Southern Comfort in 262 Pages
A Book Review of "Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like A Skank"
Feb 28, 2009
The cover is eye-catching on purpose; a bright pink book with the word "skank" larger than all the rest, even the author's moniker. But don't be fooled by Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like A Skank's gimmicky book jacket; Celia Rivenbark's biting sarcasm and absolute disregard for all things politically correct will have readers not only laughing, but considering the actual wisdom behind some of her conclusions.
Short, Sweet and Hilarious
Rivenbark's essays average only a few pages long at most, which makes this book perfect for someone who can't sit still for long periods of time or has trouble following the continuity of a plot that spans hundreds of pages. She starts off the book with a tale of taking her young daughter to Disney World- a seemingly simple family vacation that she soon realizes is anything but. A common theme throughout the book is the audacity, insanity and sheer intensity that parents exhibit when it comes to their children. (For example, she mentions one friend of hers who dressed up as the tooth fairy and left carefully-placed fairy dust footprints on her child's carpet the night the child lost her first tooth.)
Rivenbark also writes in a way that many can relate to, referring to how parenting and society have changed since she was growing up, like in the title essay, "Stop Dressing Your Six Year Old Like A Skank." Many readers-- even those without children-- are familiar and equally as frustrated with the risque styles becoming more popular with the preschool set.
The thing that is so appealing about Rivenbark is that she comes off entirely unpretentious to her readers. The book includes essays on such common-denominator topics like hating celebrities, ebay addiction and paradoxical men. She writes in a style that meshes sarcasm, anecdotal analysis and the pure hilarity of what her young daughter blurts out to her to create a book that is an easy, uncomplicated and naturally funny read. Many humor books try too hard; Rivenbark, who is reminiscient of talented humor columnist and novelist Laurie Notaro, rarely falls into that trap.
Truly Southern
While Rivenbark is hilarious, the book is peppered with occasional "hons" and "y'alls" that seem like she is trying to hard to remind readers she's from the south and most likely translate better in casual conversation than in the pages of a novel. Still, even Northerners can look past that to see that Riverbark truly has a talent using her acerbic wit to comment on the contradictions and observations of Southern society that often transcend regionality.
Pop Culture References
Those who consider themselves pop culture junkies or are regular readers of gossip magazines will love Rivenbark's scathing commentary on such celebrities as Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Hilary Duff, Monica Lewinsky and Donald Trump, just to name a few. For example, In "Marketing Madness," she writes: "Only a few days earlier, MLB had boasted that Spider-Man is a natural fit for baseball, a statement that makes about as much sense as, 'Why, yes, Mr. Billy Joel, I'd be delighted to let you drive me home!" Gems like that are what make this book a worthwhile read and an uplifiting break from mundane daily life.
Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like A Skank was published in 2006 by St. Martin's Press, New York. The ISBN number is 0-312-33993-3.
