Over the summer my family rented an adorable house in Crystal River where we spent many days staring at the water looking for manatees, drinking margaritas, paddling around in kayaks and reading awesome books in the sun. At the time I was reading Kathryn Stockett’s The Help (my mom is one of those people who buys & reads ALL kinds of books and is always ahead of the books-made-into-movies curve, so she just had this one laying around). As a journalism grad right out of college, I related a lot to the awkwardly wonderful main character; but as I was being transported back to 1960’s Mississippi, my sister was reading Bossypants by Tina Fey.
I kept seeing this book cover (I’m talking several days worth of looking at this book cover) and thinking Tina’s looking a little off, but then casting it aside. Finally I realized those are not in fact her real arms. They are a man’s. It was very confusing for me. Anyway, after I finished The Help, I needed something else to read while I lived the life of an unemployed post grad, so I grabbed this one (hairy arms and all) before heading outside to hang out by the pool.
It is awesome.
It only took me about a week to finish, and even though I love reading, I honestly don’t read all that fast & especially not when it comes to non-fiction. But this one made me laugh out loud (for real, not just lol, LOL, or lulz… literally laughing out loud, and occasionally snorting as well). I grew up watching Saturday Night Live, and I knew Tina was awesome especially since my roommate and I spent hours upon hours watching “30 Rock” last semester on Netflix, but I didn’t realize just how much I loved her until I read her book. Here are a few quotes I actually thought to fold the page down for while reading (I’m not one of those cool people that highlight & write in the margins of books while they read – too much effort).
- In response to critics saying women aren’t funny: “It is an impressively arrogant move to conclude that just because you don’t like something, it is empirically not good. I don’t like Chinese food, but I don’t write articles trying to prove that it doesn’t exist.”
- “I feel about Photoshop the way some people feel about abortion. It is appalling and a tragic reflection on the moral decay of our society… unless I need it, in which case, everybody be cool.”
- “There is no one of-woman-born who does not like Red Lobster cheddar biscuits. Anyone who claims otherwise is a liar and a socialist.”
- The Mother’s Prayer for its Daughter: “First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.”
This book made me realize that Tina Fey is a hilarious, intelligent feminist who’s an incredibly hard-working mother and all around one of my role models. If you’ve got time, you should read it.. If you don’t, then just watch “30 Rock” tonight.
Tina Fey has a way of putting herself down yet making you think that is amazing. She is a quiet screamer. I am so glad you read both of these books at this time in your life. Kudos
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