I think it’s counterproductive to criticize a woman for writing a book about her past relationships—during “Women’s Empowerment Week,” no less—especially when said woman is one of those rare breeds I like to call a “fun feminist” and said book is hilarious. But instead of tweeting something bitchy to HelloGiggles, I simply commented on the blog post in question with my differing viewpoint:
I enjoyed Julie’s book as humor writing on a subject to which most women in their 20s and 30s can relate. It was fun to read about her misadventures and completely understand what she was going through. I also found it uplifting that she eventually got her shit together and stopped picking the wrong guys. I think part of “empowering women” is sharing one’s mistakes with others in a way that educates and, if you’re lucky, entertains.
Hopefully, HelloGiggles’ readers will take the time to form their own opinions, between ordering pints of fat-free wild berry “fro-yo” and watching “The Proposal.”
P.S. Fro-yo and Sandy Bullock? Very cool. Very “feminist.”
“At first I was beguiled by her tales of striving for the wrong guys, some nerdy, some funny, some just mean. By the second half I was worn down. Really? Another story about sleeping with and falling for a terrible suitor who only serves to make her predictably depressed? It was exhausting! I wanted to shake her and tell her to STOP IT (and then go for fro-yo and talk about Sandy Bullock movies).” — HelloGiggles – The Break-up ParadeEarlier today, instead of running another essay about how kittens are terrific, HelloGiggles.com decided to publish a tangent-rich take-down of the book I wrote to make women feel better about themselves. I responded to this piece on Twitter by saying, among other things, that if anybody ever tried to shake me OR take me by force to a “Sandy Bullock movie,” I’d call the police.
Since then, I’ve taken a nap and distracted myself with various fatty foods. But I still think this essay is a bizarre way to kick off “Women’s Empowerment Week” on the site. And that confusing The Wedding Planner for The Wedding Singer is pretty much the funniest mistake you can make in a column.
It’s the episode of How Was Your Week? with Ted Leo and Ramona Singer, and my name comes up around 1:21:30.
From my email to Julie:
You probably have enough SVU to catch up on, but I wanted to tell you about my favorite episode ever. It’s titled “Bombshell” (from last season) and stars Rose McGowan. Her character, Cassandra Davina, has sex with her twin brother, and Stabler calls it “twincest.”
My cat Cruddy is famous! What’s next? A reality series on Oxygen?
I have been ERRANT in my pet photo-posting duties! Here is Cruddy, who belongs to Amber Drea, using my book as a pillow. See? Not everybody needs a bosom for a pillow, ’90s band Cornershop!
If you know me, you know that my favorite movie is Heathers and that I’ve seen it about 100 times (that’s low-balling). My friends and I were the Heathers (and Veronica) for Halloween 2009 (pictured above), and I even read the script for the alternate ending from the 20th Anniversary Edition. So when I heard about this book, Deep Focus: Heathers, I immediately went to Amazon and ordered it. Soft Skull Press’s “Deep Focus” series is like 33 1/3 but for films and includes such masterpieces as Lethal Weapon, The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training and They Live (written by Jonathan Lethem!). Check out this description:
In 1989, Michael Lehmann’s black comedy Heathers drew a line in the sand, rebuffing the sweetness and optimism of John Hughes’ more popular fare with darkness and death. Launching the careers of Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, Heathers became a cult classic, ranking #5 on Entertainment Weekly’s list of the 50 Best High School Movies and inspiring hoards of teen films that vastly overshadow its fame but lack its acid wit, moral complexity, and undeniable emotional punch.
John Ross Bowie blends captivating memoir with astute analysis, tracing the rebel-teen mythology that links Columbine, heavy metal and The Catcher in the Rye. With help from Lehmann, screenwriter Daniel Waters, and members of the cast, Bowie thoroughly unpacks the film’s peculiar resonance. Brilliant riffs on the etymology of its teen slang, the implications of its title, and its visual debt to Stanley Kubrick show how Heathers—for all its audacious absurdity—speaks volumes about the realities of high school and of life itself.
Sign me up! I just hope I get it by this Friday so I don’t have to wait too long before listening to Julie Klausner’s* in-depth discussion and interview with author John Ross Bowie on her next podcast…
Also, isn’t this cover the best?
*I’m aware that I’ve mentioned Julie Klausner in at least one blog post per week for the last few weeks. She’s great. Deal with it.
If you haven’t listened to Julie Klausner’s podcast “How Was Your Week?” now is the time to start because this week’s episode features the one and only Maria Bamford! You should also download the episode featuring Jackée from “227” — the former soap opera star, who recently spoofed “Nurse Jackie” for Funny or Die, talks about which guys (and ladies) she would have sex with, among other racy topics.
In the July 15th edition of Julie Klausner’s podcast “How Was Your Week?” she mentioned the email that I sent her, which included this photo of two bulldogs:
She also talked about my cottage cheese spaghetti experience. It was very exciting to be the topic of conversation on one of my favorite podcasts for a solid 18 seconds! (Starts at 1:00:13 if you want to fast-forward right to it.) This triumph is extra special because one of the funniest comedians/Twitterers/writers on Earth, Rob Delaney, is a featured guest.
P.S. The photo was posted by my friend Jennifer Denton on Facebook — thanks, Jen! Couldn’t have done it without you!
I made myself a batch of Julie Klausner’s famed Cottage Cheese Spaghetti* tonight. It was delicious! This might just be my new favorite snack/lunch/quick dinner/whatevs. Thanks, Julie!
*Cook spaghetti, mix in some (large curd) cottage cheese, and season with salt and pepper.
Julie Klausner knows what’s she’s talking about — she’s the author of the book “I Don’t Care About Your Band” (highly recommended), which Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are turning into an HBO series starring Lizzy Caplan.
