James Lileks

This book is gold.

As a refugee of the 70's myself, complete with lingering nervous ticks in the presence of goldenrod kitchen appliances, geometric wallpaper and shag rugs, I can't recommend this book highly enough. As the author says, it's important to learn from history so we don't repeat it.

The spreads are, for the most part, so god-awful you just have to laugh. If they're too painful to laugh at, the author's writing will numb the pain: he holds nothing back and just about all his commentary had me howling out loud.

Buy or borrow this book - even if you didn't live through the 70's, it's a cautionary tale about what happens when you try too hard to be cool and have more money than sense. If nothing else, you'll laugh.


[PopSugar 2015 Challenge: A Funny Book]… (mere)

This was so funny! It's the same guy who gave us "The Gallery of Regrettable Food". I loved looking at these pictures. It's a bit embarrassing, but some of these pictures actually gave me a wave of nostalgia. Some were truly horrible. I suppose I was lucky that my mom despised shag carpeting as I was a child of the 70's. Actually, I don't think I knew anyone with shag carpeting but I sure do remember it from - somewhere? Most people I knew didn't have the money to hire a top 70's decorator so we made do with a mish mash from the 50's, 60's, and 70's so that tempered the horror just a bit. And by the time the 80's came around, we finally did get the harvest gold and avocado appliances. A bit late, but in the 70's we were still dealing with pink, black, and copper appliances from the days of yore.

Some funny quotes from this book (too bad you can't see the pictures):

"If you look at this room long enough, you can make up your own Love, American Style plots." The sad thing is I started singing the theme song while looking at this room.

And the comment on one room with lots of brown leather couches (and carpeting, and walls) - "You just know there's a De Lorean in the garage. And a pound of blow in the closet."

And to describe one girl's bedroom in various hues of brown and orange: "Is your little girl a cheerful, happy, bubbly little bundle of love and delight? This'll cure her. It's the Downer Browner room, specially designed to grind the brightest soul into a thin gruel of granola-hued joylessness."

Makes me glad I escaped the 70's with a pink and a blue room. Whew.

… (mere)