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Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'
Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo
18 reviews
magicalrealem's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
meganelise's review
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Sexism, and Antisemitism
Minor: Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Excrement
keenanmaree's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, and Religious bigotry
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
zombiezami's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Grief, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Ableism and Mental illness
Minor: Cancer, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Excrement
Displacementmadlads's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
deedireads's review against another edition
5.0
TL;DR REVIEW:
Mediocre is an incredible work of nonfiction, a revelation on the history of white male supremacy. It’s in the top five best antiracist books I’ve read so far.
For you if: You’re interested in learning more about how the white patriarchy holds its power, now and throughout history.
FULL REVIEW:
“White men lead our ineffective government with almost guaranteed reelection. They lead our corrupt and violent criminal justice system with little risk of facing justice themselves. And they run our increasingly polarized and misinforming media, winning awards for perpetrating the idea that things run best when white men are in charge. This is not a stroke of white male luck; this is how our white male supremacist systems have been designed to work.”
First and foremost, thank you so much to Seal Press for granting me an advanced review copy of this book on NetGalley.
Because books are the primary medium through which I like to learn about the world, I’ve sought out quite a few (especially this year) on antiracism. Mediocre is in the top five — maybe even the top three. It’s a must-read.
If you read Ijeoma Oluo’s first book, So You Want to Talk About Race, you know she can write a book that’s so much more than the sum of its parts — so much more than what you expect. Mediocre is no different. Just like SYWTTAR went way beyond a conversation guide, Mediocre goes way beyond highlighting white men’s mediocrity. It’s a deep dive into the intentional systems that white men have put into place, throughout history and today, to maintain their position on the social hierarchy despite their continued mediocrity.
This approach — clarifying history and unearthing the details that don’t get taught — has opened my eyes to how systems of power work more than any other approach. It’s been a catalyst in helping me begin to better understand the world and my place in it. This was true for Stamped From the Beginning and White Tears/Brown Scars, and it’s true for Mediocre.
Throughout, Ijeoma Oluo takes no shit. There’s an entire chapter on football and how white men have gone from physical dominance over Black men to controlling the physical dominance of Black men — which was an excellent chapter, by the way, that really made me think — called “Go Fucking Play.” Between research and truth bombs, she masterfully inserts moments of outrage and connection with her readers. And so while you read, you can just tell that this book was written by someone who cares so damn much about the topic, and the world, and justice, and even you.
This book hooked my attention, and it taught me a lot. I read it in one day. I couldn’t look away, couldn’t get enough of the information provided. Read it, read it, read it.
TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Suicidal thoughts (briefly alluded to); Depictions of racism; Violent threats against women
Moderate: Racism
Minor: 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