Playing with Myself
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-04-19 18:21:50
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Randy Rainbow
- ISBN：B09HL452SQ
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Summary
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？”
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？”
Reviews
Holly （bibliophiles_bookstagram）
，
I am a memoir lover。 I really enjoyed this one and all that Randy Rainbow is。 His humor， his voice， his creativity - all of it。By the end of this book I have now seen most of his parody creations， researched many actors and actresses that he had adored， admire and worked with， and started listening once again to Broadway musicals on Spotify - thank you！ If you have never seen his work - GO！！！“ Find the things that brings you joy and wear it proudly like a pair of ridiculous Pink Glasses。 Be weir I am a memoir lover。 I really enjoyed this one and all that Randy Rainbow is。 His humor， his voice， his creativity - all of it。By the end of this book I have now seen most of his parody creations， researched many actors and actresses that he had adored， admire and worked with， and started listening once again to Broadway musicals on Spotify - thank you！ If you have never seen his work - GO！！！“ Find the things that brings you joy and wear it proudly like a pair of ridiculous Pink Glasses。 Be weird， and above all， resist the urge to let others define you………。don’t do them the honor。” 。。。more
chels marieantoinette
，
I'll admit that I wasn't a Randy Rainbow fan until I received the review copy of Playing With Myself， but I definitely became a fan while I read。 This ones not for all audiences， though， it's pretty liberal and can be a tad "crude，" I suppose- nothing that offended me， but I can't see anyone's aunt "Karen" really loving this one。That said， this book is FUNNY， quick， and totally endearing。 Randy discusses his childhood and how he found his comedy niche- he addresses his Twitter "controversy" （whi I'll admit that I wasn't a Randy Rainbow fan until I received the review copy of Playing With Myself， but I definitely became a fan while I read。 This ones not for all audiences， though， it's pretty liberal and can be a tad "crude，" I suppose- nothing that offended me， but I can't see anyone's aunt "Karen" really loving this one。That said， this book is FUNNY， quick， and totally endearing。 Randy discusses his childhood and how he found his comedy niche- he addresses his Twitter "controversy" （which I had no idea about but felt he handled well）- and living in New York during the covid-19 pandemic。 I found his life to be very interesting and I loved anytime he brought up his grandmother， "Nanny，" or his cat。This book is a great balance of humor and heartfelt and while his song parodies （I've fallen down his YouTube rabbit hole since reading this） certainly lean liberal politically， he didn't get preachy or judgy in this book。 The book has great flow and id definitely recommend it。 。。。more
Elizabeth
，
Not a Pulitzer Prize read， but very enjoyable and much better than I expected。 If you're a fan of Randy's you'll enjoy this look into his childhood and the path he took to get to where he is now！ Not a Pulitzer Prize read， but very enjoyable and much better than I expected。 If you're a fan of Randy's you'll enjoy this look into his childhood and the path he took to get to where he is now！ 。。。more
Kristi Betts
，
Gurrrrrl， what a shiny， glittering， sparkling， and fantastic book！When I spotted this book on the NetGalley ARC list， I could hardly believe it。 My son introduced me to Rainbow’s videos during the Pandemic。 Each time a new video dropped， he would immediately send me the link。 Randy’s （yes， I want to be on a first name basis with him） creativity and humor provided smiles and laughter， which were greatly needed during the difficult times we were all experiencing。In PLAYING WITH MYSELF， Rainbow ope Gurrrrrl， what a shiny， glittering， sparkling， and fantastic book！When I spotted this book on the NetGalley ARC list， I could hardly believe it。 My son introduced me to Rainbow’s videos during the Pandemic。 Each time a new video dropped， he would immediately send me the link。 Randy’s （yes， I want to be on a first name basis with him） creativity and humor provided smiles and laughter， which were greatly needed during the difficult times we were all experiencing。In PLAYING WITH MYSELF， Rainbow opens up about the struggles he overcame in order to fill the shoes of his name （which REALLY IS his legal name）。 His love of everything Broadway， not only in his videos， but also in the way he writes so fondly about the songs， shows， and albums。 He does not like song parodies， even though he has gone viral with his expertise in this category。 The outline he provides of his creative process is overwhelming。 His ability to pull Broadway songs from his head to correspond to current events and the research he does in order to write the lyrics is incredible。 His ability to bring all of the pieces together （information， music， lyrics， scripts and video） is masterful， especially since all of this work is completed in his apartment。Steven Sondheim was quoted by Lin-Manuel Miranda saying， “He’s good as anyone writing lyrics now， and what he’s doing is harder。” After watching his videos and listening to his songs， this is an obvious observation。Rainbow opens up about difficult times in his family life and struggles when returning to New York while also being able to add typical Rainbow remarks。 His ability to expose himself （no pun intended） as a character and as a man is moving， and make me like him as a person even more （thus our first name status）。 。。。more
Marybeth Taranow
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I enjoyed this book。 I didn’t really know much about Randy Rainbow until Covid struck and I started watching and anticipating his videos。 It was fun to learn about his childhood and how he has persevered in his career。 This is funny and sad but always up lifting。。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an early copy in exchange for an honest opinion。 3。5⭐️
blythe
，
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC Playing By Myself by Randy Rainbow in exchange for my honest opinion。 I really enjoyed catching up on his life before his viral videos！ If you don't know about Randy， you should check him out on YouTube - he is spoof video royalty， rewriting hilarious lyrics to musical theater showtunes。 My favorite is probably Seasons of Trump。 Randy's humor- and sarcasm-filled tone resonates clearly in this memoir， including really funny chapter titles。 Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC Playing By Myself by Randy Rainbow in exchange for my honest opinion。 I really enjoyed catching up on his life before his viral videos！ If you don't know about Randy， you should check him out on YouTube - he is spoof video royalty， rewriting hilarious lyrics to musical theater showtunes。 My favorite is probably Seasons of Trump。 Randy's humor- and sarcasm-filled tone resonates clearly in this memoir， including really funny chapter titles。 I could hear his voice in my mind as I read， and I could see him in his signature cat-eye glasses。 I bet the audiobook （he narrates！） will be fantastic！ Not only did I laugh， I also teared up at time。 This memoir is honest， sentimental at times， but mostly light and fun。 If you're a Randy fan or a Broadway fan or a satire fan you'll enjoy this fun read that comes out April 19th。 I loved it， I honestly loved it *sung a la Olivia Newton-John* 。。。more
Ellie
，
This is the BEST memoir on the market。 I laughed， I cried。。。a lot！ I love Randy Rainbow even more than I did before reading Playing With Myself。 Beautiful， and honestly written， it is hysterical！ I loved reading about his Nanny， and his Mom。。it's shocking about his father。。。you'll have to read it。 Randy Rainbow is one of the most talented of comedians singers， and performers of this decade。 READ THIS BOOK！ Thank you to Netgalley and St。 Martin's Press for the epub。 I LOVED IT！！！ This is the BEST memoir on the market。 I laughed， I cried。。。a lot！ I love Randy Rainbow even more than I did before reading Playing With Myself。 Beautiful， and honestly written， it is hysterical！ I loved reading about his Nanny， and his Mom。。it's shocking about his father。。。you'll have to read it。 Randy Rainbow is one of the most talented of comedians singers， and performers of this decade。 READ THIS BOOK！ Thank you to Netgalley and St。 Martin's Press for the epub。 I LOVED IT！！！ 。。。more
Maryann
，
If you have kept your sanity during Covid， Randy may have been a reason。 It is interesting to meet the person behind the videos。 Loved reading about mom and grandmother。 I was surprised to see how long his career was。 If you read the book， you get his real name！ Only thing that I didn't like。。。。no pictures！ I need to see your lovely ladies。 I want to see Snow White and your room！ I think we need a Randy picture book。 Thanks NetGalley and Randy for keeping me smiling！ If you have kept your sanity during Covid， Randy may have been a reason。 It is interesting to meet the person behind the videos。 Loved reading about mom and grandmother。 I was surprised to see how long his career was。 If you read the book， you get his real name！ Only thing that I didn't like。。。。no pictures！ I need to see your lovely ladies。 I want to see Snow White and your room！ I think we need a Randy picture book。 Thanks NetGalley and Randy for keeping me smiling！ 。。。more
Donna
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Just like Randy Rainbow himself this book will make you laugh， think and maybe shed a tear or two。 This memoir shows how a gay chubby theater nerd came to entertain the masses。 He owns his own quirkiness and name drops all over the place。 I am a fan but was thrilled to find him so much more than his public persona。 I thoroughly enjoyed this book and truly look forward to see where he goes from here。
Kate
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I can't stress enough how much I love Randy Rainbow！ From his early videos of being Mel Gibson's boyfriend to his fabulous send-ups of show tunes at the expense of whatever horrible politicians， press secretaries， and lawyers （I could go on）， I've been a fan （and a subscriber）。 That said， I think this book will appeal to people who appreciate his work and people who have always felt a little like they didn't belong where they are （but know they must belong somewhere！）。I also like to imagine some I can't stress enough how much I love Randy Rainbow！ From his early videos of being Mel Gibson's boyfriend to his fabulous send-ups of show tunes at the expense of whatever horrible politicians， press secretaries， and lawyers （I could go on）， I've been a fan （and a subscriber）。 That said， I think this book will appeal to people who appreciate his work and people who have always felt a little like they didn't belong where they are （but know they must belong somewhere！）。I also like to imagine someone stumbling upon this book， not knowing who the hell Randy Rainbow is （I mean， is that even a real name？ YES， it is！）， and discovering the one thing that has been missing in their lives。This memoir gives the reader a look at the early life of Randy Rainbow: his relationships with his parents and grandmother， his big move to NYC。 Then it is almost all wonderful name dropping and amazement， but in a "pinch myself， I can't believe this is my life！" sort of way。 Despite any challenges， Mr。 Rainbow finds a way to see the silver linings。 I'm sure this isn't always the case; the loss of his sweet cat， Mushi （during the pandemic， for goodness sake）， speaks to that， as does his relationship with his difficult father， but he carries on。5 big， happy， melodious stars for Playing with Myself！My thanks to St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Howard Davis
，
Randy Rainbow is certainly a very interesting individual and extremely talented。 I enjoy watching his videos and parodies very much。 I thought it might be fun to read his autobiography。 Playing With Myself， published by St。 Martin's Press。I discovered that you can get too much of a good thing。 While his short vocals and parodies are fun and clever， the book is very repetitive and was tiresome for this reader。 Randy Rainbow is certainly a very interesting individual and extremely talented。 I enjoy watching his videos and parodies very much。 I thought it might be fun to read his autobiography。 Playing With Myself， published by St。 Martin's Press。I discovered that you can get too much of a good thing。 While his short vocals and parodies are fun and clever， the book is very repetitive and was tiresome for this reader。 。。。more
Stacey
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Well this was fun！
Lisa
，
Normally I reserve five-star ratings for books of exceptional literary merit， but Randy Rainbow's memoir， "Playing with Myself，" earns five stars for the sheer humor and entertainment value。 The provocative title perfectly encapsulates his approach to his political parody videos: a bit risque， and a whole lot of "play time" with multi-tracks， costumes， wordplay， riffing on beloved and familiar musical show tunes。 I have been a fan of Randy Rainbow's since he began poking fun at the Trump Adminis Normally I reserve five-star ratings for books of exceptional literary merit， but Randy Rainbow's memoir， "Playing with Myself，" earns five stars for the sheer humor and entertainment value。 The provocative title perfectly encapsulates his approach to his political parody videos: a bit risque， and a whole lot of "play time" with multi-tracks， costumes， wordplay， riffing on beloved and familiar musical show tunes。 I have been a fan of Randy Rainbow's since he began poking fun at the Trump Administration， but I had always been curious about his background， and what led him to that point。Unlike many memoirs from show biz personalities， Rainbow doesn't carefully curate what he's willing to share。 He puts it all out there， recounting his growing-up years with an emotionally abusive father， whose death elicited another show tune from Randy: "And I felt 。。。 nothing 。。。" from A Chorus Line。 He describes his socially awkward， overweight teen years， the sanctuary theatre and the stage afforded， and his eventual coming out as gay （or rather， being told he was gay）。 He is remarkably candid， balancing his breezy， self-deprecating humor with occasional gravity， such as the uncomfortable lessons learned when some jokes， made early in his career when he was still experimenting to find his style， came back to haunt him decades later。 Finding a way to overcome his initial defensiveness， and graciously accept accountability， revealed him to be empathetic and caring。Randy Rainbow's writing is very capable and humorous， while still being light-hearted， with many laugh-at-loud moments， reminiscent of his YouTube videos。 He really drew me in and I finished it in a weekend。 He is also humble and quick to credit with a grateful heart the many people--mother， grandmother， friends， show biz legends--who nurtured his talent and career along the way。Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-Book version in exchange for an honest review。 I am really looking forward to the sequel！ 。。。more
Donna Levin
，
Do you grok Randy Rainbow？ Gurl， where have you been？ Open your laptop and go to YouTube – NOW！I am not a celebrity junkie。 I don’t care who’s married， or divorced， or how many children they have。 In fact， I stay away from such news， because if I admire an artist， I don’t want to find out that they’re jerks IRL。 I am a fan of musical theater， though， and I love Randy Rainbow’s videos， in which he creates new lyrics for Broadway tunes， so I took a chance on *Playing，* even though I risked learnin Do you grok Randy Rainbow？ Gurl， where have you been？ Open your laptop and go to YouTube – NOW！I am not a celebrity junkie。 I don’t care who’s married， or divorced， or how many children they have。 In fact， I stay away from such news， because if I admire an artist， I don’t want to find out that they’re jerks IRL。 I am a fan of musical theater， though， and I love Randy Rainbow’s videos， in which he creates new lyrics for Broadway tunes， so I took a chance on *Playing，* even though I risked learning that James Corden is a secret pickpocket。Come to find out that Mr。 Rainbow only has praise for everyone。 （A little suspiciously so， but maybe that’s me。 I don’t like nearly as many people as Randy does。） He even became friends with Anthony Scaramucci。 As Mr。 Rainbow concludes from that episode， “Life is weird。”The book is， in part， a true memoir: Rainbow describes a problematic childhood （with the name “Randy Rainbow，” his parents might as well have written “please bully me” on his birth certificate）， but never with self-pity or bitterness。 I particularly appreciated his loving portrayals of the women in his life， beginning with his mother and grandmother。 He also details the labor-intensive process of putting together his latter-day， highly polished videos。 It’s even harder than it looks， and it looks hard。Extra points for his occasional use of Yiddish， including one word that most non-Jews will have to look up。Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 I was honestly thrilled with it。 。。。more
Maine Colonial
，
I received a free publisher's review copy， via Netgalley。I’m going to assume that nobody reading this review needs an explanation of who Randy Rainbow is。 During the dark days of the last few years， he’s always cheered me up with his topical satirical videos。 I’ve always been impressed by his video production values， his singing voice， and his clever lyrics。 I wanted to know how the Randy Rainbow character came to be。The first surprise came right at the beginning。 （view spoiler）[Who would ever h I received a free publisher's review copy， via Netgalley。I’m going to assume that nobody reading this review needs an explanation of who Randy Rainbow is。 During the dark days of the last few years， he’s always cheered me up with his topical satirical videos。 I’ve always been impressed by his video production values， his singing voice， and his clever lyrics。 I wanted to know how the Randy Rainbow character came to be。The first surprise came right at the beginning。 （view spoiler）[Who would ever have guessed that Randy Rainbow is the actual name on his birth certificate？ （Well， actually， Randy Stewart Rainbow， but still。） And it’s not some hippie-parent thing， either。 Turns out his German ancestors were named Regenbogen， which literally means rainbow in English， and they had it changed when they emigrated to England。 （hide spoiler）]I’m old， so I really wasn’t aware of Randy Rainbow until 2016。 Somehow I missed his early videos， especially his amazing idea to take those horrific audio recordings of Mel Gibson’s abusive rants back in the 2010s and turn them into one side of a phone conversation with Randy as his sweet， clueless， indulgent boyfriend。 I’ve been spending a lot of time checking out Randy’s pre-2016 oeuvre， which is not just a lot of fun， but a great way to see the evolution of his style。I loved reading about Randy’s childhood as the boy prince son of Gwen， and his Nanny’s adored grandson。 Unfortunately， his father was a narcissist who couldn’t deal with the idea of Randy growing up and becoming his own person。There are three key elements to this book: Randy’s love for his mother and grandmother， his lifelong love affair with musical theater， and his view of what he is trying to do with his social media persona。 While the first two elements are the most fun—his mother and grandmother are a hilarious themselves， and he tells some great anecdotes about meeting and sometimes working with his theater idols—his views on social media are thoughtful and interesting。Generally， I think of social media as the scourge of our day， but obviously that’s not universally the case。 Randy notes that he himself was never a big fan of musical parodies， but he realized that musical parody puts everybody who recognizes the music in the same starting place and can be unifying at a time when we are so divided。 He says that many times he has been surprised to discover he has right-wing fans。Randy doesn’t shy away from talking about old tweets of his that have been used to accuse him of racism， sexism， homophobia and—seriously—anti-semitism。 He has an interesting take on all that， which I’ll leave up to you to read for yourself。So who would enjoy this book？ Obviously， fans of Randy Rainbow。 Also， musical theater geeks， people who like memoirs of unusual personalities， and anyone who is interested in the role of social media in society。 。。。more
Doug
，
4。5， rounded up。 Ok， I was predisposed to like this， having been an RR fan even before he broke out in 2016 with his anti-45 song parodies。 But I was pleasantly surprised （and suitably enthralled） by his telling of his own story - which， sure， follows a lot of the well-worn tropes of celebrity tell-alls （and memoirs by gay men！）， but is also rather erudite and well-written。 While NOT as LOL funny as one might expect， it is a fun and fast paced read （I read the entire thing in less than 24 hours， 4。5， rounded up。 Ok， I was predisposed to like this， having been an RR fan even before he broke out in 2016 with his anti-45 song parodies。 But I was pleasantly surprised （and suitably enthralled） by his telling of his own story - which， sure， follows a lot of the well-worn tropes of celebrity tell-alls （and memoirs by gay men！）， but is also rather erudite and well-written。 While NOT as LOL funny as one might expect， it is a fun and fast paced read （I read the entire thing in less than 24 hours， so that says something）。 And it tugs at the heartstring a couple of times， most notably in relating the details of his cat， Mushi's， demise during the pandemic （too ashamed to admit tears WERE shed！）。 If one wishes it were a mite deeper AND gossipier （he's oddly circumspect about his romantic life， for example）， I can't imagine any fan coming away disappointed。 I also have newfound respect for just what an awesome job he did saving my - and many others' - sanity during the Dark Ages from 2016 - 2020。 My sincere appreciation to the author， Netgalley and St。 Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for this honest and enthusiastic review。 。。。more
Tanya
，
Hold your hats and hallelujah！ Ya either got it or ya ain’t， and Randy Rainbow’s memoir - like his musical parodies that have served as a comedic respite for so many of us over the past few years - is a veritable heaping spoonful of sugar。 Rainbow is chatty， dishy， and witty。 Mind you， not everything comes up roses in this tale。 Despite much love and support from his mama and his beloved， sublimely colorful grandmama， “Nanny，” Randy’s childhood environ was no Camelot， and he shares many a memory Hold your hats and hallelujah！ Ya either got it or ya ain’t， and Randy Rainbow’s memoir - like his musical parodies that have served as a comedic respite for so many of us over the past few years - is a veritable heaping spoonful of sugar。 Rainbow is chatty， dishy， and witty。 Mind you， not everything comes up roses in this tale。 Despite much love and support from his mama and his beloved， sublimely colorful grandmama， “Nanny，” Randy’s childhood environ was no Camelot， and he shares many a memory of being appallingly bullied and belittled。 But just you wait。 Feeling there’s no business like show business， he mustered the vim and verve to move to N。Y。C。 and day by day dreamed of having parts to perform。 For years， that seemed the impossible dream as he gave his regards to Broadway while hosting at Hooters and otherwise barely scraping by。 But eventually we see his ascendancy， and Randy takes the reader along on that journey to finding his corner of the sky - while giving the impression throughout of being refreshingly authentic， contemplative and self-aware。 Indeed the book could have been titled a gleeful， “This Is Me。” Or maybe， “Put on a Happy Face，” as the fabulous Randy Rainbow is on a mission to spread a little sunshine and make us all smile even when our hearts are breaking。 In any event， whether he is measuring the seasons of love， babbling about hobnobbing with one of his many idols， remarking on the heartstring tugging parallels between his father and “Donald Jessica Trump，” or extolling the virtues of his trademark pink eyeglasses， this book has something for everyone。 And somehow even through the bits that may leave you misty-eyed or enraged， it’s a jolly holiday with Randy！ ‘S wonderful！ Four stars。 Many thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for providing a complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Annie
，
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 Playing with Myself is an entertaining and full-throttle memoir/autobiography by Randy Rainbow （that's his actual real name， I never knew）。 Due out 19th April 2022 from Macmillan on their St。 Martin's Press imprint， it's 256 pages and will be available in hardcover， audio， and ebook formats。 It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout。 I've really become enamored of eboo Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 Playing with Myself is an entertaining and full-throttle memoir/autobiography by Randy Rainbow （that's his actual real name， I never knew）。 Due out 19th April 2022 from Macmillan on their St。 Martin's Press imprint， it's 256 pages and will be available in hardcover， audio， and ebook formats。 It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout。 I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately。 I can't remember which particular video was the first I saw， possibly Braggadocious in late 2016， but soon I was a firm fan and looked forward to the regular comedic distraction from the real-time horror-show train wreck that was the American healthcare and political arena of those days and years to follow。 I live and work outside of the USA so it was difficult for me to see from afar （especially since I had family still living in the US at the time）。 This is a slightly more contemplative Randy Rainbow， in a longer format and with more background information。 He discusses his early childhood， his school time and trauma and bullying as well as his supportive social circle peers。 He's as flamboyant as ever， but also gives some insight into his performance persona。 I enjoyed reading about his time as a Hooters host （on Broadway， naturally）。 Although it's very funny， and *he* is very funny and very much on throughout the book， there's a lot of openness and vulnerability， especially with regard to his relationship with his father and wider family， as well as some early adult trauma/abuse。 I really think that this book could be of real value to other young people finding their way in their late adolescence / early adulthood to know they're not alone in their isolation。 Four and a half stars。 Definitely one for fans of Randy Rainbow as well as fans of musical theater， broadway， and memoirs/autobiography。 This would also be a good choice for public library acquisition。 Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes。 。。。more
Alice
，
Just finished reading this wonderful book。 I didn't work， just read all day because I couldn't put it down。 Literally laughed and cried。 He is extraordinary， and so is this memoir。Wonderful writing， sounds just like him。 Highly recommend！Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with an advance e-galley in exchange for an honest review。 Just finished reading this wonderful book。 I didn't work， just read all day because I couldn't put it down。 Literally laughed and cried。 He is extraordinary， and so is this memoir。Wonderful writing， sounds just like him。 Highly recommend！Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with an advance e-galley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Steph
，
This was such a fun read！ Randy Rainbow （and yes， his name is real and it’s fabulous） goes over some serious topics in a lighthearted and of course funny way。 Throughout the book he discusses everything from being bullied， relationships， his family， moving to NYC and finding his way to fame。 While there is some name dropping， he really does it in a superfan type way that worked really well。 This honestly could have been a quick one day read， but of course I had to go back and rewatch his videos This was such a fun read！ Randy Rainbow （and yes， his name is real and it’s fabulous） goes over some serious topics in a lighthearted and of course funny way。 Throughout the book he discusses everything from being bullied， relationships， his family， moving to NYC and finding his way to fame。 While there is some name dropping， he really does it in a superfan type way that worked really well。 This honestly could have been a quick one day read， but of course I had to go back and rewatch his videos as he talks about them。 Seasons of Trump remains my favorite， but there are so many great ones！ While I read the physical book， I feel like this would be amazing as an audiobook as well。 Be ready to laugh， tear up and fall down the rabbit hole of YouTube videos when you read this！ 。。。more
Ingrid Stephens
，
I'm sure by now everyone knows who Randy Rainbow is from Facebook or Twitter。 I first saw one of his parody videos during the 2016 election， before the world turned dark。He was funny， his voice absolutely divine， and his jokes and songs were on point。He became at one point， after the election results mainly， the only time I could stand to see or hear what was going on in my country。The laughter he brought with those videos， lifesavers I assure you， is also brought to this autobiography。 Rainbow I'm sure by now everyone knows who Randy Rainbow is from Facebook or Twitter。 I first saw one of his parody videos during the 2016 election， before the world turned dark。He was funny， his voice absolutely divine， and his jokes and songs were on point。He became at one point， after the election results mainly， the only time I could stand to see or hear what was going on in my country。The laughter he brought with those videos， lifesavers I assure you， is also brought to this autobiography。 Rainbow tells it all， maybe more than we want to know， but you can't say he didn't address everything。 Even the so-called scandal that almost got him canceled。It should come as no surprise that the book is filled with Broadway musical quotes and stars。 But also a story of a dream that shouldn't have stood a chance actually coming true。I found it to be a easy and fast read， actually read it in one sitting。 Parts were touching and one actually moved me to tears。 （No one said I would cry， Randy！） I hope this becomes an audiobook， and Randy Rainbow is the narrator。 As I read this I heard it in his voice， because no one else could tell his story like he can。Get yourself a copy as soon as it's released。 April 19， 2022， is the projected release date， so save those pennies now。Thanks to @Netgalley， St。 Martin's Press， and Randy Rainbow for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Sarah
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Randy Rainbow has been a bright spot on the darkness of the last six years。 I don’t think I could have found any humor in the previous presidency without him and he continues to delight to this day。 If you have not seen his videos， get thee to YouTube posthaste。 My favorite is A Very Stable Genius but there are so many gems。 There’s a lot of name-dropping in this book， cataloguing all of the famous people he’s worked with and met， but it wasn’t obnoxious at all。 I found it very entertaining and Randy Rainbow has been a bright spot on the darkness of the last six years。 I don’t think I could have found any humor in the previous presidency without him and he continues to delight to this day。 If you have not seen his videos， get thee to YouTube posthaste。 My favorite is A Very Stable Genius but there are so many gems。 There’s a lot of name-dropping in this book， cataloguing all of the famous people he’s worked with and met， but it wasn’t obnoxious at all。 I found it very entertaining and fun。 And Randy， gurl， you deserve every bit of success。 💋Also this book made me legit sob。 TW if you’ve lost a pet because his story about sweet Mushi was a really tough one for me。 This book comes out on the 19th of this month so pre-order now！！ And yes， that’s his real name。 Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the advanced copy！ #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookreviews #netgalleyreview #netgalley #randyrainbow #memoir #broadway #musicaltheatre #theatrekid #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #advancereaderscopy #readersofinstagram #igreads #gurl #readingrainbow #queerauthors #havebookswilltravel 。。。more
Roger Hyttinen
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Memoirs are not my preferred genre， but when I heard that Randy Rainbow was releasing a no-holds-barred story of his life， I couldn't wait to get my hands on it， given that I've been a fan of his musical political parodies from the beginning。 Like the man himself， this book was so much fun！ I enjoyed learning about his childhood， his family， his struggles with depression， his inspiration， his missteps， and his eventual rise to stardom。 I was also surprised to learn that Randy Rainbow is his real Memoirs are not my preferred genre， but when I heard that Randy Rainbow was releasing a no-holds-barred story of his life， I couldn't wait to get my hands on it， given that I've been a fan of his musical political parodies from the beginning。 Like the man himself， this book was so much fun！ I enjoyed learning about his childhood， his family， his struggles with depression， his inspiration， his missteps， and his eventual rise to stardom。 I was also surprised to learn that Randy Rainbow is his real name - who could have guessed？ I swear Randy Rainbow is the only person who can make the story of one's childhood enjoyable and enthralling。 And if you're a fan of celebrities， Randy does plenty of name-dropping throughout the pages， and I enjoyed learning about his relationships with various actors， actresses， and musicians。I loved getting a behind-the-scenes look at his process — how he comes up with ideas for and makes his videos。 It also becomes clear that his rise to fame was the result of a lifetime of hard work and preparation。 Though there is a serious aspect to the book， especially regarding self-image issues and bullying， overall， it's humorous， light-hearted， and fun， peppered with witty asides， enjoyable banter， and jokes。 I caught myself laughing out loud so many times as I read about his compelling life。 Frequently， I find memoirs to drag in places where I need to slog through them painfully。 Not this one。 Playing with myself was a hoot from beginning to end！ All in all， I found this book utterly delightful， and it gave me a new appreciation for Randy Rainbow。 It was a blast getting to know the man behind the pink glasses。 If you enjoy his creative video spoofs， you should enjoy this funny yet heartfelt book。 It's a refreshing and entertaining read about one of my favorite people。A huge thank you to Netgalley and St。 Martin’s Press for providing a review copy of this book。 。。。more
Stephanie
，
Oh my gosh I love this book！ I was laughing so hard at times that my mom and boyfriend definitely wondered what kind of book I was reading！ It's a quick and easy read， but fun and so enjoyable。 As soon as I came across this book， I knew I had to check it out。 Randy Rainbow's parodies were such bright spots in the bleakest months of the pandemic for me and for so many others - I had a feeling his book would be just as much of a bright spot and I was definitely not disappointed！ Randy's no-holds-b Oh my gosh I love this book！ I was laughing so hard at times that my mom and boyfriend definitely wondered what kind of book I was reading！ It's a quick and easy read， but fun and so enjoyable。 As soon as I came across this book， I knew I had to check it out。 Randy Rainbow's parodies were such bright spots in the bleakest months of the pandemic for me and for so many others - I had a feeling his book would be just as much of a bright spot and I was definitely not disappointed！ Randy's no-holds-barred approach to himself and his life is truly refreshing and so， so funny。 He's able to look back at what made him him in a way that is candid and both self-deprecating and self-accepting。 If you're familiar with his parodies， it reads exactly like you'd expect a book from Randy Rainbow to read。 Although he hits on some touching and painful moments throughout his life， he does it with the kind of finesse that his fans would expect。 Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for an advanced digital review copy in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Jenn the Readaholic
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Okay， first…I knew I would love this book。 And I did。 Second， if there is a king of self-deprecating humor， it may be Randy Rainbow。 And third， I cried over Mushi。 As someone who has had animals her entire life and who has lost cats （and a dog） to kidney failure， I had to put the book down for a minute to mourn his loss alongside the memory of my animals past。 Even worse？ It was in 2020。 Yeah。 This man lives in NYC。 You get where I’m heading with this？ Uh。 Huh。 So， Randy， not that you’ll ever se Okay， first…I knew I would love this book。 And I did。 Second， if there is a king of self-deprecating humor， it may be Randy Rainbow。 And third， I cried over Mushi。 As someone who has had animals her entire life and who has lost cats （and a dog） to kidney failure， I had to put the book down for a minute to mourn his loss alongside the memory of my animals past。 Even worse？ It was in 2020。 Yeah。 This man lives in NYC。 You get where I’m heading with this？ Uh。 Huh。 So， Randy， not that you’ll ever see my review， but I’m so sorry。 I know exactly how you felt and I’m glad you had such a lovely long time with Mushi。 Okay， moving on。 Randy pulls no punches。 He’s open and honest about his life， his follies， his father， and by extension some “possible” daddy issues， and he kept me wanting more。 I laughed。 I cried （literally）。 I laughed some more。 I enjoyed every minute of this book and can’t recommend it strongly enough。 If you’re feeling out of sorts or lonely， Randy’s got you。 He knows so many of the feelings you have。 If you’re looking for a pick-me-up， he’s still got you。 If you want to reminisce about musicals and musical masterpieces， you guessed it。 He’s got you。 This book may be exactly what we need right now， since as I write this， the world seems to be going a bit mad。 So why not escape for a little bit with the humor and love that Randy Rainbow clearly has for life and those graced with knowing him？ 。。。more
Jo Ann
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I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley。I have enjoyed watching Randy Rainbow's videos over the last several years。 He is very creative and talented。 He packs a real punch with his humor。This autobiography gives the reader insight into his family background， childhood， and eventual success。 With unflinching honesty and humor， Randy describes his difficulties growing up being bullied in school and his problems with his brutish father。 Fortunately， he had a loving grandmother and mother who I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley。I have enjoyed watching Randy Rainbow's videos over the last several years。 He is very creative and talented。 He packs a real punch with his humor。This autobiography gives the reader insight into his family background， childhood， and eventual success。 With unflinching honesty and humor， Randy describes his difficulties growing up being bullied in school and his problems with his brutish father。 Fortunately， he had a loving grandmother and mother who supported him throughout。 If you have enjoyed his parodies， you have to read about his real life！ 。。。more
Alissa
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This is just what you want in a celebrity memoir。 Sometimes you read a celeb memoir and you already know all the stories it contains。 But Randy Rainbow is still a rising star - not so much has already been written about him that you feel like you already know his story。 Instead， you get to know the person behind the persona and learn about how he came to become the pink glasses wearing entertainer he is today。 I came with a new appreciation of the many years of work it took this seeming "overnig This is just what you want in a celebrity memoir。 Sometimes you read a celeb memoir and you already know all the stories it contains。 But Randy Rainbow is still a rising star - not so much has already been written about him that you feel like you already know his story。 Instead， you get to know the person behind the persona and learn about how he came to become the pink glasses wearing entertainer he is today。 I came with a new appreciation of the many years of work it took this seeming "overnight sensation" to discover his niche。 I also enjoy the wonder and surprise he clearly still feels at this point in his career when he gets to meet and work alongside his own heroes。 Yes， maybe some of his Broadway reference jokes were a bit obvious and a bit repetitive， but I'll forgive it because there were also points in the book where I smiled and laughed out loud。NOTE: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jenny
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Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book。3。5 stars - I got a big kick out of this memoir。 I love Randy Rainbow and it was fun to learn his story。 This was a quick， easy read。 Lots of name dropping， a little about his process （I would have liked more on that！）， and definitely some giggles along the way。 I'm not sure if he reads the audible version， but if he does I'm sure that would be a hoot。 Nothing too serious or depressing but he does touch on his twitter "scandal" and how that impacte Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book。3。5 stars - I got a big kick out of this memoir。 I love Randy Rainbow and it was fun to learn his story。 This was a quick， easy read。 Lots of name dropping， a little about his process （I would have liked more on that！）， and definitely some giggles along the way。 I'm not sure if he reads the audible version， but if he does I'm sure that would be a hoot。 Nothing too serious or depressing but he does touch on his twitter "scandal" and how that impacted him。 I didn't give this more stars because sometimes the one liners got a little tiresome， and I'm not sure he is everyone's cup of tea。 If you are a fan of his though I definitely recommend this。 。。。more
Tom O’Leary
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Randy Rainbow’s memoir is not only hilarious， it is extremely heartfelt and ultimately very moving。 I normally hate reading about anyone’s early childhood but Randy’s honesty about being different and being bullied for being different was touching and relatable。 I can’t wait for this book to come out so I can give it to everyone。 Bravo & brava， Mr。 Rainbow。
Allison
，
If you love Randy Rainbow on social media， you will love his memoir， because he is just as open， candid， outrageous and entertaining as his videos and tweets and Instagram shots。 Plus you get the back story on his growing up years， his struggles， his musical crushes and his current career。 And unlike social media， it is an in-depth look — no 5 minute video or 280 character tweet but 24 actual chapters！ If I sound breathless it is because that is what happens when I get caught up in Randy’s story If you love Randy Rainbow on social media， you will love his memoir， because he is just as open， candid， outrageous and entertaining as his videos and tweets and Instagram shots。 Plus you get the back story on his growing up years， his struggles， his musical crushes and his current career。 And unlike social media， it is an in-depth look — no 5 minute video or 280 character tweet but 24 actual chapters！ If I sound breathless it is because that is what happens when I get caught up in Randy’s story。 The only question he didn’t address is how does he sing like an angel without formal instruction。 Randy， if you’re reading this， your fans want to know。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Playing with Myself
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Playing with Myself&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Playing with Myself&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0