Girl with No Job: The Crazy Beautiful Life of an Instagram Thirst Monster
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I’m a newish Toaster; I came on the scene about a year and a half ago and I’ve been obsessed ever since. At the time, Claudia and Jackie Oshry’s podcast was called The Morning Toast, and now it’s The Toast, but it’s the same ‘ol sisterly pop-culture schtick. Not to blow smoke up their ass too much, but it’s honestly the perfect podcast for me. They’re both extremely funny–Claudia the sassy, overt comedian who seizes every opportunity for a joke without sacrificing quality and Jackie the witty, covert comedian who lays in the cut and strikes judiciously but packs a punch. They both complement each other so well and, as sisters, their banter is natural and well-timed. They talk about pop-culture in a nuanced way that’s not overly vapid. Idk I clearly just love them so take my review of Claudia’s book with a grain of salt.
I am not a huge celebrity memoir girly. I’ve read some– Tina Fey and Amy Poeher’s come to mind– and they’re not very memorable. They’re fine but they’re nothing to write home about. Their lives are interesting, sure, but I come away from it with a shrug thinking okay, so? It’s just simply not going to sit with me the way that some fictional stories haunt me to my core (in the best way). Celebrity memoirs tend to have very little staying power; they’re in one ear and out the other.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t think they’re worth reading. I’m a huge Claudia Oshry fan and I think her story is particularly interesting and thus worth reading. She’s not just an interesting person because of her job and the fame/access that accompanies it; she’s also a person that I admire. She’s incredibly family oriented. We are both one of four kids and I relate to her values surrounding her sisterhood– I think that my bonds with my siblings are unlike any other. She’s also hella accomplished and has worked her ass off to get there (despite the moniker GirlWithNoJob, which is the Instagram that initiated her fame).
One thing her memoir tackles head-on is her cancellation from her high school tweets. She talks about the situation in a very genuine way and I agree with her broader takes on cancel culture, so it’s even more enlightening to hear from the ground floor. There is one thing that she’s unapologetic about: her mother. Her mom, Pamela Geller, is pretty batshit crazy. Claudia doesn’t let that stop her from pursuing her dreams nor does she abandon her mom in the process. Claudia’s dad passed away when she was in her teens and she is very explicit about the fact that she is unwilling to disown her only living parent in order to appease people who want her to fit in a box that perfectly aligns with their values. I can respect that while also reiterating that I think Pamela Geller is a nut-job. If anything, it makes me admire the fact that Claudia has emerged as well-adjusted as she has given what I know about her mom.
Anyway, that’s all to say that Claudia uses her memoir to confront any and all uncomfortable facts about her life. It’s not fluff. The material in this book is both genuine and entertaining. I loved hearing about the start of her now famous Instagram account, GirlWithNoJob, the beginning of her romance with her current husband, Ben Soffer, now BoyWithNoJob, her weird experience on Say Yes to the Dress, her foray into stand up comedy, her making Leonardo DiCaprio laugh on a yacht, etc. Like her or not, she has a lot to say and she’ll make you laugh in the process.
Still…it’s a celebrity memoir. I’ll probably forget the details in a few weeks. Rating books is hard (this completely self-imposed, non-paid duty is such a drag!). On the one hand, I loved hearing more about the life of someone whom I really admire, and I think that this book could turn you if you weren’t that crazy about her beforehand. On the other hand, I do not believe that this book will change your life in any meaningful way. Torn between a 3 and a 4, I’ll give it a 4. Celebrity memoirs are relatively mindless but as far as celebrity memoirs go, this is a good one. Girl with No Job: The Crazy Beautiful Life of an Instagram Thirst Monster receives 4 out of 5 flames.
