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asami_kukomi's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
It's alarming how much worse the situation has gotten 4 years on from the publication of this book heading into the 2024 American election.
As someone who doesn't live in the US, this book was very informative and I feel like I have gained a lot of insight regarding the entrenched racism prevalent in America.
As someone who doesn't live in the US, this book was very informative and I feel like I have gained a lot of insight regarding the entrenched racism prevalent in America.
sabse's review against another edition
5.0
I want to quote every paragraph of this book as the best paragraph in the book. A perfect education. A must read.
lesserjoke's review against another edition
3.0
Although I agree with nearly everything that author Ijeoma Oluo opines in these pages, I've found it somewhat lacking as a single cohesive argument. Her stated thesis, that white men are so privileged by American society that many of us can achieve success with minimal contribution of the relevant factors needed by most women and people of color, strikes me as probably self-evident for certain readers and requiring a rigorous explanation for others. But Oluo doesn't really present that sort of case here, instead offering a range of social justice-oriented essays that don't always speak to the topic at hand.
The anger directed against athlete-activist Colin Kaepernick, for instance, seems like a great illustration of white fragility and entitlement. But who exactly is mediocre in this scenario? A point could be made about the objectively lower talents of the players -- some but not all of them white -- who have been recruited for NFL teams while Kaep remains sidelined for peacefully protesting police brutality, or about how non-racialized social causes don't receive the same pushback from fans, yet this writer appears more interested in describing the injustice of his blacklisting on its own terms than in exploring the connections to her title. Other areas of the text similarly call out racism and/or sexism without specifically keying in to the acceptable mediocrity of white men.
I'm aware of the irony for a white male reviewer like myself to critique this book and give it a less-than stellar rating. But I take no issue with the actual conclusions, merely the effectiveness of how they have been argued herein. I think that absent the attempt at an overarching structure to awkwardly squeeze in all the topics that Oluo wants to address, I would feel a lot more positively towards this project as a whole.
[Content warning for death threats, slurs, and suicide.]
--Subscribe at https://patreon.com/lesserjoke to support these reviews and weigh in on what I read next!--
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
The anger directed against athlete-activist Colin Kaepernick, for instance, seems like a great illustration of white fragility and entitlement. But who exactly is mediocre in this scenario? A point could be made about the objectively lower talents of the players -- some but not all of them white -- who have been recruited for NFL teams while Kaep remains sidelined for peacefully protesting police brutality, or about how non-racialized social causes don't receive the same pushback from fans, yet this writer appears more interested in describing the injustice of his blacklisting on its own terms than in exploring the connections to her title. Other areas of the text similarly call out racism and/or sexism without specifically keying in to the acceptable mediocrity of white men.
I'm aware of the irony for a white male reviewer like myself to critique this book and give it a less-than stellar rating. But I take no issue with the actual conclusions, merely the effectiveness of how they have been argued herein. I think that absent the attempt at an overarching structure to awkwardly squeeze in all the topics that Oluo wants to address, I would feel a lot more positively towards this project as a whole.
[Content warning for death threats, slurs, and suicide.]
--Subscribe at https://patreon.com/lesserjoke to support these reviews and weigh in on what I read next!--
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
alysses's review against another edition
5.0
I continue to believe she is my soul sister. I recommend that if you go with the audio book that you read the physical book as well. She lists sources for absolutely everything she includes in the book. She backs up all of her own observations/conclusions with factual information.
For those who feel she is attacking ALL white men, she is not. She is simply stating that even the best white man still has privilege whether they want it or not. That one that recognizes these things and stays quiet because they don't think they can do anything about it are just as guilty as those who put things in place to work as they have for thousands of years.
In short, she is just stating that even now there is much more work to do.
For those who feel she is attacking ALL white men, she is not. She is simply stating that even the best white man still has privilege whether they want it or not. That one that recognizes these things and stays quiet because they don't think they can do anything about it are just as guilty as those who put things in place to work as they have for thousands of years.
In short, she is just stating that even now there is much more work to do.
jess_xen's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
“How often have you heard the argument that we have to slowly implement gender and racial equality in order to not “shock” society? Who is the “society” that people are talking about? I can guarantee that women would be able to handle equal pay or a harassment-free work environment right now, with no ramp-up. I’m certain that people of color would be able to deal with equal political representation and economic opportunity if they were made available today. So for whose benefit do we need to go so slowly? How can white men be our born leaders and at the same time so fragile that they cannot handle social progress?”
Mediocre is a thought-provoking and well-researched dive into the long history of white male interests prevailing throughout American history, to the detriment of women, people of color, and the country at large. The entire book is worth reading, and Oluo makes all her points clearly, if not concisely. Among each of the categorized chapters, two stuck out to me.
The first regarded white male supremacy as the historical foundation for prestigious university education and the cultural tension that begin in 1970/80s when universities, such as Columbia, were required to allow women and people of color to attend. The general thought was: if women and & POC can achieve these degrees, then they really aren’t worth all that much. The subsequent backlash against women & people of color who were admitted to these universities and moved into what was predominantly a white male workforce is still ripples into the current day. Examples include the gender/racial pay-gaps, the ‘glass ceiling’, harmful stereotypes, and gender/racial hiring discrimination, to name a few.
This chapter caused me to reflect on the contemporary rhetoric against higher education, the claims that universities are “woke” and brainwashing students into liberalism and how that is a rather tongue-in-cheek retort given the history of the institution: “When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression”. Such logical inconsistencies cause one to wonder if universities would be considered “woke” if only white, straight males were allowed to attend. Perhaps the attack on higher education never had to do with basket weaving at all.
The second chapter that struck me as particularly poignant was regarding contradicting propaganda concerning the working woman. In the 1920s, married women in the workforce during the Great Depression was viewed as obscene, and certain media outlets would state that the Depression was caused by women working and taking jobs from men (obviously false) and it was popular for magazines to publish articles stating that women who work were more likely to suffer miscarriages and ruin their family options, among other atrocious fabrications. It was a very clear attempt to keep women at home, in the household, and to do anything other than that would mean certain shame. This treatment contrasts with what occurred during WW2, when women’s contributions to the work force became vital to the war effort and the economy. Employers added childcare to munitions factories so that women could help the war effort, easing the strain on working mothers. Those very same magazines that once berated the working women now praised her and her employment status. Of course, if she worked for herself and not the war effort, then she was also liable to suffer miscarriage.
Think back to the 2010s and how prevalent it was that religious women, married with children, were encouraged to take up MLMs or other work-from-home scam opportunities, calling themselves “boss babes” or “entrepreneurs”. Or the current “trad wife” trend popular on social media. One would argue that we are headed towards another great depression. Since Roe v Wade was overturned, and birth control is threatened, I wonder if the general sentiment will follow the historical trends and push women out of the work force and encourage child rearing & other domestic duties. History doesn’t repeat, but it often rhymes. Instead of threatening them for unruly women, miscarriages are now being persecuted in some states as murder so in some ways, we have moved beyond the denigration of the past.
The incredulity you will feel throughout reading this book is visceral. I think it’s important to understand why things are the way that they are if we are ever going to be able to face them and move forward. This was a bleak reminder that there is a lot of work left to be done.
“When I talk about mediocrity, I talk about how we somehow agreed that wealthy white men are the best group to bring the rest of us prosperity, when their wealth was stolen from our labor.”
P.S. What an ironic book to read be reading on July 13th, 2024 of all days, on all accounts.
Mediocre is a thought-provoking and well-researched dive into the long history of white male interests prevailing throughout American history, to the detriment of women, people of color, and the country at large. The entire book is worth reading, and Oluo makes all her points clearly, if not concisely. Among each of the categorized chapters, two stuck out to me.
The first regarded white male supremacy as the historical foundation for prestigious university education and the cultural tension that begin in 1970/80s when universities, such as Columbia, were required to allow women and people of color to attend. The general thought was: if women and & POC can achieve these degrees, then they really aren’t worth all that much. The subsequent backlash against women & people of color who were admitted to these universities and moved into what was predominantly a white male workforce is still ripples into the current day. Examples include the gender/racial pay-gaps, the ‘glass ceiling’, harmful stereotypes, and gender/racial hiring discrimination, to name a few.
This chapter caused me to reflect on the contemporary rhetoric against higher education, the claims that universities are “woke” and brainwashing students into liberalism and how that is a rather tongue-in-cheek retort given the history of the institution: “When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression”. Such logical inconsistencies cause one to wonder if universities would be considered “woke” if only white, straight males were allowed to attend. Perhaps the attack on higher education never had to do with basket weaving at all.
The second chapter that struck me as particularly poignant was regarding contradicting propaganda concerning the working woman. In the 1920s, married women in the workforce during the Great Depression was viewed as obscene, and certain media outlets would state that the Depression was caused by women working and taking jobs from men (obviously false) and it was popular for magazines to publish articles stating that women who work were more likely to suffer miscarriages and ruin their family options, among other atrocious fabrications. It was a very clear attempt to keep women at home, in the household, and to do anything other than that would mean certain shame. This treatment contrasts with what occurred during WW2, when women’s contributions to the work force became vital to the war effort and the economy. Employers added childcare to munitions factories so that women could help the war effort, easing the strain on working mothers. Those very same magazines that once berated the working women now praised her and her employment status. Of course, if she worked for herself and not the war effort, then she was also liable to suffer miscarriage.
Think back to the 2010s and how prevalent it was that religious women, married with children, were encouraged to take up MLMs or other work-from-home scam opportunities, calling themselves “boss babes” or “entrepreneurs”. Or the current “trad wife” trend popular on social media. One would argue that we are headed towards another great depression. Since Roe v Wade was overturned, and birth control is threatened, I wonder if the general sentiment will follow the historical trends and push women out of the work force and encourage child rearing & other domestic duties. History doesn’t repeat, but it often rhymes. Instead of threatening them for unruly women, miscarriages are now being persecuted in some states as murder so in some ways, we have moved beyond the denigration of the past.
The incredulity you will feel throughout reading this book is visceral. I think it’s important to understand why things are the way that they are if we are ever going to be able to face them and move forward. This was a bleak reminder that there is a lot of work left to be done.
“When I talk about mediocrity, I talk about how we somehow agreed that wealthy white men are the best group to bring the rest of us prosperity, when their wealth was stolen from our labor.”
P.S. What an ironic book to read be reading on July 13th, 2024 of all days, on all accounts.
eandrews80's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.5
This is excellent, which is no surprise given the author. Combining research, keen observation, and some personal stories, Oluo grimly explains how America is built to uphold white male supremacy. With examples ranging from the Wild West to the workplace to the NFL, she pulls back the curtain on the history and systems that keep the rest of us in our place -- and sometimes hurt white men, too. The chapter on football is especially good, as is the brief but powerful conclusion.
notkellyprice's review against another edition
4.0
Olou beautifully explained the way white men and their mediocrity has come at the detriment of so many, including white men themselves and I appreciated the historical context given in order for the reader to fully understand the magnitude of this issue in the United States. However, I did not appreciate the conclusion of the book. When Olou talked about the ways we enforce white male supremacy, I don’t think Oluo was specific enough. Me, as a black woman, fall victim to white male supremacy rather than upholding it. White people created this standard and although we are forced to operate within this standard, I don’t think Oluo considered how this is a standard white people need to be willing to dismantle before we as folks of color can come in and dismantle it ourselves,
tawnymlara's review against another edition
5.0
This book is full of difficult truths that are often hard to swallow but are absolutely necessary to learn.