God, I love this book –even though the cover still really creeps me out. I have read it before — 2013, it looks like — but haven’t listened to the audio version. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE AUDIO VERSION. If the written copy deserves 5 stars, the audio (read by the author, of course) should get 6! 7! Give Tina all the stars!
“Some people say, “Never let them see you cry.” I say, if you’re so mad you could just cry, then cry. It terrifies everyone.”
Tina covers a lot of ground here — her childhood, her first tentative steps into show business, her time at SNL (and her return during the McCain/Palin campaign), her work at 30 Rock. She gives advice about being a woman, being a mother, being a boss. It’s all honest and heartfelt and hilarious.
“Don’t waste your energy trying to educate or change opinions; go over, under, through, and opinions will change organically when you’re the boss. Or they won’t. Who cares? Do your thing, and don’t care if they like it.”
My favorite chapter this go-round was the chapter about Don Fey. Tina tells us that in order to raise an “obedient, achievement-oriented, drug-free adult virgin”, you need a strong father figure — and the fear his instills. And then she goes on to tell us about him. I managed to restrain myself from copying the whole chapter, but here are some of my favs:
Don Fey dresses well. He has an artist’s eye for mixing colors and prints. He wears tweedy jackets over sweater vests in the winter and seersucker suits in the summer. His garnet college ring shows off his well-groomed hands. He can still rock a hat.
If you told Don Fey that you never go to Burger King, only McDonald’s because you ‘grew up with the Hamburglar,’ he would look at you like you were a moron.
Only Colin Quinn was direct about it. “Your father doesn’t fucking play games. You would never come home with a shamrock tattoo in that house.” That’s Don Fey.
Oh, I loved this book! :)
Tina Fey is awesome and your review made me smile.
I love this book. The part that stayed with me was actually one of her stories about Amy Poehler and Jimmy Fallon when Jimmy tells Amy what she is doing isn’t cute and she tells him she isn’t trying to be cute she is being funny.
I LOVED that story!
Me too! And especially the recognition in Amy as her person in that environment that was so heavily male dominated.
I read this and Amy Poehler’s and Mindy Kaling’s books all kind of in a bunch, and I think I decided that while I would most want to hang out with Mindy, Tina’s was the best book. But all three were great as audio books!
I’ve read all of those, too, and am currently waiting for the audio versions to become available on Overdrive. Can’t wait!
I loved this book. Her and Amy Poehler’s memoirs were hilarious.
I really loved this one. Amy Poehler’s book is great too!