Ian Fineman - Amy Poehler and Tina Fey: From SNL to Sisters on Camera and in Life

By Ian Fineman

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All Rights Reservedworldwide. May not be copied or distributed without prior writtenpermission from the publisher.

This eBook is not affiliatedwith or endorsed by Tina Fey, Amy Poehler or any representativesthereof.

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Tina Fey and Amy Poehler:Funny Girls, "Found" Sisters, and Best Friends Forever

Tina Fey and Amy Poehlerhave a "friend that goes way back."

Turns out, it happens to beeach other.

When their comedy "Sisters"hit theaters in December 2015, it was just be icing on thesister-friend cake.

The funny women met for thefirst time in Chicago where they were both taking improv classes in1993. That was before they eventually ended up on Saturday NightLive (in fact, they'll be guest hosting the show soon).

The pair became fast friends-- and even closer, as both had no female siblings and adopted eachother as inspired surrogate sisters.

How do comedic geniuses andbest friends describe their relationship? By making jokes, ofcourse.

For instance, for Glamour'sJanuary Social Media Issue, Fey answered a fan-submitted questionwhich read: "What's your secret to maintaining your 20-some-yearfriendship?"

"We don't see each othervery often," Fey joked, according to People Magazine .

"That's right," echoedPoehler. "It's like a good marriage. My mom always says it's veryimportant to have people in your life who knew you when. The olderyou get, the more you treasure that idea of someone knowing yourfamily and where you came from, and being around during these timesand these times."

Do sisters compete?Sometimes. But Fey and Poehler seem to be the kind of sisters whofeel as proud of the other's accomplishments as theirown.

"I think one of yourgreatest accomplishments was transitioning from the captain youwere at SNL to creating a show [30 Rock]," Poehler said to Fey."That is so hard -- extricating yourself from a place you were socomfortable and successful, then doing something else so well.That, and the fact that you invented the word flerm."

What's flerm? Turns out it'sa word that describes those tiny unexplained flecks of trash andlint that one brushes off ones clothes, plucks out of the carpet,etc. (Who knows the real inventor, but Fey certainly popularizedit).

For her part, Fey gushedover Poehler's work, especially Poehler's Smart Girls campaign,calling it "a crowning achievement." Smart Girls is an onlinecommunity for young girls that puts the emphasis on thepositive.

"I would say that one ofyour greatest accomplishments, Amy Poehler, is that you have sosuccessfully used your art and comedy as a source of positivity inthe world," Fey said. "(And) by creating Smart Girls, by making(Leslie in) Parks and Recreation not only a positive feministcharacter but creating a good-hearted worldview within thatprogram."

Theirs is an amazing andsupportive professional and personal relationship that has not onlystood the test of time, but a whole lot of one-liners.

That's funny, when you thinkabout it -- luckily for the rest of us.

Living Life the FeyWay

Of all the famous people onthe planet, Tina Fey may be one of the best of the lot when itcomes to serving as a role model for the next generation ofwomen.

Fey became famous for twothings that -- remarkably, in this day and age -- involved neithertwerking nor being a jerk. Her claims to fame? An impressiveintellect, for starters. And the pice de rsistance: a razor sharpwit that's all her own.

Fortunately for adoring fanseverywhere, Fey succeeded by being a strong woman in a man's world(comedy has been predominantly a male bastion for a long time)without sacrificing her values, her femininity, or her goals. Bestof all, she has been able to attain her fame without being vain,ruthlessly competitive, or strident.

Tina Fey is the girl nextdoor, the best friend, a popular gal whom everyone likes becauseshe's just so nice. Oh, and funny. Very, very funny. Would there beanyone better to take a road trip with or invite to an all-girlsslumber party?

Young women finally have afemale to emulate who carved out a space in comedy and show biz byflaunting her best assets. Luckily, they're not of the Kardashianvariety. Fey's career and track record prove that, yes, smart girls(in eyeglasses, even!) can succeed. A smart girl with a sense ofhumor a mile wide? She can rule.

As Meagan Morris noted inher blog at SheKnows , "Tina Feydidn't become the first female head writer at Saturday Night Liveby following the pack. She vehemently rejects the notion that"women aren't funny" 'cause, well, we are -- and tells girls tofollow their dreams, glass ceiling be damned."

Morris recalls Fey's adviceto young women in her best-selling autobiography,"Bossypants."

"So, my unsolicited adviceto women in the workplace is this. When faced with sexism, orageism, or lookism, or even really aggressive Buddhism, askyourself the following question: 'Is this person in between me andwhat I want to do?' If the answer is no, ignore it and move on.Your energy is better used doing your work and outpacing peoplethat way. Then, when you're in charge, don't hire the people whowere jerky to you."

Young women would do well tonote Fey's predilection for making friends with, rather thancompetitors of, other women. That's a workplace trick that suckersmany an otherwise intelligent and empathetic woman to turn into ashe-wolf.

"It would have been easy forFey to think of her fellow SNL alum, Amy Poehler, as hercompetition. Instead, they became BFFs," writes Morris.

And you'll never catch Feyoiling up for a salacious video in order to play the "sexualitycard." Flaunting her lady bits would be way beneath a woman whobecame famous by flaunting her funny bits.

"Comedy skill is notsexually transmittable," Fey asserted in Bossypants. "You do nothave to sleep with a comedian to learn what you're doing. Malecomedians will not like that advice, but it is thetruth."

An amazing career, plenty ofmoney in the bank, and a happy home life, too? Fey accomplished allof this in her own inimitable style.

That style does, of course,always come with a joke.

"Fey went back to work justfive weeks after giving birth to her first daughter, Alice,"reported Morris. "She's shown girls that it's possible to have asuccessful career and a happy home life. However, she doesn'tpretend it's not difficult. "NBC has me under contract," she saidof going back to work so soon. "The baby and I have only a verbalagreement."

The Tina Fey Story: HerHistory in Comedy

For generations, the numberof women celebrated in the world of comedy was small, indeed --Lucille Ball, Gilda Radner, Lily Tomlin, Betty White, CarolBurnette, and Whoopi Goldberg, to name a few. While the number ofladies who successfully broke into what was once a male-dominatedindustry was low, these trailblazers ignited a passion for comedyin a new generation of women. One of them -- an industry success,comedic genius, and amazingly versatile talent -- is TinaFey.

Before the Upper West Side,It Was Upper Darby

Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina"Fey was born on May 18, 1970 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. Hermother, Zenobia, is of Greek descent, and her father, Donald, is ofEnglish, German, and Scottish descent. Tina's sole sibling, Peter,is eight years older.