The Gospel According to Tina

Photo Source: AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
Making my way up to the venue, I was surrounded by them: hundreds of bespectacled women (and men) of all ages and a shared earnestness, clutching their glossy new bibles — Bossypants — to their chests.  For a second, I worried a stampede might start, that the crowd would erupt in a fit of Feymania.  Luckily, it seems Fey’s apostles are a considerate sort — eager but smart enough to remember what they learned in fire drills, where it’s better to walk than to fall on your face, get trampled, and be trapped forever in the fiery depths of unrealized dreams.  I’m so proud.

Then, after several minutes of groaning at the lights that didn’t seem to dim, they finally did, and she waddled out, noticeably pregnant and genuinely excited to be with us.  A good half of the audience gave her a standing ovation before a single word was spoken — a testament to how much her work and her very existence mean to us.

As soon as she and interviewer Steve Martin started, we fell quiet.

The first question asked was, of course, about her pregnancy:  “Many [people] have warned me about asking this … but are you pregnant?”

Replied Tina, laughing, “Actually, the doctors tell me it’s hysterical pregnancy, brought on by the need to sell books.  So as soon as that happens, these boobs’ll disappear.”

“That’s a shame.”

A good start to a great night.

The discussion then turned to Fey’s beginnings in the comedy world — her influences, her dreams, and some of the events that brought her to where she is.

“Tell us about your experience in Second City.”

“A million laughs.  A lot of nachos.”

The more and more they talked, the more the over-excited knot in my stomach loosened: the whole thing started to feel less like being at an “Event,” and more like listening to an old friend share stories around a campfire.  There was an immediate connection felt between her and everyone in the audience — felt when we were all either  completely quiet or filling the room with raucous laughter at all the right moments.

I found myself jotting down tons of notes Hermione-style, overeager and determined to remember every piece of insight she offered:

1.  Trying to find your voice?  Doing improv’ll change your approach to performing as well as to life.  You’ll learn how to “Yes, and” everything, take chances, trust yourself, trust your partner, think on your feet, discover parts you never knew existed, and finally express yourself in ways you always wished you could.

2.  Afraid of how society’s unjust treatment of women in the biz’ll affect your chances?  Be your own woman, know what you want, and kick ass.  The biz and the world are changing, and there are remarkable women out there who’re pressuring society to be a more gender-equal place.  Be one of them.

3.  If you’re really passionate about what you’re doing, you’ll find a way to make it work; you’ll make the sacrifices and dedicate the time and energy necessary to succeed.

4.  Don’t finish Lorne Michael’s sentences.  And if you accidentally do, make sure you know someone who can vouch for your sanity.

5-100.  Etc.

It was like she was talking directly to me: a young aspiring comedienne full of doubt, self and otherwise.  And in sharing this experience with the others present — laughing with them, listening with them — I knew I wasn’t alone.

Because there’s something about Fey that made her both otherworldly and huggable.  She wows you with her blunt, zany wit while simultaneously high-fiving you after alluding to Star Wars.  She routinely renounces negative media stunts and celebrity follies while being self-deprecating.  She’s that badass in school everyone loves for saying the things they’re too chicken to say themselves.

So, even though the interview itself was wanting of fact-digging or philosophy-finding, it still managed to yield responses that were telling in a different way: as her apostles, we got to know her personality and feel closer to her.  And, most importantly, it seemed to validate all of the reasons why she’s so admired.

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