The Funny Thing Is This My Friend

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· 10,724 ratings · 940 reviews

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This book, as the title says, is funny. It is not intended for deep life lessons or to change lives.

The Funny Thing Is... is a brief collection of Ellen DeGeneres`s thoughts, musings and experiences on various subjects. It will make you smile, have a little bit of fun and reminds you to floss.

This book, as the title says, is funny. It is not intended for deep life lessons or to change lives.

The Funny Thing Is... is a brief collection of Ellen DeGeneres`s thoughts, musings and experiences on various subjects. It will make you smile, have a little bit of fun and reminds you to floss.

The blurb:
After years of painstaking, round-the-clock research, surviving on a mere twenty minutes of sleep a night, and collaborating with lexicographers, plumbers, and mathematicians, DeGeneres has crafted a work that is both easy to use and very funny. Along with her trademark ramblings, The Funny Thing Is... contains hundreds of succinct insights into her psyche and offers innovative features including:
-More than 50,000 simple, short words arranged in sentences that form paragraphs.
-Thousands of observations on everyday life -- from terrible fashion trends to how to handle seating arrangements for a Sunday brunch with Paula Abdul, Diane Sawyer, and Eminem.
-All twenty-six letters of the alphabet.

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I love Ellen (who doesn't?!). I think that she's funny, insightful, and incredibly wise. While I enjoy watching her show, I also loved her before she became the dancing, housewife heartthrob. It is for this reason that I picked up her book. More specifically, I got a copy of her audiobook so that I could listen to her read her book to me. I thought it would be like a private stand-up show with Ellen in my car. Sadly, it missed the most important ingredient...laughter.

In this book, Ellen has comp

In this book, Ellen has compiled a bunch of random musing that are neither funny nor insightful. For example, she tells of a brunch she has with various entertainment figured ranging from Eminem to Paula Abdul. I thought that there might be some chuckles, but mostly I was left feeling like "huh?". I suppose I should have known better because the entire introduction was about how she didn't want to write a book and how hard it was. If it was written by anyone else, I would have thought that they did if for the money.

Sometimes, I feel as if Ellen is holding back some of her humor because she is thought of as being "G" or "PG" rated. This was one of the reasons I picked up her book because I thought that she would write some "PG-13" or maybe possibly some "R" rated humor. Sadly, this was as funny and racy as a TV show on Nick Jr. I don't like crude or overtly sexual humor, but I was hoping for at least some social commentary. Last month, her new book came out and I have to say that it looks very similar to this oldie. Sadly, I would have to tell you to pass on this one.

www.iamliteraryaddicted.blogspot.com

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I love Ellen DeGeneres show because who doesn't?

I read this quite quickly because it is very easy to read book. I don't know whether to call this memoir because there are some life events included...anyways it was light hearted and fun book.

I love Ellen DeGeneres show because who doesn't?

I read this quite quickly because it is very easy to read book. I don't know whether to call this memoir because there are some life events included...anyways it was light hearted and fun book.

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I love Ellen. I think she is a genuinely funny and kind person. However, I think that a lot of her humor is due to her timing and presentation. I don't find that it comes across as well in her written work. It helps to imagine the book being told in her voice, but not enough to make me love it. I love Ellen. I think she is a genuinely funny and kind person. However, I think that a lot of her humor is due to her timing and presentation. I don't find that it comes across as well in her written work. It helps to imagine the book being told in her voice, but not enough to make me love it. ...more

I saw many bad reviews about this one, and was not too sure I'd like it. But it made me laugh - be it the brunch, the conversation with God, or the random ramblings! Ellen is always a delight. (I did prefer Seriously, I'm Kidding, though). I saw many bad reviews about this one, and was not too sure I'd like it. But it made me laugh - be it the brunch, the conversation with God, or the random ramblings! Ellen is always a delight. (I did prefer Seriously, I'm Kidding, though). ...more

The Funny Thing Is...as I was listening to this audiobook:

1-Suddenly the thought of cleaning my room sounded appealing.
2-I watched the whole season of the cancelled CBC show Friends With Better Lives, 12 full episodes.
3-I organized my ebook library, shelving is as important as reading!
4-I decided to learn and make all kinds of breakfast eggs:scrambled, poached eggs, cheese omelet, and basically anything I could do with a 30 egg carton.

ANYTHING not to listen to this audiobook!! I appreciated that

The Funny Thing Is...as I was listening to this audiobook:

ANYTHING not to listen to this audiobook!! I appreciated that it let me pursue my other interests, but other than that I did not find it funny or interesting. Just annoying, really annoying.

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Meh...O-kay..
The problem with this one is that it's kind of old and I probably have heard most of these jokes or antidotes in some of her old stand up. Don't get me wrong, it was "chucklesome". (Like that word do you? Lol) But I wasn't laughing hard. This book didn't really tell much about her per se. I don't know if it was supposed to? It was a lot of randomness put into a book. When at the beginning she said she thought she'd fill the time prior to her show starting (her current talk show) Meh...O-kay..
The problem with this one is that it's kind of old and I probably have heard most of these jokes or antidotes in some of her old stand up. Don't get me wrong, it was "chucklesome". (Like that word do you? Lol) But I wasn't laughing hard. This book didn't really tell much about her per se. I don't know if it was supposed to? It was a lot of randomness put into a book. When at the beginning she said she thought she'd fill the time prior to her show starting (her current talk show), she wasn't lying. This is what it felt like. Random thoughts and puns to fill the time. And that is exactly what it did for me as I listened to this audiobook. As I accomplished other things I nonchalantly listened to Ellen ramble on about I'm really not sure what. I don't even remember much of it. Maybe because this is a bit dated or maybe it just wasn't too great. And I like her. Sorry Ellen.

I'm really leaning towards 2 1/2 to 3 stars. I wish there was the half here so she can have more credit just because I like her show. Well, to be honest this isn't about her show or her cool points so.. strictly based on this book...2.
Moving on....

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I LOVE Ellen, but I don't love this book.
It's not funny! I'll admit I chuckled a couple times,but I actually fell asleep.
I still love her, though. ♡ I LOVE Ellen, but I don't love this book.
It's not funny! I'll admit I chuckled a couple times,but I actually fell asleep.
I still love her, though. ♡ ...more

Humorous
But if you're a lifelong fan you'll recognize some old school skits being placed in the chapters of this book Humorous
But if you're a lifelong fan you'll recognize some old school skits being placed in the chapters of this book ...more

"Ellen DeGeneres published her first book of comic essays, the #1 bestselling My Point...And I Do Have One, way back in 1996. Not one to rest on her laurels, the witty star of stage and screen has since dedicated her life to writing a hilarious new book. That book is this book.
After years of painstaking, round-the-clock research, surviving on a mere twenty minutes of sleep a night, and collaborating with lexicographers, plumbers, and mathematicians, DeGeneres has crafted a work that is both easy "Ellen DeGeneres published her first book of comic essays, the #1 bestselling My Point...And I Do Have One, way back in 1996. Not one to rest on her laurels, the witty star of stage and screen has since dedicated her life to writing a hilarious new book. That book is this book.
After years of painstaking, round-the-clock research, surviving on a mere twenty minutes of sleep a night, and collaborating with lexicographers, plumbers, and mathematicians, DeGeneres has crafted a work that is both easy to use and very funny. Along with her trademark ramblings, The Funny Thing Is... contains hundreds of succinct insights into her psyche and offers innovative features." ...more

Oh, I wish I had read this before picking up Seriously ... I'm Kidding.

The Funny Thing is... did make me laugh - of course, it's Ellen after all - but, with the exception of a few chapters, it is not as coherent and thought-provoking as her next book. The Funny Thing is... is just that little bit too silly to be really funny. It's cute, tho.

Review first posted on BookLikes: http://brokentune.booklikes.com/post/...

Oh, I wish I had read this before picking up Seriously ... I'm Kidding.

Review first posted on BookLikes: http://brokentune.booklikes.com/post/...

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Two books by Ellen heard in a single day. And you know what, I couldn't tell them apart. I'm now wondering why these books were written at all. They are a collection of completely random musings, which seem to be overly caricaturized versions of the actual incident, most of which aren't even funny.
So while the first one i heard today was decent becoz of the novelty factor, the second one is downright boring and unnecessary.
I would now say, you can skip all of them altogether.

Just watch Ellen'

Just watch Ellen's TV version, not the book version :-)
She's still awesome!

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Jan 21, 2008 Myra rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Ellen DeGeneres fans

I got this book for my birthday, along with DeGeneres' other book, and I jumped right into it. Here's a big surprise - I LOVED IT! Ellen DeGeneres is so talented and funny. Each chapter is in no way tied to the others, so it's not like readers are taking in an on-going story. DeGeneres rambles her way through the point that she is trying to make, and her ramblings only add to the humor. The chapter titled "A Scientific Treatise Regarding a Matter of Great Entomological Concern to All of Us" is a I got this book for my birthday, along with DeGeneres' other book, and I jumped right into it. Here's a big surprise - I LOVED IT! Ellen DeGeneres is so talented and funny. Each chapter is in no way tied to the others, so it's not like readers are taking in an on-going story. DeGeneres rambles her way through the point that she is trying to make, and her ramblings only add to the humor. The chapter titled "A Scientific Treatise Regarding a Matter of Great Entomological Concern to All of Us" is a hoot - it's only one sentence long. She even includes an "Extra Special Bonus Chapter" at the end - only readers of the book will understand exactly what that means.

Do yourself a favor and pick this one up for a great laugh or two. :)

Several favorite passages:

"So enjoy your life. God gave us our bodies as a gift. (Granted, to some of us it's kind of a gag gift, but that's okay too.) Wear what you want, love you who you want, and have fun."

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, there are a lot of self-righteous people out there. And if you try to adjust your life to please them - by the way you dress, your sexuality, or the a$$ faces you like to make - you're just going to go crazy and risk being as unhappy as these self-righteous kooks are."

"...you also don't want to choose the kind of outfit that someone else could be wearing - like when you both show up at a party in exactly the same thing. That's embarrassing! I don't know if it has happened to you, but it has happened to me - twice. Both times it was William Shatner. And you want to know something? I think I look better in a tube top and I'll say it."

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Not "funny" at all. Honestly, one star is too generous. Highly disappointed!

Another fun, light and silly read from Ellen!

Full of confusion just like her!

Liked not loved, good not great. I love Ellen and thoroughly enjoyed Seriously...I'm Kidding(5 Stars) but this book just didn't pack the laughs I thought it would. It might be because it is an older book and I have heard this material before.

Once again I see that this is labeled biography/memoir, it isn't, it is a comedy book. The style is stream of consciousness/ridiculousness.

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"There are all sorts of books offering advice on how to deal with life-threatening situations, but where's the advice on dealing with embarrassing ones?"

Finished this in one afternoon because..
1. It's Ellen
2. I studied while listening
3. IT'S ELLEN.

Ellen is my favorite, and this book did a great job of showing her sense of humour. I listened to the audiobook and it felt just like watching her show. I wasn't the biggest fan of her diary portion when she was on tour, but everything else was hilari

"There are all sorts of books offering advice on how to deal with life-threatening situations, but where's the advice on dealing with embarrassing ones?"

Finished this in one afternoon because..
1. It's Ellen
2. I studied while listening
3. IT'S ELLEN.

...more

As funny as she is on TV, this was a yawn. Not good, since I listened to it while driving. I think I laughed out loud once or twice - very disappointing. She is so much better when she has people to play off, and I felt like there was very little sense of comic timing as she read, which is strange, because on TV she is a master. Maybe lack of facial expressions were a problem for an audio book too.

I love Ellen. She's funny, and fantastic, and an absolute icon. I'm just not entirely sure that her kind of comedy translates well into writing.

Oh, the book is humourous. I enjoyed it; I'm glad I read it; I'll probably keep an eye out for her other book. It's just also very disjointed and, because it is in print rather than verbal humour, lacks the delivery to make that final push.

Still, an entertaining read.

I love Ellen. She's funny, and fantastic, and an absolute icon. I'm just not entirely sure that her kind of comedy translates well into writing.

Still, an entertaining read.

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Since I'm writing this review about a month after listening to this I have to say: I remember mostly nothing about this book. Nonetheless I remember enjoying it: DeGeneres is a good and nuanced narrator, she has a clear voice and I like her humor so there you go. A fun listen and also not too long so the joke doesn't get old. Since I'm writing this review about a month after listening to this I have to say: I remember mostly nothing about this book. Nonetheless I remember enjoying it: DeGeneres is a good and nuanced narrator, she has a clear voice and I like her humor so there you go. A fun listen and also not too long so the joke doesn't get old. ...more

There were some funny bits (which though rare were Hilarious) but in general it felt like Ellen was somehow forced to write this book so it sounded like she was trying too hard to find random topics to talk about and put some humor into, unfortunately.. without success.

This book was not funny at all! What a complete waste of my time.

I just love Ellen. She is funny. This was short and sweet. She read the audiobook and it was very well done.

"Gratitude is looking on the brighter side of life, even if it means hurting your eyes."

I read two of Ellen's book back to back and honestly I couldn't tell them apart. They are a collection of completely random thoughts, which seem to be parody versions of the actual incident.

'What doesn't kill you puts you in a whole lot of pain and makes you cry a lot and want to crawl in a hole forever and live with rodents."

"Gratitude is looking on the brighter side of life, even if it means hurting your eyes."

I read two of Ellen's book back to back and honestly I couldn't tell them apart. They are a collection of completely random thoughts, which seem to be parody versions of the actual incident.

'What doesn't kill you puts you in a whole lot of pain and makes you cry a lot and want to crawl in a hole forever and live with rodents."

...more

I'm a huge fan of the Ellen Degeneres show. I listened to this as an audiobook, because I wanted it to feel like I was attending my own personal taping, and that Ellen's sole purpose was to entertain me. The anecdotes were funny, but I quickly realized that there was something missing. It felt like Ellen was reading the book. I know how that sounds--of course she was reading the book. But it felt like she was reading someone else's words. Her voice was flat. It lacked her usual comedic timing an I'm a huge fan of the Ellen Degeneres show. I listened to this as an audiobook, because I wanted it to feel like I was attending my own personal taping, and that Ellen's sole purpose was to entertain me. The anecdotes were funny, but I quickly realized that there was something missing. It felt like Ellen was reading the book. I know how that sounds--of course she was reading the book. But it felt like she was reading someone else's words. Her voice was flat. It lacked her usual comedic timing and the nuances in tone that generally makes humour funny. I think the book would have greatly benefited from Ellen making the stories sound a little more "spontaneous" (even though that would be an act). The best parts were the handful of times when I could tell that Ellen was trying not to laugh. That made the audiobook more dynamic and charming to me.

That said, the stories were pretty funny, even though I knew it was all made up. With other celebrity essays/memoirs, the stories are a little more realistic, and although I intuitively know that the authors are lying through their teeth, I can pretend that the stories are based on true events. For The Funny Thing Is…, the stories definitely weren't true (unless Ellen really did meet God buck-naked), but they were entertaining nevertheless.

3.5 stars.

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Overall I did not find a lot of this funny or entertaining.

I was hoping for some personal insights from a woman who has lived an interesting life; particularly who has been a significant trailblazer for the LGBT community and of mainstream acceptance.

Overall I did not find a lot of this funny or entertaining.

I was hoping for some personal insights from a woman who has lived an interesting life; particularly who has been a significant trailblazer for the LGBT community and of mainstream acceptance.

Reading this (and it does not take long at all to read like most celebrity-penned books) (it will end far before slumber has a chance to save you from endless monotony, your alert brain will have no viable option other than to injest the entirety of it) was EXACTLY like watching The Ellen Show. This means that if you are a super fan of the show, this book will feel very exciting. The book is filled with dad jokes, I can't write jokes, silly jokes, obscure jokes, and unhelpful advice. There are even celebrity guest appearances. If you squint between the lines, you can see Ellen endlessly bopping around to her theme song!

For the second-hand bookstore price of one dollar or less that this book is likely to commandeer (at its peak price) - buy a newspaper - they contain a jokes page in addition to genuine content.

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Another book by the sweet and lovely Ellen DeGeneres; a person I respect and love. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is: I am too tired and sleepy to write a big detailed review and therefore all I am going to say about this book is that I really had a good time reading it. And though maybe I kept comparing it to my first Ellen book, 'Seriously... I'm Kidding', (and that is a very wrong thing to do) but I have to admit, this one felt more 'serious'. Doesn't mean it's not funny. I couldn't Another book by the sweet and lovely Ellen DeGeneres; a person I respect and love. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is: I am too tired and sleepy to write a big detailed review and therefore all I am going to say about this book is that I really had a good time reading it. And though maybe I kept comparing it to my first Ellen book, 'Seriously... I'm Kidding', (and that is a very wrong thing to do) but I have to admit, this one felt more 'serious'. Doesn't mean it's not funny. I couldn't help myself but laugh loudly in public places including classes sometimes (and yes, I read during classes).
The point is, and I do have one, this book is really good and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to have a 'funny time'. ...more

Ellen Lee DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and currently the Emmy Award-winning host of the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

She has hosted both the Academy Awards and the Primetime Emmys. As a film actress, she starred in Mr. Wrong, appeared in Edtv and The Love Letter, and provided the voice of "Dory" in the Pixar animated hit film Finding Nemo. She also starred in two television sitcoms, The Ellen Show from 2001 to 2002 and Ellen from 1994 to 1998. In 1997 during the fourth season of Ellen, she "came out" publicly as a lesbian in an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Shortly afterwards, her character Ellen Morgan also came out and the series went on to explore various LGBT issues as well as the "coming out" process.

Ellen is married to Portia de Rossi.

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