Elizabeth Stamatina, whose stage name is Tina Fey, is a celebrated American comedian, actress, as well as a producer. Having been raised up in the neighborhoods of Philadelphia, Fey opted to move to Chicago to develop her career in comedy. Fey embarked on her comedy career with the Second City group, who engaged her as a featured player. However, her fame rose when she featured in Saturday Night Live (SNL), an NBC comedy series, where she replicated Sarah Palin, the US Vice President candidate. Nobody would have thought that Fey would one day become popular as a comedian, producer, and an actor, since her parents were just ordinary folks, who took their responsibilities seriously.
Fey’s Entry in Comedy
Fey is well recognized for her pokerfaced humor, and her sarcastic intelligence had become her trademark. When political comedy began to gain relevance on television, SNL became a cultural forum that depicted American Presidential Candidates (Wild 494). Although SNL mocked other presidential candidates, it singled out Sarah Palin’s character due to her incapacity to demonstrate herself as a proficient political actor. Fey’s prominence in SNL helped her to create her first television show 30 Rock, a show that depicted her comical life during her stay in SNL as a writer. The series in 30 Rock incorporates a lively jazz score while most of the accompanying melodies are either clarinet or strings.
Fey has featured in several films, as well as in books. Mean Girls ushered Fey into the practice of writing. Being a writer made Fey develop an ambition for movie directing. One of Fey’s best jokes, which depicted fatigue, was “I want to roll my eyes right now, but the doctor says that if I keep doing it, my ocular muscles might spasm and eject my eyeballs” (Shiman n.p). However, just like other comedians, Fey has not escaped allegations. She has been blamed for hating women in most of her jokes. Other critics have underlined overreliance on single girl jokes while focusing much on food in her jokes.
Fey’s Contribution and Charity
Most movie directors are seeking Fey to feature in their movies due to her comical character. Fey is not reluctant to convert her own experience into jokes. By writing her autobiography, Fey wanted to be instrumental to women and girls all over the world, particularly to those who have suffered in their childhood. Apart from her comical work, Fey has contributed immensely in charitable works, which include the support on autism research, as well as campaign to eliminate world hunger. In 2009, Fey was made a national spokesperson for people with leukemia and lymphoma. Fey has managed to maintain her stature in the limelight by being a deadpan comedian, with grounded personality and celebrated work ethics.
Awards and Upcoming Projects
Fey has won numerous awards, including Emmy Awards, owing to her talent in comedy and writing. The mixture of self-deprecating humor and pop-culture has made Fay to be quite popular in the US. Fey is still active in American movie theaters, with “Mean Girls” being the next project (Swartz n.p). Mean Girls is meant to express the ineffectiveness of teenage culture among Americans. Fey has also featured in “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot,” a movie that is due to be released in March 2016.
Conclusion
Fey’s entry in comedy was not by accident: she worked her way to the top. Although her parents were not being keen on introducing Fey in comedy, she started developing an interest in comedy while in high school. SNL catapulted her fame in comedy, as she mimicked Sarah Palin. her first television show 30 Rock has gained fame due to its connection with SNL. Despite numerous critics that could have toppled her career, Fey chose to popularize herself in comedy, as she engaged in script writing, acting, and production.
Works Cited
Michaud Wild, Nickie. “Dumb Vs. Fake: Representations Of Bush And Palin On Saturday Night Live And Their Effects On The Journalistic Public Sphere.” Journal Of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 59.3 (2015): 494-508. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 June 2016.
Shiman, Risa Polansky. “Comedy as Feminist Rhetoric, Liz Lemon Style
Or, ‘That was an ironic reappropriation… I don’t know anymore’.” Harlot (2012). Web. 8 June 2016
Swartz, Tracy. “Tina Fey says ‘Mean Girls’ musical is in the works.” Chicago Tribune, March 2, 2016. Web. 8 June 2016