by Tyler Oakley
First published 2015
Tyler Oakley opens his world to readers through a collection of personal essays that reveal the messy reality behind his online fame. The YouTube sensation and LGBTQ+ advocate recounts his most cringe-worthy moments with unflinching honesty. Oakley describes losing control at a Cheesecake Factory, facing off with White House staff, and crashing his car while wearing an Arby's uniform in front of his entire high school. He shares the humiliation of vomiting during negotiations with an elderly woman and countless other mishaps that never made it into his videos. These stories capture the gap between public persona and private reality. Oakley transforms his most uncomfortable experiences into comedy gold, showing how embarrassment becomes material for connection. His essays blend self-deprecating humor with genuine vulnerability, creating portraits of a young person navigating fame while figuring out who he wants to be.
Genres: essays, humor, autobiography, contemporary, comedy
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: embarrassment, self-deprecating-humor
Period: 21st-century
320 pages · Hardcover · Gallery Books