ad info

CNN.com
 MAIN PAGE
 WORLD
 ASIANOW
 U.S.
 LOCAL
 POLITICS
 WEATHER
 BUSINESS
 SPORTS
 TECHNOLOGY
 NATURE
 ENTERTAINMENT
 BOOKS
   news
   interviews
   first chapters
   reviews
   reader's cafe
   bestsellers
   games
 TRAVEL
 FOOD
 HEALTH
 STYLE
 IN-DEPTH

 custom news
 Headline News brief
 daily almanac
 CNN networks
 CNN programs
 on-air transcripts
 news quiz

  CNN WEB SITES:
CNN Websites
 TIME INC. SITES:
 MORE SERVICES:
 video on demand
 video archive
 audio on demand
 news email services
 free email accounts
 desktop headlines
 pointcast
 pagenet

 DISCUSSION:
 message boards
 chat
 feedback

 SITE GUIDES:
 help
 contents
 search

 FASTER ACCESS:
 europe
 japan

 WEB SERVICES:
Book News

Franken's most creative work

'Why Not Me?'
by Al Franken

Delacorte Press, $23.95

Review by Robert Nebel

Web posted on: Thursday, February 11, 1999 3:22:48 PM

(CNN) -- Actor/Comedian/Author Al Franken of television's "Lateline" and "Saturday Night Live" would like to be president.

Why not? With former President Reagan's success story and more recently, Governor Ventura's rise to the top of Minnesota politics, the idea doesn't seem too far-fetched. In this day and age of "Springer", Road Rage and ozone, the non-candidate has an even greater shot at becoming the Chief Executive of The United States.

More reading
CNN interview with Al Franken
Begin reading 'Why Not Me?'

That is why in his latest satirical effort titled "Why Not Me?", Franken proves once and for all that he has what it takes to reach The White House in 2001 -- or that's what his alter ego would like to think. Unlike his previous mostly reality-based observational book, "Rush Limbaugh Is A Big, Fat Idiot", "Why Not Me" is a total dream.

In a fantasy year 2000 campaign, Franken orchestrates a "Clintonesque"- style run for the Oval Office worthy of a journal chronicling sex, lies and disdain for New Hampshirites and Iowans alike. Franken's centerpiece campaign theme-calling for the abolition of ATM fees, which connects with the electorate who catapult him to the top of the polls.

As a result, Franken literally defeats his Democratic rivals in a bitter primary contest and a mean-spirited fall election when he trounces his Republican nemesis, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

With his inner circle behind him throughout the campaign and in his transition team, Franken creates a cabinet that does not look like America. Instead, it is an all-Jewish male cabinet which "he is comfortable with" including his brother Otto and baseball legend Sandy Koufax, appointed to Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Coming into his first one hundred days like a spastic horse, Franken falls into a deep depression after an abysmal inauguration speech which alienates much of the country.

After coming out of hiding, Franken decides to further alienate the country by cloning himself with a little help from his friend actress Anne Heche. His next political move: to travel to Baghdad and personally kill Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Luckily, his inner circle was able to sabotage this insane plan by drugging the president aboard Air Force One and returning him to Washington, D.C.

Even the best White House spinmeisters couldn't save this "dream president" from a congressional inquiry complete with heated exchanges from Representative Barney Frank and Senator Orrin Hatch. Overwhelming evidence of illegal campaign contributions, inappropriate sexual relations and unethical conduct plauging the Franken campaign and administration, leads to an abrupt overnight resignation.

This over 250 page-plus fictional account is Franken's most creative work to date. With a keen ability to blend the reality with fantasy, Franken paints a hilarious saga that keeps the reader in stitches from cover to cover. A word of caution: humor reminiscent of last year's film, "There's Something About Mary", is sprinkled throughout this "novel". Tales of campaign sex and defecation may rumble some of the stronger stomachs reading "Why Not Me?"

With a resume that includes "Saturday Night Live's" Stuart Smalley character to his current role as Al Freundlich on NBC's "Lateline", it is quite evident that Franken is a comic genius.

"Why Not Me?" only furthers proof of this.

Robert Nebel is a video editor at CNN. He is also an Atlanta-based freelance writer who specializes in theater, film and book reviews.

SEARCH CNN.com
Enter keyword(s)   go    help

  
 

Back to the top
© 2000 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.