I have been a fan of Kelly Ripa since her days on All My Children, and also when she was on Live with Regis and Kelly. But then life took over and I lost touch with the morning show and with the goings on of Ripa. After reading her very funny memoir, Live Wire, I must tell you I am once again smitten with her.
In this book which she proudly admits to having no ghostwriter assist, she has done an incredible job writing witty, heartwarming and relatable essays. Throughout the book, she wonderfully addresses the reader continuously which makes the read even more personal. Her honesty is admirable, from problems on the set of Regis and Kelly, difficulties in her marriage, raising three children and even plastic surgery stories.
There are many themes throughout the book, but the most important are her love of her family and husband, trying desperately to maintain the family/work balance and her failures and clumsiness which she regards as badges of honor. As she and her husband, Mark Consuelos were married at a very young age and had a child early on while still working together, the toll it took not only on her but on their marriage is written with true honesty.
One essay she writes of her and her husband Mark dropping their daughter off at college and then driving to their summer home only to find hours later their Ring going off at their New York apartment where their daughter Lola, knowing they were not going to be there decided to have a rooftop party. What was more insulting was as they watched her from their phone and tried to call her, they see her look at her phone and ignore the call!
She tells the story of when she first met Regis Philbin, who always seemed to speak of himself in the third person seemed not to be able to remember her name. How when she got the coveted job, she was not even given a dressing room as if perhaps this was not going to work out. She was not even allowed to take her makeup crew from All My Children where she was still working so she would have to take her makeup off, only to put it all back on when she got to her other job.
She spends a great deal of time explaining how she has social anxiety disorder and the many ways it sometimes affects what she says and does. She also gives tips on how to overcome some of the anxiety.
A very funny story is about her openness to plastic surgery. She admits to her love of Botox for a few reasons but tells of how excited she got when she found out there was a surgery to enlarge your breast where fat is taken from a part of your body and injected in the chest. Ripa, an A cup on a good day could not wait to have it done only to find out she did not have enough fat on her body for the surgery!
Live Wire is a generous look at someone who seems to have it all, and really does, but appreciates everything she has and loves her friends, family, job and life voraciously!
Lisa's Cubby 