Braddy Reads Bossypants

Here's a book I never thought I'd read... But, since I'm part of a book club now, I don't get to pick everything I read anymore.

I'm actually a big fan of Tina Fey's... conceptually. 30 Rock has moments of brilliance, but I haven't really watched the show in years. Also, I love how successful she's been on SNL, but I've NEVER really watched the show at ALL. So I acknowledge that she's a brilliant and successful woman, but I'm not all that emotionally invested in her career.

What I AM invested in, though, is comedy as an art form (for obvious reasons), and there are a lot of great notes on the world of comedic performing in Bossypants. Tina Fey discusses using improv comedy as an approach to life - how important it is to "Yes, And" every opportunity that comes your way. It's a fantastic approach to life and a great example of how something that is so seemingly trivial can positively impact other areas of your life.

Also, I loved hearing Tina Fey's experiences with a sexist, discriminatory system set up to keep the little girl down*. I've taken a bit of an interest in sexism and feminism recently, so I looked forward to hearing (reading?) what corrupt patriarchal systems exist in the world of televised comedy. Tina Fey's account is worth reading in full, but the part that hit me hardest follows:

And this is what Oprah would call an Aha Moment for me.... They didn't know what a maxi pad belt was. It was the moment I realized that there was no 'institutionalized sexism' at that place. Sometimes they just literally didn't know what we were talking about.

As a young man, a single adult who comes from a family of all boys and has no experience with women outside of watching a few episodes of Jem, I got a kick out of reading that. It matches how I feel about thing - I'm not actually sexist, I'm just ignorant. While that's not exactly an ideal state of being, at least ignorance is treatable.

In the end, I think Bossypants is a one-time read - I doubt I'll be going through the book again, but a once-through is definitely worth your time. I'd say recommended.

* - I realized after writing this line that it probably sounds a little patronizing, but I seriously did love these sections and hope that Ms. Fey and her lawyers recognize my great appreciation.