From the Funny Files of Tina Fey: Bossypants
1 CommentsWe miss Tina Fey's smart, funny, “sexy librarian” days on “Saturday Night Live” but now tune in to “30 Rock” religiously, where she plays geeky, wise-cracking Liz Lemon, head writer on a sketch comedy show. With all of this art-imitating-life business, it’s time to get to know the real Tina Fey, and her hilarious memoir, Bossypants, allows us just this opportunity.
Bossypantsis an endlessly entertaining and breezy read. Broken into chapters from Fey's life, and featuring plenty of personal photos, she takes us from an awkward youth to a skyrocketing showbiz career, and from motherhood to Sarah Palin, all told with the uniquely fabulous and funny worldview that makes Fey such a brilliant writer.
As a girl, Fey was an obedient goody two-shoes with high self-esteem: “I proceeded through life as if I really were extraordinary.” Even when, as a teen, she learned all the things that can be “incorrect” on a woman’s body -- “lunch lady arms, skin with green undertones, bad nail beds” -- she persevered with her imperfect self, including “straight Greek eyebrows. They start at the hairline at my temple, and, left unchecked, will grow straight across my face and onto yours.” Self-deprecating humor is funniest and guilt-free when it comes from someone who’s actually okay with herself.
Later in Chicago, Fey joined The Second City, an improv sketch comedy theater, which she describes as “a cult” that changed her life. It led to “Saturday Night Live” and meeting her husband. She describes making it as a female comedy writer in a traditionally male profession (e.g., men on the "SNL" staff peeing in jars rather than schlepping to the bathroom). Next came “30 Rock,” which she developed, though she heaps credit onto Alec Baldwin, who plays her boss, Jack Donaghy. In Bossypants, Fey shares great anecdotes about creating "30 Rock," plus her favorite jokes from the show’s writers.
One particularly amusing chapter is about magazine photo shoots. She describes them as “THE FUNNEST” and takes you through the painstaking hair, makeup, and body-squishing tricks to get you camera-ready. And then the miracle of Photoshop takes over!
Speaking of transformations, it was incredible when Fey practically morphed into Governor Sarah Palin in the months before the 2008 presidential election. Fey explains it was a chance to give sharp, funny commentary against sexism in the campaign. Ultimately, this unconventional memoir talks about navigating life as a bright, funny, feminist in a man’s world, and cracks you up while doing so.
All this fame and glitter is interspersed with real-life mommy/daughter moments, like hunting for the right Peter Pan plates for a birthday party and having to make do with Tinkerbell. Tina Fey is truly relatable, especially when she talks about what turning forty means to her: “I need to take my pants off as soon as I get home. I didn’t used to have to do that. But now I do.” So, when you’re done with this book, be sure to pass it along to a friend who needs a laugh, or three hundred.
Tina Fey/Photo: CC/David Shankbone/Flickr
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