Christopher Owens 🔖 “Get it all off your chest mate. Say what you really think”.


Words that are often thrown around, but very few wish to hear the end result (probably for obvious reasons). But they can take on a very different form when written down. Suddenly, disjointed ramblings can become succinct attacks and stutterings are replaced with a lyrical flow rich in wit and insight. And, when placed into the book format, the best ones go full circle and read like your mate ranting at you in the pub.

Very much the case with Marcus Meltdown’s (presumably not his real name) Stop Being a Shit Cunt.

Described as a series of meltdowns typed up on a mobile phone over the course of five years, Stop Being . . .  belies its throwaway title by being a series of musings on class, social mobility, identity politics, modern “artists” and conformity that are both reflective of a class of people often demonised, but also one that is willing to bite back.

One recurring motif is that of the generation gap, where Marcus’ daughter is depicted as being passive aggressive towards her father, parroting beliefs that sound like copy pasta doing the rounds and occasionally (but mischievously) suggesting that her parentage is up for debate. 

All of this, of course, is very 21st century. But, when taken in context with the rest of the book, there is a strong hint of a fundamental disconnect going on here, as if his daughter merely accepts what she sees as progress while Marcus sees a lot of very noble causes being subverted in order to create friction. It’s actually quite sad when the implications are dwelt upon.

However, most of the time, the book is funny.

Ranting about everything from pseudo-local celebrities presenting themselves as the authentic voice of the working class, ex-junkie artists who take it personally when you lean on them to do some work, race card wielding troublemakers afraid of their grandmothers and how societal pressure dictates that we Must enjoy events like Pride (despite it being utterly robbed of its initial intent and radicalism), Marcus helps us see how these inherently fractious and (on the face of it) silly battles make 21st century living much more fraught and uncertain, something captured rather succinctly by Marcus when describing himself:

“I am very conservative, often liberal, but, there is a communist hidden in me…”

He should do this more often whenever he’s pissed off, as it makes for entertaining (and insightful) reading. We all need to stop being shit cunts.

Marcus Meltdown, 2022, Stop Being a Shit Cunt. Sweat Drenched Press. ISBN-13: 979-8836594305

⏩ Christopher Owens was a reviewer for Metal Ireland and finds time to study the history and inherent contradictions of Ireland. He is currently the TPQ Friday columnist.

Stop Being A Shit Cunt

Christopher Owens 🔖 “Get it all off your chest mate. Say what you really think”.


Words that are often thrown around, but very few wish to hear the end result (probably for obvious reasons). But they can take on a very different form when written down. Suddenly, disjointed ramblings can become succinct attacks and stutterings are replaced with a lyrical flow rich in wit and insight. And, when placed into the book format, the best ones go full circle and read like your mate ranting at you in the pub.

Very much the case with Marcus Meltdown’s (presumably not his real name) Stop Being a Shit Cunt.

Described as a series of meltdowns typed up on a mobile phone over the course of five years, Stop Being . . .  belies its throwaway title by being a series of musings on class, social mobility, identity politics, modern “artists” and conformity that are both reflective of a class of people often demonised, but also one that is willing to bite back.

One recurring motif is that of the generation gap, where Marcus’ daughter is depicted as being passive aggressive towards her father, parroting beliefs that sound like copy pasta doing the rounds and occasionally (but mischievously) suggesting that her parentage is up for debate. 

All of this, of course, is very 21st century. But, when taken in context with the rest of the book, there is a strong hint of a fundamental disconnect going on here, as if his daughter merely accepts what she sees as progress while Marcus sees a lot of very noble causes being subverted in order to create friction. It’s actually quite sad when the implications are dwelt upon.

However, most of the time, the book is funny.

Ranting about everything from pseudo-local celebrities presenting themselves as the authentic voice of the working class, ex-junkie artists who take it personally when you lean on them to do some work, race card wielding troublemakers afraid of their grandmothers and how societal pressure dictates that we Must enjoy events like Pride (despite it being utterly robbed of its initial intent and radicalism), Marcus helps us see how these inherently fractious and (on the face of it) silly battles make 21st century living much more fraught and uncertain, something captured rather succinctly by Marcus when describing himself:

“I am very conservative, often liberal, but, there is a communist hidden in me…”

He should do this more often whenever he’s pissed off, as it makes for entertaining (and insightful) reading. We all need to stop being shit cunts.

Marcus Meltdown, 2022, Stop Being a Shit Cunt. Sweat Drenched Press. ISBN-13: 979-8836594305

⏩ Christopher Owens was a reviewer for Metal Ireland and finds time to study the history and inherent contradictions of Ireland. He is currently the TPQ Friday columnist.

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