stevia333k's review against another edition
1-1.25 stars (lack of quotes are due to using an audiobook instead of a print book, but basically chapter 3 is where she all out snitches on herself)
I first want to say that there's only 1 other chapter/essay in this anthology that I'm interested in finishing & that's the "step on me" one I haven't started yet. Anyways, i'm not that inclined to rush to that right now, but I wanted to at least acknowledge it.
2ndly I want to acknowledge the book isn't written in comedy, it's written in a different sociolect without the code switching to more academic sociolect.
Basically this is technically an autotheory book. Here are some examples of some better ones,
I first want to say that there's only 1 other chapter/essay in this anthology that I'm interested in finishing & that's the "step on me" one I haven't started yet. Anyways, i'm not that inclined to rush to that right now, but I wanted to at least acknowledge it.
2ndly I want to acknowledge the book isn't written in comedy, it's written in a different sociolect without the code switching to more academic sociolect.
Basically this is technically an autotheory book. Here are some examples of some better ones,
- Zeba Blay's Carefree Black Girls: A Celebration of Black Women in Pop Culture
- Emma Dabiri's Twisted: The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture
- Emma Dabiri's Twisted: The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture
- Heather Radke's Butts: A Backstory
I was willing to give Jill Gutowitz's book a chance because even though I figured it was going to be very white, I also was hoping that it'd be more of a people's history thing given the internet history & the subcultural sociolect.
but this book comes from a self-described "professional gaylor hired by Vulture" "the q of q-anon for taylor swift fans 10 years after [the george w bush era-typical homophobia]".
The author was willing to give name drops, but excluded historical information such as deep canvassing from 2008-2015 & how celebrities are underrepresented in terms of their lgbtqia+ populations suggesting that there are still more closeted people in the famous population than in the general population, when posing this quote..
[about how taylor swift is exceptional]
saying taylor swift's fans would back her up is free-marketist AKA neoliberal logic that is denialist of not only state/institutional/street/domestic violence being a problem, but then also argues for a trickle-down theory of liberation. this denies how advertisers & ratings boards are anti-trans, anti-intersex, anti-queer, as part of the dictatorship of the racial capitalist patriarchy. this book was published in march 2022 so i'll extend some grace, but considering how the ACLU has a donor campaign to buy & distribute books that are being banned in Florida, how white supremacists are getting entrire libraries removed from communities, this is the kind of things that make this book a shit show.
however, i don't think considering her discussion of taylor swift that she understands gay-for-pay, even though she seems to understand WLM-for-pay when it comes to like Lindsay Lohan & socially enforced sexuality. the point being is that read-people-fic & specifically gaylor -- which to be fair has historical precedents such as conservative/fascist white supremacists speculating that shakespeare was straight & exceptionally "normal" in contrast to gay & or bi+ -- uses great man historiography.
[insert about is it the celebrities that soften the culture, or is it the culture that softens the celebrities, jill gutowitz then saying she sides with the celebrities soften the culture.]
She explicity sides explicitly sides with that historiography when it is a factually wrong position. basically she's looking for work/employment & trying to save her own ass by putting out a book that presumably teaches current day teenagers about george w bush era-typical homophobia. (so think about say white women teacher's power in the context of the school-to-prison-pipeline? that's the play she's making for.)
since jill gutowitz explicitly said this, i think she's trying to be hired by higher-up orgs (IDK pragerU? -- whoever is white & capitalist antisemitic, yet hires lgbtqia+ people) to develop propaganda for them. basically since this is an autotheory book & she's explicitly supporting/siding with great man historiography, then she is trying to develop enough of a personality cult to where she can have a less public-facing job.
these last 3 paragraphs are in response to the bookclub i went to, but when i speak in generic role statements, the policy is that if the role description fits, then voila.
as for people who object to the sociolect &
- the lack of code-switching (it's not comedy, it's a subcultural sociolect!)
- where they don't understand the point of at'ing a bunch of people (to try to drum up replies to her work to then have something else to publish & hopefully make money on)
- & don't know the pop culture references (which if I'm reading a book about somewhere i've never been, i use google or something since the fascists haven't taken it away yet!)
i despise the fact that the rating scale is shared by y'all chauvinists means you're trying to attack me too while i'm trying to prevent a personality cult from forming. like fuck you for your lack of tact because you'd prefer to talk in a way that appeases racial capitalist patriarchy (such as ageism, linguistic elitism, etc). -- jill gutowitz literally name-dropped "harry potter" in 2022 to use a blood libel canard against perez hilton, but instead you'd rather tone police her because you can't be bothered to google celebrities (which you should already be doing when you're reading a book in order to understand where in the conversation the book you're reading fits!) -- if y'all had, then you could've found out the names of sexual harassers to basically block & boycott from. she's literally a gossip writer. even if the list would've been rudimentary, sometimes you miss out. y'all chauvinists openly said you can't be bothered researching to protect your communities.
seriously, conflating the community who uses the same sociolect that jill gutowitz writes in with your criticisms of jill gutowitz is what jill gutowitz is banking on for career advancement. fuck you for giving her capital like that.
TLDR: she's a white supremacist careerist "feminist" weaponizing white tears, who would probably take a job as a school teacher criminalizing marginalized kids in the school-to-prison pipeline if they challenged her pedagogy/authority.
The author was willing to give name drops, but excluded historical information such as deep canvassing from 2008-2015 & how celebrities are underrepresented in terms of their lgbtqia+ populations suggesting that there are still more closeted people in the famous population than in the general population, when posing this quote..
[about how taylor swift is exceptional]
saying taylor swift's fans would back her up is free-marketist AKA neoliberal logic that is denialist of not only state/institutional/street/domestic violence being a problem, but then also argues for a trickle-down theory of liberation. this denies how advertisers & ratings boards are anti-trans, anti-intersex, anti-queer, as part of the dictatorship of the racial capitalist patriarchy. this book was published in march 2022 so i'll extend some grace, but considering how the ACLU has a donor campaign to buy & distribute books that are being banned in Florida, how white supremacists are getting entrire libraries removed from communities, this is the kind of things that make this book a shit show.
however, i don't think considering her discussion of taylor swift that she understands gay-for-pay, even though she seems to understand WLM-for-pay when it comes to like Lindsay Lohan & socially enforced sexuality. the point being is that read-people-fic & specifically gaylor -- which to be fair has historical precedents such as conservative/fascist white supremacists speculating that shakespeare was straight & exceptionally "normal" in contrast to gay & or bi+ -- uses great man historiography.
[insert about is it the celebrities that soften the culture, or is it the culture that softens the celebrities, jill gutowitz then saying she sides with the celebrities soften the culture.]
She explicity sides explicitly sides with that historiography when it is a factually wrong position. basically she's looking for work/employment & trying to save her own ass by putting out a book that presumably teaches current day teenagers about george w bush era-typical homophobia. (so think about say white women teacher's power in the context of the school-to-prison-pipeline? that's the play she's making for.)
since jill gutowitz explicitly said this, i think she's trying to be hired by higher-up orgs (IDK pragerU? -- whoever is white & capitalist antisemitic, yet hires lgbtqia+ people) to develop propaganda for them. basically since this is an autotheory book & she's explicitly supporting/siding with great man historiography, then she is trying to develop enough of a personality cult to where she can have a less public-facing job.
these last 3 paragraphs are in response to the bookclub i went to, but when i speak in generic role statements, the policy is that if the role description fits, then voila.
as for people who object to the sociolect &
- the lack of code-switching (it's not comedy, it's a subcultural sociolect!)
- where they don't understand the point of at'ing a bunch of people (to try to drum up replies to her work to then have something else to publish & hopefully make money on)
- & don't know the pop culture references (which if I'm reading a book about somewhere i've never been, i use google or something since the fascists haven't taken it away yet!)
i despise the fact that the rating scale is shared by y'all chauvinists means you're trying to attack me too while i'm trying to prevent a personality cult from forming. like fuck you for your lack of tact because you'd prefer to talk in a way that appeases racial capitalist patriarchy (such as ageism, linguistic elitism, etc). -- jill gutowitz literally name-dropped "harry potter" in 2022 to use a blood libel canard against perez hilton, but instead you'd rather tone police her because you can't be bothered to google celebrities (which you should already be doing when you're reading a book in order to understand where in the conversation the book you're reading fits!) -- if y'all had, then you could've found out the names of sexual harassers to basically block & boycott from. she's literally a gossip writer. even if the list would've been rudimentary, sometimes you miss out. y'all chauvinists openly said you can't be bothered researching to protect your communities.
seriously, conflating the community who uses the same sociolect that jill gutowitz writes in with your criticisms of jill gutowitz is what jill gutowitz is banking on for career advancement. fuck you for giving her capital like that.
TLDR: she's a white supremacist careerist "feminist" weaponizing white tears, who would probably take a job as a school teacher criminalizing marginalized kids in the school-to-prison pipeline if they challenged her pedagogy/authority.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Police brutality, Sexism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Outing, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Ableism, and Misogyny
taryndeanne's review
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Lesbophobia, Biphobia, and Outing
kathleencoughlin's review
slow-paced
2.0
I feel like I don't know who this book was for. Purportedly young queer women (Gutowitz talk a lot about what "we" experienced), but there is so much explaining and surface level analysis that it feels like it's written for some other audience. Also, I think Gutowitz needs to investigate who this "we" is when she talks about what "we" felt and experienced in relation to celebrity culture. Seemingly women who grew up in the 90s and 2000s, but the unsaid part is that it's really middle+ class white women who had the closest experience to hers, and even that group (of which I am a part) did not have a universal experience. The overly casual/slangy style felt like another forced attempt at familiarity and quite affected as if I was reading a tumblr post instead of a book. I think the essays that were the most successful were where she really reflected on her own personal experience and relation to celebrity culture, rather than making broad generalizations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Misogyny, Car accident, and Outing
kshertz's review
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
This is for a very very very specific audience. I ALMOST was there. It’s for a 30 something white middle class lesbian who grew up rich. If that doesn’t sound like something you can relate to, this book will probably annoy you. But I AM a 30 something white middle class PANsexual that grew up rich. So close.
For me, this was so much fun because I got to relive my entire childhood with all the pop culture references and reliving AOL, the Internet, etc. I really related to a lot and I liked the references because mine were the same. So why not 5 stars? There’s some man bashing that makes it not inclusive and I also feel like this is a memoir that should come out when this person was much much older and it would be more reflective and awesome. Plus, therapy girl. We all need it. Go to it. But I definitely felt it was light and I enjoyed it and I recommend for reminiscing if you grew up like me.
For me, this was so much fun because I got to relive my entire childhood with all the pop culture references and reliving AOL, the Internet, etc. I really related to a lot and I liked the references because mine were the same. So why not 5 stars? There’s some man bashing that makes it not inclusive and I also feel like this is a memoir that should come out when this person was much much older and it would be more reflective and awesome. Plus, therapy girl. We all need it. Go to it. But I definitely felt it was light and I enjoyed it and I recommend for reminiscing if you grew up like me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Outing, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
autumngk's review
funny
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
This isn't my first read of this book I'll admit, it's taken me two times to really grasp the full thing. First with the physical book (I made it about 85-90% of the way through I'd estimate), and then I just went for a fresh start with the audiobook for my second time. It was my first audiobook and I was always hesitant as someone with ADHD-very tied to the belief that reading meant I had to have a book in my hand so it can ground me in my activity. But I absolutely loved it, there was a magic to it that isn't quite in the physical book, but I loved having to reference to. Memoirs & personal essays I've found to be best read both audiobook and physical copy together.
Pop culture IS a reflection of our lives: present, past, and impending future. While it's clear a queer femme identifying audience is the target majority, readers that are shying away because they're intimidated by the topics, or they don't feel included in the conversation, or for whatever reason they feel this book isn't for them: I very strongly feel you are who should be reading this book most right now. If not this book, use this as a starting point for more queer femme literature. To create a space for ourselves is not our work alone; for you to understand that we belong in your world, you have work to do as well. It is tiring, it is a lot, but it's all we need as queer people.
Much like how Gutowitz struggled with the appeal of Entourage growing up, she's delivered a very unique debut for the audience she yearned to be apart of her entire youth. Out of morbid curiosity, I watched a few episodes of Entourage for the first time while reading this book and it made think "at least my generation had Workaholics instead of this?" And it's so wonderful to be apart of Jill's audience. Not Entourage's.
Pop culture IS a reflection of our lives: present, past, and impending future. While it's clear a queer femme identifying audience is the target majority, readers that are shying away because they're intimidated by the topics, or they don't feel included in the conversation, or for whatever reason they feel this book isn't for them: I very strongly feel you are who should be reading this book most right now. If not this book, use this as a starting point for more queer femme literature. To create a space for ourselves is not our work alone; for you to understand that we belong in your world, you have work to do as well. It is tiring, it is a lot, but it's all we need as queer people.
Much like how Gutowitz struggled with the appeal of Entourage growing up, she's delivered a very unique debut for the audience she yearned to be apart of her entire youth. Out of morbid curiosity, I watched a few episodes of Entourage for the first time while reading this book and it made think "at least my generation had Workaholics instead of this?" And it's so wonderful to be apart of Jill's audience. Not Entourage's.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Lesbophobia, and Outing
Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape
toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Funny, relatable, and informative, this essay collection about queer women in pop culture was exactly what I needed this pride month. It was a really great way to wrap up my month of (almost) all queer books!
There was this one chapter about lesbian yearning that I felt SO called out by that I had to stop listening and collect myself before continuing to read it. I loved the way Gutowitz delves into queer female celebrities and the treatment of them in the early 2000s because I think that is so worth examining - basically, we owe Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson a massive apology.
Another great aspect of the book is the relatable way the author writes about the early days of the pandemic. It was a really funny way of putting it, but also sad. There is also a section where she writes a letter to her younger self, which broke my heart and made me laugh at the same time.
I had some minor issues with the book, but overall really enjoyed it and recommend it.
There was this one chapter about lesbian yearning that I felt SO called out by that I had to stop listening and collect myself before continuing to read it. I loved the way Gutowitz delves into queer female celebrities and the treatment of them in the early 2000s because I think that is so worth examining - basically, we owe Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson a massive apology.
Another great aspect of the book is the relatable way the author writes about the early days of the pandemic. It was a really funny way of putting it, but also sad. There is also a section where she writes a letter to her younger self, which broke my heart and made me laugh at the same time.
I had some minor issues with the book, but overall really enjoyed it and recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Outing, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Racism and Biphobia
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Islamophobia
ecn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
5.0
One of my favorite books from this year! If you’re queer, grew up in the 2000s, and are obsessed with pop culture, this book is for you. I already want more.
If you’re a fan of The 2000s Made Me Gay, you’ll love this.
If you’re a fan of The 2000s Made Me Gay, you’ll love this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Sexism, Outing, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia
hmatt's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
As a millennial queer, I found most of these essays funny and/or relatable, and I enjoyed the reading experience. Some highlights for me included the essay on "outing" culture a la Perez Hilton vs. current online fan speculation and the "listicle"-style sections on the top sapphic paparazzi photos and things that are Lesbian Canon.
Unfortunately, I feel like the collection starts strong, but loses steam as it goes. It does a good job balancing the memoir-y bits with the broader cultural talk in, for instance, the essay about the FBI showing up on the author's doorstep. Towards the end of the collection, though, there are a number of strictly autobiographical "essays" that I just didn't get anything from. There is a real gap in the collection with regard to, well, any other sapphic voices besides the author's. I think I would have been more engaged in the collection as a whole if she had swapped out some of the autobiographical sections for broader perspectives on how pop culture influenced the experience of growing up queer in the naughties.
This is short, though, and the audiobook is narrated (importantly, narrated well) by the author, so I'd still recommend going in for the whole thing.
Unfortunately, I feel like the collection starts strong, but loses steam as it goes. It does a good job balancing the memoir-y bits with the broader cultural talk in, for instance, the essay about the FBI showing up on the author's doorstep. Towards the end of the collection, though, there are a number of strictly autobiographical "essays" that I just didn't get anything from. There is a real gap in the collection with regard to, well, any other sapphic voices besides the author's. I think I would have been more engaged in the collection as a whole if she had swapped out some of the autobiographical sections for broader perspectives on how pop culture influenced the experience of growing up queer in the naughties.
This is short, though, and the audiobook is narrated (importantly, narrated well) by the author, so I'd still recommend going in for the whole thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Outing, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Lesbophobia and Homophobia
The description of rape is contained to one essay, "I Know This Now". In an earlier essay, the author describes their own experiences viewing pornography as a minor.mallory10100's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
5.0
god i LOVED this!! one of the most relatable books i’ve ever read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Grief, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Outing
Moderate: Alcohol, Biphobia, Body horror, Blood, Death of parent, Death, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Alcoholism, Classism, Confinement, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Self harm, and Addiction
i highly recommend this!!caseythereader's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Thanks to Atria Books for the free advance copy of this book.
- GIRLS CAN KISS NOW is a hyperfocused deep dive into growing up and coming out in the 2000s. Gutowitz breaks down the journey lesbian culture and visibility took in those years, from hidden secret to loud and proud.
- I'm a few years older than the author, but so much of her experience of growing up as a suburban white girl receiving conflicting information about what being gay meant (and therefore being unable to discern whether you were gay) resonated deeply with me.
- A lot of really rough stuff is covered here, from generalized lesbophobia to forced outing, but this essay collection is actual laugh out loud hilarious. I kept reading passages aloud to my spouse, trying not to snort laugh at descriptions of furtively using the family computer or falling into lesbian TikTok.
- GIRLS CAN KISS NOW is a hyperfocused deep dive into growing up and coming out in the 2000s. Gutowitz breaks down the journey lesbian culture and visibility took in those years, from hidden secret to loud and proud.
- I'm a few years older than the author, but so much of her experience of growing up as a suburban white girl receiving conflicting information about what being gay meant (and therefore being unable to discern whether you were gay) resonated deeply with me.
- A lot of really rough stuff is covered here, from generalized lesbophobia to forced outing, but this essay collection is actual laugh out loud hilarious. I kept reading passages aloud to my spouse, trying not to snort laugh at descriptions of furtively using the family computer or falling into lesbian TikTok.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Outing, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Cursing, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Bullying, Lesbophobia, and Sexual content
Minor: Religious bigotry, Vomit, Alcohol, and Transphobia
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