Tina Fey’s autobiography, “Bossypants,” gives the reader a look into the world of sketch comedy through a series of sophisticatedly sarcastic stories.
I have always felt as though Tina Fey, star and writer of NBC’s “30 Rock,” can do no wrong. Therefore, I went into “Bossypants” with the highest of expectations and the only disappointment was that the autobiography is only 275 pages long.
Tina Fey wrote the book as if telling her story to an old friend over drinks and a large amount of fried appetizers.
Fey shares stories starting from her childhood, such as when she had her face cut open by a random maniac, and continuing on to when she was simultaneously filming and writing a television series while planning her young daughter’s birthday party.
Mixed in with her personal stories, Fey shares her opinions on topics, such as body image vs. Photoshop, meeting Sarah Palin (the woman that she famously impersonated), motherhood and fashion.
Scattered along with the stories, Fey includes pictures from her childhood and family, the set of “30 Rock,” and magazine covers, as well as original scripts from “Saturday Night Live.”
“It’s a fair representation of Ms. Fey’s self-image as a smart, unyielding woman who has forced her way to the top of what is usually a man’s profession,” wrote the New York Times’ Janet Maslin. “‘Only in comedy,’ she writes, about interviewing for a writing job on ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 1997, ‘does an obedient white girl from the suburbs count as diversity.’”
From beginning to end, “Bossypants” will keep a smile on the reader’s face with its witty and intelligent writing.
In my experience reading “Bossypants” there were many occasions where I had to set the book down to have my own little laugh riot and then calm myself down before continuing.
However, not all of “Bossypants” is comedic gold. A number of Fey’s stories are focused on her experiences and how she got the world view and morals that she has, which forces the reader to think about how they feel about some controversial topics.
Hopefully now, with the last season of “30 Rock” underway, Fey will spend more time enriching the world with her literary works.
Tina Fey’s “Bossypants” is definitely a feel-good read that will brighten anyone’s day.
Paige Jurgensen
Staff writer
