My Inflatable Friend – The Confessions of Rollo Hemphill by Gerald Everett Jones

As an author who combines humor with social criticism, I was interested in Jones’ early work of fiction (he has written about 25 nonfiction works).

Newly spoken valet Rollo Hemphill is a twentysomething from Los Angeles who is both disgusted and intrigued by the celebrities whose cars he parks at a five-star hotel. In an attempt to inspire jealousy in his dream girl, he creates, and makes headlines, a life-like blow-up doll that impersonates an aging but sexy actress staying at the hotel.

Rather than fail, Rollo’s ploy lands him his dream job, endless cash and booze, and a contract to be a sweetheart for actress Ms. Monica LaMonica, whose breasts are almost as perky as her ego. What follows is a hilarious game involving superhero and silicone underwear; the cast of characters ranges from a Hungarian bellboy to a celebrity couple in a Winnebago.

Although it’s a bit pathetic at first, I found myself rooting for Rollo, who begins this adventure with the interest of getting into a beautician’s pants. (Haven’t we all had that urge? Regular pedicures will do wonders for any relationship.)

A hilarious read, My Inflatable Friend is also a clever take on the eye for celebrity culture, as well as America’s intrigue with the famous and infamous.

However, let me warn you in advance that the only guy who sees any action in this book is the blow-up doll sidekick, but he’s not who you think.