Inspiring Words: Amy Poehler
Actress and commedienne Amy Poehler talks about one of her latest creations, Smart Girls at the Party, and her role as a new mom.
Amy Poehler has a comically busy schedule. A year after leaving Saturday Night Live, where she kept audiences in stitches with her impersonations and fake newscasts, she is currently starring in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She’s also wrangling 1-year-old son Archie with her husband, actor Will Arnett, and hosting a unique Internet TV series she helped create, Smart Girls at the Party.
Now in its second season, Smart Girls is written for tween girls and their parents. Each 7-minute webisode opens with Poehler announcing the goal of the series: “to celebrate extraordinary individuals who are changing the world by being themselves.” And in fact the individuals who join the 38-year-old comedian are extraordinary—extraordinary 8- to 13-year-old girls, that is. The first season’s guests included a writer, a rock band, a gardener, a dancer, a mediator, and a feminist. They also happen to be typical tweens. “We look for girls who are passionate about stuff,” says Poehler. “We want to highlight that great window in a girl’s life when the whole world is in front of her and anything is possible.”
Poehler takes her guests seriously. “When you’re that age, you don’t think stuff going on in your head is a joke,” she says. But there’s also plenty of fun, including a dance party that ends every show. In fact, when asked for advice for busy moms, Poehler suggests they end each night with a dance party of their own. Hmm. That may just be good advice for all of us busy parents!
