“There are no mistakes, only opportunities” – a lesson one would not necessarily expect to learn while reading Bossypants by 30 Rock star Tina Fey. But this autobiography is every bit as full of single-tear jerking inspiration as it is of sharp wit and ruthless humour. From the beginning, with the flippantly put “During the spring semester of kindergarten, I was slashed in the face by a stranger in the alley behind my house”, all the way to her retelling her honeymoon spent on a sinking cruise-ship, Fey captures our sympathies and maliciously forces you to laugh aloud as you sit reading on the bus (and then wanting to die of embarrassment, which I believe was her intention). If one asked Dara O’Briain and Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory to rewrite Bridget Jones’ Diary, one might produce something very like this. In other words, there’s pretty much something in it for everyone.
Many of you, like me, probably learned everything you know about life today from watching Mean Girls when you were nine. Or should I say, you probably learned what not to do with your life from Mean Girls, which was actually Fey’s subliminal aim when she wrote the script for that movie. And just like Mean Girls helped you out when you were nine, this book is the ideal companion for any hopelessly lost and confused Fresher. Or just about anyone else prone to everyday misfortunes and regular petty traumas. Fey gives a hilarious and easy to relate to account of her youth and we see her frequently making the average social mistakes of any adolescent but on a much larger, and more comical scale, which she tells in an incomparably ironic and offbeat tone. A personal favourite of mine is her account of wearing a “lady colonial outfit” and “a white denim skirt-suit”.Throughout this book you will encounter things such as a deadly vendetta against blond women, the hilarious “Mother’s Prayer for Its Daughter”, as well as several dweebishly interesting nerdy outbursts, two of which were apparently published in the New York Times. Fey also includes a blow-by-blow account of the story behind her Sarah Palin impersonation, stands up for gay rights and doesn’t hold back in criticizing those who believe female comedians aren’t funny and, in my own opinion, proving them wrong.Though the book’s cover of Fey’s face super imposed on a man’s body may be creepy (to the point of disturbing), you’ll be turning pages so fast you won’t have time to look at it. Fey ultimately paints a picture of someone who made a career out of being just plain weird and embracing it (something we should all learn from, as Fey is now a multi-millionaire). She is quick to highlight that she is no different from you or I just because she is a celebrity and her un-inflated head will definitely gain your approval. She will attempt to preach throughout, which is usually annoying, but she won’t suffocate you and much of the advice she gives is timeless and tasteful among the dry humour; “Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don't just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles. We've all worked with that person. That person is a drag.”It’s not a major issue if you don’t even know who Tina Fey is; it’s still an amusing and informative read. From experiencing this book you will be inspired that you can do just about anything - all you have to be is a little crazy. And if you’re not inspired, well hopefully you’ll still have a bit of a laugh. Overall this book is more of a collection of one-liners and disjointed examples of comedy prose than an outstandingly written memoir, but unless you’re looking for the corsets and jousting festival style hard-core literature then that really isn’t anything to complain about, is it?
