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Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'
Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs by Jamie Loftus
49 reviews
mattyvreads's review
dark
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.75
What a strange and fascinating book. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Loftus’s writing is hilarious, irreverent, and that perfect mix of very intelligent yet sophomoric that really does it for me. There is no doubt that she has done her research.
The book is full of hot dog stories, facts, wives’ tales, and scandals. There is astute social commentary and histories about the different individual stands, communities, and organizations which contextualize her opinions on those different businesses. Plus, some conspiracy theory lite™️ (read: technically conspiracy theories that are unproblematic and probably true).
CW: disordered eating — I struggled a little bit with how she mentions and frames the struggle with her eating disorder on this hot dog road trip. I have complicated feelings. As someone who has struggled with an eating disorder for almost my whole life, I am grateful she spoke about this openly and honestly, and acknowledge that is a very vulnerable thing to discuss publicly. Having said that, she just mentions it a couple times in passing like “this was a day that I felt disgusting and worthless in my body” (I’m paraphrasing), but those feelings seem completely unresolved. Even in a day to day snapshot, where we might see a light at the end of the tunnel (even briefly). BUT! I also understand where she is coming from. As the book went on, I could guess a motivation for leaving those few, scattered mentions. It is ever-present and it is unresolved. There is no happy resolution on most eating disorders. It’s ongoing. Maybe it’s just because of my own historically disordered eating that I saw it through a lens of how I would have discussed the issue? Not my book!
All in all, the book was incredibly witty and refreshingly modern. She is a terrific writer. My favorite quote: “10 years ago, we would call this a Woody Allen day. But now we know better and call it a Nora Ephron day.” Chef’s kiss.
The book is full of hot dog stories, facts, wives’ tales, and scandals. There is astute social commentary and histories about the different individual stands, communities, and organizations which contextualize her opinions on those different businesses. Plus, some conspiracy theory lite™️ (read: technically conspiracy theories that are unproblematic and probably true).
CW: disordered eating —
All in all, the book was incredibly witty and refreshingly modern. She is a terrific writer. My favorite quote: “10 years ago, we would call this a Woody Allen day. But now we know better and call it a Nora Ephron day.” Chef’s kiss.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Eating disorder, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Classism, Deportation, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Vomit
fkshg8465's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I never thought anyone could store s whole book just about hotdogs. Nor did I ever think I could read such a book, especially since I’m vegetarian. More than the discussion of what makes a hotdog and how they are made, I felt sick thinking about what it must feel like to eat so many hotdogs. Some chapters were light and funny. Others were very serious and talked about heavy topics like racism, sexism, and even rape, (who knew hotdogs could have so much gravitas, right?).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Vomit, Colonisation, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
frecklebrows's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Eating disorder, and Police brutality
whiskersonkittens's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.75
Amusing and gross would- be micro history that includes light political commentary and a bit of biography. Didn’t really deliver too much on any of those fronts yet somehow a good listen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Eating disorder
xinawebb's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Eating disorder
barizley's review
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder
mikkitooloud's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I picked this book up because I have a soft spot for Jamie Loftus, but just three or four sentences into the introduction I was fully onboard with the premise. This book is about more than just hotdogs; it's about justice, love, and the human condition.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Cancer, Eating disorder, and Vomit
Ms. Loftus does an excellent job of forewarning you before she begins the discussion on industrial animal farming. It's hard to read, but can be skipped if it would be too much.daniandsn's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
3.0
What does it mean for a leftist to partake in (and enjoy) the classic symbol of American rugged individualism? How does it feel to enjoy the snap of a beef frank when the workers who made them were dying in the midst of a global pandemic? Can hot dogs be political?
This book reflects on the cultural impact of hot dogs. Whether it is hot dog stands gentrifying local neighborhoods, Nate's Hot Dog Eating contest clearly favoring the men's competition, a lot of gendered pickles, or poor working conditions, Jamie analyzes what it means to be American through the eyes (taste?) of the hot dogs made there.
This book reflects on the cultural impact of hot dogs. Whether it is hot dog stands gentrifying local neighborhoods, Nate's Hot Dog Eating contest clearly favoring the men's competition, a lot of gendered pickles, or poor working conditions, Jamie analyzes what it means to be American through the eyes (taste?) of the hot dogs made there.
"Look I'm as American as anyone, and I don't know what I mean when I say that, but I know how i feel, and it's insecure with a throbbing need to prove something."
It is at once a memoir and a critique of capitalism. We feel Jamie's discomfort, although it is left unsaid, about frequently being the only one in a room wearing a mask. This book is more of a time-capsule of what America looked like in 2021 than it is about hot dogs.
I think this book fell a bit short for me here though. There was so much potential, but much of the critique felt shallow and unexplored. We were granted peaks into her inner life along the way, but not enough to understand why it connected to the rest of the book. Many crude and often sexual jokes undercut the point that was being made. All together, it was an interesting concept and some chapters really did stand out (who doesn't want to hear about the inner workings of a hot dog eating contest?), however it left me wanting more than what it could give.
The audiobook was a pleasure to listen to. Jamie narrated it herself and gives so much life to each of the interesting people she observed on her journey. Her emphasis and accents made it work in a way that I'm not sure that words on a page could.
Approach this book understanding that it isn't really about hotdogs. It is casual entertainment, and although I was disappointed, I did find myself entertained.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Eating disorder
booknug's review against another edition
funny
informative
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder
grabman's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty
Moderate: Eating disorder, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment