Last week I had the opportunity to attend the book signing for Felicia Day’s new book: “You’re Never Weird on the Internet (almost).” I had wanted to pick up the book a few days before, and when I saw she was coming to Phoenix, I took it as a sign!
Background:
I have to come clean about something. I am a HUGE Buffy fan. This means that watching season 7 of Buffy was my first introduction to Felicia (she played Vi, one of the potential slayers). I wasn’t particularly fond of any of the ‘potentials’ (I still get sad thinking about how they kicked Buffy out OF HER OWN HOUSE, HER DEAD MOTHER’S HOUSE) and so once I hit the series finale, I sadly let them as well as the majority of the cast–save the Scooby-Gang themselves–drift into the dimly-lit, more rarely-recalled part of my mind.
I should mention: I’ve never been a gamer, either–and so that fact combined with my (then) brand-new-mind-exploding-obsession with Supernatural kind of got in the way of me ever discovering “The Guild.” I’ve also been completing a pesky college degree that gets in the way of things like Netflix (sometimes… sorry GPA), so — there’s that.
Fast forward a year or two and you’ll find me dutifully watching and loving the later seasons of Supernatural. No, I can’t remember doing much else. Finally, Charlie appeared on-screen. “Oh, I know her!” Yes, I did know her. I didn’t completely live under a rock, and I ended up deciding to forgive her for kicking Buffy out of her house that one time. Because — Charlie is a great character, played by an even greater person. So, yes. I would call myself a fan of Felicia Day. To be honest I haven’t watched the entirety of The Guild as of writing this post, but I am in the process of it and so far I am enjoying it quite a lot, especially now that I have finished “You’re Never Weird on the Internet (almost).”
Now. The signing!
I arrived with my friends to wait for my turn to jump in the signing line. It was HOT. I don’t really know what was happening, but it was something that must have been involved with the birth of the sun. My only thoughts were: “ I’m dying. I don’t know what to do. I am actually dying.” I was covered in sweat when I finally got to the front of the line, but it was totally worth it! I’m kind of shy (awkward) to strangers, especially famous strangers who I admire a lot, so I basically just said (stuttered) “Thank you so much!” a few times while she signed my book and my friends snapped pictures. Then, I got more awkward. She, being so, so sweet complimented my hair. Which was really nice, because I had actually just gotten it trimmed. I stuttered another “Thank you” and decided, no –knew– that I needed to compliment her back. I know, I know… it’s one of those things – but I couldn’t help it. “YOU’RE hair is good.” I said, so sure it was the right thing to do until the words left my tongue. OH GOD – Would she think I was sarcastic? I’ve been told many times I sound sarcastic when I am meaning to be sincere. Would she think, “Uhhh, ‘good’?” (Not that she was expecting a better compliment, just that “is good” is a WEIRD thing to say about hair, and I said it like a freak). OH GOD. I had to fix it. “IT’S BETTER,” I gargled as I stumbled away from the signing booth. There was definitely supposed to be a “[than mine]” indicated there, but who knew if I was capable of communicating implied ideas at that point? Immediately afterwards, I regretted the implied words. We aren’t supposed to belittle ourselves when someone compliments us! Or so I hear. I also worried that she interpreted it as me saying, “It’s better [than it was].” What? No. Why would she think I said that? Her hair always looks amazing. But maybe she thinks I’m a freak who thinks her hair was, at some point in time, less perfect than it is now? No. Felicia, if you ever read this, know that this is what I meant and was trying to say: “Thank you! I love your hair, and I love you, too!” I’ll allow myself to do the reciprocal compliment in this case, because seriously I do think her hair is gorgeous and I think any moment someone isn’t saying it is a moment that is stupid and wasted. But yes, I kind of freaked out. The whole drive home I was really upset with myself for being so weird. I should have followed through with my grand plan of writing her a synopsis of how I think the writers of Supernatural should save her character, followed by hand-delivering it to her in hopes of her feeling happy about it and then saying “YEAH SUPERNATURAL GET IT TOGETHER REGARDING CHARLIE YEAH!” (See future post about my thoughts on Supernatural and women) – But I didn’t. Because I didn’t want to seem weird. So instead I just ended up being weird, or maybe worse – a critic of her past hair? Both things might sound funny but were HORRIFYING for me to try to accept. Every hairstyle she has ever had is and was perfect, this I know. I turned up the music in my car extra loud in hopes of drowning out the voices in my head and continued home.
Luckily – I had in my possession a recently signed book that would really, truly help me with these anxieties:
The synopsis, from Goodreads:
From online entertainment mogul, actress, and “queen of the geeks” Felicia Day, a funny, quirky, and inspiring memoir about her unusual upbringing, her rise to Internet-stardom, and embracing her individuality to find success in Hollywood.
The Internet isn’t all cat videos. There’s also Felicia Day—violinist, filmmaker, Internet entrepreneur, compulsive gamer, hoagie specialist, and former lonely homeschooled girl who overcame her isolated childhood to become the ruler of a new world…or at least semi-influential in the world of Internet Geeks and Goodreads book clubs.
After growing up in the south where she was “homeschooled for hippie reasons”, Felicia moved to Hollywood to pursue her dream of becoming an actress and was immediately typecast as a crazy cat-lady secretary. But Felicia’s misadventures in Hollywood led her to produce her own web series, own her own production company, and become an Internet star.
Felicia’s short-ish life and her rags-to-riches rise to Internet fame launched her career as one of the most influential creators in new media. Now, Felicia’s strange world is filled with thoughts on creativity, video games, and a dash of mild feminist activism—just like her memoir.
Hilarious and inspirational, You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) is proof that everyone should embrace what makes them different and be brave enough to share it with the world, because anything is possible now—even for a digital misfit.
“You’re Never Weird on the Internet (almost)” is a really fun read. I honestly would recommend it to any of my friends, but it is a memoir that is especially important for people who have dreams and aspirations that seem hard to reach.
Throughout her story, I realized that the old “hard work, determination, optimism” thing can either a) work, or b) put you down a more meaningful path than you had originally considered. I am in the phase of my life where I am about to finish my undergrad-degree and am feeling a little intimidated about having to function in ‘real society.’ I have a few ideas, a few passions that I know I want to incorporate into my life plan – but sometimes I honestly feel overwhelmed and like I might not make it at all. Reading Felicia’s story really rejuvenated the part of me that makes me excited about my future. I don’t know exactly what it will look like, but if I give it all I’ve got then I know I’ll at least be doing what I love and hopefully it will, in some way or another, be a success.
She also spoke about her issues with anxiety and some of her coping methods in the book. In the ‘heavy gaming years’ she fully gave herself over to the virtual realities, and avoided the stresses and disappointments she often faced in her “real life” at the time. Although I am not a gamer, I can completely relate to this. Whether it be the ungodly amount of hours that I dedicate to my favorite shows or just plain ‘sleeping the days away,’ I can say that I definitely harbor the affinity for embracing escapism when life serves up stress with a side of hopelessness. Isolation and addiction (even if it’s not drugs or alcohol, or the like) are not the greatest coping methods. Reading this book, however, gave me a lot of inspiration because through her story she reminded her readers that even though you might find yourself in a rut, the journey through it is something important and unique and can be used for good in your life and the lives of others. She learned so much and was able to make something beautiful because of it. Later on, she encountered the suffocating anxieties that come along with piling a ton on your plate. I, like most, can relate to this as well. She was able to step back and get help. Through her writing, she is able to recall these experiences in a lighthearted yet real way that feels accessible to the reader.
To me, the funniest part was when I encountered one of her later chapters in the book. She specifically talked about how awkward it can be for humans who are meeting their favorite people, and she even said she hoped that no one felt weird when they were meeting her. This immediately made me feel a lot better about our interaction. Although objectively, I was weird–I know that she understands and that really, it is okay–so I should understand, too. A huge weight was lifted from me.
All in all, I would definitely recommend this book, especially to people of my age group. In fact, I have already! In every conversation that I have with someone about our futures I always chime in “Read Felicia Day’s new book!” I think you should, too.
Thank you Felicia! We love you!
You’re Never Weird on the Internet (almost)
Felicia Day
Simon & Schuster
ISBN 1476785651
Cover art retrieved from:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23705512-you-re-never-weird-on-the-internet
