Rating: NNN
Toronto art starlet Mariko Tamaki’s new book on queer urban girldom is an easy, breezy and funny collection of mini-rants and melancholy musings that is going to be on the top of my lezzie prezzie list for all my hip chicks and honourable boys-in-waiting. Waxing poetic on the masturbatory uses of The Dukes Of Hazzard, why cats aren’t people and life’s little rules (Rule #6: “The only people on this planet allowed to combine nylons and Nikes are secretaries. Secretaries don’t like doing it, neither should you”), Tamaki reminds me of a much younger Fran Lebowitz, but in a saucy vintage dress.
She takes a stab at a Lebowitz-like sneer, but really she’s too nice, so all she manages is sort of a sweet sneery sneeze,but we’ll take it. True Lies is also anotherwelcome example of the less staid direction that the revived Women’s Press has been taking.
The pieces are humorous takes on pressing urban cultural matters like: Reasons To Give A Blow Job and The Epilady vs. The Hairy Asian. They’re mostly a collection of her previously performed works, and they have lost some of the charm of her live performances, but they never fall flat on the page. Expect to see a lot more from this particular pop-cult princess.
Tamaki launches her book at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre tonight (Thursday, May 16).
