The Rarity of the Unicorn
Once upon a time, the word unicorn produced just one definition: a mythical creature characterized by a single horn growing from its head. Today, the search for a definition of a unicorn ranges from the rarity of a startup business worth a billion dollars dependent entirely upon venture capitalists as investors to the rarity of that perfect romantic partner who meets all your needs. The key component here being, of course, the rarity of unicorns. The title of this book originates from the growth of a wart on the author’s forehead while a young girl which exposed her to constant bullying which in turn led her to commit extreme acts of self-harm upon herself. When her grandmother takes her to a doctor to have the wart “burned off” the transformation is almost instantaneous. It turns the brutal nickname applied by others “Dirty Ass Unicorn” into the transcendent nickname she adopts for herself: “The Last Black Unicorn.” The theme centralized within this story is one which plays out again and again in many different ways throughout the book: The rarity of the ability to transform that which causes emotional pain into an experience which results in positive change.
EdgyHumor and Mental Health
Many of the details of the author’s life are the stuff of a far darker and more depressing book. A devastating car accident turns her very successful mother into a mentally unbalanced nightmare. For a short time, she literally becomes a pimp. She is abused by boyfriends and victimized by the fine folks of Scientology. As indicated, almost all of the darkness encountered is transformed into something more positive and that something is often humor. A common theme in the biographies of comedians is how their career in comedy starts out as a defense mechanism. Like so many others, Haddish quickly adapts a heightened sense of humor into a defense mechanism to maintain her mental health against all the external pressures which lead others to mental illness. Her comedic observations are notoriously sharp-edged to the point of crossing over into downright offensive for some, but this is an example of truly “edgy” humor which springs from experience rather than calculation.
True Hollywood Story
For some readers, the most interesting part of the book by far will be that covered within just the last chapters. It is in concluding segment that the author shares her Scientology nightmare as well as dishes gossip about A-list celebrities by name, insight into show business backstabbing in a conversation with unnamed Hollywood Friends 1 and 2, the essential necessity in Hollywood of an accountant to keep the IRS agents from knocking at your door with a huge bill for back taxes, and how making it big in L.A. is still just as much about who—and what—you know as it is about having talent. The connective thematic tissue of this entire section of the book is the revelation and illumination of the behind-the-scenes machinery of celebrity life. It is neither an entirely positive nor an entirely negative portrait but rather gains its power by thematically suggesting that while the details may differ, this machinery operates in a way that is little different from any other business or industry. Success is dependent upon lucky breaks, learning who to trust, understanding the rules, learning from the big mistakes, not making a fool of yourself, and, perhaps most importantly, listening to the advice of those who have already gotten to the place you want to be.
