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Books > Sport & Leisure > Humour > Parodies & spoofs
Many musical and theatrical traditions walk the very narrow path
between the sublime and the ridiculous, but perhaps none more so
than opera, which, while maintaining an elegant reputation, makes a
show out of princes making romantic speeches to soft fruit, noses
being accidentally cut off and woodpeckers performing wedding
ceremonies. Opera Obscura is a beautifully illustrated collection
that contributes twenty-five brand new impossibly madcap operas to
the canon of magnificent absurdities, along with the intricate
blueprints for several incredible opera houses and information on
of a whole range of almost unbelievably incredible instruments.
A lot of leather has 'plunk-plicked' against willow since cricket
was first played on the village greens of Olde England, but this
doughty little book heroically manages to capture the true essence
of the noble ball game in just 100 run-grabbing moments (plus a few
extras for overthrows). This is the story of cricket as it has
never been told before: a well tossed-up compilation of surreal
match reports, spoof correspondence and quirky cartoons. From a
Great Victorian refusing to walk (even though his bails have been
knocked off by the bowler) to modern-day sledgers playing floodlit
pyjama cricket, the game's towering achievements, hilarious
happenings and ludicrous coincidences are entertainingly recalled.
The book's title says it all: which other sport would have Silly
positions in the field? For those who don't know, silly mid-off
(facing the batsman) & silly mid-on (behind him) field within a
couple of metres of the man at the crease as he flails at the ball,
delivered at 140kmh, using a 1kg wooden bat.
Fur and fiction combine in this retelling of Charles Dickens's most
famous novel, adorably adapted with an all-star cast of guinea
pigs. In the misery of a workhouse, a poor, fluffy little orphan
called Oliver Twist is fed on nothing but thin air and even thinner
gruel. By squeaking a fateful question - 'Please, sir, I want some
more' - he unwittingly sparks a series of events that lead him to
the smoke and grime of the big city, where he encounters a host of
four-legged friends and foes such as the crafty Fagin, mischievous
Artful Dodger, faithful Nancy and treacherous Bill Sikes, who sweep
young Oliver off of his paws and into the underworld of Victorian
London.
________________________ It is a truth universally acknowledged,
that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want
of a wife. And Mrs Bennet has five unmarried daughters in want of
husbands. Life is fairly uneventful until a promising young man, Mr
Bingley, takes the nearby estate of Netherfield Park. And with him
comes a handsome friend, whom the ladies see brooding in the corner
at the next ball. The dashing Mr Darcy gains the admiration of
every lady in the room, until, that is, he refuses to dance with
Elizabeth Bennet. As time passes and their acquaintance grows,
however, Mr Darcy begins to find Elizabeth's face rendered
uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark
eyes... Here is a brand new abridgement of the classic Jane Austen
novel - this time with a cute, humble and handsome cast of guinea
pigs in the starring roles. It's even more dreamy to fall in love
with a furry Mr Darcy. 'This may be the definitive version of Pride
and Prejudice. If they could get War and Peace down to this length,
it would be a service to mankind' Salman Rushdie 'If you're
anything like me, you had no idea how much the world needed a furry
rodent reenactment of Lizzie and Darcy's love story until one
existed' Melissa Albert
Welcome to the weird and warped world of Scarfolk, a town forever
trapped in the 1970s... Based on the cult blog, the massive online
hit which has over a million page views in a year, this is an
illustrated guide to the Lancashire town which brings nightmarish
childhood memories relentlessly back to life. Fans of Charlie
Brooker, The League of Gentlemen and Brass Eye will love this...
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING 'Delicious and hilarious' -- ***** Reader
review 'Witty and savage' -- ***** Reader review 'Brutally funny
and scarily accurate' -- ***** Reader review 'Marvellously dark and
dangerous' -- ***** Reader review
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"Scarfolk is a town in north-west England that did not progress
beyond 1979. The entire decade of the 1970s loops ad infinitum. In
Scarfolk children must not be seen OR heard, and everyone has to be
in bed by 8 p.m. because they are perpetually running a slight
fever..." Part-comedy, part-horror, part-satire, Discovering
Scarfolk is the surreal account of a family trapped in the town.
Through public information posters, news reports, books, tourist
brochures and other ephermera, we learn about the darker side of
childhood, school and society in Scarfolk. A massive cult hit
online, Scarfolk re-creates with shiver-inducing accuracy and
humour our most nightmarish childhood memories. The perfect gift or
self-purchase for any forty or fifty-something with a dark sense of
humour!
"Teachings of the Cat Zen Masters," by Sheryll Dahlke, is a
collection of quotes by famous cats, such as T. Furball, Oscar
Wildecat, and many others. Felix Waldo Emerson, for instance, says:
"There is a cat-like quality in everything God has made." In these
pithy sayings, cats live totally in the moment with full awareness.
Like a contradiction, they study the Self to forget the Self. They
are centered in balance and in time, completely within the activity
of the moment--whether playing with a stone or a butterfly. "This
little book is a joyous read. You will be given the powerful,
loving freedom for you to be yourself."--Juanita "Catastrophe"
Tobin, Poet--Blowing Rock, NC."The enlightened cat is a beautiful
thing. We humans can learn a few things from "Teachings of the Cat
Zen Masters." Enjoy!"--Rita Bayron, Faithful Feline
Follower--Coppell, TX.
Raising the Perfect Child Through Guilt and Manipulation is not
one of those traditional, all-too-earnest parenting guides that,
for generations, have sucked all the fun out of child rearing. The
foundation of Elizabeth Beckwith's Guilt and Manipulation family
philosophy is simple: We do things a certain way, and everyone else
is an a**hole.
Is that something you should put on a bumper sticker and slap on
your minivan? Of course not--that would be trashy. But in the
privacy of your own home, you can employ these essential components
of Guilt and Manipulation to mold the little runts ruthlessly yet
effectively into children you won't be embarrassed to admit are
yours: Creating a Team: "Us" vs. "Them"How to Scare the Crap Out of
Your Child (in a Positive Way) Don't Be Afraid to Raise a Nerd Mind
Control: Why It's a Good Thing
In this book, Curt Hersey explores the history of U.S. media,
demonstrating how news parody has entertained television audiences
by satirizing political and social issues and offering a
lighthearted take on broadcast news. Despite shifts away from
broadcast and cable delivery, comedians like Samantha Bee, Michael
Che, and John Oliver continue this tradition of delivering topical
humor within a newscast format. In this history of the television
news parody genre, Hersey critically engages with the norms and
presentational styles of television journalism at the time of their
production. News parody has increasingly become part of the larger
journalistic field, with viewers often turning to this parodic
programming as a supplement and corrective to mainstream news
sources. Beginning in the 1960s with the NBC program That Was the
Week That Was, the history of news parody is analyzed decade by
decade by focusing on presidential and political coverage, as well
as the genre's critiques of television network and cable
journalism. Case studies include Saturday Night Live's "Weekend
Update;" HBO's Not Necessarily the News; Comedy Central's original
Daily Show, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and The Colbert
Report; and HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Scholars of
media history, political communication, and popular culture will
find this book particularly useful.
"For too long the Left has tried to silence the Right through a war
on words. Understanding their tactics and what we can do about it
is crucial. Sam Sorbo lays it all out." - Sean Spicer, Host of
Spicer&Co In Words for Warriors, with her trademark wit and
intelligence, Sam Sorbo shows exactly how radical left-wingers have
manipulated language to fit their own socialistic and anti-freedom
agenda. Sam Sorbo is on a mission to reclaim today's hot
button/culture war words for all freedom-loving Americans. After
hearing all the hatred spewing from ideologues, mainstream media,
social justice warriors, and political hacks, Sam Sorbo was fed up:
"I'm tired of their games, so I'm calling BS on them. It's time to
set the record straight, especially for the folks who are just
trying to enjoy the lives the Lord gave them and want a few things
explained in easy-to-understand prose." Arranged in an accessible
"A-Z" glossary style, readers can dip in to discover the real
meanings behind the acronyms, words, and phrases that the toxic
liberal left loves to force on the rest of us. From Ad hominem,
antifa, and anarchy... To woke, wonk, and zeitgeist Mixed with the
newly-coined concepts like covidiot, pizzagate, and TERF... Words
for Warriors is a treasure trove of linguistic gymnastics the
Democrats and other toxic lefties employ to further their
anti-American agenda. Arm yourself with Words for Warriors, and
fight back against political correctness that squashes real debate,
free speech, and prosperity.
2022 IPPY AWARDS SILVER MEDALIST - HOLIDAY "[A] breathtaking family
treasure to page through, highly recommended." -Midwest Book Review
An instant holiday classic. A happy little Christmas miracle. Even
after more than 20 years after his death, pop culture icon,
painter, host, and teacher Bob Ross has never been more heralded
than he is today. His memorable quotes, friendly face, and
signature hairstyle grace merchandise and memes around the world.
But what makes Bob as beloved as he is are ultimately his core
values, and his peaceful, joyful demeanor that encouraged his
students and viewers to not only appreciate their natural talents
but to appreciate the natural world around them. Bob was, in many
respects, the embodiment of the classic holiday sprint which
encourages peace on Earth and good will toward men. Now, for the
first time, inspired by the classic Clement C. Moore's story, this
fully-authorized tale of a painter (and his little squirrel friend)
on a cold winter night pairs Bob Ross's most beautiful wintertime
landscapes with a meditation on embracing not only your inner
creativity, but the beauty of nature, and the feelings of peace,
friendship, and harmony that blankets the entire holiday season
like a happy little snowfall. Perfect for families, fans, and
painters of all ages, Bob Ross's Happy Little Night Before
Christmas is the perfect addition to any holiday tradition.
The Mr. Men have been tickling children for generations with their
funny and charming antics. The Mr Men for Grown-Ups series now
gives adults the chance to laugh along as the Mr Men and Little
Miss try to cope with the very grown-up world around them.
Featuring Roger Hargreaves classic artwork alongside hilariously
funny new text. Little Miss Lucky is getting married and she wants
to keep it simple and dignified, including the hen do. But everyone
else has other ideas. Will she survive Little Miss Naughty's antics
and make it to her mother's dream wedding on time? The perfect book
for any bride-to-be who wonders if they really are the lucky one.
Also available in The Mr Men for Grown-Ups series: Little Miss Busy
Surviving Motherhood, Mr Grumpy Nails Fatherhood, Mr Greedy Eats
Clean to Get Lean, Little Miss Shy Goes Online Dating, Mr Happy and
the Office Party.
"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" - a fiendishly clever mash-up of
Jane Austen's beloved classic with all-new scenes of zombie mayhem
- is "A New York Times" bestseller and a major pop culture
phenomenon. This graphic novel adaptation, featuring all-original
art, will bring this sensational tale to a whole new audience. 'It
is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of
brains must be in want of more brains'. So begins "Pride and
Prejudice and Zombies" - Jane Austen's immortal classic, now
brought to glorious, gory new life with original, all-new scenes of
zombie mayhem. Seth Grahame-Smith's irreverent and witty reworking
of this novel immediately struck a nerve: The book quickly became
"A New York Times" bestseller - and one of the most buzzworthy and
blogged-about pop culture sensations of the year. Now "Pride and
Prejudice and Zombies" is a graphic novel - the perfect format to
bring this remixed masterpiece to zombie-loving pop-culture fans.
It’s been one helluva year – again. We’ve seen Zuma resign as president, the DA go after its own people, Trump exercise his megalomania, the rise of racial tensions (as well as the petrol price) and tempers being flared. All while the Guptas fled the Saxonwold Shebeen.
Who better to make sense of this than Zapiro, political analyst, cartoonist and agent provocateur. He has the ability to knock the air out of us, to rock us back in our seats, to force us bolt upright with a 1000-watt jolt of electrifying shock. He makes us angry, he makes us laugh and he makes us think. He shines a light on the elephant in the room, presents the emperor in all his naked glory. Impossible to brush off, he is determined to provoke a response.
When all around is crumbling, when fake news and zipped lips conceal the truth, Zapiro comes to the rescue. With the dissecting eye of a surgeon, the rapier-like point of his pen exposes flimflam, and reveals with a single line what lies behind the action.
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