This is a trifle, a bagatelle, perfect for the beach or the plane. Dale Alderman is a big business guy who had the urge to pick up a pen. While he may be the poorer for it, the world of Erma Bombeck and Dave Barry is the richer. He writes with wry good humor about his life, his family, his kids, and coaching little league. If he had a newspaper column, like Chris Erskine in the Los Angeles Times, I'd be reading it too. Dale and Starla sound like gender caricatures. Look, the "Men and Women Are Different" gig has been done. Some people hate it and find it stale; I think it's safe but still has humor potential. This fell flat. Dale seems like a doofus who can't keep his eyes off of anything in a skirt. Starla seems like an indifferent nag who can't comprehend baseball. And upon these two unhappy creatures, he bases the entirety of both genders. It made me mad. I know guys who think about more than sex and sports. They teach me about culture. I could care less about HGTV--give me a quirky indie flick, cult classic, or police drama any day (Law&Order SVU would be my guilty pleasure). I know my sports...I don't like baseball, but I understand it. I'm a football girl. And the real bummer about this whole book is he thinks he's funny, and makes it obvious he thinks he's funny. NO. I know funny writing. This is not funny writing. P.G. Wodehouse is a humor god. For modern day mentors, he should look to some of my favorites, DOB and Soren Bowie. And I'm still baffled as to why this relationship is being held as the most we should hope for (yes, I get that this was supposed to be funny, but I didn't laugh). Really, this book made me depressed. All he thinks about is...well, dumb. And he's constantly talking about other women in this book. So insensitive. Not funny. Highly sexist. I'm in the middle researching sex crimes and trafficking and prostitution and I read this drivel? It's enough to send me through the roof. Even if it's for "humor" the objectification of women is far more dangerous than many people know. And Starla needs to get over herself and stop wearing flannel. Who can sleep in flannel unless it is sub-zero temperatures anyways? And loose the big white panties...he might stop going on about girls half his age. Yes, I'm ranting. Don't care. He made both genders look horrific.....and it wasn't even funny. I would forgive him all of this if I had just laughed.
What do You think about Big White Panties (2000)?
Cute. Some stories really made me laugh. Others didn't. Generally a really cute, quick read.
—julie
Meh. Some of the stories were funny. I had a couple of lulz over the fart story.
—hannahwhoo22
Another Dale Alderman book. Hilarious, a real laugh out loud read.
—AMK
