When I saw that she wrote a book based on her own life, I had to grab it. I can't remember what I paid for it, but I would have paid double. It is not often that a book can make you literally laugh out loud. I couldn't put it down and it made my entire night last Thursday. She created each chapter as an example, life lesson or belief that comes from her own personal experience. And since viewing things through her eyes is a hilarious ride, you can't help but finish it in one sitting.
It is a good reminder that if you can find humor and irony in things, nothing seems that bad. She uses herself as a example of life for what she deems to be an "unattractive" teen. And not in a "pity me, I hate myself" kind of way. More like an, "oh yeah I got all the boys...sike." My favorite chapters (if I had to choose) included one where she pulled so called "fan mail" where men insulted her looks, talent and so on.....and she responded with her own letters. I re read one letter 3 times just to keep laughing. Then I called someone to read it to them. It was the best possible response. *Look for, "PS., you know who does have a funny bone in her body?...your mom, every Sat night."
She also created a chapter about how she got into Saturday Night Live and how her role grew through the years. I loved when she mentioned the first time she met Amy Poehler (another girl crush) at a read through for a skit. It was before women had major roles on SNL and they mainly played the girlfriend or wife besides a man who told all the jokes and got all the light.( I know, you are shocked men need serious ego strokes in all they do, good thing we came far from that!) She recaps watching Amy change her lines in the read-through and spit out some racy funny comments of her own. At the time, Jimmy Fallon was the big deal at SNL and he told her he wasn't sure about that. Amy told him to go F- himself. "And I thought YAY, here is my friend!" was Feys response. My kinda girl. The two of them together changed the roles of women on SNL forever. Can anyone forget the Palin/Clinton skits they did? And the cheerleaders are one of my favorites, equal light for the woman and man (Will Ferrell, <3 you too, but the women were killing it!)
She even got into her role of writing and producing 30 Rock and her internal struggle with mom or work. Although she does beat herself up at times in how often she needs to be away, she does see the bigger picture of what she is doing with this show. And it is clear to the reader this project is like a baby to her and she will have a hard time ever letting it go. The career women of today can relate to that in what they have created for themselves pre-baby, and although the meaning attached may not line up (we aren't all creating jobs for 100's of people and breaking comedy strides for women on NBC) we all have worked for a reason for where we are. Tina lets us feel OK about that.
When you close the book you realize it isn't so much a story of a comedian in the making, but the women she has become. Or maybe who she has been all along, and learned to embrace and magnify. If it were a children's book and we were looking for a moral, we might find the following:
If you do what you love, you will find happiness
If you stay true to yourself, you will become your best self
If you listen to everyone else, you suck
If you want to break a glass ceiling, you are your only obstacle
In doing things for others, you give yourself a gift
If someone insults you, throw them a mom joke, or become more successful, it is the best revenge
If you need a laugh, pick up "Bossy Pants"....in a Barnes and Nobles near you.
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