Book review: Norm MacDonald "Based on a True Story"

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Based on a True StoryBased on a True Story by Norm Macdonald
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I honestly think that there is no gray area with Norm MacDonald’s brand of humor. It is either well-loved or well-hated. If I could sum the humor up in a nutshell, I would say that it is part uber-dry and part…BS. The title of Norm’s book, Based on a True Story is that it is not really based on a true story. It takes life events and whips them up into delusional tales a la Dr. Hunter S. Thompson-style, but with a Canadian smart-ass twist.

You either get it or you don’t get it with MacDonald. A certain segment of the population gets it while a vast part just doesn’t get it. The thing is, MacDonald is not an underground comedic rarity. He has enjoyed years of success as a stand-up comedian, NBC Saturday Night Live performer/writer/mock news anchor and even starred in a few films and on a television situation comedy. But it was at ‘Saturday Night Live’ where MacDonald expanded his fan base as well as his detractor base including Don Ohlmeyer, the west coast-based NBC exec who supposedly pressured. That tale and others are woven throughout MacDonald’s book including a fantasy where Norm confesses to falling in love with then- ‘SNL’ colleague Sarah Silverman. MacDonald’
Much of MacDonald’s book is centered on his sidekick, Adam Eget who receives brunt of the jokes.

Supposedly Eget was discovered by MacDonald who found him providing pleasure to men under a New York bridge. Lately, MacDonald has been producing and starring in a wildly successful podcast that doubles as a web-based interview program which includes Eget as co-host.

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