Rating: 
Summary: Frequently Hilarious Essays on Pop Culture
Review: In the footsteps of Klosterman's Midwestern memoir/history of hair metal (Fargo Rock City) comes this collection of eighteen essays bearing the asterixed subtitle "A Low Culture Manifesto". The subtitle itself speaks volumes about the author's general style:a hyper-ironically witty phrase that displays a certain level of erudition along with a wink-wink, nudge-nudge. Klosterman is almost exactly my age, which means that our broad exposure pop culture exposure has been nearly identical, and while I greatly enjoyed the majority of the essays, there's a tension in his writing between wanting to make fun of low culture, and wanting to treat it seriously. It's the same tension (and flaw) of Fargo Rock City-he's writing about his guilty pleasures, but can't quite commit to the guilt or the pleasure. All that aside, I've probably recommended this book to more friends of mine than any other in recent months.If you browse it in the store be aware that the first essay (about how John Cusak, and emo songsmiths like Coldplay have made the concept of love very tricky for Gen Xers-or at least middle-class white ones), is far and away the best in the book. Which is not to say there isn't a lot of other great stuff. The second essay, about the computer game The Sims, is hugely funny (if only slightly insightful) and the fifth (which first ran in The New York Times Magazine) is an engaging account of a weekend spent on the road with a Guns N' Roses cover band. The sixth is also quite strong, being a comparison of Pamela Anderson with Marilyn Monroe that seeks to explain how the role of celebrity has changed over the half-century between them. His essay on internet porn is brief, funny, and moderately thoughtful. Essay ten, on children's breakfast cereals is almost entirely tongue in cheek, and is hilarious. His thirteenth essay wins the prize for best title ("The Awe-Inspired Beauty of Tom Cruise's Shattered, Troll-like Face"), and is a mostly enjoyable muddle of thoughts about contemporary film. After this is a rather wandering (but good) piece on the popularity of country music. Essays sixteen and seventeen are all about the media. The first is a sort of general purpose "here's the truth about the media from an insider" piece, and the second is a very keen report on music critic's conference. Closing things out is a critique of the wildly popular "Left Behind" series. I would recommend all of these to various of my friends. However, a third of the book isn't so good.. The third essay is about MTV's The Real World series, and fails to make any original points about the reality genre. The fourth is a tortured attempt to explain why Billy Joel is cool, and fails on all levels. The seventh entry is a really weak anti-soccer piece that is a total failure except for a portion where he details his job as a youth baseball coach and subsequent firing. The next essay, about the Lakers/Celtics rivalry of the '80s is equally muddled, and incoherent (probably way more so to those who weren't paying attention to the NBA in the '80s). Essay eleven is about the seminal TV show Saved By the Bell, which I've never watched, so that one went right over my head. This is followed by a rather weak essay attempting to tie Gen X malaise to The Empire Strikes Back. Klosterman's writing style is kind of love it or hate it (I love it). He's too clever and sarcastic by half, and doesn't mind showing it off, which can be kind of refreshing. He's also one of the best writers I've encountered when it comes to profanity-he uses it a lot and quite naturally, which helps to draw you into his bizarre little world. He's also a hilarious footnoter, for example, his essay on Internet porn starts: "When exactly did every housewife in America become a whore?" with the footnote reading "Except of course, my mom." He's also a very prolific digressor, which may infuriate those who want writers to adhere to their one main point, but I rather enjoy the little side trips. I found the 2/3 of the essays that I liked so engaging that I'm willing to let the other 1/3 slide-this time.
Rating: 
Summary: A little heavy on the Cocoa Puffs...
Review: It is kind of unfortunate when journalists take themselves too seriously. In Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, Chuck Klosterman basically tries to show everyone how many useless pieces of pop trivia he can cram into one sentence and make it sound relevant. While this can make for some interesting and funny comparisons, on the whole, the book was self-aggrandizing and really not worth the effort. Contrary to the subtitle, this is not a book about culture, but about how the author believes that because he thinks something is cool, it is culturally significant.
He whines about the fact that all of the best artist and musicians in the country seem to come from middle-America, but his home turf gets none of the recognition. He attempts to claim that the only movies that will really "matter" are those that he liked. He takes on celebrity in the least meaningful ways imaginable. Yet still, the book is well written and at times hilarious. Why? I don't know.
If you like reading funny writing with a faux-philosophical bent, this book is for you. If you actually care about anything, I'd suggest passing on the Cocoa Puffs.
Rating:
Summary: Very Entertaining.
Review: Klosterman's book was well worth the price on the cover. His essays are very witty; any book that makes you laugh out loud several times is definitely a keeper. The stories are insightful looks at the things that seem to mean so little but always seem to mean so much- television shows, video games, music, and others. Also of interest are the brief "asides" between each essay, which give even smaller portions of Klosterman's wit.
The reason I hesitate to give this book the full five stars is that it seemed a bit uneven to me- that is to say, not all the essays were of the same caliber. However, the best ones are good enough to make you forgive some of the ones that never quite click.
Rating: 
Summary: The first chapter
Review: The first chapter of this book is by far the best essay I've read concerning love in the twenty first century. Klosterman put down in words what I had been trying to put a finger on for years: while we all love Lloyd Dobler, he, along with asanine coldplay, are doing everything they can to make it so that true love is forever beyond the ordinary man's reach. The rest of the book flows well, but is not quite so my generation as five years before mine.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This book did not let me down. Chuck is a talented, entertaining writer. I have bought this book for several friends to read also.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of laughs from sex and drugs
Review: This book is an excellent read. Chuck manages to say the things we've only before thought with humor and insight. He has hilarious thought-provoking "interludes" after each chapter which briefly talk about everything from his loathing of punk rock to cats who steal his socks. If you enjoy sociology, pop culture, and a good book, buy Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs.
Rating:
Summary: A must read
Review: This book is an irreverent yet howlingly funny riff on pop culture and life. Mr. Klosterman put together a great collection of essays. It is impossible to call one of them a weak link because each one is wonderful, insightful, and hysterical. Even the ones that discuss some aspect of pop culture that doesn't really interest you are a joy to read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone in need of a laugh (indeed I would probably just recommend it to anyone). 'Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs' will entertain you from page one to the bitter end.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful, funny
Review: This book is basically for anyone who likes to read about pop culture. When I say pop culture, I don't mean celebrity gossip, I mean random, interesting references to music, movies and books. This book is chock full of the latter. Practically anyone can enjoy Klosterman's takes on "coolness" and how it relates to sugary cereal, internet porn, serial killers, reality and simulated reality, a Guns N' Roses tribute band, and more. Right now I'm reading this book for the second time in less than 2 weeks. Highly reccommended.
Rating:
Summary: Often brilliant, funny, and never dull
Review: This book of various essays on pop culture is nearly priceless. Klosterman finds so much relevance in so many throw away items in items in pop culture at times its astonishing. And hilarious. I never thought Saved By the Bell or MTV's Real World could inspire even an interesting paragraph, but Klosterman finds a way to show the significance of these items at the same time conceding their banality in two excellent essays. It's very impressive.
The essay on breakfast cereal was completely mindless, and completely laugh out loud funny, especially the descriptions of the socialogy and psychology of various cartoon characters in breakfast cereal ads.
Klosterman will take positions you'd never think he'd defend, like describing the brilliance of Billy Joel. I can barely tolerate this artist, but Klosterman has made me reconsider him, and frankly, he was about the last person I'd expect to do this. Nor does he take himself too seriously, as he describes his attendance at a Pop Music Conference for academics and music critics, which he totally skewers, even though he readily admits the conference is made for people like him.
And sprinkled through the book are some very insightful comments and insights about the human experience. And Klosterman clearly exposes his personal weaknesses throughout.
Is it perfect? No. There are moments where Klosterman comes across like somebody drunk or stoned at a party who thinks he knows it all, and clearly doesn't. Not all of the essays are great. A comparison between Marilyn Monroe and Pamela Anderson as the representative sexpots of their generation isn't anywhere near as profound as Klosterman thinks it is, and is about twice as long as it should be. And the chapter slamming soccer is a pointless, claiming that his experience as a youth baseball coach made him realize how soccer has failed in America. Uh-huh.
Let me digress that in the United States, many go to endless lengths to say why soccer in un-American, or fails to capture are collective interest, or will fail as a sport, when the fact of the matter is, the just don't get it. In other countries, people will freely admite they "don't get" baseball or American football, but Americans feel we need to go to endless lengths to avoid saying "I don't get soccer". You might say Klosterman inspired me to write this commentary on his commentary.
But ANYWAY, read this book, laugh a lot, look at the world a different way, and enjoy a few nuggets of wisdom.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it.
Review: This book would easily be considered a great work if written 50 years earlier. It is a great book, but because the topic seems very silly (the cultural significance of the real world) it could easily be written off. The biggest shock is, it is true. We want to quickly brush off that there is significance in pop culture.. but it is our culture, as much as we want to hate it.
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