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jhbandcats's review against another edition
4.5
I was reminded of a chapter in Douglas Preston’s collection of non-fiction articles, The Lost Tomb, about the vitriolic hatred of Amanda Knox. She wasn’t shamed but the tide of rage against her was the same. (She isn’t mentioned in this book.)
Ronson’s premise is that with the internet, public shaming is everywhere and it’s worse than ever because it never goes away. Being literally pilloried ended in the mid-1800s (except in Delaware, it seems). After a few hours, the miscreants would be released, their punishment over, their shame gradually dissipating as they again walked among their disgusted neighbors.. Not so with the internet.
Ronson interviews shamers, people shamed, and people working in the shame “industry.” People who have been publicly shamed are more likely to be absolutely crushed by it. They feel their lives have been destroyed. This is a very sad book to read as a result. Should someone lose their best job ever because they made a stupid, ill-considered joke on social media?
It reminded me of the woman who called the cops on the Black birdwatcher in Central Park. People were horrified at her racist behavior that could have had deadly consequences. She was, I felt, appropriately shamed - she lost her job, her dog was taken away, life as she knew it was over. (This book was published before that incident.) But what she had done had a real victim, an actual person. When someone makes a stupid joke on the internet, there is no actual victim. Why then is the anonymous rage so overwhelming?
So much to think about here.
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Outing, Gaslighting, and Classism
rory_john14's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Antisemitism, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Police brutality, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Torture, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and War
frankieclc's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Violence
aqtbenz's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Sexual harassment
hellandhogwarts's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism
daniellekat's review against another edition
1.25
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
vanessa_reads_a_lot's review
1.0
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Antisemitism, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
alexianovoa's review against another edition
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal cruelty
qi_'s review
4.5
it was a very accessible non-fiction with a subject that was actually quite interesting. i liked the cases that they brought out. obviously most of the come from twitter. however, jon ronson brought in the relevance of sex-workers, criminals and our culture plays into public shaming which i found really interesting. i think its refreshing to hear something that is more nuanced? it was a neutral perspective from someone who uses social media and has experience with being publicly shamed.
i did find the beginning a little hard to get into and the first case study he brings up of the guy who plagiarized quotes was uninteresting to me and i think wasn't the most gripping opening to a book. it was almost like a digression but at the beginning, if that makes sense.
it's not too in your face academic whilst remaining informative.
Minor: Sexism, Suicide, and Sexual harassment
raaaeanne's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Racism and Sexual violence
Minor: Rape and Suicide