If you’re a fan of comedies that make you cringe and laugh in recognition at the same time, you’ll devour Hey Ladies!. Originating in short-form pieces published on the beloved feminist humor site The Toast, this is a fleshing out of the lives and stories of the women involved over a year. Jen languishes in posh New Jersey digs and plans her wedding, Ali makes expensive executive decisions for the group, and Caitlin pushes her blogs and CAITLINYourLife system while brunches are had, mistakes are made, and men are prematurely recruited as boyfriends.
Markowitz and Moss are masters of detail – I loved reading each passive aggressive quote as it changed in email signatures – making the personality of all eight women clear and realistic, even if the things they do are over the top. There’s something about the mass email format that makes each woman’s “secret” agenda painfully clear, and the veneer of social politeness heightens the effect, like a barely contained scream. You may wonder why these people call each other friends, but I bet you won’t be able to stop reading.
Katie, Ali, Gracie, Ashley, Morgan, Nicole, Caitlin and Jen are all at different points in their lives, but they still want to remain friends and have fun – so they are forced to resort to group emails to plan social events. Told over the course of a year through these emails, texts, and UBER receipts, this is a humorous and biting look at female friendship and life ambition.