Do yourself a favor. Get behind the wheel and pop in Fey's audiotape, "Bossypants," which she narrates herself. Whether recalling childhood memories of her father, the always formidable and sometimes frightening Don Fey, her climb up the ranks in the world of comedy, or her stumbles when trying to combine motherhood and career, her prose gleams. She's hysterical.My favorites: new-mother-Fey's encounters with "lactation nazis," and the chaos surrounding her impersonation of Sarah Palin.
The disappointment: Fey deftly avoids stepping on the toes of her colleagues. Even as she relays the chaos surrounding the Palin affair, her word choice skirts the bottom line, her phrasing keeps us at a distance. Oh, Tina, I know there has to be dirt! Tell us! We want to know! Give us the real scoop on how Lorne Michaels screwed you. Tell us how Alec Baldwin bullied his way through scenes. Spill the beans on Palin's bumbleheadedness.
Still, a minor quibble amidst major hilarity.
My kids claim I don't think anything is funny. And they're not entirely off the mark. I'm not often moved to laughter. It's not that I never find amusement, I just prefer to think I'm discriminating. "Family Guy?" Not for me.
Take my advice. Go for a drive and turn on Fey's "Bossypants." I dare you not to laugh.
