The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish
(Format used for this read: Audiobook)
After I finished Carrie Fishers autobiography this one came up as a recommendation.
I think she is HILARIOUS so I had to check it out.
Here is a summary:
“From stand-up comedian, actress, and breakout star of Girls Trip, Tiffany Haddish, comes The Last Black Unicorn, a sidesplitting, hysterical, edgy, and unflinching collection of (extremely) personal essays, as fearless as the author herself.
Growing up in one of the poorest neighborhoods of South Central Los Angeles, Tiffany learned to survive by making people laugh. If she could do that, then her classmates would let her copy their homework, the other foster kids she lived with wouldn’t beat her up, and she might even get a boyfriend. Or at least she could make enough money—as the paid school mascot and in-demand Bar Mitzvah hype woman—to get her hair and nails done, so then she might get a boyfriend.
None of that worked (and she’s still single), but it allowed Tiffany to imagine a place for herself where she could do something she loved for a living: comedy.
Tiffany can’t avoid being funny—it’s just who she is, whether she’s plotting shocking, jaw-dropping revenge on an ex-boyfriend or learning how to handle her newfound fame despite still having a broke person’s mind-set. Finally poised to become a household name, she recounts with heart and humor how she came from nothing and nowhere to achieve her dreams by owning, sharing, and using her pain to heal others.
By turns hilarious, filthy, and brutally honest, The Last Black Unicorn shows the world who Tiffany Haddish really is—humble, grateful, down-to-earth, and funny as hell. And now, she’s ready to inspire others through the power of laughter.”
I knew this book would make me laugh…because I’ve seen her comedy and her acting..but it also made me blush, cry, rejoice and mourn.
She really just laid out her life…alllllllll of it.
She did not censor ANYTHING because she said she wanted to be as real and vulnerable as she could be…she wants people to learn from her life experience, understand where she is coming from and also laugh along with her too.
(Speaking of censoring….if LOTS of profanity and frank discussion about sex ain’t your thing I recommend you DO NOT read this book 🤣)
Comedy was her coping skill for the hard times she had in her life…she said being on a stage is her blessing and safe place.
I appreciated and enjoyed *almost* all of this book.
I say almost for two reasons:
One is that there were times I was like SUPER blushing and was like “Okay.. that is just TMI for me” 🤣 …
but I can be kinda weird and sensitive about that so it may not affect you as much 🤣
Two is the chapter she wrote on her relationship with a disabled man….
the way she spoke of him and his community he lived with in a group home bordered on objectifying and disrespectful (I cringed every time she said “handicapped”)….
again I can be extra sensitive to that too so take it for what you will.
Bottom line though:
I laughed A WHOLE LOT and still think she is hysterical.
And I think this review sums it up in one sentence way better than my numerous ones:
“An inspiring story that manages to be painful, honest, shocking, bawdy and hilarious.” —The New York Times Book Review
Yup…what that dude said ☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻☝🏻