Blank Pages Are The Latest Trend In Political Humor

Conservative websites are currently buzzing about the latest political book to hit the shelves: "Everything Obama Knows About The Economy".

The book, created by credit analyst Jimmy Moncrief, contains a title page and, yes, 150 blank pages thereafter.

The parody, currently retailing for $9.99, has 21 positive reviews and is currently out of stock on Amazon at the time of writing - but it's far from the first title to make this gag.

Moncrief told The Daily Caller that he got the idea from British entrepreneur Shed Simove's entirely blank book
"What every man thinks of apart from sex", which is also available on the Kindle, complete with the option to "Click to LOOK INSIDE".

However, Simove himself was following an already well-trodden path of empty books published in the name of humor.

In October, Mitt Romney released "Rick Perry's Plan to Get America Working Again," a 114-page empty volume, while last December, the UK Conservative party took a swipe at the leader of rival party Labour with the 204-page "Ed Miliband’s Policies for Britain".

Thanks to the rise of digital printing and print on demand, such gags are cheaper and easier to produce than ever. Here's a few recent editions:

• "Everything I Learned in the White House by George W. Bush: The legacy of a great leader" (Sourcebooks Hysteria, Jan 2009, 128 pages)

• "Going Rouge: A Candid Look Inside The Mind Of Political Conservative Sarah Palin" (Bob Silber, Nov 2009, 102 pages, $19.95)

• "The Wisdom & Wit of Sarah Palin" by Haywood ja' Blowmee. (Firehouse Publications, 2010, 100 pages, $5.25) They also released "The Wit & Wisdom of Michelle Bachmann" by Hedda Lettuce (100 pages, $5.25) earlier this year.

• "Everything you need to know about Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and other major Religions" by Michael Xuereb

• In 2010, Kevin Barklage of Virginia created a company, Blankety Blank, entirely to put out blank books "written" by fictional author Ralph Johnson. They carried such titles as "The Presidential Accomplishments Of George W. Bush", "The Case For Global Warming" and "How Duke grads have changed the world."

The earliest example we've come across in this odd trend is the bitterly titled "The Joys of Getting Older" and dates back to 2000, though doubtless there are others.

It could be argued that this concept actually stretches back to Laurence Stern's use of blank "missing" pages in his remarkable, gag-filled "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman", published in 1759-67.

Though there's no sign of this joke wearing thin with satirists of all political persuasions, since the gag is approaching its 250th birthday, perhaps its now time to search for other publishing-related jokes. After all, there's already plenty of overpriced blank paper on which they can be written.

What would you title your next empty book?

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Comments

[Skyhawk]

03:36 AM on 12/22/2011

Subtitle: The Republicans Plan to Save the Middle Class.

[Karl Richard]

02:36 PM on 12/21/2011

Makes for very cool and unique journals. Place them on your bookshelf and no one would even think twice that it is filled with your innermost thoughts.

[lobstur]

11:18 AM on 12/26/2011

I thought so, too! I wonder about the paper quality? They can't've spent much to make all of these... Also, if I bought it, I'd be supporting some weird political cause I could care less for?

[Karl Richard]

04:02 PM on 12/26/2011

You probaly aren't supoorting a political cause. You are giving someone money though that may or may not share your political view and they may use that money for things you dissagree with. You aren't really supporting any view type, though.

[brod26113]

11:18 AM on 12/21/2011

I truly believe Jimmy Moncrief is a jerk. What is Moncrief doing for the economy except selling a blank book to a bunch of suckers, and lining HIS pockets with their money. Instead of shooting off his mouth (or pen or lack of pen), why not help the president with the struggling economy instead of criticizing him.

[threnodymarch]

10:33 AM on 12/21/2011

My idea for a title for one of these: Reasons Why We Should Pay $9.99 for a Book of Empty Pages.

[Studebaker Hawk]

09:49 AM on 12/21/2011

This is a very old joke. I remember these from back when I was a kid.