Girl love for Tina Fey

A lot has happened. I got married, (it was awesome!) we renovated our bathroom, (not so awesome -- the people at my gym and McDonald’s quickly worked out that I was only there for one thing) and I re-kindled my love for Tina Fey (I watched all of 30 Rock Season 3 in one sitting). The woman is magic. I kind of want to be her, but I’d settle for her friendship – she could be my go-to girl for all sorts of late night cheese eating and bad tv watching. (I think I may be conflating Ms Fey with her alter-ego Liz Lemon, but let me indulge this fantasy.)

Fey has an impressive biography: becoming the first female head writer on Saturday Night Live, penning the script for the teen comedy Mean Girls, writing, producing and starring in 30 Rock, entertaining America (and the rest of the world) with her uncanny Sarah Palin impersonation and winning seven Emmy awards in the process.

Interestingly, Fey has been the subject of an online backlash of sorts – she accepted a Golden Globe award thus: “If you ever start to feel too good about yourself, they have this thing called the Internet. You can find a lot of people there who don’t like you.” Fey then told her ‘haters’ on the LA Times website “Babsonlacrosse, Dlanefan and Cougarletter”, to “suck it”. I love that she was a little vulnerable to criticism, but survived to tell the tale. She also seems to like other women – famously hiring Amy Poehler to replace Jimmy Fallon for their ‘Weekend Update’ segment on SNL.

And then there’s the scar – apparently caused by a rather dramatic slashing incident as a child. What is even more impressive is that she doesn’t like to discuss it. She told Vanity Fair: “It’s impossible to talk about it without somehow seemingly exploiting it and glorifying it.” Restraint. In Hollywood. Unheard of.

But the thing that I love most about her is her writing. It's genius. What about the comedy gold she gave to Salma Hayek: ‘Lemon, isn’t there a slanket somewhere you should be filling with your farts?’ Or her creation of uber manager Jack Donaghy, thereby totally resurrecting Alec Baldwin’s career? My favourite is her Sarah Palin line, uttered during the campaign: “I believe marriage is a sacred institution between two unwilling teenagers.” Yikes. Particularly pertinent given the controversy surrounding Bristol Palin's recent engagement. Maybe she can see into the future! Maybe she really is magic! Tina Fey – I salute you.