The hell, netterlings? What is the point of having you if I’m not going to listen to you? Every review of Bossypants on the intarwebs (and there are literally no exceptions to this mass generalization) is all, Tap the audiobook on this one.
But I had a hold on the tangible-book, and had not yet discovered the ease of the audiobook download, so I read it in my own brain like a sucker. Mea culpa.
Which, fine. It was hilarious. It’s Tina Fey, it’s not going to not be hilarious. And it’s particularly amusing to me because I used to watch a lot of SNL and currently watch a lot of 30 Rock, so I’m not totally sure if it will strum your lute in the same way if you don’t (the internet loves it, but the internet also watches a lot of 30 Rock AND a lot of SNL despite its tired refrain about SNL not being as good as it used to be back in some metaphorical golden age, so the internet is not a good litmus test).
But it is surprisingly rambly. Like, she’ll start a story, and then deflect onto something else but as though she was going to come back to that first bit, so you’ll kind of hold it in your mind, and then the section will end and you realize that the first bit was just preamble to GET to the something else but you’re still holding it in your mind and it’s like an unclosed bracket. My AudioBrain is less organized and alphabetized than my VisualBrain, so it would probably not have caught these things.
Structural quibbles (quiblettes, really) aside, Tina Fey is lollarious and insightful and I’m sort of lamely and lazily interested in celebrity culture anyways (to my chagrin) but TiFey is someone about whose worldview I am particularly curious. And this is less a memoir and more a Medley of Amusing Anecdotes, With The Occasional Moral Observation, Grouped Roughly Chronologically.
And don’t be like, Egad, moral observations and flee, because that is exactly what we do here on the bookertubes, all Book book book discussion of whitewashing book book picture of cat book questions of integrity book. This is like that. And then because it’s Tina, it’s Moral Observation Followed (and Usually Preceded) by Funny Thing, which is really the only way I can take anyone seriously these days. I am a slave to my funny bone’s appetite.
Because ultimately, said observations are what lift this out of the mire of Hilarious Person Money-Grab and into Chewable Thing for Thought, like when she’s going on about the feelings of competition between female actors, like there won’t be enough parts to go around because lady-parts (hee) are scarce, and she’s all ‘This is what I tell young women who ask me for career advice…Don’t be fooled. You’re not in competition with other women. You’re in competition with everyone. Also, I encourage them to always wear a bra. Even if you don’t think you need it, just…you know what? You’re never going to regret it.’ Sage bits of advice, both.
And then, because I revelled in the Sarah Palin clustercuss of three years ago (and secretly clutched my skirts in terror that she might actually ascend the throne) and delighted – with the half of the world that wasn’t IMMEDIATELY INDIGNANT – in the Tina Palin sketches (which handily proved that, contrary to popular opinion, people would laugh at a sketch starring two women), I was engrossed and educated by Tina’s take on that bit. Tina discusses how weird it was to have half the country suddenly haaaaate her (the indignant half) after years of her being indifferently famous, and the inherent sexism in that hatred, pointing out that male comedians are rarely called out for their impersonation of public figures. ‘You see what I’m getting at here,’ she says. ‘I am not mean and Mrs. Palin is not fragile. To imply otherwise is a disservice to us both.’ YES, woman. Also, this bit is hilariously dishy.
So! Anecdotes, slightly spicy stories about famous people, more anecdotes, and a liberal sprinkling of such valuable life lessons as Gay People Do Not Exist Solely To Make You Look Unconventional and Progressive. Even though I literally just read it, I would totally grab the audio and ‘read’ it again.
Eight and a half caterpillars.