Survival of the Thickest: Essays by Michelle Buteau (English) Paperback Book

Description: Survival of the Thickest by Michelle Buteau *Now a comedy series on Netflix!* From the stand-up comedian, actress, and host beloved for her cheeky swagger, unique voice, and unapologetic frankness comes a book of hilarious essays. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description *Now a comedy series on Netflix!* From the stand-up comedian, actress, and host beloved for her cheeky swagger, unique voice, and unapologetic frankness comes a book of "zesty and hilarious" (Publishers Weekly) essays for fans of Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling and Were Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union.If youve watched television or movies in the past couple of years, youve seen Michelle Buteau. With scene-stealing roles in Always Be My Maybe, First Wives Club, Someone Great, Russian Doll, and Tales of the City; a reality TV show and breakthrough stand-up specials, including her headlining show Welcome to Buteaupia on Netflix; and two podcasts (Late Night Whenever and Adulting), Michelles star is on the rise. Youd be forgiven for thinking the road to success—or adulthood or financial stability or self-acceptance or marriage or motherhood—has been easy, but youd be wrong. Now, in Survival of the Thickest, Michelle reflects on growing up Caribbean, Catholic, and thick in New Jersey, going to college in Miami (where everyone smells like pineapple), her many friendship and dating disasters, working as a newsroom editor during 9/11, getting started in stand-up opening for male strippers, marrying into her husbands Dutch family, IVF and surrogacy, motherhood, chosen family, and what it feels like to have a full heart, tight jeans, and stardom finally in her grasp. Author Biography Michelle Buteau is a comedian and actress, known for her roles in Always Be My Maybe, The First Wives Club, Someone Great, Russian Doll, and Tales of the City. She is also the host of The Circle and has stand-up specials—including the award-winning Welcome to Buteaupia—on Netflix and Comedy Central. She is the cohost of the podcast Adulting, and the executive producer, writer, and star of Survival of the Thickest on Netflix. She lives in the Bronx with her husband and twins. She and her husband also run Van der Most Modern, a vintage furniture store in Brooklyn. Review "Michelle Buteau is one of the funniest people Ive ever had the pleasure to meet in my entire life. Not since the ferocity I had at 12 years old elbowing fellow readers of Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban out of the way for my copy have I been as excited for a new title as I am for Michelles book, Survival of The Thickest. But unlike J.K. Rowling, Michelle wont let us down because nobodys comedy or inclusion shines brighter than Michelles!" —Jonathan Van Ness, hair dresser and star of the Netflix series Queer Eye "If you think actress Buteau ("Russian Doll," "Tales of the City") is funny on-screen, wait until you see her on the page." —The Washington Post"Michelle Buteau is one of the funniest comedians out there right now… A brilliant, uproarious memoir. This is the kind of read that shows us a woman who owns all that she is—her heartbreak, her humor, her struggle, her sexuality—and who makes other women want to do the same… Get ready to laugh out loud and feel like youve made a new friend. Pro tip: get the audio book to listen to Buteau narrate her life with her perfect and awe-inspiring delivery." —Shondaland"Hilarious—like, snap-a-photo-of-a-page-and-send-it-to-friends funny. But this bracingly honest essay collection, in which Buteau insightfully reflects on everything from her body image to her interracial marriage to her difficult road to motherhood, is ultimately about the brave act of learning to love yourself." —Real Simple"This hilarious, raunchy, tell-it-like-it-is collection of reminiscences and identity-searching tales by actress and stand-up star Michelle Buteau will entertain you and, perhaps, make you blush." —GoodMorningAmerica.com, "13 new books to get cozy with over the holidays""Known for her effortless delivery of laugh-out-loud stories, Michelle Buteau brings that same cheekiness and hilarity to her book. Warning, though, reading this may cause you to watch all of her comedy specials and every single movie and TV show shes ever been in in an alarmingly short period of time." —Cosmopolitan"If youre a fan of Michelle Buteaus comedy, you know what youre getting: laugh out loud funny stories, moments of raw honesty and vulnerability that make you feel less alone, and the sense that you have a new best friend in your life. If youre new to Buteaupia (as she likes to call it) aka the world of Michelle, youre in for a treat and will, no doubt, be a new fan by the time you finish reading Survival of the Thickest." —Phoebe Robinson, Founder of Tiny Reparations Books and author of You Cant Touch My Hair and Everythings Trash, But Its Okay"In her debut essay collection, Michelle tackles everything from body image to babies and Blackness with the kind of hilarity and truth only she can deliver. If youre not lucky enough to have a sister friend like Michelle Buteau, Survival of the Thickest is the next best thing." —Franchesca Ramsey, host of MTVs Decoded and author of Well, That Escalated Quickly"Michelle Buteau delivers a debut essay collection thatll have you cackling devilishly one minute, then ugly crying the next. Raw and heartbreaking… Buteau deftly moves from painful honesty to screwball comedy. Survival of the Thickest, like Michelle herself, is a real one." —Brandy Barber, Bust Magazine"Buteau is known for being equally forthright and fabulous. In this collection of essays, she reveals the depths and origins of both… Her sharpness is suffused with a warmth that makes even her most esoteric stories—early stand-up misadventures and culture clashes with her Dutch in-laws—relatable and readable… A heartfelt, snarkily sweet memoir in essays." —Booklist"Zesty and hilarious… Buteaus spot-on essays combine laughter with wise life lessons." —Publishers Weekly"Unabashed, often bawdy… Buteaus knack for steering absurd situations toward warm insight shines… Discussions of being busty, curvy, and light-skinned abound with self-empowerment… At turns joyful and sweet about her marriages early days and heartbreaking about miscarriages, Buteau is reassuring in her candor." —Kirkus"Buteau showcases her humor, perseverance, and honesty… [and she] tells each tale with style and wit… Inviting and unbelievably hilarious… Fans of Ali Wong or Mindy Kaling will appreciate this heartbreaking and hopeful volume." —Library Journal"Make room on your funny lady memoir bookshelf, because comedian Michelle Buteau has landed... A hilarious and heartfelt memoir." —HelloGiggles"One of the years most relatable books." —Bustle "Buteau has a charisma that makes you remember who she is… Genuinely funny." —Black Girl Nerds"The hilarious comedian and actor Michelle Buteau will have you rolling and reflecting with her candid and empowering lessons on work, marriage, motherhood, body image, and Blackness. Truthful, willful and hopeful, this is a heartwarming debut collection." —Ms. Magazine"Survival of the Thickest reads like a long conversation with a very smart and funny friend… A delight, from start to finish, and a nice introduction to a woman who has been in the game for a long time and is more than ready for her time in the sun." —Megan Reynolds, Jezebel"Survival of the Thickest offers more of the humor and frankness that has made Buteau a fan favorite: If you enjoyed any of Mindy Kalings essay collections, then I highly suggest reading this one. It is as laugh-out-loud funny as the author herself." —Bitch Media"In her collection of stories, Michelle Buteau shares her honest and hilarious takes on everything from body image to getting started in standup comedy to being in an interracial marriage." —E! Onlines roundup for Womens History Month, "Books by Boss Ladies We Love" Review Quote "Zesty and hilarious... Buteaus spot-on essays combine laughter with wise life lessons." -- Publishers Weekly Excerpt from Book 1. Jersey Strong Jersey. The state and its people bring a lot of things to mind. When you think of Jerseyans, you might think of loud, brash people in leopard-skin clothing with red-painted lips and big hair. If thats what you picture: youre absolutely right. No shade to Jersey, but theres a reason why The Sopranos and Jersey Shore were big-assed hits. We a mess. Whether youre Black, brown, white, or in between, were gonna meet you at our closest Wawa, cop a hoagie, get that extra red sauce on the side at that I-talian place, drive "down the shore" just so we can yell at someone to drive properly, but not before yelling at someone else to not fuck up our sneakers. (Dude, they brand-new.) Jerseyites are a yelly people. Get used to it. Were also the state with the most diners per capita and were the spot where that jackass Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton, kicking off a whole musical and a bunch of other shit. There are a few states that feel like a nationality. Jersey is one of them. Were supposed to be the Garden State, but "Fuggedaboutit!" is really the peoples slogan, and never mind my position as to where the Statue of Liberty really resides. (Its in Jersey, bitches!) I was born in North Jersey, raised in Central Jersey, and spent my last year in South Jersey, right outside of Philly. Shit, Ive seen it all! Im like the Jersey Khaleesi, but my Drogo was a guy from Trenton who wore a Naughty by Nature T-shirt with Karl Kani jeans. No matter where I lived in the Dirty Jerz, my neighborhood was always predominantly Italians and Irish. If you were Polish, then you were exotic. I mean, so many letters in your last name--how does it even fit on an ID? There was also a smattering of Chinese, Indian, and Arab families, but they mostly stuck together. Samesies for the Black folks. Then there was my family. The light-skinned Caribbean folks all willy-nilly on the wrong side of the tracks having it out with the Italians and Irish just trying to make shit work. It did not work. We were always the odd men out. We were the light-skinned family no one could quite put a finger on. We were the white sheep, with weird accents, exotic food, and loud music no ones ever heard of. We were the "Bob Marley Family" because thats the closest thing anyone could compare us to. Yes, you got that right. My childhood was all "No Woman, No Cry" whether I liked it or not. Heres a typical rundown of an interaction from my childhood with another Jerseyan: They: What are you? Me: Human. They: Are you Black? Me: Yes, that okay? They: What do you consider yourself? Me: Cute. They: Whos white in your family though? Me: Who sent you, Hitler? I dont know why everyone in Jersey becomes a representative for 23andMe when it comes to a light-skinned face that doesnt speak Spanish. But they sure do. If youre a light-skinned Black person thats not Puerto Rican people lose their gahtdamn minds. If someone speaks Spanish to you and you say, "Sorry, I dont speak Spanish," they look at you like they just met a short guy whose license says hes six foot four. I would tell people I was Jamaican and Haitian, and they would looked confused as fuck. There was even that time when somebody said to me, "Well, then, shouldnt you be darker with a basket of fruit on your head?" And that was my guidance counselor--bitch, please. The parents of my friends would say shit like, "But you dont look Jamaican or Haitian." Really? Have you been there? No? Then shut up. My father was born and raised in Les Cayes, Haiti. His mother raised him with her sisters. She was a twin. She had brown skin, and her sisters had dark skin. My grandma had had a relationship with a man; those are the only details I know. Shit, I dont even know if my dad has a birth certificate. But my grandma got pregnant, and legend has it (please dont get me started on deep-rooted Caribbean-family secrets) they couldnt be together because she had darker skin than him. So she just went off and did her thing and raised my dad. His father went off and married someone with light skin and had a whole other family. The resemblance between the two families is frightening. In the case of the Haitian doctor and the nurse?! Yes, you are the son! Evidence? Just look in the fucken mirror! My father never grew up with a dad, yet he was a pretty great dad for me growing up. I mean, yeah, hes batshit crazy and hot-tempered, but hes human as fuck. My grandfather had a lot of children, kind of like a Mormon dude but without the compound. So its hard to say how many people I am actually related to. To give you an example of how this plays out, my friends will have strangers slide into their DMs to say "u cute" or "u up?" But for me, strangers slide into my DMs to be like: "I think were cousins? No, really, I think were related." Holidays are always so easy! JK. LOLz. Theyre not. My mother is from Jamaica and has four brothers between her two parents. Truly, shes a loyal sister and a selfless wife. Shes also a pretty solid mom, except for her snooping problem. Momsies is like a real-life CSI, wearing blazers, crunching numbers, inspecting the suspicious toothpaste left around the sink, and reading my diary. Yep, I had a diary when I was ten, and she read that shit and then chicken-breast grilled me on it. She was like, "Why didnt you tell me you have a crush on a guy named Russell?" Thats why, to this day, I cant remember shit and I never write anything down. (Because what you dont remember, you dont really know. Just ask that white girl from Home land. ) If I had to diagnose it, Id say I have Jamaican-mom PTSD. Whenever I hear my little firecracker of a mom coming around any corner (even now) starting in with that disapproving accent, I duck and cover and then point at my sibling, which is weird because Im an only child. It just goes to show you, deflect and defend is a great domestic policy in my little world. I stand by it. I truly do. So, back to Jersey. The first house my parents ever owned was a cute, starter-kit home in a blue-collar neighborhood with a sunken living room, sunroom, and one bathroom. If you know me, then you know my dream home is going to have at least five bedrooms and twenty-seven bathrooms. Having so many toilets that no one in the house knows what kind of day youve had? Now, thats a true sign of success. We also had a big backyard and Jah bless my parents, they didnt know they had purchased a house in a flood zone. Aint that cute? My earliest and first childhood memories will forever be around what I call "THE FLOODS." I remember my neighbor was in her driveway in a canoe rowing down the street like it was another normal day in Jersey. But, hey, that shit looked fun. So I joined in. What other light-skinned girl can say she learned how to swim in her driveway? I dont know another one. Do you? Well, then were probably related. Give her my number. Our neighbors had a daughter named Jen who is one of my oldest friends; we still keep in touch to this day. Our moms were knocked up at the same time together. Jen was born exactly thirty days before me. So we were destined to be friends. Plus, our moms were probably throwing off some mad pheromones at each other from across the driveways separating our houses. I can only imagine the vortex of juju that created. Seriously, though, aint that the real reason people love their neighbors? They go through some real, intense life shit together, like another human being kicking out of your undercarriage to carve out her place in the world. Jen had two older brothers, and I was an only child, and we hung tough. Truth be told, we shared everything like sisters. My dad would take me around the block on the back of his bike. Then hed come back, take me off, put Jen on the bike, and take her around too. We tried out together for the school play in our Catholic grammar school, and neither of us made the cut. But the nuns felt bad so they put us in some Old Testament production about the beginning of creation. I had to wear a black leotard, and Jen had to wear a white one. I was supposed to play the "darkness," and she was supposed to play the "light." It took me years to realize that shit was racist as fuck. When we werent at school, we watched movies together like Ya-Ya Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Beaches. Jen was a type of friend on Dawsons Creek but in real life. Ya know the type. The kind of friend that helps you tuck old clothes into your bed so it looks like youre still sleeping there, and meanwhile you sneak out. Maybe you head down to the river to throw rocks in it while you walk around and talk about what youre gonna be when you grow up, maybe stumble across a dead body. Jen was that bish. My OG. My Fisher-Price ride-or-die. Now, even close friendships have their reasons for shifting into something else. People grow up; they grow apart. Its normal and even healthy. With Jen, that started with her Madonna collection. She was so obsessed with Madonna. (Not the Catholic one, the one now in her sixties who still rides horses, talks in a British accent, had sex with her trainer, and, oh yeah, sings?) Now look, I had a Michael Jackson obsession too. (And of course that shit has been #canceled. Permanently. Due to the fact that he did those terrible things--yes, he did. Open your eyes, people.) But at the time, my MJ mania felt like just the right amount of childhood, celebrity fangirl-ness without being in the cray-cray zone. Jens obsession, though, was next level. You could never say anything sideways about Madonna. Shed get so m Details ISBN1982122595 Author Michelle Buteau Short Title Survival of the Thickest Pages 304 Language English ISBN-10 1982122595 ISBN-13 9781982122591 Format Paperback Subtitle Essays Publisher Simon & Schuster Place of Publication New York Country of Publication United States NZ Release Date 2022-02-17 US Release Date 2022-02-17 UK Release Date 2022-02-17 Illustrations 3 b&w photos t-o Year 2022 Publication Date 2022-02-17 Imprint Simon & Schuster Alternative 9781982122584 DEWEY 818.602 Audience General AU Release Date 2023-09-19 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:145037631;

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