Seinfeld writer Andy Cowan’s 2018 comedy memoir, Banging My Head Against the Wall: A Comedy Writer’s Guide to Seeing Stars, foreword by Jay Leno, was recently acquired by The National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York, a 2019 USA Today Best New Attraction.
“The Opposite” wasn’t just the classic Seinfeld episode in which George Costanza followed the opposite of his instincts to land success. … opposite of his instincts to land success. The method behind the madness has been championed in industries worldwide and even likened to the rise of Trump. The award-winning writer who helped Costanza win, and first pondered “the opposite” in his own life, identifies traces of it in the legends he mined for anecdotes before the cameras rolled at his first high-profile Hollywood job on which he also became a recurring performer, and in numerous stops along his unique road of comedy writing and performing twists and turns, as the only scribe associated with Cheers, Seinfeld and 3rd Rock From the Sun. (Multiple episodes and staff)
For a Tinseltown backstage pass, lessons from film and television icons, in-the-trenches comedy writing and performing strategies, Seinfeld episodes that could have been, talk show, sitcom and single panel cartoon development, and pitching the decision makers (or doing the opposite of playing their game) you’ll want to keep… Banging My Head Against the Wall!
more
From the maddening thrills and frustrations behind finally landing and trying to survive at the #1 sitcom, to a fly-on-the-wall look at smart comedy writing of all kinds… for established characters in classic sitcoms, original sketches, standup, talk show ice breakers, syndicated cartoon panels… Cowan takes the reader on his candidly vulnerable journey through the jungles of Hollywood. The tenacity it takes is clearer than ever after taking in all of this absorbing book.
Meh.
I’ve always been intrigued with Hollywood and especially the behind-the-scenes drama of what it takes to make it big in the field of entertainment.
Andy takes you along an interesting adventure and amazing journey that he personally ventured through and gives you incredible details of the amazing highs of working with some of the biggest names in Hollywood along with the unrelenting dead-ends and hurdles that are dealt with his tenacious manner. If you like adventure and reality sprinkled with comedy….this is a must read!
Mr. Cowan hits a home run with this memoir about his life in Hollywood and the myriad of stories that encompassed his time. For those that aspire to work in the business or those that want some of the details and behind the scenes action I would high recommend this read. You will not want to put it down, a true page turner that will make you laugh as well as intrigue you every step of the way!
Kurt Vonnegut once said, “Talent is extremely common. What is rare is the willingness to endure the life of the writer.” Andy Cowan gives the reader a realistic look at what it really takes to become successful in the world of comedy writing, as well as being a performer. The book never sugarcoats what it takes to get ahead and make it in a business that devours its prey like a hungry lion on a David Attenborough special. Banging is honest and leaves the reader with an upbeat feeling to stick with your dreams because that’s the only way they’ll ever come true.
A great behind the scenes book about Hollywood. The author is a jack of all trades — sitcom writer, stand-up-comic, singer, and a keen observer of the neuroses of our age. The book is very funny and well-worth reading.
Entertaining, informative, funny. Shines a light on the methods behind the madness of developing and pitching creative babies to the powers that be.
Glad I got this book! I really love sitcoms, and I really wanted to read it. What a great oppertunity to learn about showbiz from someone who has been on the inside. This guy actually has something to say. So cool to relieve the comedy world from the ’80s and ’90s again, and his new stuff in here is really funny too. Really recommend it!
A great insight to the world of comedy and show business . Funny, entertaining and surprising
Smart,clever, and well-crafted comedy from a writer whose stellar credits and variety of creative output here are readily apparent.Not to mention Hollywood lessons learned and interviews with icons like Orson Welles.You can’t please everybody but this sure pleased me!!
I stopped reading this book after about 25 pages. It was so confusing. The writing style wasn’t my cup of tea, I guess. Sorry Andy
I read about half of this book and lost interest I probably don’t care enough about what goes into making a comedy program It was billed as a funny book It wasn’t
Very disappointing
I am not a fan of sit-coms but I found Cohen’s stories enjoyable.
Mr Cowan is much funnier in person than on the written page
Boring. Couldn’t finish. I’ve never started a book that I didn’t finish, but that no longer applies after this one.
Interesting inside show business viewpoint but long rehashing of failed sitcom projects gets a bit tedious.
Not my cup of tea.
This was not what I expected. I did not find it funny.
Andy Cowan, a comedian in his on right, has written an original and funny book about all the Seinfeld and Cheers and Griffin and all the other stars he worked with behind the scenes of Hollywood. His story is a boy who loved TV comedy and got to play with the big boys as an adult. Yet, he never lost his “Wow, I’m a comedy writer,” in a comic world.