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Reviews tagging 'Bullying'
Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo
8 reviews
lancemama's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Hate crime, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Gaslighting
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
livlamentloathe's review against another edition
5.0
I think this book is SO BRILLIANT. I loved the diversity of topics and how Oluo connected past to present. How she'd start with a relatable recent event and go back into the past then slowly bring it forward again. I especially enjoyed chapters which I didn't have much knowledge of: I didn't know much about Buffalo Bill or football before this book, being a fan of neither Westerns or... football. Those chapters were just informational frenzies for me and I parroted them daily to my boyfriend as I read.
In reading and recommending this book, I encountered a lot of defensiveness from others, which was frustrating. It's easy to be defensive. It's a natural instinct. But as Oluo said repeatedly, why do we get defensive? It's important to investigate these feelings and consider fully opening our minds; listening without our guard up. Oluo is a phenomenal writer. Please read this. Please recommend this. Please talk about this with your white friends and loved ones.
Moderate: Bullying, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Gun violence and Racial slurs
This book is anti-racism, anti-sexism, anti-classism. It's about how white supremacy has created a hateful and harmful system for minorities, especially people of color, in America. The trigger warnings I mention exist within the book but the author and the book is clearly AGAINST these acts. It does in no way promote them.traciereads's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, and Murder
Minor: Cursing, Antisemitism, and Islamophobia
emfass's review against another edition
5.0
The introduction and conclusion chapters are vibrant and necessary overviews of the violence and harm caused by white male supremacy in the U.S. The chapters in between cover related topics by way of specific stories throughout American history. I deeply appreciated the unpacking of these important moments, and in particular the historic events I've lived through.
Especially eye-opening to me were:
-the stories of Buffalo Bill and the Bundy brothers (Chapter 1)
-an exploration of Bernie bros (Chapter 2, possibly my favorite section of the book, as it helped put to words so many things I've sensed but didn't know how to say)
-the history of access (or lack thereof) to higher education in the U.S. (Chapter 3)
-the horrific tactics that white people used to try to keep Black people from leaving in the post-Reconstruction South (Chapter 4)
-the "problem" of women in the workforce after World War II (Chapter 5)
-the Squad's political career as women of color in Congress (Chapter 6)
-the racist history of football in the U.S. and the tidal wave of backlash that follows when players (including Colin Kaepernick and Michael Bennett) try to use their voice for change (Chapter 7)
Throughout the book, Oluo also shares many instances of the cruel, unjust, horrifying abuse she has endured as a Black woman writing very visibly about racial, feminist, and social justice issues. She does it not for pity, but I think as firsthand examples of the lengths white men will go to when they feel threatened.
I highly recommend this to everybody.
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Antisemitism, and Islamophobia
Minor: Excrement
michellegm15's review against another edition
5.0
This book has also definitely given me a lot of education about white male supremacy. I learned a lot of history I either hadn't been taught or hadn't been shown from the angle of white male supremacy. It makes a STRONG case that white male supremacy is what America was built on and that it has wreaked havoc, violence, and oppression on too many people (including, in some ways, white men themselves) for far too long and that we need to work toward dismantling it rather than putting our efforts toward gaining closer proximity from it. White men, generally speaking, need to learn to develop a sense of identity based on healthier ideals. I also felt both schooled as a white person and validated as a woman. I hope a lot of people read this book. It really needed to be written, and it was incredibly brave of the author to write it AND to give it the title it has. To push against white male supremacy while it works tirelessly to punish her and her family for her work is courageous. I'm grateful she put this out into the world!
Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, and Antisemitism
sydneyj's review against another edition
5.0
Minor: Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
madlads's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
caseythereader's review against another edition
5.0
MEDIOCRE is one of those books that makes the reader feel like they've put on a new pair of glasses and everything is clearer. So much of what Oluo dissects in this book are ideas that I've seen half-formed in many places, but she really expands on them and places them into the larger social context in a way that made lightbulbs go off all over the place for me. 📚
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The thesis of this book is that American men have been told the world is theirs, and when that wasn't delivered, they needed scapegoats - women, BIPOC, poor people - anyone who isn't them is taking away what is rightfully theirs. 📚
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Oluo traces several threads throughout American history - from the Wild West to the NFL - that have converged over time to bring us to where we are today. I feel like I have a much deeper understanding of these social forces now, and am better equipped to have conversations about them in the context of our current political landscape. I think if you are still trying to grasp all the reasons why Trump voters act the way they do, this book is a must-read. 📚
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Content warnings: Antisemitism, bullying, death, gun violence, hate crime, Islamophobia, mass/school shootings, misogyny, physical abuse, police brutality, racial slurs, racism, slavery, suicidal thoughts, violence, and xenophobia.
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Grief, and Mass/school shootings