TRUMPED! Beyond Politically Correct: What You Would Say if You Had the Guts
By Peter Davidson
Sweet Memories Publishing
Reviewed by Karl Wolff

The provocative title and daring call to action would have been quite the conversation piece for Peter Davidson’s newest book, TRUMPED! Beyond Politically Correct: What You Would Say if You Had the Guts. Would this be a no-holds-barred take-down of PC culture? Would this be a brave independent voice puncturing the moral hypocrisies of the Left and the Right? Would the jokes at least be good? Sadly, the answer to all these questions is a resounding no.

It’s not that Davidson has opinions that offend or repel me. There’s no opinions of any kind in this. I didn’t expect to be buried beneath an avalanche of outdated Dad Jokes. Another additional factor makes this book an abysmal read. He misusing the term “politically correct.” It’s not simply being polite. Again and again, the book has a politically correct version and a brutally honest version. Allegedly. In reality, it is an overly polite version and a less polite version. Comedy should result. I’ll cite a random example. In this case, it’s after a night of marital bliss following a honeymoon:

Jenny, being politically correct: “Oh, William, you were amazing. It was all I ever imagined it would be, and more. You are all man.”

Jenny, being brutally honest: “William, that was the most amazing fifteen seconds of my life.”

I guess that’s sort of funny, except that same joke has been used by countless comedians. Protip: Don’t use dated material. Also, don’t use other people’s material. I’d push harder on the plagiarism if the jokes weren’t all lazy cliches.

I read on, hoping it would get improve. Or at least improve slightly. But every attempt at humor landed with a thud. Even a book would with a political or personal philosophy diametrically opposed to my own would have been more entertaining. This is just … so … beige. TRUMPED! remains a tasteless bore, not because of anything uncouth, but because it is relentlessly bland.

If you want to read or see a merciless take-down of PC culture, watch some George Carlin or Bill Hicks.

Out of 10 / 0.3