8 Lessons Women Can Learn From The One And Only Chelsea Handler
Chelsea Handler’s manager, Irving Azoff, recently confirmed that she will not return to the E! Channel when her contract expires in nine months, closing out an eight-year run on the entertainment network.
Handler, the first woman with a namesake late-night show, will certainly be missed by her thousands of viewers and E! employees whom she will no longer be sleeping with.
She really has been a true inspiration for female comediennes everywhere. Not only did her media empire give other women in comedy a platform, it also gave a female voice to sexually outspoken content.
We vividly remember reading Handler’s books and laughing out loud in the most inappropriate of places -- which would definitely make the author proud.
In honor of her late night legacy and unflinchingly raunchy sense of humor, we’re kicking off our tribute to the Queen of Pop Culture with the "Lessons We’ve Learned from The One and Only Chelsea Handler."
1. You can be yourself and be a Lady Boss
Chelsea’s fame and influence is built on her authenticity. She wrote bestselling books based on her promiscuity, found humor in her life’s struggles and eventually worked her way up to hosting her own show. She never changed who she was or hid parts of her past -- these outlandish escapades are what make her an entity.
Being a lady boss doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice your personality or personal life. Especially in Handler’s case, you can keep being who you are and earn the respect of others with your proven accomplishments (in bed or otherwise...).
2. Funny and hot are not mutually exclusive
For a 39-year-old woman who has openly admitted to drinking, smoking and staying up late from an early age, Chelsea is looking pretty darn slamming. Plus, she grew up in New Jersey (as did I) and it’s not like the air is super clean there, either.
She gives hope to all of us aspiring personalities who want to age better than our mothers without forfeiting our party-girl lifestyles. We need it for the stories, something Handler would totally understand.
3. When it doubt, laugh it off
Chelsea has been very outspoken about her tragic family history -- first experiencing her brother Chet’s death at just the age of 10 and then her mother’s fatal battle with breast cancer.
Dealing with this loss, however, has only emboldened Handler to use comedy when overcoming tough, inexplicable situations. It's not all midgets and three-legged dogs; this typically witty and sharp girl also has a vulnerable side.
4. It’s okay to suck sometimes
Chelsea Handler had a less-than-stellar reception at the box office with her movie flop “This Means War” and even worse success with her titular television show, “Are You There, Chelsea?”
These failures, however, did not stop her from continuing to write and perform. She is still recognized for her comedic prowess and brutal one-liners, despite major production losses.
5. Funny girls make the best friends
Handler calls Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Aniston, Charlize Theron and Reese Witherspoon all by abbreviated first names. Though she might roast celebrities on her show, she still calls quite a few of them her besties.
6. Everything is better with a drink in you first
Handler is no stranger to Belvedere vodka and margaritas. The notorious alcoholic borrows the quote from Ernest Hemingway, “Write drunk. Edit sober.”
Perhaps her habit gives her the liquid courage to say everything you’re thinking but are too embarrased to blurt out.
7. A girl's gotta do whom a girl's gotta do
She’s dated a lot of famous names -- most notable include her ex-boyfriend and former head of Comcast, Ted Harbert, as well as Curtis James Jackson III (better known as 50 Cent).
She gained some great press and a late-night special and we can’t say we blame her for it.
8. Own who you are
Chelsea Handler has never pretended to be someone she isn't. She famously trashed Anna Wintour’s Met Ball, made a ton of money from publicly sleeping with novels-worth of people and called out Piers Morgan on his inability to pay attention to guests.
She tells it like it is, even if it means not playing nice in the sandbox. Handler always stays true to who she is and loves herself for it -- something we can all learn from the impressive comedienne.
Photo Credit: WENN
