Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

The Essential Dykes to Watch Out for by Alison Bechdel

6 reviews

robinks's review

emotional funny informative reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The characters were really well thought-out, and it was nice to see them and their relationships evolve over the years. There was also a lot of historical information included, and at times, it was a bit much. I felt like some plot points were omitted, but perhaps it would make more sense if I read it sporadically over a longer period of time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Infidelity, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Mental illness

Moderate: Ableism, War, Biphobia, Cancer, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Xenophobia and Abortion

arsenic_'s review

funny informative inspiring medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Deadnaming, Transphobia, and Animal death

Minor: Abortion, Homophobia, Outing, Sexism, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Ableism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Cancer, Classism, Mental illness, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racism, War, Gaslighting, and Infidelity

town_scar's review

challenging emotional funny informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Infidelity, Homophobia, Deadnaming, Religious bigotry, Mental illness, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Cursing

Moderate: Misogyny, Alcohol, Animal death, Biphobia, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, War, Addiction, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, Grief, Classism, and Car accident

Minor: Abortion, Ableism, Bullying, Drug use, Dementia, Xenophobia, Torture, and Islamophobia

lovegriefandgender's review

challenging emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Yet curiously, against the sweeping backdrop of history... everyday life pretty much continues.

There's a bid, at the moment, for stories about happy queer adults. I prefer this: the struggle to find happiness against the endless and brutal onslaughts of a system that is not designed for us and compels us — again and again — to hurt ourselves and each other. Then there are these snatches of joy and the glimpses of a better life and a story that never really ends. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Dysphoria, Racism, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Biphobia, Sexual harassment, Ableism, and Transphobia

starrygal's review

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

An honest, realistic, and heartwarming portrayal of a group of people (mostly lesbians) living their lives. I found it hard to put down, and it made me laugh more than a few times. The part that I enjoyed less was that it spent a lot of time on the intricacies of US politics - several decades ago. If that kind of thing is your cup of tea, then more power to you, but otherwise, you'll probably do as I did and skim that in order to get back to the relationship drama.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Pregnancy, Transphobia, Ableism, Infidelity, Grief, Cancer, Death of parent, Animal death, and Biphobia

Minor: Car accident, Dysphoria, Genocide, Homophobia, Mass/school shootings, Xenophobia, Deadnaming, Dementia, Medical content, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, and Hate crime

heyjaycee's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Dykes to Watch Out For is a comic strip created by Alison Bechdel in the mid-80’s that ran weekly in alternative newspapers for years. It’s achieved legendary status in sapphic circles as an extensive chronicle of American lesbian culture, a lifebuoy to grasp in the cold deluge of straight cultural hegemony. It follows Mo, Lois, Ginger, Sparrow, Clarice, Toni, and their friends and family as they navigate life, love, and radical politics.

Bechdel is a natural funnywoman, because she sees the inherent ridiculousness in all of us, and that that ridiculousness is our humanity. All her characters are layered, none of them perfect and none of them irredeemable. Dykes to Watch Out For is a tonic in this age of purity culture—it says you don’t have to be ideologically pure, you don’t have to dress a certain way, you don’t have to fuck a certain sort of people, to be part of the queer community. Bechdel’s dykes are diverse not only of race and body type but of opinion and lifestyle.

In her intro, Bechdel draws herself freaking out over the idea that many young sapphics’ first encounter with lesbian culture is now through her comics, and how that might be shaping the culture itself. I think, if that’s so, that’s no bad thing. Growing up bi and AFAB, I could have done with a comic that told me there was no right or wrong way to be me.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Transphobia, Ableism, Homophobia, and Biphobia

All -phobias in DTWOF are realistic queer experiences, including from fellow queers, not gratuitous.