Reading:
Tina Fey: Bossypants
Image via Michelle Wright's Flickr
Tina Fey is pretty high in the Bookish Brunette list of icons (I’ll publish this list in full one day). She’s clever, funny and cool as hell. She also wears glasses and has brown hair – traits that make us, essentially, the same person.
Bossypants was in my pile of books that I was reluctant to read because everyone else was raving about them (see also: How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran). In these cases, my inner contrarian acts out and I find myself willing to read anything, including the back of shampoo bottles and People’s Friend magazine, instead of what I really want to read.
I caved late one night and purchased Bossypants to read on my iPad. Oh my, this book is good. It is like an inspirational handbook for every nerdy and ambitious woman out there, though I don’t think Tina would agree with that. She’s too cool to try and tell people how to live their lives. The book recounts Tina’s childhood and her early days in improvisational comedy. She is honest and direct when it comes to her success in the male dominated TV industry. Her account of the Sarah Palin phenomenon is hilarious in how it depicts the madness of a TV juggernaut alongside her anxieties over planning her little daughter’s birthday party.
Tina Fey has worked her ass off the get where she is on her own terms. I plan to do the same. Thanks, Tina.
Michel de Montaigne: On Friendship
I blogged about this dude a while back, when I was pondering my own tendency to be “on the fence” about certain things. I picked up a copy of On Friendship from the book market on the South Bank during my last London Adventure. It is a collection of essays about friendship, conversation and knowledge. I find myself nodding in agreement at a lot of what de Montaigne has to say, though the opening essay about male friendship should be renamed I Love You, Man 2: Get a Room Guys.
My main objection to de Montaigne’s writing is his tendency to dismiss women as stupid and insignificant. The following extract gives you the idea:
Look and see who wield most power in our cities; who do their jobs best. You will find that they are usually the least clever. There have been cases where women, children and lunatics have ruled their states equally as well as the most talented princes.
Zing. Build us up, then bundle us in with the children and lunatics. Nice one Mike.
I know that he was writing in the 16th century and that he was reflecting the generally accepted views of the time, but I find it disappointing that he could be so enlightened about so much yet still refuse to accept women as equals. It would be interesting to see what he made of women in 2012.
Watching:
30 Rock
How has it taken me until 2012 to realise that this is the best TV programme ever made? My box set binge has followed on the coattails of my Bossypants lady crush on Tina Fey. The show is freakin’ hilarious. Season One is a little bit rough around the edges, but by Season Two 3o Rock has really found its stride. I could now list a series of quotes from the show that have prompted me to snort-laugh in an highly unladylike fashion. Instead, I’ll let the great Liz Lemon do that for you:
Listening to:
Martin Solveig featuring Kele - Ready 2 Go
I loved Martin Solveig featuring Dragonette’s Hello, so I was excited to hear that he had teamed up with Kele of Bloc Party fame. This video is very cool, it has hint of the lo-fi amateur dance vibe that Spike Jonze took mainstream with the Fat Boy Slim Praise You video. It was shot at the Stade de France during half time of a match between France and Croatia. The song is catchy, though I’m torn over whether it beats Republica’s tune with a very similar name. Have a listen and decide for yourself:
I love this whole “reading, listening to, watching this month” idea! Can I steal that? I’ll credit you of course.
Hi Sascha! Go for it! It would be cool to see what you are reading, watching and listening to. I reckon that you have good taste in such matters
xx