Who: Tucker Max

What: Book reading

Where:The University of Minnesota Bookstore in Coffman Union

When:5 p.m.,Oct. 11

By 2002, Tucker Max had just finished his J.D. at Duke Law. He was quickly realizing the degree and subsequent career options, such as defending white-collar criminals and easing sentences for sex offenders, were not his bag.

That same year, Max launched his simultaneously ignominious and fascinating blog www.tuckermax.com. By employing his sexual escapades and outrageous nightlife experiences in this medium, Max soon had a cult following.

His escapades spawned a now-defunct pilot on Comedy Central and a book, âÄúI Hope They Serve Beer in Hell,âÄù which was later adapted to film. Currently, the book has been on the âÄúNew York TimesâÄù Bestseller list for four straight years.

Max soon came under fierce scrutiny for his allegedly misogynistic, defaming and lewd work. Both Ohio State University and North Carolina State University had student groups that protested his work, and several billboards with âÄúIHTSBHâÄùads were defamed. This has left Max unfazed.

 âÄúI donâÄôt understand [why certain groups dislike my work],âÄù Max said. âÄúHalf my fans are women. More than half the people that show up at the book signings are women. And most of them self-identify themselves as feminists. There are definitely fringe groups of kooks who, like, get upset at everything âĦ why would I give a [expletive] about them?âÄù

 ItâÄôs unclear how Max figured that feminists are so impressed with him. It is even more astounding that he assumes theyâÄôre willing to attend a reading in a supporting role.

The fact remains that the stories render an unappealing, objectifying and incomplete image of women. His attempts at reconciling these sentiments in âÄúAssholes Finish FirstâÄù are unsuccessful.

MaxâÄôs âÄúThe (Almost Banned) Miss Vermont StoryâÄù epitomizes this well-recognized characteristic in his work. The feature girl in the story, Katy Johnson, sued Max for several reasons âÄîall of them pertaining to the deprecating depiction of her in the aforementioned piece.

According to Max, this persona heâÄôs shown to the public for the past eight years has mutated significantly.

âÄú[âÄòAssholes Finish FirstâÄô] is about how IâÄôve changed and how relationships changed once I became famous,âÄù he said.

Max will discuss this book in addition to other works at his reading Monday.It does not have entirely new content, reprinting some of the same stories that were inâÄúIHTSBIH.âÄù Overall, it has the same feel as its predecessor, and the evolution of character that Max speaks of is less substantial than he presumes.

A satisfactory retribution against Max is related in âÄúIHTSBH.âÄù In the story, a girl managed to have Max believe that he had a venereal disease for which he had to be tested. The accusation was later proved to be fabricated.

âÄúI donâÄôt know that you understand how much that hurt âĦ to get a metal rod shoved up your [expletive]. ItâÄôs like the [expletive] worst,âÄù he said.

If witnessing the antics of the quintessential asshole in the flesh is a sought activity, his upcoming visit will surely satisfy.