Iliza Shlesinger - Girl Logic: The Genius and the Absurdity

Its hard to know where to begin when you talk about Iliza Shlesinger. Its hard to describe her. Its harder still to be the woman writing a foreword in a book written by Iliza Shlesinger.

Lets start with what we see on the outside. As a character actress who has struggled with my appearance and others judgments about my appearance since I was nine years old, I know that Iliza is a stunner. It doesnt take but a glance to see it: her eyes, her cheekbones, her skin, her lips, and that sweet noseshe is pretty and cute and gorgeous all at once. Her body is fiercely strong and sexy, and her clothing choices on and off stage convey a confidence and an eccentricity that is enviable. She isnt afraid to be called hot, because she totally is.

But the outside of Iliza is not the only way I think or talk about her; and its no longer even one of the first things I think about. Iliza is a comedian, a philosopher, a performer, and a business force to be reckoned with. She is a girl with logic that defies logic, and she is a woman who breaks rules I didnt even know existed. Iliza is devoted and loving and kind and she is generous and tender and protective. Thats who she is and thats what she brings to life.

What struck me most about Iliza when I first found her on a weepy lonely night in my living roomI had recently had a break up from a significantly fantastic man I was still in love withwas that she was smart as a whip. She possesses a wisdom and a self-reflection that is rarely seen in any comedian; and I certainly was not used to a female comedian speaking the way she does and breaking the universe down the way she does.

Iliza is a fearless comedian because she is a fearless woman. Her brain does not work the way your brain or mine worksand you can trust me on this: Im a doctor. Ilizas brain doesnt just see a thing: she sees all the things that made the thing the thing and she simultaneously sees all the reasons the thing should be something else but isnt and she simultaneously sees the ways the thing could be better and she manages to communicate incredibly clearly and directly everything you need to knowand some things you may not need to knowabout that thing. She sees deeply, she thinks deeply, and she feels deeply. She leaves no stone unturned. Ever.

It would be enough in the world of comedy if Iliza Shlesinger simply did what she does so well once; if she told one joke or one story with her wisdom and her insight and her skill, it would be dayenu, as we Jews sayit would be enough. If she did this in one set, in one bar, in one Netflix special, it would be dayenu.

But thats not how she does it. Iliza does this night after night, week after week, month after month and year after year. She does it in more than one Netflix special, and she brings herself to late night, and she has brought you the book you are now holding in your hand.

Girl Logic feels like a book by a comedian plenty of times. There are gems from her funny brain that had me laughing out loud again and again. But Girl Logic is also a guide for girls and women. Because Iliza doesnt live to make you laugh; she lives and writes to make you think. And consider. And weigh your options. Heels versus flats or fake tits (her words!) versus real, speak up or stay silent are decisions many women will encounter in their lives. She knows this, and she has lived inside of her brilliant brain for a long time while observing the lives of girls and women. She knows better than us in most cases, I promise.

Girl Logic surprised me most because it also feels like a memoir. But not in the sappy annoying way. And Iliza is the first to tell us she doesnt want to write a memoir. Her childhood was not tragicit was not without its complexity, but she makes it clear that she is not an angry comic whose life led her to a world of laughter so that she wouldnt cry. What Iliza has done is to draw strength from her challenges and come out on top of every obstacle intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally.

Girl Logic opens up a part of Ilizas brain that I didnt know she was ready to share: its the part that has been hurt. Its the part that is sometimes afraid. Its the part that wants very badly to be loved and sometimes doesnt know how. And its the part that proves what a warrior she is in an industry which can take your sword, your shield, and your faith daily.

Iliza Shlesinger is someone you may not always agree with. You may not always like her. And you may not always want to hear what she has to say, but God help you if you cant find yourself in the pages of this book. Your hurt, your fear, and your loneliness will be remedied time and again with the laughter and the wisdom of a woman who will teach you to fight for your self-identification as a warrior, and your destiny as a woman.