mqbelle's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
janicewangg's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating anecdotal evidence and interesting concepts! Loved how relevant this book was to this day and age with social media and the internet and cancel culture! It highlighted the some of the benefits and consequences of the developing digital age. Really had me thinking about the power of shame and shaming and how easy/common it is to succumb to that power through something as anonymous as the internet. It also is a great reminder to critically think about your own thoughts and opinions before sharing as well as to always be empathetic and kind.
Fav quotes:
I suppose that when shamings are delivered like remotely administered drone strikes nobody needs to think about how ferocious our collective power might be. The snowflake never needs to feel responsible for the avalanche.
I suppose it’s no surprise that we feel the need to dehumanize the people we hurt—
On the Internet we have power in situations where we would otherwise be powerless.”
“I have yet to see a serious act of violence that was not provoked by the experience of feeling shamed or humiliated, disrespected and ridiculed.
they’re turning social media into “a giant echo chamber where what we believe is constantly reinforced by people who believe the same thing.”
“We see ourselves as nonconformist, but I think all of this is creating a more conformist, conservative age... We are defining the boundaries of normality by tearing apart the people outside it.”
We were creating a world where the smartest way to survive is to be bland.
Fav quotes:
I suppose that when shamings are delivered like remotely administered drone strikes nobody needs to think about how ferocious our collective power might be. The snowflake never needs to feel responsible for the avalanche.
I suppose it’s no surprise that we feel the need to dehumanize the people we hurt—
On the Internet we have power in situations where we would otherwise be powerless.”
“I have yet to see a serious act of violence that was not provoked by the experience of feeling shamed or humiliated, disrespected and ridiculed.
they’re turning social media into “a giant echo chamber where what we believe is constantly reinforced by people who believe the same thing.”
“We see ourselves as nonconformist, but I think all of this is creating a more conformist, conservative age... We are defining the boundaries of normality by tearing apart the people outside it.”
We were creating a world where the smartest way to survive is to be bland.
swirls's review against another edition
4.0
Intensely compassionate with an ample dose of comic relief, So You've Been Publicly Shamed examines the lives and realities of several recipients of brutal virtual lynchings and considers the power of shame. We live in a new era of public shaming and, as the stories in this book powerfully demonstrate, if you make a wrong move online, the crowd can gleefully destroy you.
Overall, this is a weirdly light book about the nightmare of public disgrace and humiliation. The author meanders quite a bit, but I found his writing style charming and entertaining. I read this in one day, laughing and wincing throughout. Before we join the next intensely offended, raging mob to attack our newest most hated sinner, let's all step away from our keyboards and take a breath.
Overall, this is a weirdly light book about the nightmare of public disgrace and humiliation. The author meanders quite a bit, but I found his writing style charming and entertaining. I read this in one day, laughing and wincing throughout. Before we join the next intensely offended, raging mob to attack our newest most hated sinner, let's all step away from our keyboards and take a breath.
rebeccazh's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. The topic is really interesting but the author went on a lot of tangents. I was reminded of Brene Brown's work on vulnerability and shame, and the recent book I read, [b:See What You Made Me Do: Power, Control and Domestic Violence|43800661|See What You Made Me Do Power, Control and Domestic Violence|Jess Hill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1548975077l/43800661._SY75_.jpg|68151628], also talks about how abusive men abuse out of humiliated fury.
Kinda want to read someone who analyzes this through a sociological lens and with lots of research.
Kinda want to read someone who analyzes this through a sociological lens and with lots of research.
paracosm's review against another edition
3.0
I went into this book with the wrong expectations, a probably that's why I didnt like it that much. But also cant reread it because its already completely outdated.
jcpdiesel21's review against another edition
2.0
Very readable, but ultimately lightweight. Ronson presents his material rather loosely, which allows him to easily go off on tangents and avoid truly plumbing the depths of such meaty subject matter. I found myself torn with regard to several of the individuals profiled here; none of them deserved to have their lives completely upended as a result of their actions, but within our current digital age of readily available information and opinions, one must be vigilant about what is put out there for anyone to stumble across, and to ignore this notion is extremely naive. The first half of the book is far more engaging than the second, which drifts away from the central topic in favor of documenting Ronson's antics. I would have liked to learn more about why a double standard exists for shamed women, which Ronson barely touches upon in his attempt to write in a more humorous and breezy manner.
readhikerepeat's review against another edition
3.0
What do the stocks, public whippings, and the gossip’s bridle have in common? They were all instruments used to punish wrongdoers. The alleged crimes were varied, from violent crimes to gossiping too much, but the goal of the punishment was the same: to punish citizens and turn them into social pariahs via public shamings. This sentiment is still alive and well today, from the nonstop coverage of trainwrecked celebrities to parents who force their children to hold signs displaying their crimes on street corners. There are, of course, various degrees of shaming and, some might argue, a use for it. Shame is a powerful thing and can shape the behaviors of both the person being shamed and those around them. Thinking back to high school and college, there were (stupid) things I didn’t do simply because I saw how others were ostracized for it, just as there were (stupid) things I never did again because I, myself, was ostracized for it.
So is public shaming a bad thing? And do regular people deserve the same level of scrutiny as celebrities (and really, do celebrities deserve it?). It depends on who you ask but one thing I think we can all agree on is that it has gotten out of control, and that’s the underlying point of So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson. For all that social media does to unite us, it also divides us. Today, anyone can be shamed at any time for any reason. All it takes is one tweet or one photo to ruin your life, both professional and personally, and society is happy to gather around with their digital pitchforks and stoke the fire. I, myself, am guilty of having watched with a fascinating horror as the internet turned against someone I believed to have done wrong. On the flip side, I have also watched in horror when the internet turned against someone I believed to have done nothing wrong. But at the end of the day, my opinion doesn’t matter – what matters is that these people didn’t deserve to have their entire lives uprooted because of one mistake.
For the full review, including my commentary on public shamings, visit http://www.thebookwheelblog.com/so-youve-been-publicly-shamed-by-jon-ronson/.
So is public shaming a bad thing? And do regular people deserve the same level of scrutiny as celebrities (and really, do celebrities deserve it?). It depends on who you ask but one thing I think we can all agree on is that it has gotten out of control, and that’s the underlying point of So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson. For all that social media does to unite us, it also divides us. Today, anyone can be shamed at any time for any reason. All it takes is one tweet or one photo to ruin your life, both professional and personally, and society is happy to gather around with their digital pitchforks and stoke the fire. I, myself, am guilty of having watched with a fascinating horror as the internet turned against someone I believed to have done wrong. On the flip side, I have also watched in horror when the internet turned against someone I believed to have done nothing wrong. But at the end of the day, my opinion doesn’t matter – what matters is that these people didn’t deserve to have their entire lives uprooted because of one mistake.
For the full review, including my commentary on public shamings, visit http://www.thebookwheelblog.com/so-youve-been-publicly-shamed-by-jon-ronson/.
a_robin_reads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Depressing
isabellarobinson7's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3 stars
It started off pretty strong, then I felt it lost direction in the middle, meandered a bit, and ended some place quite different that where it seemed to be heading initially.
It started off pretty strong, then I felt it lost direction in the middle, meandered a bit, and ended some place quite different that where it seemed to be heading initially.