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My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy
Nancy Cartwright, the ultimate Simpsons insider, gives voice to the boy immediately recognizable as none other than Bart Simpson. Now, Nancy traces The Simpsons rapid rise to wild popularity, offers hilarious anecdotes about cast members and guest stars and reveals what its like to be at the center of a North American institution, one that reinvented the sitcom, rocked the networks to the core and forever changed the face of television.
304 pages, Paperback
First published October 25, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
March 19, 2010
Terrible terrible... We listened to this book on tape, narrated by the author on a road trip to Arizona. She is the voice of Bart Simpson, and is so incredibly full of herself, and went on and on about "oooh, i met this person, and this person, and him, and her." Whoopdee freakin doo, did you want an award for being obnoxious and self-centered? "I spend very little time working and make craploads of money doing it, praise me and be grateful for my time I am giving you writing this book" was her attitude. Her voice was quite annoying, and we found that some of the later chapters were much more enjoyable when skipped, rather than heard. I could go on and on about the horribleness of this book, but I'll try to keep it brief. She talks about her life, which wasn't too interesting. Then, she proceeds to talk about random incidents with famous celebrities, where she was ecstatic for meeting the person, and really showed her enthusiasm on tape. Her voice reminded me of a baby unicorn complaining about not having enough text messages included in her plan. Wahhhh wahhh, eeeee eeee, giddy goloshes. She also talks about how the show is run, on a very technical level, which no one outside of the industry could really care about (except obsessive fans (just knowing quotes does not make you obsessive)). I think the only reasonable, somewhat entertaining part of the book was her talking about Phil Hartman and his death. Wow, that rant felt good. Terrible terrible book. If you actually liked this, please come and shake my hand and tell me that, and I will whack you over the head with my large shoes and beat you.
April 2, 2016
Do you want to read about your favourite cartoon series through 300 pages of your mom telling stories via Facebook posts? Then this is the book for you!
Cartwright is a great VO actress, and I would even believe that she's simply a great orator. However, she is not a particularly good writer. This book is stitched together through several uneven, rambling journal entries, some banal minutia of the day-to-day production of The Simpsons (which reads more like an award acceptance speech that never gets gonged out), and a truly incredible amount of Cartwright fawning over her various guest stars. (Her reaction to Mel Gibson in particular is pretty rough to read. He hadn't gone over the edge when he was on The Simpsons, and frankly, i'm surprised he managed to be such a good sport.)
While this might be vital reading to a Simpsons megafan, you don't really learn much about the show as a unique entity, or even the experience of working on the show for so many years. I understand that the VO work for it is fairly routine, and the cast isn't much of a "family," but surely, there's more to her experience with the show than her pink Miata and several cases of getting starstruck.
Hard pass on this one.
Cartwright is a great VO actress, and I would even believe that she's simply a great orator. However, she is not a particularly good writer. This book is stitched together through several uneven, rambling journal entries, some banal minutia of the day-to-day production of The Simpsons (which reads more like an award acceptance speech that never gets gonged out), and a truly incredible amount of Cartwright fawning over her various guest stars. (Her reaction to Mel Gibson in particular is pretty rough to read. He hadn't gone over the edge when he was on The Simpsons, and frankly, i'm surprised he managed to be such a good sport.)
While this might be vital reading to a Simpsons megafan, you don't really learn much about the show as a unique entity, or even the experience of working on the show for so many years. I understand that the VO work for it is fairly routine, and the cast isn't much of a "family," but surely, there's more to her experience with the show than her pink Miata and several cases of getting starstruck.
Hard pass on this one.
January 8, 2023
It is a great behind the scenes and behind the voices look of the Simpsons. Any Simpsons fanatic will love this book. She tells you of her life before and during the golden age of the Simpsons. I couldn't put it down. With a excellent forward by Dan Castellaneta, who voices Homer. If you love the Simpsons you would love this.
May 25, 2010
This book is a must-read for any avid Simpsons fan, giving a unique perspective behind the scenes and a personal look into the life of Bart’s voice, Nancy Cartwright. Her enthusiasm is splashed across the pages (with gratuitous exclamation points) and it’s refreshing to read about someone who is truly grateful for her position in life. I loved that she is a total fan of guest stars, gushing over the likes of Tom Jones and Mel Gibson, and is vastly generous with her celebrity, freely signing autographs and giving of her time and talent. But she is not a typical celebrity, as she does not often get recognized or stopped on the street by fans. She has fame with luxury of anonymity as one of the most recognizable voices in the world. Cartwright not only shares her experiences, but takes us through the production process which allows the reader to garner an appreciation for all of the pieces that need to be formed and fitted together to create the show. It is a great read that gave me so many “Oh yeah!” and “I didn’t realize that!” moments that I think all Simpsons fans would relish.
September 21, 2022
I picked this up at random because I have become a Simpsons fan. I'm 30 years late to the game, but I totally love. I bypassed season one and I'm already on season 3. The jokes are still really funny and the endings are heartwarming, even if I have to Google most of the references. Nancy Cartwright really scored the deal of a lifetime voicing Bart Simpson on the Tracey Ullman show almost 40 years ago. I think the way she wrote was very particular and diplomatic. She was willing to share certain information like the animation process and celebrity guests, but tiptoed around her salary and lack of camaraderie with her costars. She also didn't utter a peep about her relationship with the Church of Scientology that she's donated over $10 million dollars to their institution. I will grant that this was published over 20 years ago not accounting to the many changes to both the show and the author herself. I also believe barely anybody checks out this book from my library because one of the pages fell out while I was reading. Thankfully I didn't receive a fine for unintentionally damaging the memoir. I'm sure it will sit on the shelf for another decade. Cheekiness aside, this was a fun peek behind the curtain at one of my new favorite shows. I know I'm severely late for being a Simpsons fan, but better late than never, dude. Don't have a cow, man!
May 5, 2017
There was nothing wrong with this book, I just wasn't as interested as I thought I would be...
August 21, 2019
Boring , no insight into the Simpsons at all.
March 22, 2023
Gave up near 100 pages
October 13, 2017
I agree with most of the other people rating this book because they are definitely not wrong about how the author is extremely full of herself and very self centered. The author only talks about how she's met her idols and done this and that but never mentions things about other. At time the story can be hard to follow because the author switches between herself and Bart (the main character in the book.) however, I could make some connections to the main character because I was once a ten year old boy and I too went through similar problems like Bart did. I think someone who would definitely a person who does not expect much from a book and someone who likes an easy read. Something I have to say is the character build up was good and the behind the scenes of the show was also a nice touch. At times the language in the book was confusing because of the slang terms but a lot of the time it was very easy to comprehend the vocabulary. There wasn't to much fascinating or intriguing information in the book. The plot was very plain and bland and there wasn't too much suspense built up at the end of most of the chapters. but All in all, I didn't hate the book but I also definitely did not like it.
March 14, 2018
I came quite late to the Simpsons. In the early days - the first half of the '90s - I thought to myself, "I don't want to watch the antics of a bratty American boy." How wrong I was back then. Soon, after watching a few episodes, I realised the series was about far more than just Bart. It was about America, and even, on occasion, about humanity itself.
Since then I've become a confirmed fan. The series, like no other American television I've seen, has British elements of humour - wit, irony, intelligent charm. In 'My Life As A Ten-Year-Old-Boy,' the voice of Bart, Nancy Cartwright, lifts the lid on what it was like at the outset and how the series developed.
The book is written in an informal style, almost as if the author is speaking it. Some reviewers have held that against her, and on occasion the style can be a little wince-inducing. But overall I think it does add to the charm of the account. In any event, the story overall is a fascinating one, with much to recommend it. Certainly for any Simpsons fan this is a must-read.
Since then I've become a confirmed fan. The series, like no other American television I've seen, has British elements of humour - wit, irony, intelligent charm. In 'My Life As A Ten-Year-Old-Boy,' the voice of Bart, Nancy Cartwright, lifts the lid on what it was like at the outset and how the series developed.
The book is written in an informal style, almost as if the author is speaking it. Some reviewers have held that against her, and on occasion the style can be a little wince-inducing. But overall I think it does add to the charm of the account. In any event, the story overall is a fascinating one, with much to recommend it. Certainly for any Simpsons fan this is a must-read.
January 10, 2022
Nancy Cartwright presents an incredible tale with a storybook /hilarious adventure to fame that she delicately feels a unique sense of amenity due to her work in animation. With the acceptation of Jonathon Winters, Martin Sheen, & Rob Lowe, no one has shot to stardom from the sleepy town of Dayton/Kettering, OH. Her voice overs, characters, & incredible sense of humor put her in an elite category. This book does not disappoint. A must read!
October 11, 2017
I listened to this audiobook told by Nancy Cartwright herself to improve my voiceovers. I loved the book. She is humble, hardworking, successful and female. She tells the story from her perspective. She is motivating.
September 3, 2019
A good little snippet into the history of the greatest television show ever(in my humble opinion).
July 18, 2022
Cool flip book thing at the bottom of the bottom right
Nancy auditioned for Lisa, but her bio was boring, so she auditioned for Bart. His bio. “Clever and devious” she was in. Matt Groening, the creator said, “That’s it! That’s Bart!”
Talks about where recording studios are done (44). She mentioned the many awards the show has gotten (54).
“THE SIMPSONS” and Matt Groening got a star with the rabbit ears. Still stupid.
Voice actors do more than 1 character (96) (101) (102).
Nancy had to do Bart and Nelson which I can imagine being hard. The abused and the abuser after the other
Staff writers aren’t JUST writers (141)
Nancy’s has the license plate DNTHVCW “Don’t have a cow” Bart’s catch phrase.
Sometimes Nancy tells people she is Bart. Sometimes she doesn’t.
Meryl freaking Streep plays Bart’s dangerous girlfriend, Jessica Lovejoy (191)
Nancy talks about artwork and storyboard (195). Talks about change between the years (210) and who does what
Talks about music composing (229) complicated
Prop designer…huh? (234)
She did a Make-A-Wish thing (258)
Actors don’t get to make copies of their /scripts, so they have to keep theirs
Has her own foundation (don’t remember which one
Nancy auditioned for Lisa, but her bio was boring, so she auditioned for Bart. His bio. “Clever and devious” she was in. Matt Groening, the creator said, “That’s it! That’s Bart!”
Talks about where recording studios are done (44). She mentioned the many awards the show has gotten (54).
“THE SIMPSONS” and Matt Groening got a star with the rabbit ears. Still stupid.
Voice actors do more than 1 character (96) (101) (102).
Nancy had to do Bart and Nelson which I can imagine being hard. The abused and the abuser after the other
Staff writers aren’t JUST writers (141)
Nancy’s has the license plate DNTHVCW “Don’t have a cow” Bart’s catch phrase.
Sometimes Nancy tells people she is Bart. Sometimes she doesn’t.
Meryl freaking Streep plays Bart’s dangerous girlfriend, Jessica Lovejoy (191)
Nancy talks about artwork and storyboard (195). Talks about change between the years (210) and who does what
Talks about music composing (229) complicated
Prop designer…huh? (234)
She did a Make-A-Wish thing (258)
Actors don’t get to make copies of their /scripts, so they have to keep theirs
Has her own foundation (don’t remember which one
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2017
Cartwright tells how she got involved with performance as a teen, how she lucked into a mentor in voice-over acting, how she supported herself fine dong mostly voice-overs for cartoons and commercials until The Simpsons came along. She details how the Simpsons idea was born on the Tracy Ullman show, how it started a life of its own, and how its popularity brought on lots of guest stars, including many that Cartwright swooned over (Tom Jones, Mel Gibson, Meryl Streep). She is good about describing the process involved in devising 23 minute long cartoons, how the artists, writers, directors all story board ideas, how the voice actors work, how it all comes together--a very complicated process that requires much oversight and planning. All in all, a fine behind-the-scenes memoir.
Read as a recorded book, read by the author (who would want anyone else?). Lots of fun, her starry-eyed wonder at Liz Taylor and Tom Jone was palatable, given all the other good stuff she works in.
I will remember her explanation of the many steps of the animation process, her praise of her fellow performers, and her explanation of how the subtleties of creating characters through voice alone.
Read as a recorded book, read by the author (who would want anyone else?). Lots of fun, her starry-eyed wonder at Liz Taylor and Tom Jone was palatable, given all the other good stuff she works in.
I will remember her explanation of the many steps of the animation process, her praise of her fellow performers, and her explanation of how the subtleties of creating characters through voice alone.
July 6, 2018
This review is focused on both the book and audiobook. It can’t be said that Nancy Cartwright, the fantastic voice behind the infamous Bart Simpson, doesn’t love her job. To help emphasize her devotion to her career, she has written, “My Life As a 10-Year-Old-Boy.” In this autobiography of both her and Bart’s life, Cartwright gives you the intimate details of what goes on behind the animation curtain. This audiobook fits perfectly into the canon of Simpsons literature that includes episode guides (authorized and otherwise), comic books, social impact books, religious influence books (no joke—“The Gospels According to the Simpsons.”), and other books on the topic of America’s favorite animated family.
Cartwright, an established voice over talent before “The Simpsons”, spends the first few chapters of this audiobook on the topic of her pre-Bart years. Her tale begins in elementary school in a school-wide story-telling competition and follows through her high school years winning state competitions and ultimately college scholarships for her vocal abilities. Once in college, she apprentices under Dawes Butler, and her career takes off. By the time she steps foot on the set of “The Tracy Ulman Show,” she has already done work for various cartoons such as Galaxy High School, Pound Puppies, The Snorks, My Little Pony & Friends, and Richie Rich. For those non-Simpsons devotees, “The Simpsons” was first created as a series of animated shorts to serve as segues to and from commercials for “The Tracy Ulman Show.” These shorts were so popular that the Fox Network approved the plan for a series.
As the title implies, the meat of this autobiography revolves around Cartwright and Bart’s experience during the run of 11-season show (Currently, the show proceeds into its 15th season). She takes the listener step-by-step through the whole process of an episode from the brainstorm sessions by the writers to voice recordings to the post-production editing and revising.
The audiobook retells Cartwright’s experiences meeting famous actors and actresses who have lent their voice to “The Simpsons” such as Elizabeth Taylor, Mel Gibson, Michael Jackson, and Danny Devito. Her excitement borderlines on hero-worship as she goes over in detail about these encounters. While the enthusiasm is understood, her emphasis on celebrities at the expense of listeners having no clue about work politics or her personal life for that matter left a small pit in this story.
Cartwright published the book in 2001 but has only published the audiobook this year with no real explanation to the time lapse. And with such a time lapse, listeners might regret that she has not updated the material beyond a singular footnote. Not that much needs to be updated, but in the last three seasons, the show has received more awards, and more famous actors have lent their voices to the show.
An arguable flaw of this audiobook pertains to this year’s talent strike by the six major voices of “The Simpsons”—Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Harry Shearer, and Yeardley Smith. The golden voices of the show demanded a raise that resulted in $360,000 per person per episode. Nancy Cartwright brags about the fact that nowadays the time needed to tape each episode takes an average of six hours. That’s $60,000 an hour of work for each of the 22 episodes in a season. This again would not be anything too exceptional, but while detailing how the show is made, she explains that the story is sent out to Korea for the animation cells to be painted by Koreans. This helps lower the cost of the show because they only get paid a few dollars an hour; a point that doesn’t seem to bother the voice talent who is being paid $1,000 a minute for her work.
But she certainly gives credit where credit is due. Throughout the audiobook, she lists off the names of various people involved with the show as their position comes up in her discussion. She pays respect to Mike Groening and James L. Brooks, the creators of the show, and of course, her co-workers whom she certainly adores.
Cartwright narrates this audiobook with a natural talent that is fantastic. Her overall exuberance for the show, the celebrities, and her life in addition to the fact that she plays a 10 year-old-boy, gives her voice the feel of a child at an amusement park. She has so much to say and is completely awestruck by her environment. You hear it in her voice. Her narration not only makes it better than the book form, but also no other narrator could have performed this audiobook better. Readers may have appreciated the upbeat style of the book and quirky asides and other narrators might have given those asides some justice—but only Cartwright can deliver an authentic Bart Simpson belting out, “Aye, carumba!” Nor do readers hear all the other times that Cartwright breaks into character (whether Bart or other animated characters). She superbly keeps listeners involved with these variations. Cartwright reads her materially so well, it’s next to impossible to imagine how this audiobook would work grammatically in a book. It seems so much more natural in audio format.
In addition to her excitement, Cartwright gives the listeners some sentimental and private moments with her. Cartwright’s feelings and sadness overwhelm the listener when she talks about the day Phil Hartman, a regular voice on “The Simpsons,” died. The sentiment in her voice can be quite touching at times throughout the audiobook.
“My Life As a 10-Year-Old Boy” is a must for any die-hard Simpsons’ fan Even occasional watchers of the show will receive some interesting insights from America’s most famous fourth grade bad boy. Filled with various anecdotes and details, this audiobook provides great insight to a show that has outlasted almost every other sitcom and cartoon show out there.
Cartwright, an established voice over talent before “The Simpsons”, spends the first few chapters of this audiobook on the topic of her pre-Bart years. Her tale begins in elementary school in a school-wide story-telling competition and follows through her high school years winning state competitions and ultimately college scholarships for her vocal abilities. Once in college, she apprentices under Dawes Butler, and her career takes off. By the time she steps foot on the set of “The Tracy Ulman Show,” she has already done work for various cartoons such as Galaxy High School, Pound Puppies, The Snorks, My Little Pony & Friends, and Richie Rich. For those non-Simpsons devotees, “The Simpsons” was first created as a series of animated shorts to serve as segues to and from commercials for “The Tracy Ulman Show.” These shorts were so popular that the Fox Network approved the plan for a series.
As the title implies, the meat of this autobiography revolves around Cartwright and Bart’s experience during the run of 11-season show (Currently, the show proceeds into its 15th season). She takes the listener step-by-step through the whole process of an episode from the brainstorm sessions by the writers to voice recordings to the post-production editing and revising.
The audiobook retells Cartwright’s experiences meeting famous actors and actresses who have lent their voice to “The Simpsons” such as Elizabeth Taylor, Mel Gibson, Michael Jackson, and Danny Devito. Her excitement borderlines on hero-worship as she goes over in detail about these encounters. While the enthusiasm is understood, her emphasis on celebrities at the expense of listeners having no clue about work politics or her personal life for that matter left a small pit in this story.
Cartwright published the book in 2001 but has only published the audiobook this year with no real explanation to the time lapse. And with such a time lapse, listeners might regret that she has not updated the material beyond a singular footnote. Not that much needs to be updated, but in the last three seasons, the show has received more awards, and more famous actors have lent their voices to the show.
An arguable flaw of this audiobook pertains to this year’s talent strike by the six major voices of “The Simpsons”—Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Harry Shearer, and Yeardley Smith. The golden voices of the show demanded a raise that resulted in $360,000 per person per episode. Nancy Cartwright brags about the fact that nowadays the time needed to tape each episode takes an average of six hours. That’s $60,000 an hour of work for each of the 22 episodes in a season. This again would not be anything too exceptional, but while detailing how the show is made, she explains that the story is sent out to Korea for the animation cells to be painted by Koreans. This helps lower the cost of the show because they only get paid a few dollars an hour; a point that doesn’t seem to bother the voice talent who is being paid $1,000 a minute for her work.
But she certainly gives credit where credit is due. Throughout the audiobook, she lists off the names of various people involved with the show as their position comes up in her discussion. She pays respect to Mike Groening and James L. Brooks, the creators of the show, and of course, her co-workers whom she certainly adores.
Cartwright narrates this audiobook with a natural talent that is fantastic. Her overall exuberance for the show, the celebrities, and her life in addition to the fact that she plays a 10 year-old-boy, gives her voice the feel of a child at an amusement park. She has so much to say and is completely awestruck by her environment. You hear it in her voice. Her narration not only makes it better than the book form, but also no other narrator could have performed this audiobook better. Readers may have appreciated the upbeat style of the book and quirky asides and other narrators might have given those asides some justice—but only Cartwright can deliver an authentic Bart Simpson belting out, “Aye, carumba!” Nor do readers hear all the other times that Cartwright breaks into character (whether Bart or other animated characters). She superbly keeps listeners involved with these variations. Cartwright reads her materially so well, it’s next to impossible to imagine how this audiobook would work grammatically in a book. It seems so much more natural in audio format.
In addition to her excitement, Cartwright gives the listeners some sentimental and private moments with her. Cartwright’s feelings and sadness overwhelm the listener when she talks about the day Phil Hartman, a regular voice on “The Simpsons,” died. The sentiment in her voice can be quite touching at times throughout the audiobook.
“My Life As a 10-Year-Old Boy” is a must for any die-hard Simpsons’ fan Even occasional watchers of the show will receive some interesting insights from America’s most famous fourth grade bad boy. Filled with various anecdotes and details, this audiobook provides great insight to a show that has outlasted almost every other sitcom and cartoon show out there.
June 20, 2020
Kes teadis, et legendaarsele Bart Simpsonile on hääle andnud hoopis naine? Lisaks on Nancy Cartwrighti häälega ka mõned teised tegelased: Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum, Todd Flanders ja Kearney. Selles osas igal juhul huvitav amet ja kindlasti andekas näitleja, ent mitte just kõige parem kirjanik. Kuigi raamatus oli rohkelt huvitavaid fakte ja lugusid, siis lõviosa oli võrdlemisi igav ning tundus lihtsalt ruumitäitena. Teistest Simpsoni näitlejatest rääkides tundsin puudust ka sellest, et näitlejda nime juures oleks kirjas tegelane, keda nad kõige tihedamalt mängivad. Oleks aidanud nime ja näo(hääle) kokku viia. Simpsonite fännile on see tõenäoliselt huvitav lugemine aga ei tasu oodata, et raamatu iga peatükk tohutult kaasa haarab.
September 12, 2021
Finished My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy by Nancy Cartwright, a non fiction book written in 2000. It is an in depth look at Cartwright’s life as a voice over artist and a hilarious look at how the creators of The Simpson’s create the magic that bring forth the most infamous ten year old of all time, Bart Simpson. I remember the first time I saw Nancy Cartwright doing her Bart voice and I was fascinated. The book is a little dated but the process is the same and there have been many more guests on the show than she describes.
January 14, 2021
A chatty, humorous, informal account of voice actor Nancy Cartwright's life breaking into television and ultimately landing the role of a lifetime. Many vignettes about guest stars on The Simpsons and a thorough explanation of how the show is produced, from the initial brainstorming of ideas to the finished 23-minute program. As I write, the show is still in production after 31 years.
May 30, 2019
This was a fun audio book because it is narrated by the author and she has a very engaging voice and style. The subject matter was interesting - but I think this book is one that should definitely be listened to rather than read.
September 19, 2019
Cartwright is sometimes telling you about the making of The Simpsons and her experiences on the show, and sometimes telling you about her excitement over the specific celebrities she got to meet. The former worked better for me.
May 9, 2022
An entertaining account of Nancy Cartwright’s career including, of course, being the voice of Bart Simpson for 30+ years. It is more than that and I enjoyed her personal story and description of what it is like to work as a voice artist. Her own personal observations at the end are a nice addition!
July 5, 2023
Absolutely brilliant… loved her story and how Bart came to be.
Listened to the audio version which tbh will be a lot better than reading word for word. As Nancy talks and dies impressions herself which is a scream.
A must have for any Simpson’s fan us the audible version
Listened to the audio version which tbh will be a lot better than reading word for word. As Nancy talks and dies impressions herself which is a scream.
A must have for any Simpson’s fan us the audible version
Read
February 12, 2022Awesome thanks for the great book
February 26, 2022
Really enjoyed the look into the life and mind of the great voice actress Nancy Cartwright.
July 22, 2022
This lady writes just about as well as I do!
Self absorbed, name dropping ramblings.
Self absorbed, name dropping ramblings.
November 22, 2022
A couple of good stories here and there but mostly just annoying.
October 22, 2023
I don’t understand why so many people hate this book, I loved it. The only problem i have is that I couldn’t listen to it when I was tired, as Nancy is so enthusiastic and such a character!
April 6, 2011
I read this book on audio because it seemed like the perfect book to be on audio. I mean come on, the voice of Bart Simpson, Nancy Cartwright, reading about her experiences as Bart. Seemed like a fantastic idea. Apparently... not. If you read this one, you might wanna skip the audio book and go for the printed word. Cartwright's voice is downright annoying. It's very high-pitched and squeaky sounding. She is very over-excited when she is doing the read for her book (so with her high voice... you make the call). She also laughs and giggles throughout the book. It's kind of unprofessional if you ask me.
This book is sectioned off into four parts.
Part one: her humble beginnings. Cartwright goes on about how in her opinion she was a child prodigy and excelled in high school. In college she realized she wanted to be a voice actor so on a whim she contacted Daws Butler (famous voice actor who was the original voices for Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, Elroy Jetson and many more) and the two hit it off (she dropped out of college for him and to pursue her budding career). Butler takes Cartwright under his wing and she is able to start her voice acting career using him as a reference. But then in 1987 her agent gets her an audition for a bumper on the Tracey Ullman Show and the rest is history... right?
Part Two: fame (I'm gonna live forever... I'm gonna learn how to fly). Once Cartwright was on the Simpsons was she able to meet celebraties and earn the fame she had craved all her life. A majority of the book, and believe me I am not exaggerating this one, is Cartwright fangirling over his celeb, and that celeb. She goes on and on about how she met people like Mel Gibson, Mickey Rooney, Tom Jones, Meryl Steep, Michael Jackson (and many more) and how they became best friends with her and how they fangirled over meeting her, the voice of Bart Simpson. Ego and reality check please.
Part Three: research. Cartwright even admitted that she had to do tons of research write this part of the book - the Simpsons. She explains in depth about the process to make an episode. I had three problems with this. First off, she didn't sound like she had any idea what she talking about. Like she had stated she did tons of research to write it in her book. In my opinion she didn't have a clue what went into making the Simpsons except her 2-6 hours a week (yes, Cartwright says in the book she only works 2-6 hours a week for the Simpsons) and wanted to sound knowledgeable for the book so she asked around. My second issue is that all this information was not new to me. All of her information can be found if you watch the Simpsons commentaries (yeah, that's how hard her research was). My last issue? Her research was old. Cartwright goes on this high and mighty rant about how the Simpsons is the only cartoon around to still be hand painted. And I mean she goes on and on about it. In the audio book, it had updated material (updated in 2004). Cartwright makes a note that the Simpsons have now gone digital and she seems bitter about it. I wonder why?
Part four: I'm an angel. In the final section she goes on about how charitable she is. I am not saying it's bad to donate your time and money to causes but after 5 hours of her ego and than a slew of stories how she helped kids with cancer brighten their lives... It makes me a little annoyed.
I was disappointed that Cartwright did not talk about her personal life beyond the death of her mother. I wanted to know, maybe know how her personal life has been affected by Bart's fame. But she never went into those details.
Who would I recommend this book to? To those who do not already know any insider knowledge about The Simpsons. But make sure not to read the audio book.
This book is sectioned off into four parts.
Part one: her humble beginnings. Cartwright goes on about how in her opinion she was a child prodigy and excelled in high school. In college she realized she wanted to be a voice actor so on a whim she contacted Daws Butler (famous voice actor who was the original voices for Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, Elroy Jetson and many more) and the two hit it off (she dropped out of college for him and to pursue her budding career). Butler takes Cartwright under his wing and she is able to start her voice acting career using him as a reference. But then in 1987 her agent gets her an audition for a bumper on the Tracey Ullman Show and the rest is history... right?
Part Two: fame (I'm gonna live forever... I'm gonna learn how to fly). Once Cartwright was on the Simpsons was she able to meet celebraties and earn the fame she had craved all her life. A majority of the book, and believe me I am not exaggerating this one, is Cartwright fangirling over his celeb, and that celeb. She goes on and on about how she met people like Mel Gibson, Mickey Rooney, Tom Jones, Meryl Steep, Michael Jackson (and many more) and how they became best friends with her and how they fangirled over meeting her, the voice of Bart Simpson. Ego and reality check please.
Part Three: research. Cartwright even admitted that she had to do tons of research write this part of the book - the Simpsons. She explains in depth about the process to make an episode. I had three problems with this. First off, she didn't sound like she had any idea what she talking about. Like she had stated she did tons of research to write it in her book. In my opinion she didn't have a clue what went into making the Simpsons except her 2-6 hours a week (yes, Cartwright says in the book she only works 2-6 hours a week for the Simpsons) and wanted to sound knowledgeable for the book so she asked around. My second issue is that all this information was not new to me. All of her information can be found if you watch the Simpsons commentaries (yeah, that's how hard her research was). My last issue? Her research was old. Cartwright goes on this high and mighty rant about how the Simpsons is the only cartoon around to still be hand painted. And I mean she goes on and on about it. In the audio book, it had updated material (updated in 2004). Cartwright makes a note that the Simpsons have now gone digital and she seems bitter about it. I wonder why?
Part four: I'm an angel. In the final section she goes on about how charitable she is. I am not saying it's bad to donate your time and money to causes but after 5 hours of her ego and than a slew of stories how she helped kids with cancer brighten their lives... It makes me a little annoyed.
I was disappointed that Cartwright did not talk about her personal life beyond the death of her mother. I wanted to know, maybe know how her personal life has been affected by Bart's fame. But she never went into those details.
Who would I recommend this book to? To those who do not already know any insider knowledge about The Simpsons. But make sure not to read the audio book.
January 26, 2015
I am a lifelong Simpsons fan (well at least for the last 25 years of my life). It was enjoyable to read the perspective of one of the most famous voices from that show. It was also interesting to read of Nancy's determination to become a voice actor and her pursuit of one of the masters, Daws Butler, to help her on her journey. Ms. Cartwright has a unique perspective on the early evolution of the show and it's place in her life. Of particular amusement is an anecdote from a function that she was attending at her child's school. Some other mothers were complaining about the Simpsons and, in particular, the influence of Bart on young children. Nancy interjected that she didn't feel the show had a negative influence and was just entertainment. They asked who she was and she replied in the now famous voice, "I'm Bart Simpson, who the hell are you."
It's stories like this one that make this a worthwhile read for the fan.
It's stories like this one that make this a worthwhile read for the fan.
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