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4.51 AVERAGE
4.51 AVERAGE
I love Hannah Gadsby, and this book did not disappoint in the least. While I recommend this book to anyone, I highly recommend this book to those who fit into the category of a) a woman (or someone who has experienced being a woman) b) autistic and c) already loves Hannah's work. It makes me want to watch Nanette for a fifth time...
A remarkable work. Gadsby opens a window for this straight cis fit white male to understand a smidge of the horrors that await those that deviate from societal norms. There are so many fantastic sections to choose from but here are a few:
[about the grim reaper campaign in Australia in 1987 - search for the ad if you wish, it's easy to find]
"Some people, most particularly the guy who came up with the concept, will tell you that 'The Grim Reaper' was a work of genius, a revolutionary approach to television advertising. But I'm here to tell you that it was, and remains, a total and utter shit stain of an idea. And you don't need to go any further than the first line of the ad to understand why:
'At first, it was only gays and IV drug users being killed by AIDS.'
It is the word 'only' that pisses me off. 'Only gays and IV drug users.' That is to say: 'Only' people who don't matter. 'Only' people whose suffering should be of no concern to you. Like I said. A total and utter shit stain of an idea. Defenders of the ad might argue that the 'only' was simply about identifying those whom the AIDS epidemic was affecting, and not a statement of this demographic's value to the community. To which I would say: If you're such a genius at mass messaging then you should be aware of how the word 'only' would work in the minds of those who are already looking for ways to subjugatge the humanity of the people who are listed after the word 'only'. Take the early framing of the COVID-19 pandemic as a case in point: to say that at first it 'only' affected old people is both wrong and wrong."
[describing a compulsory adipose test in school]
"After ordering the class to stand in a line against the wall, our physical education teacher went from one child to the next, pinching each student with a metal pincer in a few places before informing the entire class what percentage of their body was fat. It was a compulsory test because apparently, in the midst of life's most traumatic bodily transformation, it was important that children be told how badly they compared to a 'normal' body. Whatever the fuck that is.
By the time my teacher got to me, my dread levels had reached impossible depths. I didn't need data collected from a pincer to tell me I was fat. I understood very well by then that I was both overweight and disgusting. How could I not know that, given that I'd been body-shamed by adults and children alike for years. Adults tended to say things like 'dumpy' and 'doughy' and then liken me to 'the side of a house,' whereas kids preferred to use much more playful terms like 'thunder thighs,' 'fat moll' or 'Hannah the Heifer.' I was also beginning to wonder if people might believe I was deaf, because they always said the cruel things about my weight by either yelling them or talking about me as if I wasn't there.
I failed the adipose test. Apparently, I had too much fat for the pincers to cope with. I am not entirely sure how my teacher phrased it, but the whole class laughed heartily. I went home that night and weighed myself. The resulting ten-stone verdict would be most welcome today, but at the time I panicked. I didn't even know what stones were, but I assumed they were fat, and most likely ugly, and that I had ten of them."
"Common wisdom has it that the pathway out of trauma is a coherent narrative; but I had a coherent narrative and I was still stuck in the painful maze of my Trauma. I'd tried everything in my power to heal and I was left to wonder whether it was entirely my responsibility. What good is a coherent narrative if people don't want to hear it? Because trauma won't leave you alone until you feel safe, and safety is not something that an individual can summon on their own. Safety is not a gun. Safety is being able to trust that those around you WANT to protect you from harm. But if those around you don't believe you are 'like them' then they will focus on the discomfort you make them feel, and that discomfort is not a safe space."
and this little bit since it is election day in the U.S.
"in 1967...Wilson Tuckey was convicted of assault and fined fifty dollars...Wilson Tuckey had beaten an Aboriginal man with a length of cable--an 'ironbar,' if you will--and on top of his conviction and feeble fine, he continued to be reelected as a federal minister in the Australian Government for thirty years. I don't know why adults don't ever seem to want quality humans doing their bidding in government."
[about the grim reaper campaign in Australia in 1987 - search for the ad if you wish, it's easy to find]
"Some people, most particularly the guy who came up with the concept, will tell you that 'The Grim Reaper' was a work of genius, a revolutionary approach to television advertising. But I'm here to tell you that it was, and remains, a total and utter shit stain of an idea. And you don't need to go any further than the first line of the ad to understand why:
'At first, it was only gays and IV drug users being killed by AIDS.'
It is the word 'only' that pisses me off. 'Only gays and IV drug users.' That is to say: 'Only' people who don't matter. 'Only' people whose suffering should be of no concern to you. Like I said. A total and utter shit stain of an idea. Defenders of the ad might argue that the 'only' was simply about identifying those whom the AIDS epidemic was affecting, and not a statement of this demographic's value to the community. To which I would say: If you're such a genius at mass messaging then you should be aware of how the word 'only' would work in the minds of those who are already looking for ways to subjugatge the humanity of the people who are listed after the word 'only'. Take the early framing of the COVID-19 pandemic as a case in point: to say that at first it 'only' affected old people is both wrong and wrong."
[describing a compulsory adipose test in school]
"After ordering the class to stand in a line against the wall, our physical education teacher went from one child to the next, pinching each student with a metal pincer in a few places before informing the entire class what percentage of their body was fat. It was a compulsory test because apparently, in the midst of life's most traumatic bodily transformation, it was important that children be told how badly they compared to a 'normal' body. Whatever the fuck that is.
By the time my teacher got to me, my dread levels had reached impossible depths. I didn't need data collected from a pincer to tell me I was fat. I understood very well by then that I was both overweight and disgusting. How could I not know that, given that I'd been body-shamed by adults and children alike for years. Adults tended to say things like 'dumpy' and 'doughy' and then liken me to 'the side of a house,' whereas kids preferred to use much more playful terms like 'thunder thighs,' 'fat moll' or 'Hannah the Heifer.' I was also beginning to wonder if people might believe I was deaf, because they always said the cruel things about my weight by either yelling them or talking about me as if I wasn't there.
I failed the adipose test. Apparently, I had too much fat for the pincers to cope with. I am not entirely sure how my teacher phrased it, but the whole class laughed heartily. I went home that night and weighed myself. The resulting ten-stone verdict would be most welcome today, but at the time I panicked. I didn't even know what stones were, but I assumed they were fat, and most likely ugly, and that I had ten of them."
"Common wisdom has it that the pathway out of trauma is a coherent narrative; but I had a coherent narrative and I was still stuck in the painful maze of my Trauma. I'd tried everything in my power to heal and I was left to wonder whether it was entirely my responsibility. What good is a coherent narrative if people don't want to hear it? Because trauma won't leave you alone until you feel safe, and safety is not something that an individual can summon on their own. Safety is not a gun. Safety is being able to trust that those around you WANT to protect you from harm. But if those around you don't believe you are 'like them' then they will focus on the discomfort you make them feel, and that discomfort is not a safe space."
and this little bit since it is election day in the U.S.
"in 1967...Wilson Tuckey was convicted of assault and fined fifty dollars...Wilson Tuckey had beaten an Aboriginal man with a length of cable--an 'ironbar,' if you will--and on top of his conviction and feeble fine, he continued to be reelected as a federal minister in the Australian Government for thirty years. I don't know why adults don't ever seem to want quality humans doing their bidding in government."
Blue will always be my favorite comfort color to wear too, Hannah.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
woah woah. love the background of how a comedy show gets put together esp gadsby's pre nannette shows
history of aus gay rights movement from a non historian perspective (ie popular history from tv etc) fascinating bc gadsby contextualized it around how it changed their perspective of themselves as a young queer person (and finally changed the protect children to the correct side of the debate - which I don't know if this was their original idea given how many youth lgbt organizations exist - but their discussion of how debating decriminalization to 'protect children' from imaginary pedophiles is so counter productive to protecting actual live queer children and their self worth was mind blowing to me. again maybe only because it has never been spelled out for me in such an obvious way - but gadsby's delivery here is really impeccable)
and the ideas present in nanette and the meta view gadsby gives in this book to their process and intent are incredibly interesting. will likely be watching the netflix recording again in the immediate future
history of aus gay rights movement from a non historian perspective (ie popular history from tv etc) fascinating bc gadsby contextualized it around how it changed their perspective of themselves as a young queer person (and finally changed the protect children to the correct side of the debate - which I don't know if this was their original idea given how many youth lgbt organizations exist - but their discussion of how debating decriminalization to 'protect children' from imaginary pedophiles is so counter productive to protecting actual live queer children and their self worth was mind blowing to me. again maybe only because it has never been spelled out for me in such an obvious way - but gadsby's delivery here is really impeccable)
and the ideas present in nanette and the meta view gadsby gives in this book to their process and intent are incredibly interesting. will likely be watching the netflix recording again in the immediate future
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
1. WELL. No notes. It’s everything I expected and more. I felt moved, invigorated, and honored to have received such a story. A difficult, heartbreaking, funny and normal story of a person who’s learnt how to cope but realizes there could be more to life.
2. This book and this author is too precious to be given to everyone. If I hear anyone say “wokism” or critique this honest voice, I will lose it.
3. Do not read if you haven’t seen the show (maybe even very recently) because they do not over explain what bit of the show they talk about.
2. This book and this author is too precious to be given to everyone. If I hear anyone say “wokism” or critique this honest voice, I will lose it.
3. Do not read if you haven’t seen the show (maybe even very recently) because they do not over explain what bit of the show they talk about.