Playing with Myself

by Randy Rainbow

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

“Let’s put on a show” are five of our favorite words. Randy Rainbow KNOWS how to do that – and 1.4M followers on Facebook can’t be wrong. So now it’s EVERYONE’s turn to get it on the act. Ladies and gentlemen, we encourage you to enjoy the company of Randy Rainbow!

Instant New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller!

An intimate and light-hearted memoir by viral sensation and three-time Emmy-nominated musical comedian Randy Rainbow that takes readers through his life—the highs, the lows, the lipstick, the pink glasses, and the show tunes.

Randy Rainbow, the man who conquered the Internet with a stylish pair of pink glasses, an inexhaustible knowledge of Broadway musicals, and the most gimlet-eyed view of American politics this side of Mark Twain finally tells all in Playing with Myself, a memoir sure to cause more than a few readers to begin singing one of his greatest hits like “A Spoonful of Clorox” or “Cover Your Freakin’ Face.”

As Randy has said, “There’s so much fake news out there about me. I can’t wait to set the record straight and finally give people a peek behind the green screen.” And set the record straight he does. Playing with Myself is a first-hand account of the journey that led Randy Rainbow from his childhood as the over-imaginative, often misunderstood little boy who carried a purse in the second grade to his first job on Broadway as the host at Hooters and on to the creation of his trademark comedy character. In chapters titled “Pajama Bottoms” (a look back at the days when he wore pajama bottoms on his head to pretend he was Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz), “Yes, It’s My Real Name, Shut Up!” (no explanation necessary...) and “Pink Glasses” (a rose-colored homage to his favorite accessory), Playing with Myself is a memoir that answers the question “Can an introverted musical theatre nerd with a MacBook and a dream save the world, one show tune at a time?”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250276254
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/19/2022
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	15,366
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Randy Rainbow is a three-time Emmy-nominated comedian, actor, singer, writer, and satirist best known for his popular series of musical parodies and political spoofs, which have garnered him international acclaim. Randy tours the U.S. to sold-out audiences, and his viral comedy videos receive millions of views across all social media and digital platforms. He resides in New York City.

Table of Contents

1 Yes, It's My Real Name, Shut Up 1

2 Pajama Bottoms 7

3 Playing with Myself 15

4 Up-Syncing for My Life 24

5 You're a Gay Man, Charlie Brown 31

6 Donald Trump Is My Father 44

7 I'm a Pretty Gurl, Momma 54

8 Chicken 61

9 The Prick in the Balloon 76

10 L'Chaim, Mel Gibson! 87

11 Goodnight, Irene 102

12 WTF Rhymes with Orange? 111

13 Beyond Parody 125

14 It's Not Easy Being Green Screen 132

15 Not Now, Jimmy Kimmel! 139

16 Viral 152

17 Seems We Just Get Started and Before You Know It … 164

18 … Comes the Time We Have to Say So Long 174

19 Pink Glasses 185

20 Cleanup on Aisle '10 190

21 Patti Fucking LuPone 208

22 Ladies and Gentlemen, My Mother … 216

23 What Are You Gonna Do? 233

24 Me, My Selfie & iPhone 241

Acknowledgments 247

Editorial Reviews

02/07/2022

In this rollicking debut, comedian Rainbow recounts his coming out—but “more like in the ‘eighteenth-century aristocratic debutante presenting herself to society’ ” kind of way. Growing up in the 1980s in Commack, N.Y., Rainbow adored musical theater, and, by his teenage years, worshipped a new god: Barbra Streisand. Packing his narrative with well-timed zingers, Rainbow recalls chasing his Broadway dreams in Manhattan, juggling a variety of part-time jobs (including as a host at Hooters), and steadily making his way into the performing world. Combining his love of theater and comedy, Rainbow eventually created his blog, The Randy Rainbow Bloggity Blahg-Blahg, where he sharpened his flamboyant comic pieces, playing a “hopefully lovable, part gossip girl... part vapid social media star” version of himself who wound up in such unlikely (fictional) circumstances as dating “homophobic” actor Mel Gibson. As he recounts, his videos garnered him thousands of acolytes, among them Carol Burnett, Rosie O’Donnell, and his idol Streisand—each of whom he writes of with gushing admiration. Though Rainbow’s campy on-screen comedy doesn’t always translate well to the page, his gift for striking a well-honed phrase (“I was in the prime of my twinkdom and was not about to let these gorgeous gams of mine go to waste”) will have readers cackling. Fans are sure to be heartened and tickled by this entertaining account. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

I was already a big fan of Randy’s commentary on American celebrity and culture. Always smart, always wickedly funny, with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek. I waited, as we all did, for his next target. Then he asked me to sing with him. His target, Donald Trump. Oh joy! I went to his apartment and met a shy, handsome young guy who just happens to have this enormous talent. It was a joyful two hours. I left his home with a huge smile and lots of swag. I wait patiently now, as we all do, for his next video that will make me laugh, make me feel not so alone in my thinking, make me wonder in awe at the audacious force of nature that is Randy Rainbow.”
—Patti LuPone

“Discovering Randy is one of my happiest memories. I don’t toss around the word ‘genius’ often, but there’s no other word to describe him. After being in touch with each other, I’m thrilled to call him my friend. He’s as nice as he is talented. Wow.” —Carol Burnett

“Brilliant . . . as good as anyone writing lyrics today.” —Stephen Sondheim

“I fall in love with Randy Rainbow a little bit more with each new video. Brilliant! And that voice!” —RuPaul

“Randy Rainbow is so damn important.” —Lin Manuel Miranda

"A rollicking debut . . . packed with well-timed zingers . . . Rainbow's gift for striking a well-honed phrase will have readers cackling. Fans are sure to be heartened and tickled by this entertaining account." —Publishers Weekly

"Buoyant and campy throughout, Rainbow’s revelations and lighthearted banter will entertain fans and newbies alike. A chatty autobiography brimming with heart and humor."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Filled with the kind of anecdotes that anyone raised on a steady diet of Sex and the City and Broadway musicals will eat up with a spoon, Rainbow's memoir is pure, indulgent fun. Fans of Rainbow (there are millions, and they include big-name celebs, presidential candidates, and Broadway superstars) will want this book immediately, as will anyone who enjoys a good, dishy celebrity memoir." —Booklist (starred)

From the Publisher

2022-02-09
Debut memoir from the popular comedian, actor, and writer.

In his debut memoir, Rainbow (“my very real last name”) shares his memories, beginning with his star turn in a backyard production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on his eighth birthday. Growing up on Long Island with a “showbiz-positive family,” the author depicts a flamboyant childhood influenced by his grandmother and her celebrity fascinations. “My eight-year-old childhood bedroom,” he notes, “looked more like the men’s room at a gay bar in Hell’s Kitchen.” Rainbow’s engagement with ballet classes and musical theater provoked relentless schoolyard bullying until a family move to Florida introduced him to the unique strengths to be found in coming out and celebrating his obsession with his “lord and savior,” Barbra Streisand. As his parents’ relationship deteriorated, Manhattan beckoned. In between auditions, Rainbow worked as the “jovial gay boy at the host stand” at Hooters. Honing his stand-up comedy skills, he started a blog, which branched off into a series of comedic video sketches that satirized, among other topics, a fictional relationship with Mel Gibson and a tryout for American Idol. When Rainbow began delving into political parodies, particularly his skewering of the chaotic 2016 presidential campaign, his fame exploded. “For the first few years of Trump,” he writes, “I basically lived inside a giant green screen.” Still, he admits that his career has been a constant hustle and that the isolating cross-country tours “ain’t for sissies.” Rapidly paced comic absurdities fill the remainder of the book, as the author provides anecdotes about his struggles to remain upbeat and social media relevant in the fickle entertainment world despite multiple Emmy nominations. In the concluding chapters, the author openly discusses the public backlash from past controversial comments on Twitter, which he attributes to “sloppy efforts as a young comedian” to be funny. Buoyant and campy throughout, Rainbow’s revelations and lighthearted banter will entertain fans and newbies alike.

A chatty autobiography brimming with heart and humor.

Kirkus Reviews