Overstated : a coast-to-coast roast of the 50 states

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Title:

Overstated : a coast-to-coast roast of the 50 states

Alternate title:

Over stated : a coast-to-coast roast of the 50 states

Author:

Quinn, Colin, 1959- author.

Summary:

"The United States is in a fifty-states-wide couples' counseling session, thinking about filing for divorce. Can a nation composed of states that are so different possibly hang together? Quinn ... calls us out state-by-state, from Connecticut to Hawaii. He identifies the hypocrisies inherent in what we claim to believe and what we actually do. Within a framework of big-picture thinking about systems of government--after all, how would you put this country together if you started from scratch today?--to dead-on observations about the quirks and vibes of the citizens in each region, Overstated skewers us all: red, blue, and purple. It's ultimately infused with the same blend of optimism and practicality that sparked the United States into being."-- Provided by publisher

Edition:

First edition.

Contents:

Introduction -- New England -- Mid-Atlantic -- The South -- The Midwest -- The Southwest -- The West -- The Pacific Coast -- The country's foster children -- The American Rome -- Inventory or autopsy.

Physical Description:

x, 243 pages ; 25 cm

Genre:

Humor.

Subject Term:

Americans -- Attitudes -- 21st century -- Humor.

Geographic Term:

United States -- Politics and government -- 21st century -- Humor.

United States -- Social life and customs -- 21st century -- Humor.

United States -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Humor.

United States -- History -- Humor.

Publisher:

St. Martin's Press,

Publication Date:

2020

ISBN:

9781250268440

Publication Information:

New York : St. Martin's Press, 2020.

Call Number:

306.09 QUINN

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003485110	Adult Nonfiction	306.09 QUINN	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

In Colin Quinn's new book, the popular comedian, social commentator, and star of the shows Red State Blue State and Unconstitutional tackles the condition of our union today.

Utah: The Church of States
Vermont: The Old Hippie State
Florida: The Hot Mess State
Arizona: The Instagram Model State
Wisconsin: The Diet Starts Tomorrow State

The United States is in a fifty-states-wide couples' counseling session, thinking about filing for divorce. But is that really what we want? Can a nation composed of states that are so different possibly hang together?

Colin Quinn, comedian, social commentator, and writer and star of Red State Blue State and Unconstitutional , calls us out state-by-state, from Connecticut to Hawaii. He identifies the hypocrisies inherent in what we claim to believe and what we actually do . Within a framework of big-picture thinking about systems of government--after all, how would you put this country together if you started from scratch today?--to dead-on observations about the quirks and vibes of the citizens in each region, Overstated skewers us all: red, blue, and purple. It's ultimately infused with the same blend of optimism and practicality that sparked the U.S. into being.

Author Notes

COLIN QUINN is a stand-up comedian, writer, and performer whose thirty-year broadcast career has included stints on Saturday Night Live as the "Weekend Update" anchor, appearances on every cable comedy showcase and network talk show you can think of, including his own eponymous late-night show, and guest-starring roles in a wide swath of television shows and movies, including The Larry Sanders Show and Inside Amy Schumer . His specials Unconstitutional (2013) and The New York Story (2015, directed by Jerry Seinfeld) are available on Netflix, as is his one-man show Red State, Blue State (2019), which premiered to rave reviews in New York. The special was adapted into CNN's first comedy special in May 2019 and started streaming on Netflix in August 2019.

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Comedian Quinn (The Coloring Book) pokes fun at America's regional idiosyncracies in this quip-filled survey of U.S. history. Tracking how the country got to the point "where everybody is broken up into cults trying to force their values and ideals onto each other," Quinn takes on each state one by one. Noting that New Hampshire was the first state to declare its independence from England, he compares the December 1774 raid on Fort William and Mary to "going into a rough sports bar and turning off the game everyone's watching and putting on The Devil Wears Prada." He describes Idaho as having "the beauty of Wyoming combined with the boredom of Iowa" and calls out South Dakota for "riding off the fact that North Dakota looks at you like you are the hip brother." Though Quinn holds out little hope for the long-term health of the union ("this country was supposed to live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse"), he thinks Americans should take pride in the fact that "we let everybody have a personality." Though more incisive in its cultural skewering than its political analysis, Quinn's sardonic portrait of America in decline will resonate with readers suspicious of ideological stalwarts on both the right and the left. (Sept.)