Funny Feelings (81)
He doesn’t look away from me, but starts speaking into the mic. “It is my distinct pleasure to introduce you to the first Wet N Mild lady of the night, someone who I’ve had the honor to watch grow from mimicking a bumblebee in a dumpy, low-ceiling bar—sorry, Lance— to the incredibly funny comic you’ll get to experience tonight.
“I don’t know what I believe in as far as a higher power, Fee, but I know that I now believe that rainstorms always precede something amazing because you came into our lives on the tail end of one.
“I know that I believe in being stupid with love, in always looking for the laugh because of you. I believe that you’ve made me a better man and by extension, a better father. I believe that you’re the kind of woman I hope my daughter wants to emulate one day. That’s right, angel— foul mouth, bad manners, and all. Because your spirit is immeasurably kind.
“I believe that jumping in puddles is better than any fancy party, and I believe that I’ll fight for your love, for the honor of loving you, every day, for the rest of our lives. Let me do that, Farley Jones, and I promise to make you the happiest woman for as long as you’ll have me.
“Everybody please give a warm welcome to Farley Jones!”
EPILOGUE
Entertainment Magazine, Spring 2028
By Lucy Wade
Farley Jones-Harrigan walks into the diner and greets me like a longtime friend. It’s often been stated that she does the same to a microphone.
It’s impossible to find comedy’s darling unlikeable, between her disarming, cavalier nature and her warm, self-deprecating grin.
Even now, when our omelettes arrive, she discreetly pulls a pile of Taco Bell hot sauce packets out of her purse and distributes them heavily across her $22 breakfast.
“Sorry,” she tells me with a wince. “I’ve been addicted since I was pregnant, and nothing else quite measures up. I’m pretty sure my local Taco Bell added a tip jar on my behalf so I can shower them in guilt money every time I hit the place.”
Like most young mothers, we fall into an easy back-and-forth over the parts of infancy and toddlerhood that we’re more ambivalent about. We share pictures of our daughters—exactly one month apart from each other. We ooh and ahh over videos. We even fall into sharing the graphic nature of our birth stories, growing louder and louder with each horrific anecdote.
It’s almost easy to forget that the woman across from me isn’t just a girlfriend meeting me for a quick brunch, but a household name in the world of stand-up. She’s also married to comedy icon, Meyer Harrigan, with whom she co-wrote PTA, a film that’s already abuzz in awards talk.
L: Farley, critics are saying that your film is like Bad Moms meets Crash, meets Silver Linings Playbook.
F: All masterpieces, in my humble opinion.
L: What inspired PTA?
F: A whole combination of things, really. There was one specific night, when I was invited out with a group of Moms, and things got… wild. The same night that inspired a bit in my first big tour. But, when it came to writing the screenplay, we were more interested in everyone’s stories. Why a simple night out maybe wasn’t so simple for all of them. I think being comedians always made us curious about what makes people tick. What might be going on behind the scenes. Maybe the woman who harps on school lunches is recovering from an eating disorder. Maybe the woman obsessed with fixing up the single Dad in the class feels like she’s failing in her marriage at home.
L: Well I know it resonated with a lot of people. How was it working with your husband again?
F: Oof! I really wish I had some funny fight stories to share. Believe me, I had a pen and paper ready. But, sadly, it was a dream. I don’t know if it was because I was pregnant at the time and he took it easy on me or what, but he was wonderful to work with. Seeing him in his element is incredibly humbling. He was never afraid to dig deeper, to contrast the breastmilk scene against the one of her character crying through her struggles, leaking through her bra in the middle of Target while in the throes of postpartum. He’s got many gifts, and getting to share in this one with him was something I’ll never forget.
L: It sounds like that love and care really translated in the film.
F: Thank you, I certainly hope so.
It’s not long after that Meyer and their two girls show up to breakfast, the chubby-legged toddler teetering between them. “She refuses to let us carry her anywhere, right now. I thought our backs were getting ruined by hauling her sturdy weight around, but it turns out it’s not much better being bent over to hold her hand.” Farley tells me with a laugh. There’s rounds of kisses and greetings. Meyer asks Farley if she’s proud of the whale spout pigtails adorning Georgie’s head. Farley celebrates him accordingly. Farley signs to Hazel (age 16), who is Deaf, and turns to me when she sees my curiosity. “Just telling her I love her dress. She says I can borrow it. Having a teenager has its perks, honestly. Don’t let anyone scare you about those years to come.”
They’re a happy, unassuming family, which is somehow what makes them extraordinary.
THE END
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost, thank you for reading.
I’d be remiss not to jump right into it and start thanking everyone else, though. Because, for anyone not aware, the book community is so incredibly special. So many of you are the reason I felt confident enough to write this, and to want to continue. I know I’m supposed to say I’m doing it for me, and in a way that is the case. But, you guys were the Meyer to my Fee; your support bolstered me until I found my voice and confidence. The fact that any of you take even a moment out of your day to rate, review, or create something that cheers on my stories will never cease to amaze me.