asmrbookishnesserin's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
hollydunndesign's review against another edition
5.0
I couldn't come up with a good reason not to give this 5 stars. This book examines how it is possible to be a feminist and still enjoy aspects of pop culture that are degrading to women, so long as we are aware of sexism (and racism) when it is there. It forced me to think critically about feminists like Caitlin Moran and Sheryl Sandberg and recognise where they fall short. Roxane Gay described how she herself falls short as a feminist and how that makes her human. Covering issues from the Fifty Shades phenomenon to women's reproductive rights, to racist hate crimes, this book is a broad-reaching and engaging feminist text.
jamiezaccaria's review against another edition
4.0
Gay is a writer that makes you realize that you too could be a writer but you might never be as good as her. She pairs her talent with everyday realness that makes the reader immediately comfortable and helps hammer her lessons home. Whether discussing rape culture, media portrayal of African Americans, or our individual responsibilities to feminism, Gay is the go-to writer for making these often difficult topics more palatable.
rc_cola's review against another edition
5.0
Exactly what I want and what's needed in a current feminist text.
sarawattae's review against another edition
3.0
Una colección muy interesante, sin embargo, se nota mucho en los autores estadounidenses la forma en la que simplemente asumen que todo el que lea sus libros va a tener un conocimiento pleno sobre la cultura popular de su país. Aparte de eso incluye reflexiones muy importantes sobre el tema del feminismo y el racismo que te hacen pensar bastante incluso luego de haberlo terminado.
lexigoyette's review against another edition
5.0
Intersectional feminism at its best. Roxane Gay is a powerful voice of our generation. Gay doesn't put herself on a pedestal; in fact, she does the opposite, considering herself a self-declared "bad feminist," who listens to rap music that degrades women, loves the color pink, and doesn't understand how cars work.
Although feminism was the central theme of the collection, Gay included some extremely thought-provoking essays about race in America. In "A Tale of Two Profiles," she compares the media portrayal of Trayvon Martin (a victim of violent crime, who was villainized by the popular media) with that of Dzohokhar Tsarnaev (one of the men who plotted the Boston Marathon bombing, who was featured in a Rolling Stone magazine cover image). White serial killers receive documentaries, biographies, and news stories unpacking the "why" behind their murders, while black criminals are simply condemned as thugs.
Even though the collection was published four years ago, nearly everything still rings true and relevant, with the exceptions of:
-The legalization of gay marriage in all 50 states in 2015. Yay!
-Bill Cosby simply being a "crazy" guy. Oh, Roxane, please tell me you wrote that essay before mid-2014.
Although feminism was the central theme of the collection, Gay included some extremely thought-provoking essays about race in America. In "A Tale of Two Profiles," she compares the media portrayal of Trayvon Martin (a victim of violent crime, who was villainized by the popular media) with that of Dzohokhar Tsarnaev (one of the men who plotted the Boston Marathon bombing, who was featured in a Rolling Stone magazine cover image). White serial killers receive documentaries, biographies, and news stories unpacking the "why" behind their murders, while black criminals are simply condemned as thugs.
Even though the collection was published four years ago, nearly everything still rings true and relevant, with the exceptions of:
-The legalization of gay marriage in all 50 states in 2015. Yay!
-Bill Cosby simply being a "crazy" guy. Oh, Roxane, please tell me you wrote that essay before mid-2014.