4.11.2013

Review of Oh Myyy! (There Goes The Internet) by George Takei


George Takei, of Star Trek and social media fame, is the self-proclaimed naughty eccentric gay uncle that we all wish we had.  And unless you have been living under a rock, you’ve probably been the viewer of George Takei’s many humorous memes on Facebook.   Now, taking his career a step further, he has written a book titled after his catch phrase, “Oh My (There Goes the Internet)”.  How does the book measure up?

Very well, actually.  The only criticism I have of the book is that I wish it were longer.  The book was such a fun read that after I finished the 170-pages or so on my Kindle, I was left craving for more.  Despite its title, I really did expect the book to be a comical spin of George Takei’s life, kind of like a reality show in book form, since most humor autobiographical books are typically like this.  Instead, what I got was an informative and humorous take on social media outlets and how George, a 75-year-old man, was able to use Facebook and Twitter to become an accidental celebrity.  It’s truly remarkable if you think about it.  At the age of 75, George has accomplished more on the internet than many of us from the tech-generation can ever dream.  In contrast, my 79-year-old grandmother doesn’t even know how to turn on a computer.

Overall, George does give small insights into his personal life by filling us in on the development of his acting career since Star Trek.  Apparently, George likes to keep busy because he consistently finds work whether acting on stage, doing voice overs, or performing on Geek-friendly TV shows like Heroes and The Big Bang Theory.  He also gives a few references to his role as Lt. Hikaru Sulu. 
However, these revelations are few and far between.  The book’s main focus is to give humorous insight into the world of social media empowerment with full pages dedicated to explaining the significance of turduckens, bacon, and cats memes.  With that said, if you’re looking for an autobiographical tome with long soliloquys of George Takei’s childhood, you won’t find that here.  

If you want to read George's autobiography, check out To the Stars: The Autobiography of George Takei, Star Trek's Mr. Sulu. In contrast, Oh Myyy! (There Goes The Internet) mostly concerns itself with the accidental events that made George an internet sensation and brought him back to the media spotlight.  With lots of added humor, this intelligently written little gem is highly digestible for anyone seeking some good entertainment.  Oh Myyy is not only littered with amusing information and internet memes, but also with George’s naughty wit (believe me, he can be very naughty).  To me, George’s wit and ability to make fun of himself is what makes this book one of the most charming books I have read in a long time.   


No comments:

Post a Comment