Why It’s More Than Ok To Be a Bossypants
There were few times during my childhood that my mother neglected to make dinner. Almost every night, she dutifully put a protein, vegetable and starch on our plates no later than 6 p.m.. The only nights she was not equal to the task were when she was sick, out of town or engrossed in a book.
The older I get, the more like my mother I become (which is not necessarily a bad thing); and I’m afraid I’ve inherited her ability to delve into a book and completely ignore the rest of the world. Thank you mother for this wonderful gift and thank you Tina Fey for writing a book so hilariously poignant that I could not put it down.
Love her, hate her, agree with her political views or not, I would argue that Fey is one of the most brilliant comedic writers of our (my) generation. But what her first book (and I certainly hope there’s a second one, though I’m not sure how she’d follow this one up) Bossypants proves is that she’s capable of using humor to engender an emotional connection and thoughtful consideration in the hearts and minds of her readers.
Critics are calling Fey a new kind of feminist. She’s not afraid to cry or appreciate a good makeover, but she can sniff out gender bias from a mile away and isn’t be afraid to call bullsh*t on it. Maybe not to your face…but certainly in one of her sketches. (Did you know that Sarah Palin/Hillary Clinton skit was a feminist commentary on politics?)
But perhaps what I loved the most about Bossypants was the last few chapters where Fey talks about her internal struggle between wanting a successful career and wanting to have a family. A struggle I’ve been dealing with a lot lately. Do I keep striving to move up the corporate ladder or do I do my best on the rung I’m currently standing on, knowing that raising children sometime in the next few years is the most important career choice I’ll probably ever make?
Personally, I’ve decided on option B. I think Fey would tell you she has too; but I’m not so sure. Nonetheless, I admire women like Fey who identify the struggle between our desires for self-actualization as a mother and a working woman and come out on the other end of it giving the rest of us hope that maybe, just maybe, we really can have it all.
