I love Tina Fey

Living in Pakistan, I have never really watched Saturday Night Live (two episodes while vacationing in US do not count). My first exposure to Tina Fey and her brand of humour (witty and self effacing with zero slapstick and no sexist, racist jokes) was teen comedy Mean Girls which was so unlike teen comedies and was as big a hit of 21st century as Clueless was in 90s. She not only starred as the no non sense maths teacher but also wrote and produced the film.

The reason I love her is that she made edgy neurotic cool. Take Liz Lemon, her character in ’30 Rock’ is as real as it gets. She strives to be a better, more honorable, more down-to-earth person and gets diverted by her own shallow, petty urges. She knows who she is and occasionally tries to assert that her rather mundane desires and limitations are perfectly acceptable. She wants a husband, sure, but she doesn't want anyone to be the boss of her. She wants to get ahead at work, yes, but she also wants to skip work and watch a rented movie in bed. She has made it absolutely normal for women to be single at 37, wear glasses, eat Chinese food out of take away box, attract losers or conflicted people, work with losers or conflicted people and deal with a boss whose ego is as gigantic as Grand Canyon, and still be friends with him. The best thing about Tina Fey is that she can be screwed up and likeable at the same time without being over the top, unlike the clinging and coy Jennifer Aniston in Friends.

If I do sound demented, it is because I saw Baby Mama last night and then stayed up all night and saw 30 Rock all over again.