Books and Sweatsocks 6.03.11: Part 2 – Foley Is Good And The Real World Is Faker Than Wrestling

BOOKS AND SWEAT SOCKS
PART 2: FOLEY IS GOOD – AND THE REAL WORLD IS FAKER THAN WRESTLING

Not long after this book came out, Mick said that he thought this book was even better than his first. However, he’s apparently (if you trust Wikipedia) since decided that, perhaps the first book is better. Well I disagree. As good as the first book was (and I know I was rather hard on him at times, but it was a great book), this one is even better! This book is the first time that Foley really tries running a theme to the book. The book itself is just an additional to his memoirs, picking up in the aftermath of him winning the WWF Title in December 1998 though his retirement in 2000 and becoming the commissioner, and it ends in January of 2001. But as he discusses the final years of his career, the various experiences while actually writing the first book, and others things he was involved in, Mick shows examples of how other, more respected, professions are “Faker than wrestling.” The big example being the media, with Mick’s telling of an interview he gave to 20/20 that was edited to be interpreted totally out of context. Not unlike an interview a few years back with John Cena which was edited to make it sound like he was admitting, in a roundabout way, to being a steroid user.

The Good:

Most of the same good qualities of the first book are found here. His humor and penchant for good storytelling are at the forefront of things. I stated in my review of the first book that the only things I really found to be overall damaging to the book were his issues with Ric Flair. Thankfully, that doesn’t pop up at all in this book. He talks about writing about Flair from time to time and there’s a somewhat snide remark regarding Flair to the effect of if Flair was upset by what Foley wrote in the first book, then he’s lucky he didn’t see everything Mick had originally written. He also more or less makes peace with Flair by stating that he’s felt no ill will toward him since writing the book.

Once again, there’s no shortage of humor to the book. Mick’s story of himself, Edge, the Kat and Blue Meanie ribbing Al Snow about them meeting Brittany spears, and Brittany calling Mick was pretty funny. The chapter devoted to “The Tale of the Penis Suplex” will either crack you up or gross you out, depending on how you feel about reading about Al Snow’s junk being exposed. At one point, Mick talks about how he thinks he’s used Al Snow too often as the butt of the jokes and switches to Test and the Mean Street Posse. In that case, he saved the best of the Al jokes then, because this one contains some of the best ones between both books. He relates the story of Al Snow’s action figures being pulled from store shelves, and thus, making them “For the first time, actually worth something.”

But, what I think sets the book apart from Have A Nice Day, and makes it a better book is that Mick teaches the reader about things other than his career and some behind the scenes aspects of the wrestling business. Before I read this, I had no idea how most autobiographies were written, it almost seems haphazard to think of books being written that way. Mick’s chapter devoted to Drugs and Choices was also an eye opener to me when I first read this book at age 18. Especially his comments about pot (not so much advocating it, but giving his few that it’s not the worst thing out there), and how a simple pain pill could effect the outcome of a fan asking a wrestler for an autograph when he sees him in public. Mick also talks about the trials and tribulations of the process after he writes the book until it comes out. Stories about how the publisher didn’t want it to be so long, things like Terry Funk being called “The F*cker” instead “The Funker,” and the legalities so he doesn’t get sued, such as for talking about 2 Cold Scorpio having a large penis (Note from Mike: lots of penis talk in this book, I never really noticed it before).

Best of all, in my opinion, was the last part of the book, where he takes a stand and defends the WWF against the actions of the PTC. Now, when I first read this book I was probably 75% mark and 25% smart. Meaning, that I had an idea that things were booked in advance and I knew of the basic terms that everyone and their brother knows now. But I didn’t really understand the business the way I do now (the way that I’ve actually had several wrestlers compliment me for, btw). But, even as an 18 year old kid, I knew who the PTC were and how much they were dragging the WWF through the mud. So it was great to see someone finally stand up for the WWF, as well as the amount of light that Mick sheds on the Indiana study and the PTC, to prove that their allegations of the evils of the WWF are, indeed, faker than wrestling. The part that I really enjoyed was when he compared the various injuries and risks from the weapon shots typical of late 1990’s and 2000’s WWF with the two Home Alone films.

The Bad:

The only real issues I have with the book (reading it now) are that he gets a bit too cute when he’s taking apart the PTC’s logic and the findings of Indiana study. Mick more than made his point when it came to shedding light on how skewed the results of the Indiana study were. He didn’t need to hammer it home with little cheap shots about the “standardized criteria” that is obviously not very standardized at all. In fact, it was almost a slap in the face to Dr. Ganz (who gave Mick details of the Indiana study) to make some of those comments. It’s the same thing when he talks about Brent Bozell (head of the PTC at the time of the book’s writing), to a greater extent. Mick more than makes his point, but feels the need to continuously elaborate on it and it winds up getting tiresome. Honestly, as funny as it was to read that the lawyers feared that he’d get sued for talking about Scorpio’s johnson, I can only imagine how they’d have felt after reading some of what Foley wrote here.

The Ugly:

Nothing, really. A few of his comments about Brent Bozell the PTC were below the belt, specifically his dramatization for how the PTC determines what is and isn’t acceptable. They weren’t any worse than what the PTC was saying about the WWF, but two wrongs don’t make a right.

The Rest:

The story of why Mick hates Bill Goldberg may rub some people the wrong way. But, it is a funny story, and it obviously wasn’t meant to be taken literally. Hell, Mick himself admitted a few years later that when he actually met Goldberg they got along very well and he thinks very highly of him. But, I’m sure that if Mick had the ability to now, he’d have made some changes to the chapter.

Overall:

If Have A Nice Day was a literary equivalent to Appetite for Destruction (good, but overrated at times) then Foley Is Good would be Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band or Darker Side of the Moon. The best of the best sir, with honors!