Tucker Max

For the Tucker Maximum Security Unit state prison in Arkansas, see Tucker Unit.
Tucker Max

Max at 140tc (September 2009)
Born (1975-09-27) September 27, 1975[1]
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation Writer, blogger, producer
Alma mater University of Chicago (BA)
Duke University (J.D.)
Genre Comedy, Fiction
Notable works I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, Assholes Finish First, Hilarity Ensues, Sloppy Seconds: The Tucker Max Leftovers

Tucker Max (born September 27, 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American author and public speaker. He chronicles his drinking and sexual encounters in the form of short stories on his website TuckerMax.com, which has received millions of visitors since Max launched it as the result of a bet in 2000.[2][3][4]

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell was a New York Times #1 Bestseller and made the Best Seller List each year from 2006 to 2012.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11] It has sold over one million copies worldwide, including 400,000 copies in 2009 alone.[12][13] His book was subsequently made into a feature film of the same title, which received generally negative reviews and[14] numerous critics considered to be one of the worst films of the year.[15][16][17] In 2010, he released a book titled Assholes Finish First, and in 2012 marked the literary releases of both Hilarity Ensues and Sloppy Seconds: The Tucker Max Leftovers. He was a 2009 Time 100 finalist based on internet votes, although he did not make the magazine list.[18][19]

Personal life

Tucker Max's father, Dennis Max, is a restaurant owner in South Florida.[20] According to Max, his parents met at "one of George Jung's coke parties in Manhattan Beach".[21] Tucker grew up in Lexington, Kentucky and graduated from the Blair Academy in 1995, where he was voted "most egotistical".[22] He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Chicago in three years, with a B.A. in Law, Letters, and Society in 1998. He attended Duke Law School on an academic scholarship, earning a J.D. in 2001.[23]

Max resides with his wife, Veronica, and his son, Bishop William Max, born July 30, 2014.

Career

He began his career by publishing The Definitive Book of Pick-Up Lines (2001), which he followed up by Belligerence and Debauchery: The Tucker Max Stories (2003). He was the facilitator of the website "Tard Blog", from 2002–2003.[24][25] In 2006, he began development of a television pilot for Comedy Central, but the project was canceled reportedly due to a dispute with Sony about feature film rights.[26]

In September 2006, Simon Spotlight Publishing, a division of Simon & Schuster, announced that Max was contracted to release a book in January 2008, Assholes Finish First. Undisclosed delays pushed the release date to September 2010.[27] He reportedly received a $300,000 advance for Assholes Finish First, and released a revised and expanded edition of I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell in January 2009.[28][29][30][31]

He co-founded an online company named Rudius Media. The company website stated that it was "dedicated to finding, publishing, managing and publicizing new and original content by unknown or under-promoted artists and writers."[32] His blogging network included psychologist Rob Dobrenski, journalist and television host Mark Ebner,[33] strategy writer Robert Greene, and actor/comedian Jamie Kennedy.[34][35][36][37] Rudius Media was closed down on November 1, 2009.[38][39]

In 2008, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Tucker Max was producing a movie based on his bestselling book, also titled I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell.[40] He detailed the process on a production blog hosted on the movie's website.[41] Actor Matt Czuchry (The Good Wife) portrayed Tucker in the film.[42] The film was panned by critics and earned $1.4 million at the box office on a $7 million budget.[43] Max attributed the poor box office performance of the film to oversights in marketing, but expressed hope it would find an audience on DVD. In 2011, he was a guest speaker at the Ancestral Health Symposium, giving a presentation entitled From cave to cage: Mixed martial arts in ancestral health.

In January 2012, Max claimed he was leaving behind the lifestyle he had described in his books and that he had been in psychotherapy.[44] In February 2012 a publicity campaign for his book Hilarity Ensues led to his account with the company Sponsored Tweets being banned for "ethics violations".[45]

Starting summer 2014, Max started collaborating with Dr. Geoffrey Miller on a podcast called The Mating Grounds.[46] In September 2015 Max and Dr. Miller released Mate: Become the Man Women Want, an advice book about men's sexual strategies published by Little, Brown and Company.[47]

In November 2014, Tucker Max published his experience of working with Melissa Gonzalez, CEO of the Lionesque Group for her book The Pop-Up Paradigm [48] - the first project of his new start-up, Book In A Box. Book In A Box writes and publishes books for entrepreneurs who wish to have their own book but don't have the time, ability, or patience to do it the conventional way.[49]

Currently, Tucker Max is supporting a "female Tucker Max". Though many fans may label her as such, she writes differently (focusing on her own faults rather than criticizing those of others). This blog features erotic stories including men and women, as well as more general stories of debauchery. Although it has a lot in common with Max's previous novels, a refreshing change of pace is attributed to her diversity.

Fratire

Main article: Fratire

Max, along with George Ouzounian (known more commonly by his pen name, Maddox), is considered a founding author of the 21st century literary genre "fratire".[50] The term was introduced by The New York Times reporter Warren St. John in a 2006 article titled Dude, Here's My Book.[51] The genre is characterized by masculine themes and could be considered the male equivalent of chick lit.[51][52] Both Max and Maddox dislike the label, pointing out that neither of them were ever in fraternities. In the final chapter of Hilarity Ensues, and in a post on his website, he announced he has retired from writing Fratire, explaining:

Over the last couple years, I've realized that I don't do all the funny but stupid shit I did when I was 25 anymore, and I find myself writing about the way my life used to be. I'm not the same person I was when I started writing these stories, and I don't live the same life I did then — so it no longer makes sense for me to keep writing that way.

In the same chapter, Max stated that he is currently working on an "advice book" (alongside Nils Parker, co-writer of the I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell screenplay), as well as other undisclosed projects.

Controversies

In 2003, he posted on his website an account of his relationship with Katy Johnson, who was Miss Vermont in 1999.[53] Johnson filed a lawsuit claiming, among other things, invasion of her privacy.[53] In response to the lawsuit, a Florida state court judge issued an order for Max not to write about Johnson; not to use Johnson's first, full, or last name; not to use the phrase "Miss Vermont" on his website; and not to disclose any "information" or "stories" about Johnson. Legal experts called the decision "kooky" and "clearly a suppression of free speech".[53] The ACLU intervened, filing an amicus brief, claiming a breach of Max's First Amendment rights,[54] which led to Johnson voluntarily withdrawing her lawsuit, and Max's story was once again posted on his website. An expanded version of the story was later published in Hilarity Ensues.

In January 2006, Max posted a thread on his message board satirizing Anthony DiMeo, a young Philadelphia socialite, for throwing a New Year's Eve party that was a disaster. The number of young partygoers showing up greatly exceeded expectations, which resulted in the food and alcohol running out well before midnight. The more than 700 partygoers got unruly, two pieces of art were stolen, and city police were called in to disperse the crowd.[55][56] DiMeo sued Max under the Violence Against Women Act claiming some comments on Max's message board were libelous and represented criminal behavior.[57][58] The lawsuit was subsequently dismissed under the Communications Decency Act, with U.S. District Judge Stewart Dalzell noting that although Max could be a "poster child for vulgarity", the law must protect "the coarse conversation that, it appears, never ends on TuckerMax.com."[59][60]

In May 2009, Max held a speaking engagement which was picketed by a feminist group at Ohio State University, who claimed that his writing "promoted a culture of rape."[61] In August 2009, the North Carolina State University Women's Center held a silent protest of I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell.[62] The advertisements themselves were also vandalized in multiple cities.[63][64] In his book Trust Me, I'm Lying, marketer (and personal friend of Tucker Max) Ryan Holiday claimed to have defaced some movie posters himself, as a publicity stunt to get media attention for the movie.[65]

For three years starting in 2005, Max was harassed by a man named Justin Massler, who sent him repeated "Unabomber type" emails, and showed up uninvited to a 2006 party hosted by Max while dressed up as a superhero. The altercations made national news after Massler was charged with stalking Ivanka Trump in 2010.[66][67]

In 2012, hoping to offset a part of his owed taxes in a way that also provided self-promotion, Max reportedly offered to donate $500,000 to Planned Parenthood if they named an abortion clinic after him. Planned Parenthood declined.[68][69][70]

Bibliography

Filmography

Writer
Year Film Other notes
2009 I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell Co-written with Nils Parker
Producer
Year Film Other notes
2009 I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell

References

  1. ↑ Tucker Max date of birth
  2. ↑ Darko to Serve Max's Beer Variety. "Richard, Ted and I all appreciated Tucker's gonzo style of writing in his book", Tatiana Siegel, June 10, 2008.
  3. ↑ "Three in the Can for Beer in Hell", Hollywood Reporter, July 8, 2008.
  4. ↑ Profile in Variety
  5. ↑ New York Times Bestseller List Paperback Nonfiction, February 5, 2006
  6. ↑ New York Times Bestseller List Paperback Nonfiction 5/7/07
  7. ↑ NYT Bestseller List Paperback Nonfiction, April 13, 2008.
  8. ↑ New York Times Bestseller List Paperback Nonfiction, January 2, 2009.
  9. ↑ New York Times Bestseller List Paperback Nonfiction 1/1/10
  10. ↑ New York Times Bestseller List Paperback Nonfiction 11/08/09
  11. ↑ New York Times Bestseller List Paperback Nonfiction, April 10, 2011.
  12. ↑ Lee, Chris (September 20, 2009). "Tucker Max in a 'Hell' of his own making". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
  13. ↑ "Facts & Figures 2009 Revised". Publishers Weekly. April 5, 2010.
  14. ↑ "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
  15. ↑ The ten worst movie moments in 2009.
  16. ↑ The worst movies of 2009? A little help, please
  17. ↑ "12 Awful Movies of the Last Decade". Chicago Tribune.
  18. ↑ Time Magazine profile of Tucker Max
  19. ↑ "The Los Angeles Times Tucker Max in a 'Hell' of his own making", Los Angeles Times, September 20, 2009.
  20. ↑ Staff. "Dennis Max". Max's Grille website. Retrieved 2008-01-15.
  21. ↑ "Tucker Max Grows Up: How To Redefine Your Story & Find Happiness | Rich Roll". www.richroll.com. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
  22. ↑ "Sloppy Seconds: The Tucker Max Leftovers - Tucker Max - Wattpad". w.tt. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
  23. ↑ "Biography and Press Kit". TuckerMax.com. Retrieved 2010-01-03.
  24. ↑ Google.com
  25. ↑ TardBlog Mirror
  26. ↑ Goldstein, Gregg "'Beer in Hell flowing to Big Screen", Reuters, April 17, 2008.
  27. ↑ Tucker Max. "Assholes Finish First". Amazon. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
  28. ↑ "Gilmore Girls" veteran tastes 'Beer in Hell', Yahoo News.
  29. ↑ Vance, Ashlee (March 11, 2007). "Tucker the f**ker claims blogger book deals are 'easy'". The Register. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  30. ↑ Max, Tucker (January 2, 2008). "Vote on the new cover for IHTSBIH". The Rudius Media Messageboard. Archived from the original on January 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  31. ↑ Max, Tucker (January 1, 2009). I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell (Paperback). Citadel. ISBN 0-8065-3106-1.
  32. ↑ "Rudius Media". Rudius Media. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  33. ↑ Mark Ebner Bio Tru TV "He also writes a blog on breaking news from the corner of Hollywood & Crime at HollywoodInterrupted.com."
  34. ↑ "About the Rudius Authors". Rudius Media. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  35. ↑ "Hollywood, Interrupted" (Mark Ebner)
  36. ↑ "Power, Seduction and War" (Robert Greene)
  37. ↑ "JamieKennedy.net" (Jamie Kennedy)
  38. ↑ Lifeat160.com
  39. ↑ Philalawyer.net
  40. ↑ IMDB: I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell
  41. ↑ I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell – The Movie blogsite.
  42. ↑ Jesse Bradford, Matt Czuchry, and Geoff Stults in "Hell", ArtistDirect.com, July 10, 2008.
  43. ↑ BoxOfficeMojo.com on film version of I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell
  44. ↑ Ellsberg, Michael (January 18, 2012). "Tucker Max Gives Up the Game: What Happens When a Bestselling Player Stops Playing?". Forbes. Retrieved March 3, 2012.
  45. ↑ Thier, David (February 7, 2012). "Tucker Max's Rejected Twitter Campaign and Stab at Celebrity Endorsement". Forbes. Retrieved March 3, 2012.
  46. ↑ "The Online Guide to Sex & Dating For Men". Retrieved Jan 13, 2015.
  47. ↑ amazon.com Mate: Become the Man Women Want
  48. ↑ http://www.amazon.com/The-Pop-Up-Paradigm-Connections-ebook/dp/B00P04ZYRA
  49. ↑ Max, Tucker (November, 2014). My Start-up Made 200k In Its First Two Months...And I'm Embarrassed. linkedin.com
  50. ↑ "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell's Tucker Max Talks With Philly2Philly.com". Philly2Philly. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
  51. 1 2 St. John, Warren (April 16, 2006). "Dude, Here's My Book". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-04-24.
  52. ↑ Harkin, James. "The return of the real man". Financial Times (September 15, 2006). Retrieved 2010-06-20.
  53. 1 2 3 New York Times – Internet Battle Raises Questions About Privacy and the First Amendment
  54. ↑ TuckerMax.com: ACLU amicus curiae
  55. ↑ "What fun: A judge's ruling on libel suit" The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 31, 2006; accessed via Lexis Nexis, February 19, 2009. "The four-hour event with food and open bar at Le Jardin, in the Philadelphia Art Alliance gallery, ended early, the judge said -and after more than twice the 325 invitees showed, the liquor ran out, and revelers turned unruly, stealing two artworks, tearing sconces, trying to make off with a donations box."
  56. ↑ "Sometimes failure is funny: DiMeo's NYE party", Rudius Media Message Board. January 3, 2006.
  57. ↑ "Online rudeness to the max, but is it libelous?" The Philadelphia Inquirer. March 18, 2006; accessed via Lexis Nexis, February 19, 2009. "By contending that Max's site violated the new law that prohibits anonymous annoyances on the Web – the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 – the comments also represent criminal behavior, the lawyer alleged."
  58. ↑ Duffy, Shannon. Judge: Bloggers Entitled to Immunity Under Communications Act Law.com. June 2, 2006.
  59. ↑ "Courts are asked to crack down on bloggers, websites" USA Today. October 3, 2006; accessed via Lexis Nexis, February 19, 2009 "In dismissing the suit, U.S. District Judge Steward Dalzell noted that Max "could be a poster child for the vulgarity" on the Internet, but that he nevertheless was entitled to protection under the Communications Decency Act."
  60. ↑ "What fun: A judge's ruling on libel suit" The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 31, 2006; accessed via Lexis Nexis, February 19, 2009. "While Dalzell wrote that "there is no question that tuckermax.com could be a poster child for... vulgarity," he found the law must protect "the coarse conversation that, it appears, never ends."
  61. ↑ Itzkoff, Dave (September 4, 2009). "Rude, Crude and Coming to a Theater Near You". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
  62. ↑ "Student Protesters Stage Rally Opposing Tucker Max Film Screening". Fox News.com. August 27, 2009. Retrieved 2010-03-17.
  63. ↑ "LA Not Particularly Welcoming to Tucker Max". Curbed LA. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
  64. ↑ "Little Italy to Tucker Max: Va Fan Culo!". Gothamist. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
  65. ↑ http://www.businessinsider.com/the-10-biggest-lies-told-by-american-apparels-top-pr-man-2012-8?op=1
  66. ↑ Balagna, Jay; Schapiro, Rich (April 3, 2010). "Alleged Ivanka Trump stalker Justin Massler also targeted 'I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell' author". NYDailyNews.com. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  67. ↑ Raymond, Adam K. (April 3, 2010). "Ivanka Trump's Stalker Wanted Tucker Max to Join His 'Group of Real-Life Superheroes'". NYMag.com. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  68. ↑ The Daily Beast coverage of purported Tucker Max offer to Planned Parenthood, April 3, 2012.
  69. ↑ TuckerMax.me Trying to Donate to Planned Parenthood is Exhausting, April 4, 2012.
  70. ↑ Planned Parenthood Turns Down $500,000 From Tucker Max, April 3, 2012.
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