Martha Stuart's Better Than You at Entertaining/Parody
by Tom Connor, Jim Downey

Humor Books

Comedy Audio Concerts

Amazon.com
"Simply put, people's lives would be better if they would only do what I instruct them to do." On the heels of their tremendously successful magazine parody, Is Martha Stuart Living?, Tom Connor and Jim Downey have put together another winner. In fact, Martha Stuart's Better Than You at Entertaining is better than its predecessor, which is no surprise: parodies of books work best as books. The nuances are finely tuned, the satire more savage, and the material less scattered.
The photos in this parody are marvelous, and the writing is just as sharp. Here's a bit of how-to from "Mothra": "1. Take basic household tasks, make them even more labor-intensive, then romanticize them. 2. Marry someone with a last name less ethnic than yours, and order the best stationery you can afford. 3. Hire an advertising agency, PR firm, image consultant, damage control manager, etc. 4. Practice giving the impression that you have a sense of humor. 5. Be human but not too human." Future historians will wonder what the heck we were thinking when it came to Martha Stewart--this book, the ultimate backhanded compliment, might tell them.

As you can see from the cover art of this book, it is possible that the indomitable mommymatrix Martha Stewart is so perfect that she walks on water. And it is possible that this is one of the most perfect parodies of any pop culture icon ever. The Dear Faux Martha gives advice on such issues as how to deal with the death of a dinner guest ("Dying is one of the rudest things a guest can do during a dinner party..." she begins), hints for hosting a luncheon for the Pope ("receiving the Pontiff in your home is really no different than entertaining royalty or anyone else in high office..."), and choosing appropriate foods for a circumcision day party (cocktail wieners each impaled with 2 Swedish meatballs, tender Calamari tips in red sauce). Lavishly illustrated, sometimes tasteless, and hilarious throughout.

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