Jerry Stiller calls Paul Davidson's "Consumer Joe: Harassing Corporate America, One Letter at a Time" "some of the funniest writing since 'Seinfeld,'" but "Consumer Joe" is more like a "Jackass" stunt for the literate. Over a span of about two years, Davidson, writing as David Paulson -- this name inversion is perhaps the most clever thing about the book -- wrote letters to various, well-known companies, such as Coca-Cola, Krispy Kreme, Sharp and Rubbermaid. "Consumer Joe" is a compilation of Davidson's letters and the corporate responses garnered by his inquiries, complaints and suggestions.
Supposedly, these letters and replies help the reader understand the extent to which corporate America dominates society. In reality, the letters fail in this attempt, and many actually showcase genuine thought -- and sometimes humor -- on the part of the corporate representatives.
A few of the correspondences are truly hilarious, notably the ones with Circle K, (involving a fictional Circle K fan club based on a line from "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure") Ben & Jerry's, (proposing a 'Jew Crew' ice cream) and Jamba Juice (proposing Fresh Fish and Thanksgiving flavored smoothies). These are the exceptions, and are funny mainly because the representative who took the time to write back did so with an equal sense of humor. For example, Jamba Juice's Customer Service Manager plays right along in his reply to "David Paulson": "Our research and development department went to work right away in the smoothie lab experimenting with your concoctions. ... The Thanksgiving smoothie (turkey, cranberry and gravy) is posing some challenges."
Some of his letters involve creative premises, as with the Circle K fan club, but many rely on what are now cliched questions or observations, especially his letter to Starbucks demanding an answer to "Why is Starbucks so hell bent on conquest?" and inquiring in a letter to Coca-Cola whether the supply of "New Coke" that was never purchased is in a landfill in the midwest or can actually be obtained.
In most of his letters, Davidson comes off as overly neurotic, as if mental instability is make-up he paints on too thickly. He frequently depicts himself as suffering from attention deficit disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia or dyslexia, as if some mental disorder will make his requests more bizarre or humorous. This tactic seldom succeeds and often serves to make his letters more immature and insulting -- not funnier. Writing to Hasbro, he describes himself as "a child weaned on Ritalin" and testifies that Hasbro's game Simon helped relieve his "uncontrollable fits" like "the mist after a thunder storm."
After receiving a general response (a form letter and coupons) Davidson includes a follow-up letter, as if to make up for the banality of the company's reply. These follow-up letters are nothing more than filler and are, in essence, overkill for already dead jokes. For example, the bulk of his correspondence with Skechers centers on the meaning of the brand name. In his first letter, Paulson claims that the origin of "skecher" is "a Norwegian word that means 'one with a penchant for walking upright.'" When Skechers U.S.A. Inc. replies that the definition is "someone who is image-conscious and trendy," Davidson does not let this stop him. He pens another letter to Skechers pitching an animated television series based on his alternate definition, "one with a penchant for walking upright." This letter, and the many like it, adds nothing to the humor of the correspondence, but only pages to the book.
Still, there are enjoyable and clever parts to "Consumer Joe," especially the closings to his letters. Writing to Gap, he signs himself "Minding the Gap;" to Jamba Juice, "All juiced up;" to Federal Express, "EXRESS-ing myself;" and "Purrfectly in good taste" to Friskies. Also, Davidson uncovers some good tidbits of knowledge: Why Wendy's hamburger patties are square, (square hamburgers cover more of the bun and fit better on the rectangular grills) and what happens if you microwave Marshmallow Fluff for 10 minutes, to name a few. Apart from these pieces of trivia and a few genuinely humorous correspondences, "Consumer Joe" just tries too hard to be funny and provocative, and it isn't ... unless you're a big fan of "Jackass."
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