“To say I’m an overrated troll, when you have never even seen me guard a bridge, is patently unfair.” – Tina Fey, “Bossypants.”
As a comedian, actress, producer, playwright, and writer, this woman is a wizardess with words. It comes as no surprise that her book, Bossypants, is far from your average biography. However, the road to her success was far from short. Bossypants gives readers the inside scoop on the hardships Fey faced as she climbed her way to the top.
Her story begins in the suburbs of Philadelphia, where she was born. As an awkward teen, her first introduction to the stage was through community theater productions. She regales her readers of the trials and tribulations she encountered as a woman beginning her career in a competitive field. Fey also explains lessons learned from her family along the way, and stories of continuing to work while being a new mother.
Fey also recounts the early stages of her “big break” as she gained a spot writing for Saturday Night Live. Readers may be interested to find she was working alongside Amy Poehler and Jimmy Fallon, among other stars, in the early stages of their careers as well.
What differentiates Fey’s book from your ordinary biography is her honesty, authenticity, and quirky humor. Even when recounting the sensitive subject of misogyny in the workplace, Fey uses comedic anecdotes as a tool to show just how absurd it is for women to still be dealing with inequality within their careers. Whether it was about her looks, her body, or just the fact that she is a woman, Fey remained brutally honest about the subjective nature of working in entertainment.
“I think the first real change in women’s body image came when JLo turned it butt-style,” she said. “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.”
While there’s a lot you can learn from Fey, the key message to women becomes reiterated throughout her many stories. Above all else, she wants to tell women not to let anything stand in their way. In one of her more popular quotes from “Bossypants,” she makes this clear.
“So, my unsolicited advice to women in the workplace is this. When faced with sexism, or ageism, or lookism, or even really aggressive Buddhism, ask yourself the following question: ‘Is this person in between me and what I want to do?’ If the answer is no, ignore it and move on. Your energy is better used doing your work and outpacing people that way. Then, when you’re in charge, don’t hire the people who were jerky to you,” she says.
I would highly recommend adding “Bossypants” to your list of books to read. Especially for young adults or soon-to-be college grads, this book helps prepare you for handling life beyond campus with determination and grace. Its available for purchase on Amazon for as little as $15. This feel good book is perfectly paired with a blanket and a hot beverage for a little self care. Allow the strong, fearless mind of Tina Fey to cleanse you with confidence.
“I am constantly amazed by Tina Fey. And I am Tina Fey.” – Tina Fey, “Bossypants.”