Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Comedy & the great joke...

Okay kids, I finally have had a minute to pick up the book (electronically because I'm lazier than all of you. Or more eco-friendly. Let's go with the second one) and was able to just start it today. Drawing from what you all have said, here are some of my thoughts.

Admittedly I haven't read more than 4 chapters, but thus far I'm really enjoying it. She has me laughing frequently, and I don't necessarily feel like its coming across to high-horsed or heavy handed for me. I do think she can be dry and sarcastic while skewering society and herself, but this begs the better question:

Do you think comedians are made (i.e. nature vs. nurture)? It's often thought that many comedians (like many performers i suppose) either have had or do have a lot of personal problems - whether these are causal or reactionary. Tina Fey claims not to be a victim but her awkward childhood certainly seems to play a role in how she feels about the world and subsequently her material.

I guess im asking, does their background inform their views and brand of humor? Furthermore, does ours? I know there are successful comedians out there that each of us could name that we have no love for. Why do we find funny the things we do?

Thoughts?

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Many Comments and Thoughts!

Intro:

I took to heart her advice that women in the workplace should "cry sparingly" because it terrifies everyone. Hahahaha. Also, what exactly is a colonial lady outfit? I know what a pioneer outfit is, I grew up in Colorado reading Laura Ingalls Wilder, but colonial lady? I'm envisioning Felicity from the America Girls Dolls. Except her clothes rocked.

It was also poignant to me that people kept asking her if it was hard to be the boss. Um - no? Why would it be . . . ? Do you ask men that question? Also, from experience wrangling other intelligent, creative, spastic adults into coherent teams that meet deadlines, I can vouch that I have never gotten to march around swinging my arms and chanting. I wish. Although, actually, that would be kind of Leni Riefenstahl Triumph of the Will so probably best never to go down that road.

Origin Story

Re: the scar - "I'm not interested in acting out a TV movie with you where you befriend a girl with a scar. (I assume this would be on Lifetime and also include cancer and sexual abuse, because as far as I can tell, that's a rule for getting on Lifetime). An Oscar-y Spielburg movie where I play a mean German with a scar? Yes."

Tina Fey - not a victim.

Growing Up and Liking It

"Shin fur." Lol. I had to start shaving my armpits in fifth grade after Kayla Feeney felt the need to point it out. Not a very nice girl, but perhaps she's gotten better. My mother refused to buy me pads when I got my period and suggested using a tampon. Come to think of it, WTF Mom? I should mention this to her. Perhaps I can leverage it into something . . . *Mr. Burns finger thing.* I love that Jeanne Fey mom left the "How Shall I Tell My Daughter" pamphlet in the Modess kit. Hahahaha.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

"Two peanuts were walking down the street, and one was a salted."

So, first impressions. When I opened up the book I was suddenly worried I was going to find it all rather obnoxious. In my paperback copy of the book there are SEVEN full pages of quotes praising the book before it gets to the title page. Really?  Seven pages? It was a little ridiculous.

However, I started reading out loud to Paul last night and it wasn't long before we were both laughing hysterically. Paul even laughed at most of the girly jokes.

A question for the group: What type of person are you when it comes to her scar? Personally, I have always been curious about the story behind it. Though, if I met her in person I would probably wait until we were friends before asking about it. Paul, on the other hand, had never noticed it. I guess that means I'm more of an egomaniac than Paul?

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Bossypants Reading Guide!


Because I am a planner and project manager. Also because I read all books really fast and then hang around other people asking, "where are you?" and "what just happened? and trying to see if they can guess what's going to happen next without giving anything away.

Sooo, a rough guide! Feel free to say this doesn't work or you know, if you also finish the book in one day, and then we all do, we don't have to use this. And can start a new book sooner. But I thought it might help us to know what to post on when!

Begin:
  • Acquire book
  • Discuss cover art
  • Discuss jacket comments
  • Dedication
  • Any interesting interviews or links
Week 1 - Sunday January 22nd
  • Introduction
  • Origin Story
  • Growing Up and Liking It
  • All Girls Must Be Everything
  • Delaware County Summer Showtime!
Week 2 - Sunday January 29th
  • That's Don Fey
  • Climbing Old Rag Mountain
  • Young Men's Christian Association
  • The Windy City, Full of Meat
  • My Honeymoon, Or a Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again Either
Week 3 - Sunday February 5th
  • The Secrets of Mommy's Beauty
  • Remembrances of Being Very Very Skinny
  • Remembrances of Being a Little Bit Fat
  • A Childhood Dream, Realized
  • Peeing in Jars with Boys
Week 4 - Sunday February 12th
  • I Don't Care if You Like It
  • Amazing, Gorgeous, Not Like That
  • Dear Internet
  • 30 Rock: An Experiment to Confuse Your Grandparents
  • Sarah, Oprah, and Captain Hook
Week 5 - Sunday February 19th
  • There's a Drunk Midget in My House
  • A Celebrity's Guide to Celebrating the Birth of Jesus
  • Juggle This
  • The Mother's Prayer for Its Daughter
  • What Turning Forty Means to Me
Week 6 (Short week) - Sunday February 26th through Wednesday the 29th
  • What Should I Do with My Last Five Minutes?
  • Acknowledgements
  • Final Book Discussion

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Bossypants it is!

It appears we have made a decision!  Get thee all to a library/bookstore/Amazon/wherever! I will be opting for checking the ebook out from the library, as there are currently 65 people on hold for it on the library system.  Thank goodness for my Nook.


Hooray!  This should be fun.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Om nom nom nom

Also really want to read this one - the author made tons of stuff, Worchestshire sauce (is that spelled right??), marshmallows, etc. and then says which are worth it to make at home and which you should just go ahead and buy. I have a feeling all of us would enjoy this one as a book club pick somewhere down the line!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Would You Rather...

Inspired by Amanda's comment, I figured I'd put it up for a vote:

Would you rather read Bossypants by Tina Fey or Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling?


For me, the answer is both but I would choose Bossypants first.  If the rest of you are leaning toward Mindy Kaling's book, however, I'd be happy to read it first instead!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

P. D. James


And after we read Pride and Prejudice, and confirm our collective need for a pile of money, hot man, and a Pemberley, we can read the inimitable P. D. James' new novel Death Comes to Pemberley . . . in which the villain from Pride and Prejudice appears guilty . . . yes, yes, my precious, we shall read all the books.

Suggestions from Jennie

Hello friends!

I went through my to-read shelf and bounced a couple ideas off Lisa (she seems to have read just about everything there is ;) ).  Here are my top two suggestions as of right now:


The Knife of Never Letting Go -
A dystopia set in a world where you can hear everyone's thoughts whether or not you want to.  It was recommended to me by my good friend Claudia and her sister who is a high school English teacher.  It has pretty good reviews on goodreads and the added bonus that Lisa hasn't read it.  The main character is male, which is a change from most recently written dystopias (ie Hunger Games, Uglies, Divergent, etc).  I have heard that it is rather dark and violent.



Bossypants -
Lisa has read this one, but she said it's hilarious and good and that she is willing to reread it.  We were talking about the Mindy Kaling book, and I realized that if I were to pick a book written by a female comedian to read, this would be it.






I'm excited that we're resurrecting the good old Hack n' Slash blog!

Annnnnnd We're Back!

Thank you Jennie for your mad template skills. A few books I have in mind:

Pride and Prejudice (Jennie hasn't read it. Um what? I'm gonna need those high school and college diplomas, thank YOU. Don't worry, it's very short and very funny. And free on ereaders I think.)

The Hobbit before the movie comes out (much smoother and quicker read than LOTR)

Other stuff I forget right now.