I Had the Right to Remain Silent… But I Didn’t Have the Ability

Reviewed by Gerti

This first print offering by comedian Ron “Tater Salad” White is the perfect thing to take to the beach, or to the bathroom. It takes about an hour to read in total, and while I never laughed out loud, many of the stories here were familiar from when we saw White when he came to the Star Plaza a few years back, only not quite as funny in print as in person. The illustrations, however, are quite good.

This book is filled with amusing and sometimes disturbing episodes from White’s life. While everything is viewed through the lens of his sharp-edged, Southern-fried comedy, it feels uncomfortably voyeuristic to hear how he tried to sleep with 3 different women in one night, or was fired from a comedy club chain for having dropped acid and been unable to perform. I suppose part of the charm of Ron White is that he does all kinds of things I would never consider doing, like making out naked in Bill Engvall’s hot tub, or running a failing pottery factory in Mexico, so it gives a perspective on a way of life that is both funny AND foreign. But for me it got to the point where the party-all-night lifestyle of White’s was a little sad.

White draws hysterical portraits of other people, including his various wives, girlfriends and pets. But my favorite stories come from before White was famous, when Jeff Foxworthy helped him out in his career and in his life. White makes Jeff sound like a true Christian with comic talent and a generous heart, and White himself suffers in contrast. I love White’s comedy, and would see him perform again, but this book shows him in a troubling and unfavorable light. In short, prior to reading this, I liked him, but because of this book, I don’t. He seems very selfish and self-destructive, and that’s not a lovable combo.

If you haven’t seen him, I would say go ahead and read this book. But White’s writing style is far less funny than are his live performances, and so much humor is imparted by his charming drawl and his impeccable timing, that I would much rather pay the big bucks and see him live. I also plan to rent one of his DVDs, which are listed several times in the book (even though I’ve seen them before on Comedy Central). Ron White is truly one of the funniest people on the planet, but I worry that his errant life-style choices will put him in the same category as comedians John Belushi and Sam Kinnison, brilliant artists who died before their time.