hmatt's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Did I, in fact, read two essay collections/memoirs in one month about how pop culture in the naughties intersected and impacted the queer (really, sapphic) coming-of-age of a white, American now-journalist? Why, yes I did, and it was a little confusing, but I think it was a good decision to read them together.
I'd say both this and Jill Gutowitz's Girls Can Kiss Now share similar highlights and pitfalls for me, though I personally enjoyed this one more. I appreciated the additional "academic" edge to these essays - that is, the author makes more space to explain the historical and culture context behind each pop culture phenomenon, and she cites her sources more clearly (I read Gutowitz's in audio, though, and some of that could have been omitted due to format). IMO, the added context makes more space in the work for folks who are reading outside of their own experience (i.e. it doesn't feel as much like the author is writing inside jokes for those "in the know"). I did still feel a bit alienated by some of the sweeping generalizations made in these essays, but I think that comes with the territory of reading such a narrow perspective.
One standout difference in the two collections is Perry's near-seamless weaving of her own personal experiences into the "theme" of each essay. I felt that almost all of the autobiographical portions of this essay collection served a purpose, and the collection itself was organized more masterfully than Gutowitz's.
I'm only a little sorry that this review is framed entirely as a comparison because, hello, they are literally the same book concept published within a year of one another.
Anyway here's the funniest line in the book (re: watching shady online streams of queer shows in the pre-Netflix era):
I'd say both this and Jill Gutowitz's Girls Can Kiss Now share similar highlights and pitfalls for me, though I personally enjoyed this one more. I appreciated the additional "academic" edge to these essays - that is, the author makes more space to explain the historical and culture context behind each pop culture phenomenon, and she cites her sources more clearly (I read Gutowitz's in audio, though, and some of that could have been omitted due to format). IMO, the added context makes more space in the work for folks who are reading outside of their own experience (i.e. it doesn't feel as much like the author is writing inside jokes for those "in the know"). I did still feel a bit alienated by some of the sweeping generalizations made in these essays, but I think that comes with the territory of reading such a narrow perspective.
One standout difference in the two collections is Perry's near-seamless weaving of her own personal experiences into the "theme" of each essay. I felt that almost all of the autobiographical portions of this essay collection served a purpose, and the collection itself was organized more masterfully than Gutowitz's.
I'm only a little sorry that this review is framed entirely as a comparison because, hello, they are literally the same book concept published within a year of one another.
Anyway here's the funniest line in the book (re: watching shady online streams of queer shows in the pre-Netflix era):
My thirst could weather all buffering.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Outing, and Sexism
Minor: Bullying, Toxic relationship, Cancer, Death, and Sexual content
leahlovesloslibros's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
This book had the perfect amount of nostalgia for a millennial. I loved hearing about all of the different things that that the author felt were "gay coded" (or that were actually gay) in a time where I was growing up watching and listening to them as well. There were a few chapters I couldn't personally relate to because I didn't interact with the discussed media, but I was still at least aware of the basics surrounding those topics - enough that I could still enjoy that section of the book. The 2000s Made Me Gay was a fairly lighthearted read that I could easily listen to or read again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Cursing, and Sexism
Minor: Medical content, Drug use, Alcohol, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
TW/CW: full chapter about Harry Potter, incarceration, divorce, underage drinking, gay slurs, homophobia (internalized and externalized)mallory10100's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
4.75
i loved this book, easily the most relatable book i’ve ever read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Biphobia, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, and Transphobia
Moderate: Cursing and Death
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual violence, and Suicide
i loved this book. at some points it felt like grace literally peeked inside my own brain. however i wish she used the D slur a lot less (yet i understand that it’s an a reclaimed fashion)toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
These essays made me cackle like a mad woman and cry like a baby sometimes within one chapter. As a queer millennial who was molded by the glee era (incidentally it is for better or worse, my favorite show) and taylor swift alike, I really feel like this author gets me in a way no other author has been able to capture on a page (or on audio I guess, since I listened to this on audible).
These essays felt like exchanging memories with a friend, whispers in the dark telling me that I was never alone because Perry felt a lot of the same things I felt and feel about my past and my future. I loved this book.
Also special mention to the fact that Moulin Rouge - my favorite movie, was mentioned a bunch of times. If my love for that movie at an early age wasn't a huge clue to my queerness, I don't know what is.
These essays felt like exchanging memories with a friend, whispers in the dark telling me that I was never alone because Perry felt a lot of the same things I felt and feel about my past and my future. I loved this book.
Also special mention to the fact that Moulin Rouge - my favorite movie, was mentioned a bunch of times. If my love for that movie at an early age wasn't a huge clue to my queerness, I don't know what is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Medical content
Moderate: Cancer, Sexual content, Racism, Death, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Alcohol
imstephtacular's review
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia
cheye13's review
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
This is not "essays on pop culture" but a memoir told through essays on pop culture. Which is perfectly fine! But not what I was hoping for when I picked this up.
The book started off strong, detailing media of Perry's youth. I saw myself immediately, not through the specific media, but by the way Perry described consuming media, internalizing it, living life through the lens of it. Then in a strange regression, the middle began to feel as though it were explicitly written for straight audiences. There's nothing wrong with marketing to a broad demographic, but as a queer woman reading another queer woman, I'd prefer to skip the literary small talk. I anticipated an upswing at the end, but it never really came back around. This was media that had shaped my gay experience and yet the media itself was sidelined for stats about contemporary social issues.
Of course identity and sexuality are deeply personal, but in the case of queerness, they're also deeply communal. This book firmly presents the uniquely nuanced perspective of a gay millennial, which is a conversation worth having. I'm glad this book exists! But with the marketing, I wanted something that felt more communal and less biographical. I wanted followthrough on the "made me gay" joke, I wanted new queer insight into popular media, I wanted a book that read like a gay inside joke all the way through.
The book started off strong, detailing media of Perry's youth. I saw myself immediately, not through the specific media, but by the way Perry described consuming media, internalizing it, living life through the lens of it. Then in a strange regression, the middle began to feel as though it were explicitly written for straight audiences. There's nothing wrong with marketing to a broad demographic, but as a queer woman reading another queer woman, I'd prefer to skip the literary small talk. I anticipated an upswing at the end, but it never really came back around. This was media that had shaped my gay experience and yet the media itself was sidelined for stats about contemporary social issues.
Of course identity and sexuality are deeply personal, but in the case of queerness, they're also deeply communal. This book firmly presents the uniquely nuanced perspective of a gay millennial, which is a conversation worth having. I'm glad this book exists! But with the marketing, I wanted something that felt more communal and less biographical. I wanted followthrough on the "made me gay" joke, I wanted new queer insight into popular media, I wanted a book that read like a gay inside joke all the way through.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, and Medical content
Minor: Alcohol, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content
The book uses the framework of the author's experience/perspective of her brother's cancer.
More...