You Can't Joke About That: Why Everything Is Funny, Not… (2024)

I adore Kat Timpf.

I’ve been following her career ever since my father introduced me to the Greg Gutfeld show back in high school — we’ve even attended a few live tapings, and we both listen to the “Tyrus & Timpf” podcast. In fact, it was my father who preordered me a signed (signed!) copy of this book for my birthday.

All that is to explain my too-high, ultimately unmet expectations for Kat’s debut book.

Those expecting a tone that’s just as biting and sarcastic as Kat’s television presence will be disappointed. “You Can’t Joke About That” is an objective, almost academic cultural document. Don’t get me wrong, this book is exactly the rallying cry We the People need right now — that the censorship of our comedians, our jesters, is the only proof we need that our free society is in danger — but I wanted a tone infused with Kat’s comedic DNA.

This book also suffers from issues with narrative flow. Rambling tangents about Kat’s dating life or family history interrupt objective, fact-driven arguments. I wish the personal anecdotes and the cultural commentary were better segregated — maybe reserved for separate chapters entirely.

That said, the arguments Kat puts forth in this book are incredibly important, and I wish I could stuff “You Can’t Joke About That” into every American’s hands. Are you a Democrat? Cool. Read this book. Are you a Republican? Cool. Read this book. Are you an independent, a libertarian, a partridge in a pear tree? Read. This. Book.

#NuffSaid.

This was a very intelligently written book that was both thought-provoking and humorous. Kat also writes the way she speaks, which is likely why I read it very quickly. She makes some very good points in her discourse and I could tell as well as appreciate all the research she did for it. I loved how many documented studies she included and the wonderful quotes of folks both notable comedians and scientists. We all would do better as a nation to embrace her reasoning and logic.

Non-Fiction
I loved this! I laughed out loud and really related to a lot that she says. Yes, she does bring up politics, but really only to make her point that laughing is GOOD and jokes are a way that we deal with serious stuff and are really helpful for coping and processing. This is not a political theory book, the politics she brings up are from both sides, and she explains why she is frustrated with both of them and votes a straight ticked that is neither Dem nor Rep.

Kat has really worked hard to get where she is and this is her story about how she used comedy to get through life. Really, just to survive.

She mixes her experiences with actual research and studies (mostly regarding the role of laughing and comedy in health & wellness).

I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a not-corny relatable story. I especially recommend this to women and people with daughters, but there is nothing feminist or girly about the story she has; just a lot of the topics she delves into will be especially meaningful to women.

She references a few other books in this one, and I was really tickled that I have read them. The Last Lecture pub 2008 by Randy Pausch (335000 GR ratings) and The Afghanistan Papers by Craig Whitlock pub 2021 (4800 GR ratings).

I could go on about how much I loved her style, but I'll just leave you with a bunch of quote from the text instead.

"...much of the way we talk about sensitive subjects is wrong. We’ve created the wrong rules. We purposely misread each other. We create unnecessary conflicts when we should feel like we’re all in this together."

"But the thing is, nothing I’ve ever been through has been made easier because people insisted on speaking carefully about it. If anything, the opposite is true."

"Life is hard enough without having to freak out that you’re talking about it wrong."

"But, again, intent does matter. Of course it does, or we wouldn’t have separate charges for vehicular manslaughter and first-degree murder."

"A 2022 study conducted by public opinion think tank Populace found that self-censorship was so “pervasive,” “every subgroup had multiple issues with at least a double-digit gap between public and private opinion”—which creates a “false consensus in the public narrative” that can “drive false polarization, erode trust, and hold back social progress.”"

"...the reason we can laugh at plotlines and jokes about breakups isn’t that they’re inherently funny, but that there isn’t anything that can’t be funny in some way. Actually, I’ve found that the harder something is to talk about, the funnier the jokes about it can be."

"Diplomacy is considered appropriate when a conflict is limited to an exchange of words, because an appropriate response to words is more words. Once a violent act occurs, however, then that is when violence is considered acceptable in return."

"And demanding that people who don’t see the world how you do be ruthlessly shamed without forgiveness isn’t heroic. It’s bullying. It’s kind of why I have always hated the whole “snowflake” thing...Caring about children stranded alone at the border, for example, doesn’t make you a “snowflake.” It means that you care about children stranded alone at the border, because you realize how unbelievably traumatic that must be for them."

"That’s the thing about acting like a fake-ass bitch: sometimes people happen to notice that you’re being a fake-ass bitch."

"Ever since I was a kid, I have hoped to have a career that combined comedy and politics. I’ve always been passionate about politics . . . in the sense that I hate them, and what is more passionate than hatred?"

"The best part of ensuring that your own voice is heard and understood is not aiming to change the way other people talk about theirs; it’s to talk about yours, and to encourage other people to be able to talk about it with you and learn. The answer isn’t less speech; it’s more."

Great Read

The pages almost turned themselves. How you turned tragedy into comedy is amazing👍. I actually learned something about comedy, feminism, sexism and grief. The book is definitely worth reading so just buy it already.,,

Smart and funny!

I really like academic Kat! I have watched Kat for years on the Greg Gutfeld Show and Gutfeld! and think she’s pretty funny. I’ve always appreciated her libertarian point of view and how steadfast she holds to her beliefs. This book introduced me to another side of Kat. She does a great job validating her claims about the overall benefits of humor by citing numerous studies, articles, and anecdotal stories. I guess I wasn’t expecting that kind of depth from this book. I loved hearing about Kat’s life experiences, which made her feel so relatable.

My husband passed away when he was 47, just under two years ago. While I have a hard time finding much humor in his decline and death (yet?), I do take every opportunity to remember and laugh at the funny times we had as a family. And I laugh throughout the day at humorous things. Some widow/ers hold themselves back from exhibiting happiness, afraid it may make them appear callous or like their spouse’s death didn’t devastated their world. But I know that my hubby smiles down and laughs along with me. Humor is definitely a healing attribute. And like the old saying goes, many times I catch myself laughing so I won’t cry.

*Note* I gave 4 rather than 5 stars because of the foul language.

I love Kat Timpf! However, I did not like her book so much. The life stories she did tell were great, but the rest of the book read like a boring research paper.

“The truth is, the fact that comedy is a particularly unsafe space isn’t a big bug that needs to be fixed; it’s a virtue of the art. Hearing jokes about sensitive topics can be uncomfortable, because it flies in the face of the sacredness with which we are “supposed” to approach those subjects, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing such as it is an opportunity to grow.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Kat Timpf takes the freedom of speech to the max. The hilarity, hair extensions and her poop bag, that coincides with the reality of
What some think is off limits as a joke. Kat delves into why everything is free speech. Love her honesty! Recommended!

The book is intellectual

I was expecting it to be funny and it read more like a research paper, an outstanding research paper. I was impressed with her knowledge on many topics, not surprised because I've seen her on Gutfeld, and other shows, and her points are always thought provoking. It jyst wasn't what I was expecting, but an excellent book nonetheless.

Disappointing

I’m an avid fan of most of the programming and talent at the Fox News Channel and read many books advertised there. This book was disappointing because I expected humor and decent writing. Both were missing from this book.

The few snippets of funny prose were presented early in the book—then repeated several more times. The writing style was boring…it reminded me of a college term paper.

Try again, Kat. 😑

If everything is funny, then nothing is sacred. This book was not funny. Laughter is the best medicine, and I love to laugh. There are different kinds of jokes, the worst being insensitive ones. Don’t joke about cancer and other diseases. My mother suffered worse than any body I’ve ever personally known and died at 45 years old, leaving behind a 5 year old son and a ten year old daughter me and my 3 children. Her husband, which was not her favorite person nor anybody else’s. Don’t joke about sick children, the loss of a child, physical, mental, and emotional abuse, rape, pedophilia, natural disasters, the persecution of Christians, or anyone else, husbands and wives who cheat, wars, the mentally handicapped or anyone handicapped for any reason. There are other things not to joke about, the sufferings of Jesus for our sins, Israel, God’s chosen people, that He has a plan for at His literal return to this earth. The fact that Israel hasn’t been annihilated is proof that there is a God. They will outlast the nations around them. Don’t joke about alcoholism, drug addiction, crashes of all kinds. I have heard people joke about the death of Natalie Wood. How we as people even get through a day is only by God’s grace. If it wasn’t for Him, we couldn’t take our next breath. Everything happens for a reason. Much of the time it is because sin exists. God will do away with sin in His timing, thanks to the payment for sin. Kat doesn’t believe in God, says she wishes she did. People don’t believe in God because they are blinded by the devil, and thereby they love darkness, sin, rather than light, Jesus. It is obvious that when one has liberal beliefs, and a foul mouth, that they are doing their own thing. I am m on not claiming that I have not sinned, we all have and do. God does not see us as sinners, but saints. Being in Christ, filler with the Holy Spirit, being children of God is the only real life. In Kat’s words, I am not going to apologize. There are a lot of other things that should not be joked about. I think we know that. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Very few do that. People on I’m are full of hate and anger. The world is lost and most are without God. Don’t be like Kat, and most of the world. Laugh when you can, but that will not make us whole. Faith in the right beliefs will. And it has to be God’s way, not ours. Again, I am not going to apologize!!! CathyR 🙏🏻🌏✝️💜 CathyR

This memoir is really fun and lighthearted. While I didn’t learn a ton from the book, I think Kat Timpf has a great point to make about how humor is an important component of a healthy society and it goes hand in hand with free speech. I liked the main idea but the book sort of meandered after the halfway point and drifted away from the main thesis. I enjoyed the read but I wish it was a little less repetitive and relied more heavily on the super interesting studies she mentions throughout the book.

Man I don’t know what I thought this book would be about, but I was so wrong. First of all, there are things that are not funny. There are things you should not joke about. Second, I really don’t think she’s funny. The entire book I was rolling my eyes. She also has a very skewed perspective on faith. I did get tired of hearing “I was praying to a God I don’t believe in” cool lady you can use it once but more than once is overkill. I’m so sad that I refuse to DNF books. This would have been one I would have dropped…

This book was so unexpectedly bad. I had such high expectations, and it fell well short. One of the worst books I have ever read. How can such a (usually) funny person write such a boring book?

I really enjoy Kat Timpf. She is refreshingly consistent in her libertarian views and always makes a lot of sense to me. Here, Kat shares her thoughts on sexism, free speech, cancel culture and the role of humor when discussing controversial topics and uncomfortable situations. The book is funny, but not as funny as I thought it would be. It is also a bit redundant. It feels like Kay is stretching her thoughts out to fill a book… and her “PSA” at the end regarding dealing with law enforcement is completely random.

So MUCH to think about! Kat is one of my favorites on Gutfield. Her book was a mixture of comedy, research, and her opinions, some of which were not what I expected. Some parts will be TMI or overly gross for many readers.

I loved this book! I love Kat Timpf. I wish I could see and hear more of her, but it’s so hard for me to watch Gutfeld, who I find terribly unpleasant. But Kat imparts a lot of good advice in this book, and we could all benefit from her perspective. Keep up the good work!

I'm agreeing with another review that this is disjointed. There isn't much of a flow. Each chapter could be a stand-alone story. They weren't chronological, so at times difficult to follow. I didn't finish this.

Brilliantly written and spot on about how crucial comedy and absolute free speech are to the health of our personal lives and our society. Though I wouldn’t use the vulgarity, I defend your right to do so in your writing. Grateful to read something so entertaining and also so passionately pro-freedom!

This was a quick, easy read that felt like a good conversation with your most level-headed friend. Timpf highlights a lot of the issues that come with such a polarized political system and a culture that’s unwilling to address the hard stuff, preferring to just brush it under the rug in favor of sparing everyone’s feelings. Despite its slim size the book offers a lot of food for thought. Definitely pick it up if you have the time!

This book gives me a different perspective of comedy. I appreciate her questioning what “hate speech” really means and if we really want government to define it. Her exploration into the implications of statements like “words are violence” is powerful. I read that fifth chapter at just the right time.

An interesting and informative read.

Reason for the missing star: Was this book supposed to be a memoir? Educational? Political commentary? A commentary on comedy? It was a bit of all these things which made the whole thing feel a bit off. Also, I felt like Kat’s humor didn’t really come across in the writing as much as I was hoping it would.

This was an interesting read, but not what I expected. I guess I thought it would be funnier, but she makes some excellent points and makes you think.

Abandoned at 60%. Firstly, I am a fan of Kat Timpf. Not a 100% fan, but I enjoy a lot of her comedy and sociopolitical positions and comments. So, I thought I would like the book. I didn't like it. It comes across, to me, as whiney and hugely repetitious as she moves from topic to topic to complaint to complaint. A friend is reading it also and I will look to her to fill me in on anything significant I may have missed. I also think this book would be better accepted, and maybe better understood, by women. Just my subjective opinion as much of it is her perspectives from the female point of view.

Kat Timpf is a regular on the Greg Gutfeld Show on FOX. She can always be counted upon to hold her own with jokes against the acerbic Greg Gutfeld.

Ms. Timpft is adamant, moreover, in her defense of Dave Cappelle and and Kathy Griffin. To Ms. Timptf it is all about freedom of speech and pulling no punches in a comedy routine. I found it humorous and entertaining.

I stopped halfway through; I will continue it. I like Kat but her humor doesn't come through on the page for me. sorry. Long research not my thing, the only reason two stars instead of one is chapter 5. Finished the next day. Note: Kat is great, but her book did not resonate with me personally. It was just okay.

Significant writing

Great book that makes you think about yourself and society. It is totally relatable in today's environment. Too bad, that there are not many Kat Timpfs wanting to bring us together.

This is an excellent book by Kat Timpf. She methodically explains the importance of free speech and how society as a whole benefits from dialogue. Highly recommend!!!

Thought it would be funnier. Well-researched and thoughtful. I don't believe in cancel-culture either and think it doesn't afford people a chance to learn/grow or for society to have a dialog.

I was not familiar with Kat Timpf before listening to this audiobook. That's not really significant or surprising, as she's best known as a Fox commentator and I haven't watched any cable news programs in over a decade. She's also a comic but unless someone's had a Netflix special, I'm not exactly up to date on that world either. Nonetheless, I'd rank this as one of the most interesting and important books I've read in the last few years.

You Can't Joke About That addresses the increasingly humorless and intolerant nature of modern society, whether on social media, the entertainment industry, or politics. It's disconcerting having lived through so many decades (the 70s, 80s, and 90s in my case) where so much humor that was everywhere years ago would not even be tolerated today. Even a show like Saturday Night Live, which has existed through all those decades, has devolved into a sad caricature of itself, only making the safest and most politically correct jokes. Same with other late night comedy, if it can even be called that anymore.

I'll summarize a few important chapters/points Kat Timpf makes in You Can't Joke About That.

It's Especially Important to Joke About Difficult Topics

One of the main points of the book is that it's harmful, both for individuals and society to avoid joking about topics that are difficult or controversial. Of course, in today's climate, people are getting more reluctant to approach anything but the most innocuous subjects (and this category is getting ever smaller, as almost anything can be offensive to somebody). An especially bad sign that Kat mentions is that college campuses are among the least tolerant, with "progressive" campuses now adopting the Orwellian practice of making comedians sign a form promising not to offend anyone.

Again, where will this end? Today we can't joke about race, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, or body shape. Isn't it also potentially "hurtful" to joke about one's food preferences, style of dress, musical tastes, occupation, and so on? The absurd conclusion of all this is a world where everyone lives in a bubble that can potentially be punctured by the wrong word. This brings us to another important chapter in the book.

Words Are Not Violence

"When you say that words are violence, you inherently are saying that violence is an acceptable response to words because violence is universally considered an acceptable response to violence.”

This quote is crucial because it exposes a sinister implication of the woke, "words are violence" dogma. This position essentially justifies actual physical violence as a kind of self-defense against words that offend you.

Kat alludes to the infamous "slap" at the Academy Awards (for the few who still watch it) when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in retaliation for a joke about Smith's wife (I think; as someone who is practically pop culture illiterate, I am unfamiliar with the players beyond Rock & Smith themselves). As she points out, one of the most troubling aspects of the episode was the number of people who found the slap justifiable.

Once again, we have to follow this mentality to its logical conclusion. It's not just blatantly offensive language that may fit this category. The definition of "hate speech" is frighteningly vague and open-ended. This is why a joke by Dave Chapelle or a tweet by J.K. Rowling can be labeled as "literal violence." Apart from anything else, it shows how many people don't know the meaning of "literal."

Retroactive Cancellations

One of the most absurd and tyrannical aspects of cancel culture that Kat discusses is the practice of digging up old tweets, sometimes that was made when the person was a teenager. As she points out, the standard here is even harsher than in fundamentalist religions, implying that a transgression against political correctness should never be forgiven and brands one for life.

Kat brings up the case of Sarah Silverman, who wore blackface in an episode of her program more than 10 years ago. I always liked Silverman's politically incorrect humor, though less so in recent years as she's gotten too preachy for me. A point Kat refers to repeatedly is that, to the ultra-woke crowd, intention doesn't even matter if you offend people. Sarah Silverman did not wear blackface to mock people of color but to make a larger point about discrimination. And she repeatedly apologized for it. None of this was enough to appease the mob, of course.

Why The Freedom to Tell Jokes is Important

Kat Timpf, in the final chapter, confesses that "comedy is my religion." I wouldn't go that far myself, but I do see why comedy plays a huge part in cultural discourse. When you ban, censor, or even sharply attack certain kinds of humor, you are attempting to exert massive control over, not only what people can say, but even what we are supposed to think and consider funny.

Comedy has been an essential part of culture. Satire was popular in ancient Greece and Rome. Only the most authoritarian leaders and systems attempt to stamp out humor that offends them. That's why it's so important to stand up for the right of comedians to joke about anything.

You Can't Joke About That is an important contribution to our chaotic cultural discourse. I'd recommend the audiobook, as Kat narrates it herself and does so in a very engaging way (she is, after all, a comic and commentator). The book manages to be funny and entertaining as well as insightful.