The 2000 Year Old Man was actually born in 1950, when Carl Reiner bought a $138 Revere tape recorder, plugged in the microphone, and instead of saying, "Testing, testing," turned to Mel Brooks and asked, "Is it true that you were at the scene of the Crucifixion some 2000 years ago?" As Brooks' imagination took flight, the old man uttered his first remembrance of things past with a moan of "Oooooooohboy." And then: "I knew Christ, Christ was a thin lad, always wore sandals. Hung around with 12 other guys. They came in the store, no one ever bought anything. Once they asked for water." Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks ad-libbed their first interviews between the miraculous ancient sage and the reporter covering his history-making arrival in the United States. The 2000 Year Old Man knew everyone from Jesus to Shakespeare, Cleopatra to Paul Revere. He was there when men discovered women, and he dated Joan of Arc. The feisty raconteur had been married several hundred times. He had 42,000 children -- "and not one comes to visit me." The Jewish Methuselah had something to say about everyone and everything -- from religion to soul kissing, from taxes to nectarines: "Half a peach, half a plum. It's a hell of a fruit " Brooks never knew what Reiner was going to ask, and Reiner only knew that he would never get the same answer twice. Reiner calls it "writing with the mouth." Most of the targets Reiner and Brooks skewered between 1961 and 1974 on record albums are still with us, including food, cigarettes, the power of advertising, selling America to Japan, neglected children, fear of homosexuals in the military, inadequate health care, fad diets, violent films and pretentious filmmakers. In this millenial update of the cult comedy classic, the 2000 Year Old Man offers his unique wit and wisdom on everything from the Mars landing to shopping malls; homeopathy to the invention of the infomercial; his own dietary secrets, from eating a swirl to his time-tested Seven-Day Diet; and pet peeves, from rap music to "If you know the extension, press one..." The humor of The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000 is a hilarious antidote to the millenial literature of the '90s.
Mel Brooks always provides a funny twist on historical events, teaching us how to laugh at ourselves. Any book or movie involving his unique insight is priceless.
one of the most hilarious books
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
Take Carl Reiner, add Mel Brooks, stir and simmer with the added flavoring of the 2000 year old man comedy routine, and what do you get? One of the funniest books you will ever read!I laughed out loud at least once on every page, from page XV til the end. This book is especially welcome in this year of record snows, rising gas prices and impending war.Buy this book if you want to laugh.
The Very Good Book
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
I've said it before, I'll say it again, Mel Brooks is a comedical genius. This book is a great short read. Whether you're new to this 2000 year old man or you're a long time fan this book is hilarious. Much of it is rewording of the old acts that Mel did with Carl Reiner. They make fun of everyhting from the new miracle diets to God to sex. There's even a section called See Moses Run. The humor is if anything very Jewish which is great, if you understand Judaism.If you like Brooks humor, buy this book. It's good for a gift if you get it along with the accompanying CD under the same title as the book or the Complete 2000 Year Old Man 4 disc set.
Even the title page is funny!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
Yes, a lot of it is rehashed from the original routines on the records, but it's still pretty funny stuff - and if the title page made me laugh then it must be pretty funny!You do have to be a Mel Brooks fan in order to appreciate this book. If you're not, then you just won't like it, no matter how much I or anyone else recommends it. But if you are, then be prepared for some fall-down roll-on-the-floor howls.
It's thin.I laughed. Call me a schlemiehl!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
True, it's about a two hour read for most -- five for me but I tracethe words with my finger as I read. On the plane, I laughedaloud. There was some whispering and the woman next to me changed her seat. Some of it may be recycled shtick but it still seems fresh. Most I've never seen/heard and I have listened to the Old Man CDs. I'd say there's fifty belly laughs, ten chortles, one guffaw, three titters and a smile. It will give you a few hours of delightfully outrageous grumpy old Jewish man humor. I should know. Buy it. Read it. Laugh. Eat your oatmeal and let me alone already. END
a knee-slapper! (dangerous while driving!)
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
I laughed at this updated version of mel and carl's classic work, and it prompted me to delve further into the world of mel brooks comedy. Oye, this guy is FUNNY!
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