The United States of Absurdity Untold Stories from American History

by Anthony, Dave; Reynolds, Gareth; Oswalt, Patton

• ISBN13: 9780399578755
• ISBN10: 0399578757
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2017-05-09
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press

Summary

The creators of the podcast The Dollop present illustrated profiles of the weird, outrageous, NSFW, and downright absurd tales from American history that you weren't taught in school.

The United States of Absurdity presents short, informative, and hilarious stories of the most outlandish (but true) people, events, and more from United States history. Comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds cover the weird stories you didn't learn in history class, such as 10-Cent Beer Night, the Jackson Cheese, and the Kentucky Meat Shower, accompanied by full-page illustrations that bring each historical "milestone" to life in full-color. 

Author Biography

DAVE ANTHONY is a stand-up comedian, writer, actor, and podcaster. Beside co-hosting The Dollop, he's been seen as a stand up on Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Late Show, and on Comedy Central. He is a writer/actor on Maron on IFC. In 2015, he was named Comedian to Watch by L.A. Weekly.

GARETH REYNOLDS is a writer/comedian who has written for shows on Comedy Central, Fox, TBS, and MTV. He has executive produced shows like MTV's Failosophy and the Travel Channel's Mancations.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS 

Great American Characters • 5
Michael Malloy • 7 
Lobster Boy • 11
Oofty Goofty • 15
David Hahn • 19
Elvis and Nixon • 23
 
The Best of American Sports • 27
Rainbow Man • 29
Rube Waddell • 33
Lenny Dykstra • 37
Tim “Doc” Anderson • 41
Ten-Cent Beer Night • 47

Great American Medical Breakthroughs • 51
John R. Brinkley • 53
Henry Heimlich • 57
Freeman’s Lobotomies • 61
The Stomach Men • 65
Resurrection Men • 69

Very Bad American Ideas • 73
The Flying Pinto • 75
Action Park • 79
Jackson Cheese • 83
Radium Girls • 87
The Straw Hat Riot • 91

When Americans Go Wrong • 95
Eggnog Riot • 97
Newport Sex Scandal • 101
The Vampire Panic • 105
The Death of George Washington • 109

American Tails • 113
The Dolphin • 115
Mike the Chicken • 119
The Hippo Bill • 123
George Spencer • 127
Kentucky Meat Shower • 131