Bossypants, by Tina Fey

Book 1 in 2015!

So, as it turns out, I’m a little late to the game with this one. Bossypants, written by comedian, writer and actress Tina Fey, has been on my list for a while and only now did I finally get around to it! The New York Times claims that Bossypants isn’t exactly a memoir; but instead offers a “spiky blend of humor, introspection, critical thinking and Nora Ephronisms for a new generation,” and I agree.

Learning about Fey’s young adult life as an awkward theater geek was very enjoyable, but my favorite parts of Fey’s constantly hilarious and feminist book would be her recounts of interviewing for Saturday Night Live, playing Sarah Palin on SNL, and creating the critically acclaimed 30 Rock.

Another part of Bossypants that had me laughing out loud were her responses to various comments left on message boards about her. Fey is witty and self-deprecating, and here’s an example. Someone had written the following post on a message board: “Tina Fey is an ugly, pear-shaped, bitchy, overrated troll.” Fey’s response was golden and here’s part of it: “To say I’m an overrated troll, when you have never even seen me guard a bridge, is patently unfair.”

This leads me in to a handful of my favorite quotes from Bossypants;

“There are no mistakes, only opportunities.”

“I have suspicion that the definition of “crazy” in show business is a woman who keeps talking even after no one wants to f*** [sleep with her] anymore.”

“You have to let people see what you wrote. It will never be perfect, but perfect is overrated. Perfect is boring.”

“In most cases being a good boss means hiring talented people and then getting out of their way. In other cases, to get the best work out of people you may have to pretend you are not their boss and let them treat someone else like the boss, and then that whispers to you behind a fake wall and you tell them what to tell the first person. Contrary to what I believed as a little girl, being the boss almost never involves marching around, waving your arms, and chanting, “I am the boss! I am the boss!””

What I loved about Fey’s book is that it felt really authentic.  She wasn’t preachy and she wasn’t showy- she writes as a real woman.  I loved her career advice and ‘take-sh*t-from-no-one’ attitude and if she lived here in Toronto (and I had access to her, of course) I would ask her to be my mentor. Fey is a great example of a modern day feminist, and an inspiring woman. For what it’s worth, Bossypants has my stamp of approval!