Amy Poehler: Yes Please

Comedy memoirs are my thing. If you look at my bookcase you’ll find half of the books are by comedians. Part of the appeal is that a comedian’s autobiography is often more revealing than other celebrity memoirs. In an age where everyone is trying to promote their own Cult of Stalin via tweets, posts and Instagrams, the comedian through honesty inverts this. The comedian’s image is as contrived as any celebrity, but where the celebrity raises a glass to success, the comedian downs theirs to disappointment.

The veracity required for good comedy lends itself to the memoir form. Comedians are used to sharing ideas, values and opinions that others may find unsavoury, so they’re not going to stop when it comes to putting their feelings down into print. On top of this, the competitive nature of comedy means you need a distinct voice. The worst thing you can be called in comedy is ‘hack’ (a derogatory term for comedians that deliver crowd-pleasing but tired tropes of ‘have you ever noticed…?’ routines); consequently, this need to be different often makes the comedy memoir more revelatory and innovative.

I have one of these comedy books. For my own self-respect, I hope you guess correctly which one..

Recent examples of illuminating memoirs are Johnny Vegas’ Becoming Johnny, a cautionary tale of how Michael Pennington’s creation, Johnny Vegas, supplanted his creator. Ostensibly, the tale is told by Pennington, but with the vituperative Vegas never far away there's always the risk the thing will implode into Jekyll and Hyde. Observing how a charismatic character can overpower their meek master makes this a fascinating read. 

Further, Stewart Lee’s book How I Escaped My Certain Fate illuminates the creative process of comedy. Comedy as Art is rarely recognised in high society; you only have to look at how it is treated alongside other culture to see that. Take Alan Yentob’s reverential Imagine series: he often pays tribute to authors, musicians and painters – but rarely comedians. The Academy Awards often shortlist dramatic performances – but rarely comedic ones. The Booker Prize judges wouldn’t know a joke if an Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman walked into their Private Members Bar. Lee’s book demonstrates how a comic’s job is arguably more difficult than other artists, as the failure is all the more public. Unlike conventional writing, a comic performs their drafts live; the audience are the editors: green-lighting jokes with laughs; red-penning them with silence. For comedians, the stage is both light bulb and waste paper bin; it is a ladder to the muses and a trapdoor to the hounds. Lee articulates this life and death dichotomy brilliantly.

Amy Poehler’s Yes Please is another brilliant comedy memoir. Doing– like Lee and Vegas – something different with the format. Mainly known in this country for co-hosting the Golden Globes and starring in Parks and Recreation, Poehler eschews the formula of chronological life telling, opting instead for thematic sections titled ‘Say whatever you want,’ ‘Do whatever you like’ and ‘Be whoever you are.’ Traditional tropes of autobiography are here with recollections of childhood and jobs prior to comedy; but with polemics on sex, motherhood, privilege and technology the whole thing reads more like a humorous manifesto than A-B journey-destination tittle-tattle. Fans of Parks may be surprised with the candour of some of these opinions. Whilst her sitcom character, Leslie Knope, is the squeaky clean poster-girl for feminism; Amy Poehler is the mischievous moustache on the hoarding.  Like Leslie she believes in putting personality before appearance and doing what you can for the sisterhood; unlike Leslie she confesses to the recreational use of drugs and pornography. Whereas Leslie lacks self-awareness, Poehler is acutely familiar with the world around her. In one of the funniest chapters in the book, she skewers society’s pregnancy paranoia- exemplified in the 'birthing plan-' by outlining her own natal demands - (An annoying nurse with an unfunny and teasing manner on whom we can focus our anger would be a welcome addition. The mother would also like a punching bag, a screaming pillow, a mirror to smash and a small handgun. The father would like a George Foreman grill, just to have). Further, she satirises the shame of being a divorcee through imagined book pitches (‘Divorce: Ten Ways Not to Catch It!’ Divorce is contagious. Haven’t you heard? It’s like cancer but only worse because no one really feels that bad for you.) In reading Poehler’s book you get some of the glass half full optimism of Leslie, but you also get the glass half empty rage of a person who resents the pressures put upon her gender.

Poehler as Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation.

One of the things that really shines through in Poehler’s book is her love for collaboration. She refers to Tina Fey as her ‘comedy wife,’ remarking: ‘we don’t compete against each other, we compete against ourselves.’ Anyone who has seen the two side by side at the Golden Globes knows how well they work to create something truly special. Recent reviews of their new festive movie Sisters corroborate this too. Her book is also a collaboration of sorts as she has friend Seth Meyers write a chapter, and in the section on Parks and Recreation has script editor Mike Schur add margin notes to what she is saying. There are very few comedians who would be happy to have other people contribute to their book; Poehler, you get the feeling, wouldn’t have it any other way. Her background at Second City (America’s seminal improv school) has made her appreciate that comedy doesn’t have to be done in isolation; it’s often funnier in conversation.

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler

Poehler’s book wears many hats moving from memoir to parody to feminist essays. The fact that this balancing act is carried out with such aplomb is perhaps no surprise to a woman who juggles filming, parenting and charity commitments. Poehler worked hand to mouth for fifteen years to be an overnight success. If you read this warm, witty book, you’ll agree Poehler is a rare example of someone who deserves their riches.     

Yes Please is out on paperback now.