Tina Fey Archives - Emerging Women

Mothers Who Rock the World

May 4, 2014 by Chantal Pierrat

Mothers not only physically create us, they shape our ideas of the potential and possibilities available to us as we grow into our true selves. From creator to protector, healer to warrior, different representations of motherhood in our lives can serve to empower all of us during periods of emergence.

One of our favorite commentaries on all of the characteristics, both beautiful and strange, that the mother archetype can hold is Isabella Rossellini’s wonderfully weird Sundance series Mammas. We hope that you may enjoy it, and the profiles of our favorite mothers below, with the women in your life this Mother’s Day.

1. Artist Moms

Mica Angela Hendricks has a wonderful take on what it means to be a mother, exemplified by her ongoing series of portrait collaborations with her 4 year old daughter. “In sharing my artwork and allowing our daughter to be an equal in our collaborations, I helped solidify her confidence, which is way more precious than any doodle I could have done,” says Hendricks. In this blog post, Hendricks confesses that it wasn’t easy to relinquish control over her art, but was forced to when her daughter cleverly trotted out some old mommy-wisdom: “We might have to take it away if you can’t share…” Read the whole story here.

“Those things you hold so dear cannot change and grow and expand unless you loosen your grip on them a little.” ~ Mica Angela Hendricks[inline]

Other cool art moms: Annie Leibovitz, who made children a priority later in life after creating a wildly successful career as a photographer; Laurie Simmons, mother of Lena Dunham and inspiration for Dunham’s film Tiny Furniture.

2. Mothers to the Masses

What does a hell-raiser have in common with a saint? In the case of these two women, they both channelled the mother archetype, albeit two different aspects of it, in order to uplift those in need.

Mother Teresa’s seemingly bottomless well of kindness and service inspired many young people to dedicate their lives to helping others. Her work with the poor and needy earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” ~ Mother Teresa

While Mother Teresa calls to the caregiver in all of us with her lifetime of compassion and service, Mary Harris “Mother” Jones inspires the mother in each of us who can fight like a lioness to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Mother Jones was a 19th century labor leader who, rather than dwelling on her personal tragedies, worked tirelessly to organize for worker’s unions. She famously said, “I’m not a humanitarian, I’m a hell-raiser.” She remained an active protector for the working class well into her 90s. Her legacy is that of a mother’s stubbornness and tireless pursuit of what is right.

“Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living.”~ Mother Jones

3. Moms in the ‘Biz

We love actress, writer, producer, bazillion time Emmy award winner and mother Tina Fey’s refreshing take on “having it all.” Her 2011 book Bossypants approaches the subject of her anxieties about working outside the home with humor and honesty. She and fellow comedian Amy Poehler regularly use their sharp wit to skewer the double standards for working parents, as seen in this fun round-up of quotes over at HuffPost Parents.

“You go through big chunks of time where you’re just thinking, ‘This is impossible — oh, this is impossible.’ And then you just keep going and keep going, and you sort of do the impossible.” ~ Tina Fey

Other moms we love in showbusiness: Wanda Sykes, whose OWN special Herlarious puts female comics in the spotlight; Angelina Jolie who recently wrote a beautiful op-ed piece about her decision to have a mastectomy.

4. Activist Moms

Following the birth of her daughter, Christy Turlington Burns suffered postpartum hemorrhage. The complication was quickly dealt with by her midwife and OB, but not all women have access to the same resources as we do in this developed country. As Melinda Gates says in last week’s Time’s 100 Most Influential People, “Christy’s realization that her life and her baby’s turned on the luck of geography inspired her to take action.” She founded Every Mother Counts to take action against these preventable deaths by addressing the main barriers to maternal health.

“…let’s extend that sentiment not just to our moms throughout the year, but to other women.” ~Christy Turlington Burns

Another mother making progress for women’s rights: Cecile Richards, daughter of Ann Richards, mother of three, and President of Planned Parenthood.

5. Moms on Mothering

Michelle Obama, First Lady and self-titled Mom-in-Chief, is clear about her priorities. When making the transition into the White House, her main concern was to support her daughters. But this mama’s power is not just reserved for her own babies. Her Let’s Move campaign to end childhood obesity aims to empower families all across the nation. Watch her team up with comedian Will Ferrell in this hilarious video about the movement.

“I am an example of what is possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by people around them. I was surrounded by extraordinary women in my life who taught me about quiet strength and dignity.” ~ Michelle Obama

We also love Dr. Shefali Tsabary‘s books on conscious parenting. Check her out on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday on OWN, May 18th.

6. Moms in Little Moments

Whether our actual moms, or the mother figures we find on our life’s path, it’s the moms we see day in and day out, through good times and bad, during both the special times and the mundane moments who are often the most powerful sources of inspiration. Listen to Your Mother is a series of live staged readings in celebration of Mother’s Day. In 32 cities across the nation, mothers, daughters, husbands, sons, grandparents and grandchildren gather to share their stories of motherhood. Check in all week for this year’s performances, or dive in to the archives. Don’t know where to start? Try Kris Adam’s take on the body of a mother here.

“By meeting them, by knowing my children, I have become something powerful and essential. I am no longer a question.” ~ Kris Adams

We are excited to start a conversation and learn more from you, dear emerging women. Let us know, with a comment below, what qualities of motherhood inspire YOU? Who are some of YOUR favorite moms?

Like what you’re hearing? Dive deeper with us this October at Emerging Women Live 2014.

15 Women Defying Stereotypes about Female Comedy

November 11, 2013 by Chantal Pierrat

While comedy has largely been a male-dominated industry, things are gradually beginning to change. More and more women are stepping up and closing the vast gender gap in comedy. Not only that, but the roles that women play in comedies are also shifting; from likable and naive to strong, independent, honest and unapologetic women. The stereotype that women are not funny is passé. We are witnesses to a new generation of comedians who act, write, direct and perform stand-up. We picked 15 hilarious women, some who pioneered female comedy and some who continue to break down stereotypes and get comfortable in an archaic boy’s club.

1. “While we have the gift of life, it seems to me that the only tragedy is to allow part of us to die-whether it is our spirit, our creativity, or our glorious uniqueness.” ― Gilda Radner

2. “I’ve always dreamed of growing up to be Amy Poehler.” ― Amy Poehler

3. “My point is, life is about balance. The good and the bad. The highs and the lows. The pina and the colada.” ― Ellen DeGeneres

4. “I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.” ― Lily Tomlin

5. “It is an impressively arrogant move to conclude that just because you don’t like something, it is empirically not good. I don’t like Chinese food, but I don’t write articles trying to prove it doesn’t exist.” ― Tina Fey

6. “If you’re creating anything at all, it’s really dangerous to care about what people think.” ― Kristen Wiig

7. “I’m not funny. What I am is brave.” ― Lucille Ball

8. “I used my imagination to make the grass whatever color I wanted it to be.” ― Whoopi Goldberg

9. “Reminding myself that I have a tailbone keeps me in check.” ― Tig Notaro

10. “I’m not going to die because I failed as someone else. I’m going to succeed as myself.” ― Margaret Cho

11. “I don’t look my best when I wake up. But, I do feel beautiful when I’m tired and happy and I’ve had a good laugh and a glass of champagne.” ― Maya Rudolph

12. “If you’re passionate about your work, it makes the people around you want to be involved too.” ― Wanda Sykes

13. “…write your own part. It is the only way I’ve gotten anywhere. It is much harder work, but sometimes you have to take destiny into your own hands. It forces you to think about what your strengths really are, and once you find them, you can showcase them, and no one can stop you.” ― Mindy Kaling

14. “Everybody has their own way of tapping into their realness.” ― Sandra Bernhard

15. “I read somewhere that men’s biggest fear is that women will laugh at them. And women’s biggest fear is that men will kill them. Kind of different stakes that we’re working with.” — Chelsea Peretti

Leave a comment below and share with us who is your favorite woman in comedy.

Juicy Bites This Week: Women Define Happiness

July 27, 2013 by Chantal Pierrat

Juicy Bites: small nibbles of quality content.

This week we find out:

What do women have to do with Bill Gates’s generosity?
How can we adopt entrepreneurial thinking?
What’s Tina Fey’s definition of ‘Perfect Happiness’?
What role did Lindy Boggs play in Women’s History?
What’s Karen Finerman’s career advice?

At the end we encourage you to join us for a conversation. This week’s Juicy Bites question for you, dear emerging women, is: “What is your idea of perfect happiness?”

We would love to hear from you, so make sure you leave a comment at the end of this post.

1. Why Men Need Women via New York Times

Fascinating research about the effect of female leadership on men’s generosity, innovation and knowledge-sharing.

“We recognize the direct advantages that women as leaders bring to the table, which often include diverse perspectives, collaborative styles, dedication to mentoring and keen understanding of female employees and customers. But we’ve largely overlooked the beneficial effects that women have on the men around them. Is it possible that when women join top management teams, they encourage male colleagues to treat employees more generously and to share knowledge more freely? Increases in motivation, cooperation, and innovation in companies may be fueled not only by the direct actions of female leaders, but also by their influence on male leaders.”

Continue reading…

2. How To Think & Act Like An Entrepreneur via thenextwomen.com

“To be effective innovation has to be simple, and it has to be focused. It should do only one thing,– otherwise it confuses people.” ~ Peter Drucker, The Discipline of Innovation

Many organizations these days are trying to increase innovation, encourage creativity and develop entrepreneurial leaders. In order to think and act like an entrepreneur you need to be aware 3 elements that truly capture the essence of entrepreneurship:

No. 1 Real and compelling sense of ownership of the business.
No. 2 Opportunity obsession and the drive to follow through.
No. 3 The ability to infuse your colleagues with entrepreneurial thinking and action.

3. How 16 Incredible Women Define ‘Perfect Happiness’ via Huffington Post Women

This is an amazing collection from Vanity’s Fair “Proust Questionnaire – an unscientific but illuminating personality test created in the salons of nineteenth-century Paris. When asked the question “What is your idea of perfect happiness?”, 16 brilliant women give honest, funny, touching answers. Here are some of them:

“A canoe, mixed sun and cloud, no deadlines in sight.” ~ Margaret Atwood
“Loud bar, good band, cold beer, ride home.” ~ Rachel Maddow
“A glass of wine at sunset on Fire Island. / No homework.” ~ Tina Fey

4. Lindy Boggs, Longtime Representative And Champion of Women, Is Dead at 97 via New York Times

Lindy Boggs was the first woman elected to Congress from Louisiana. Three years later, in 1976, Mrs. Boggs became the first woman to preside over a Democratic National Convention. In her 1994 memoir, “Washington Through a Purple Veil: Memoirs of a Southern Woman,” written with Katherine Hatch, Mrs. Boggs wrote that she had learned an important lesson as a political wife and as a politician herself: “You played the Washington game with confidence and authority and graciousness.”

Mrs. Boggs fought for women’s equal pay for government jobs and equal access to government business contracts, and took a firm stand against sexual discrimination. She also, championed racial justice at a time when doing so invited the resentment if not hostility of most Southern whites. She saw the growing civil rights movement as necessary to the political reform movement of the 1940s and ’50s.

5. Karen Finerman: How Women Can Best Navigate The Workplace via Forbes

Karen Finerman, who is an investment manager, CNBC Fast Money panelist, philanthropist and author of Finerman’s Rules: Secrets I’d Only Tell My Daughters About Business and Life, talks about how to manage work relationships, set business boundaries, why you need a financial plan and her best career advice.

“I’ve seen women afraid to stretch for things. They avoid opportunities they don’t feel qualified for yet. Instead, they should grab risky opportunities that will force them to grow on the job and learn to do it.” ~ Karen Finerman