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Tina Fey: Bossypants Hardcover – Illustrated, April 5, 2011
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Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV.
She has seen both these dreams come true.
At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon -- from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence.
Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've always suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy.
Includes Special, Never-Before-Solicited Opinions on Breastfeeding, Princesses, Photoshop, the Electoral Process, and Italian Rum Cake!
- Print length277 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherLittle, Brown
- Publication dateApril 5, 2011
- Dimensions6.38 x 1.13 x 9.5 inches
- ISBN-100316056863
- ISBN-13978-0316056861
- Lexile measure950L
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Amazon Best Books of the Month, April 2011: Tina Fey’s new book Bossypants is short, messy, and impossibly funny (an apt description of the comedian herself). From her humble roots growing up in Pennsylvania to her days doing amateur improv in Chicago to her early sketches on Saturday Night Live, Fey gives us a fascinating glimpse behind the curtain of modern comedy with equal doses of wit, candor, and self-deprecation. Some of the funniest chapters feature the differences between male and female comedy writers ("men urinate in cups"), her cruise ship honeymoon ("it’s very Poseidon Adventure"), and advice about breastfeeding ("I had an obligation to my child to pretend to try"). But the chaos of Fey’s life is best detailed when she’s dividing her efforts equally between rehearsing her Sarah Palin impression, trying to get Oprah to appear on 30 Rock, and planning her daughter’s Peter Pan-themed birthday. Bossypants gets to the heart of why Tina Fey remains universally adored: she embodies the hectic, too-many-things-to-juggle lifestyle we all have, but instead of complaining about it, she can just laugh it off. --Kevin Nguyen
Review
PRAISE FOR TINA FEY:
"You'd be really pretty if you lost weight."―College Boyfriend, 1990
"Tina Fey is an ugly, pear-shaped, overrated troll."―The Internet
"Mommy, where are my pretzels?"―Tracy Morgan
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR BOSSYPANTS:
"I hope that's not really the cover. That's really going to hurt sales."―Don Fey, Father of Tina Fey
"Absolutely delicious!"―A Guy Who Eats Books
"Totally worth it."―Trees
"Do not print this glowing recommendation of Tina Fey's book until I've been dead a hundred years."―Mark Twain
"Hilarious and insightful. Laugh-out-loud funny -- oh no, a full moon. No! Arrgh! Get away from me! Save yourself!"―A Guy Turning into a Werewolf
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Bossypants
By Fey, TinaReagan Arthur Books
Copyright © 2011 Fey, TinaAll right reserved.
ISBN: 9780316056861
Origin Story
My brother is eight years older than I am. I was a big surprise. A wonderful surprise, my mom would be quick to tell you. Although having a baby at forty is a commonplace fool’s errand these days, back in 1970 it was pretty unheard-of. Women around my mom’s office referred to her pregnancy as “Mrs. Fey and her change-of-life baby.” When I was born I was fussed over and doted on, and my brother has always looked out for me like a third parent.
The day before I started kindergarten, my parents took me to the school to meet the teacher. My mom had taken my favorite blanket and stitched my initials into it for nap time, just like she’d done for my brother eight years earlier. At the teacher conference my dad tried to give my nap time blanket to the teacher, and she just smiled and said, “Oh, we don’t do that anymore.” That’s when I realized I had old parents. I’ve been worried about them ever since.
While my parents talked to the teacher, I was sent to a table to do coloring. I was introduced to a Greek boy named Alex whose mom was next in line to meet with the teacher. We colored together in silence. I was so used to being praised and encouraged that when I finished my drawing I held it up to show Alex, who immediately ripped it in half. I didn’t have the language to express my feelings then, but my thoughts were something like “Oh, it’s like that, motherfucker? Got it.” Mrs. Fey’s change-of-life baby had entered the real world.
During the spring semester of kindergarten, I was slashed in the face by a stranger in the alley behind my house. Don’t worry. I’m not going to lay out the grisly details for you like a sweeps episode of Dateline. I only bring it up to explain why I’m not going to talk about it.
I’ve always been able to tell a lot about people by whether they ask me about my scar. Most people never ask, but if it comes up naturally somehow and I offer up the story, they are quite interested. Some people are just dumb: “Did a cat scratch you?” God bless. Those sweet dumdums I never mind. Sometimes it is a fun sociology litmus test, like when my friend Ricky asked me, “Did they ever catch the black guy that did that to you?” Hmmm. It was not a black guy, Ricky, and I never said it was.
Then there’s another sort of person who thinks it makes them seem brave or sensitive or wonderfully direct to ask me about it right away. They ask with quiet, feigned empathy, “How did you get your scar?” The grossest move is when they say they’re only curious because “it’s so beautiful.” Ugh. Disgusting. They might as well walk up and say, “May I be amazing at you?” To these folks let me be clear. I’m not interested in acting out a TV movie with you where you befriend a girl with a scar. An Oscar-y Spielberg movie where I play a mean German with a scar? Yes.
My whole life, people who ask about my scar within one week of knowing me have invariably turned out to be egomaniacs of average intelligence or less. And egomaniacs of average intelligence or less often end up in the field of TV journalism. So, you see, if I tell the whole story here, then I will be asked about it over and over by the hosts of Access Movietown and Entertainment Forever for the rest of my short-lived career.
But I will tell you this: My scar was a miniature form of celebrity. Kids knew who I was because of it. Lots of people liked to claim they were there when it happened. I was there. I saw it. Crazy Mike did it!
Adults were kind to me because of it. Aunts and family friends gave me Easter candy and oversize Hershey’s Kisses long after I was too old for presents. I was made to feel special.
What should have shut me down and made me feel “less than” ended up giving me an inflated sense of self. It wasn’t until years later, maybe not until I was writing this book, that I realized people weren’t making a fuss over me because I was some incredible beauty or genius; they were making a fuss over me to compensate for my being slashed.
I accepted all the attention at face value and proceeded through life as if I really were extraordinary. I guess what I’m saying is, this has all been a wonderful misunderstanding. And I shall keep these Golden Globes, every last one!
Continues...
Excerpted from Bossypants by Fey, Tina Copyright © 2011 by Fey, Tina. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Product details
- Publisher : Little, Brown; First Edition (April 5, 2011)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 277 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0316056863
- ISBN-13 : 978-0316056861
- Lexile measure : 950L
- Item Weight : 1.09 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.38 x 1.13 x 9.5 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,091,171 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,231 in Comedy (Books)
- #2,138 in Humor Essays (Books)
- #9,230 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies
- Customer Reviews:
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About the author
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (/feɪ/; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live (1998-2006) , acclaimed for her impression of former Alaska Governor and 2008 Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, and for creating acclaimed series 30 Rock (2006-2013) and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015-present). She is also well known for appearing in films such as Mean Girls (2004), Baby Mama (2008), Date Night (2010), Muppets Most Wanted (2014), and Sisters (2015).
Tina Fey broke into comedy as a featured player in the Chicago-based improvisational comedy group The Second City. She then joined SNL as a writer, later becoming head writer and a performer, known for her position as co-anchor in the Weekend Update segment. In 2004, she co-starred in and wrote the screenplay for Mean Girls, which was adapted from the 2002 self-help book Queen Bees and Wannabes. After leaving SNL in 2006, she created the television series 30 Rock for Broadway Video, a situation comedy loosely based on her experiences at SNL. In the series, Fey portrays the head writer of a fictional sketch comedy series. In 2008, she starred in the comedy film Baby Mama, alongside former SNL co-star Amy Poehler. Fey next appeared in the 2010 comedy film Date Night and the animated film Megamind. In 2015, she created and produced the television series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, originally for NBC and eventually for Netflix.
Fey has received eight Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and four Writers Guild of America Awards and was nominated for a Grammy Award for her autobiographical book Bossypants, which topped The New York Times Best Seller list for five weeks. In 2008, the Associated Press gave Fey the AP Entertainer of the Year award for her satirical portrayal of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in a guest appearance on SNL. In 2010, Fey was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, becoming the youngest-ever recipient of the award. On January 13, 2013, Fey hosted the 70th Golden Globe Awards with her long-time friend and fellow comedian, Amy Poehler, to critical acclaim. The duo hosted again the following two years, generating the highest ratings for the annual ceremony in a decade and receiving similar acclaim.
Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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There is not so much a “plot” as much as there’s a progression of stories, all told with a unique voice and moral. The stories progress from childhood to professional, which lets readers find different ways to identify with Fey, making the book relatable for many different kinds of people. That’s one of the things I liked most about the book. As a woman, one of the best pieces in the book was the commentary about body image. Fey says “But I think the first real change in women’s body image came when JLo turned it butt-style. That was the first time that having a large-scale situation in the back was part of mainstream American beauty. Girls wanted butts now. Men were free to admit that they had always enjoyed them. And then, what felt like moments later, boom—Beyoncé brought the leg meat. A back porch and thick muscular legs were now widely admired. And from that day forward, women embraced their diversity and realized that all shapes and sizes are beautiful. Ah ha ha. No. I’m totally messing with you. All Beyonce and JLo have done is add to the laundry list of attributes women must have to qualify as beautiful. Now every girl is expected to have Caucasian blue eyes, full Spanish lips, a classic button nose, hairless Asian skin with a California tan, a Jamaican dance hall ass, long Swedish legs, small Japanese feet, the abs of a lesbian gym owner, the hips of a nine-year-old boy, the arms of Michelle Obama, and doll tits. The person closest to actually achieving this look is Kim Kardashian, who, as we know, was made by Russian scientists to sabotage our athletes.”
This excerpt is also a good example of the language Fey uses. Again, it’s very casual and relatable, creating a relaxed tone for everyone to enjoy. You often times forget that you are reading a real book, because it seems more like an editorial or essay. Another positive of the casualness of the book is that you can read at whatever pace you want. You can read a few stories and stop, or you can read the whole thing in one sitting. The lack of “chapters” and “cliffhangers” makes it a much more lighthearted read. There is such a strong presence of voice, which is a huge positive in my opinion. Also, it really helps that you are already familiar with Fey and her persona. She has a very strong voice and distinct sense of humor, it makes it even more enjoyable. Even if you have never heard of Tina Fey or her work before, you will find it witty and thought provoking. There is also a lot of interesting information about Fey’s professional life, such as her time with saturday night live, and 30 Rock. The lack of plot or characters does not hurt the value of the book. To me, it is driven by heart and smart humor. You learn a lot, you laugh a lot, and relate to a well known celebrity more than you thought you would. I would recommend this book to anyone of any walks of life, because everyone can take something from it as a “self help” book, as well as a incredibly entertaining and lighthearted read.
Oh, Tina Fey ... You are pretty freaking awesome.
I have to say, I started this book on my Kindle and did the whole Whispersync for Voice thing, where I'd switch over to the audiobook whenever I ran a quick errand or was doing a mindless task. I honestly wasn't sure how I'd like switching back and forth between print and audio, but for a book like this one, it worked great. And because I'd split my time between the two formats, I can say without a single doubt that BOSSYPANTS is waaaaayy better heard than read.
The book starts out as a collection of short stories or essays, detailing some random events in Fey`s childhood, high school, and college years. And when I say "random," I truly mean RANDOM. In fact, I found myself getting easily distracted during the early part of the book. The chapters were disjointed and less funny than I'd expected. Fey had a fairly "normal" upbringing and experience growing up, and as great as that is for her as a person, it doesn't make for good comedy. (It'd be like me telling all of you random stories from my childhood, high school, and college years. Zzzzz...) I actually started to worry BOSSYPANTS was going to fall victim to my DNFing ways of 2015!
But then the good stuff happened.
When the book hit 40%, I was hooked. The chapter titled "A Childhood Dream, Realized" told how Fey landed a writing position at SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE in 1997. I loved getting an inside peek at how this happened and her candid retelling of experiences during her nine years working on the show from a writer's perspective, which I found endlessly fascinating! Instead of being gossipy or full of drama llama (which I imagine other books by former SNL performers might be), Fey framed these moments within her world view of what it was like to be an independent, strong woman in a workplace dominated by men. She became the head writer of a show whose most recognizable stars shifted from being men when she started (e.g., Jimmy Fallon, Will Ferrell) to women when she left (e.g., Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig).
Yeah. That was just the beginning of what ended up being a truly interesting and entertaining last 3/5 of the book.
Fey goes on to tell about how 30 Rock came to be, why she really didn't want to impersonate Sarah Palin (and how last minute it ended up being), how she balances motherhood with a job where she is the producer, writer, and star (when the book was published, 30 ROCK was still in its prime), and some funny family moments, all of which I really enjoyed!
I absolutely LOVED listening to Tina Fey read BOSSYPANTS. She has an incredibly expressive voice, and I found myself laughing out loud more often when I had my earbuds in versus when I was reading. Another bonus with the audiobook is that the audio from the Sarah Palin sketches from SNL are included, which was a fun surprise! (In the book, there's an image of Fey and Poehler as Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton from the sketch followed by the marked-up script.)
Besides the slow start to the book, my only other complaint is that Fey`s voice sometimes trailed off and was too quiet on the audio. This usually happened when she made an aside or quick comment that turned out a little mumbly. But she also did some fun things when she ad-libbed on the audio, like here:
"I cannot emphasize to you how well this went, because I'm using a lot of exclamation points but you can't see them because this is an audiobook."
Love that Tina Fey. ☺
BOTTOM LINE
BOSSYPANTS is rather short, coming in under 300 pages in print and only 5½ hours on audio. Although it starts out slow, the back 3/5 is fantastic! Anyone who is a fan of Tina Fey should definitely give it a try, and I'd HIGHLY recommend you do it as an audiobook.
Rating: B+ (4½ stars)
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Reviewed in Brazil on May 25, 2021