Book Review: Dirty Daddy by Bob Saget

Dirty Daddy: The Chronicles of a Family Man Turned Filthy Comedian by Bob Saget
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: It Books (April 8, 2014)

To many, Bob Saget is known as Danny Tanner, the father on Full House.  I grew up watching Saget star as Tanner on the long-running ABC sitcom and watched many reruns during my years in college when they aired on ABC Family.  To me, he'll always be the host of America's Funniest Home Videos...which was YouTube before YouTube.

But there's more to Saget than meets the eye.  Oh, yes, there is.  Saget's memoir, Dirty Daddy, is by no means a book for those that think his humor is closer to that of Full House.  Far from it in fact.  Saget's stand-up act is as far from clean as it gets.  His book, just like his stand-up, is just as...dirty.

Saget's sick, twisted sense of humor does not stop him from delivering a memoir that is uproarious, uncensored, and heartfelt.  Saget's book is sincere, hilarious, and especially, dirty.  Saget's voice is felt throughout the uncensored book, which explains why it was such a quick read for me.

It's not just all comedy in Dirty Daddy.  There are heartbreaking stories from Bob's life as well.  He saw many of his uncles die to heart attacks at relatively young ages.  Two sisters died at young ages as well.  But, despite the heartbreak, the stories are genuine.  Saget uses humor to get through his pain and dark times in his life.  He made the decision a long time ago that he would never drink and drive or drive and text.

Having three daughters of his own, Saget offers some parenting advice along with advice about relationships.

There's those who influenced Saget, be it in life or comedy: his family and legendary comedians such as Richard Pryor, David Letterman, Rodney Dangerfield, Don Rickles, Johnny Carson, and George Carlin.

There's a place for immature humor, or humor for mature audiences only, as well as family comedy.  It comes as no surprise that there are some behind-the-scenes stories of Full House.  Saget shares why he took up Comedy Central's offer to roast him and what changes he made them do.  There's the appearances on Entourage and The Aristocrats, solidifying Saget as a true original with a dirty sense of humor and unique personality, not to mention the cameo in Half-Baked.

I highly recommend Saget's book but with a word of caution:  If you are not familiar with his stand-up act, you'll never look at Bob Saget in the same way again.