself.
Holding nothing back and delivered in Taylor’s inimitable voice, You’re Making Me Hate You is a cathartic critique of the strange world in which we find ourselves.
You’re Making Me Hate You: A Cantankerous Look at the Common Misconception That Humans Have Any Common Sense Left
by Corey Taylor
Series:
n/a
Genre:
Non-Fiction
Social Commentary
Publisher:
De Capo Press
Publication Date:
July 7, 2015
Once again, Corey Taylor does not disappoint!
This is the third book I have read by Taylor and the first I didn’t do as an audio book. Since I received an early copy through NetGalley, listening to Taylor rant at the top of his lungs was not an option.
But it would have been funny as hell.
You’re Making Me Hate You takes a cranky look at the state of the world and the human race. Taylor rants on everything from the music industry to the behavior of children. From travelling in airports to fashion disasters of the highest degree. He not only offers commentary, but some insight on why he thinks the way he does. For instance, his chapter on kids was one I almost died laughing while reading. This one quote echoes the same thing I’ve been saying, almost word-for-word, most of my life:
“Let me tell you something really quick: I love my children. I do. However, I am really not fond of other people’s children, including some of my closest friends’ kids. Really, I just hate them. I’m a decent enough guy not to say it to their faces, but it’s true.”
I don’t like kids. I love my kids, but I don’t generally like children. Tiny humans bug me. I don’t have the village mentality. I had two children. It’s my job to get those two children to 18 years old without killing them or turning them into assholes. I have my two and I don’t need to chill with any others. I’m probably the only chick in existence that doesn’t gush over babies and I get looked at like I have twelve heads when I say I don’t want to hold it.
Don’t look at me like that. They’re little puke factories!
Taylor’s take on fashion was one I was very much looking forward to seeing simply because of this:
You have to admit, he rocks the shit out of those suits, especially the green one. Love it! Regardless of what he’s chosen for award show attire in the past, Taylor admits that even his fashion choices have been many steps above some of the crap passing for fashion these days. And his commentary on it will have you shooting coffee out of your nose.
“But even compared to my fashion disasters, this guy looked like a douche pickle soaked in toilet water.”
Also, don’t let him fool you. Taylor can wear the shit out of a nice suit when he wants to:
With all the negativity in this book, I honestly expected to quickly grow bored with it, but that was not at all the case. Taylor’s prior books all had a focal point and YMMHY is a kind of free-form stream of consciousness. I don’t say that to discourage readers. Just the opposite. This style, although he gets off track here and there, works for Taylor. He’s obviously a guy with a lot to say, and sometimes verbal vomit is the best course of action. Especially when you’re saying all the things that you know everyone is thinking but is too afraid to utter out loud.
Like me and my dislike of children.
Fret not! He’s got little love notes for the readers sprinkled throughout the book, too. I was about half way through the first chapter when I was starting to grow concerned that I was about to embark on a journey in which the writer spends several hundred pages bashing the very people buying the book. And then he said nice things and made me feel all warm and fuzzy again. lol
“Oh, but not you exceptional observers of taste and vision! I’m not lumping you into that bacterial pot of oatmeal. No, I have other plans for you. You are going to become my army. You are going to form my Legion of Doom to fight the Regions of Dumb.”
Overall, this was a fantastic book. Another great addition to his book shelf. As much as I adore Corey as a musician, he’s fast become one of my favorites writers as well. I just hope YMMHY isn’t going to be Taylor’s last dip into the publishing pool. I really look forward to each new release and it’s a little heart breaking that this one might be the last. Stay tuned, party people! I will keep you updated on any news I hear. Promise.
SOME OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES FROM THE BOOK
“Sometimes it just really sucks to be America, especially when I know just how much potential this country has for greatness and acceptance. But I don’t dwell; I just make voodoo dolls.”
“Plus, with all the booze they’re chugging down there’s a very good chance they’ll wake up in a Build-A-Bear Workshop, naked and balls deep in a container full of cotton and tony bear panties. Yep. That’s my people… God, I fuckin’ hate people.”
“Justin: between your massive sense of self-importance, your terrible attitude problem, and the way you treat your fans, you don’t deserve your fame.”
“We’ll never be able to get out of our own ways long enough to see the other’s point of view because we’re all so fucking busy paying more attention to the sounds of our own voices than to what the other person is saying.”
“Shit happens—just don’t let it happen all over you.”
“Listen to some music that doesn’t just repeat the word “Baby” 23,457 times.”
“I’ve never used the term “YOLO” seriously. Whenever I hear someone say that and mean it, my skin crawls and I get very stabby.”
The review copy of You’re Making Me Hate You was supplied by te publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
ABOUT COREY TAYLOR
Corey Taylor has got a lot to say, which is precisely why millions affectionately know him as “The Great Big Mouth.”
The Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman never minces words either on record or on stage, and that’s what’s solidified him as one of hard rock’s most important singers. Corey’s words have helped carry Slipknot and Stone Sour to multi-platinum status, solidifying both bands as veritable pop culture presences. From Slipknot’s Grammy-winning “Before I Forget” to radio hits such as Stone Sour’s “Through Glass”, his voice and lyrics continue to resonate with fans worldwide. However, he’s only begun to truly say what’s on his mind.
In July 2012, Taylor released his debut novel, Seven Deadly Sins. In November 2013, he released House of Gold and Bones, the graphic novel/comic book companion story to the Stone Sour double-disc concept album of the same name. In July 2014, he released A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven, and on July 7, 2015, his next book, You’re Making Me Hate You will hit the shelves at a bookstore near you.
