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1.37k reviews for:
Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny
Holly Madison
3.45 AVERAGE
1.37k reviews for:
Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny
Holly Madison
3.45 AVERAGE
funny
reflective
fast-paced
reflective
slow-paced
I thought Holly would have brought up much more from her time in the mansion. I’ve watched many documentaries on the mansion and thought she would expose more. She’s very respectful and it comes out in what she’s willing to share and how she shares. Overall it was a decent read.
Is this a good book? No. Is it a true book? Depends on your definition of true. Is it fascinating? ENTIRELY.
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
this was an engaging enough memoir, giving insight into the phenomenon that was the playboy mansion and it's girls.
but damn, the lense of misogyny and whorephobia the author wrote this through was not it. I was still rooting for Holly by the end, but overall I couldn't handle the lack of awareness from her for how badly she threw other sex workers and women in general under the bus.
It was interesting being asked to empathize with her and understand complexity of her life at the mansion, the decisions she made etc, while she was unable to meaningfully extend that same empathy to the other girls.
I just read Crystal Hefner's biography and thought she did much better at discussing the arrangement between the girls and hef for what it was - a job. Holly's narrative played into the external pressures not to be seen as sex workers and talked about some girls as "greedy", if it was apparent they were in it for the money. The distinction between scheming "hustlers" and righteous "fighters", who were "fighting" for what they were owed (ie monetary compensation)?? A bizarre false distinction, Holly doing what she thought would bolster her image. There was big pick me energy throughout the book, clearly coming from her own insecurity, but still off-putting to read.
Denying that what is clearly sex work is sex work often leaves workers way more open to labour exploitation as terms of exchange remain in a grey area and difficult to negotiate (whether its sexual labour, emotional labour, care labour or any of the aspects involved in sex work and specifically, playing the full time role of someone's girlfriend). Its one of the ways anti sex work stigma hurts women and came up time and time again throughout Holly's years at the mansion. Like hef emotionally manipulating the girls when they asked for gifts or funds, questioning the "real reasons" they were there.
It sucked that hef was in the position to exploit their labour like that, and a shame that Holly's narrative played into it.
but damn, the lense of misogyny and whorephobia the author wrote this through was not it. I was still rooting for Holly by the end, but overall I couldn't handle the lack of awareness from her for how badly she threw other sex workers and women in general under the bus.
It was interesting being asked to empathize with her and understand complexity of her life at the mansion, the decisions she made etc, while she was unable to meaningfully extend that same empathy to the other girls.
I just read Crystal Hefner's biography and thought she did much better at discussing the arrangement between the girls and hef for what it was - a job. Holly's narrative played into the external pressures not to be seen as sex workers and talked about some girls as "greedy", if it was apparent they were in it for the money. The distinction between scheming "hustlers" and righteous "fighters", who were "fighting" for what they were owed (ie monetary compensation)?? A bizarre false distinction, Holly doing what she thought would bolster her image. There was big pick me energy throughout the book, clearly coming from her own insecurity, but still off-putting to read.
Denying that what is clearly sex work is sex work often leaves workers way more open to labour exploitation as terms of exchange remain in a grey area and difficult to negotiate (whether its sexual labour, emotional labour, care labour or any of the aspects involved in sex work and specifically, playing the full time role of someone's girlfriend). Its one of the ways anti sex work stigma hurts women and came up time and time again throughout Holly's years at the mansion. Like hef emotionally manipulating the girls when they asked for gifts or funds, questioning the "real reasons" they were there.
It sucked that hef was in the position to exploit their labour like that, and a shame that Holly's narrative played into it.
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
She really went all in with this one, discussing the bedroom activities at the playboy mansion and her unfiltered opinions on the other playmates. I enjoyed this a lot, an easy listen but kept me interested all the way through and I rooted for her the whole time. She really came a long way from where she started out, and earned her “happy ending”
At first, I really enjoyed this book. About halfway through though, it began to feel repetitive and I gave up on finishing it because I was, quite frankly, bored as hell. I got bored reading about how everyone else in the house is awful, as though her reasons for being there are somehow better than theirs. I got bored of reading about how completely despicable Hefner is, but yet she stuck around. Not because of Stockholm syndrome or anything relating to the very real mental impact of abuse, but because oh my god she just HAS to have her picture in Playboy. I got bored of reading how she believed that every other woman in the house was somehow out to get her. It was the same things over and over and over.
informative
slow-paced
Holly shouldn’t narrate anything past this, is was not sonically enjoyable. I listened regularly through the first 2/3 of the book because the info about the mansion was interesting. I finished the last 1/3 because I don’t like to DNF. Before reading this, I didn’t have an opinion on Holly. After reading, I feel confident Holly doesn’t know how to take blame for anything and all her excuses are second nature. We would not be friends, but I respect the hustle. What stood out was how she kept saying how disliked she was by the majority of women she interacted with, but at no point did Holly admit to saying anything mean or doing anything shady, even when the story she told said otherwise.
I read this as a break in between my typical fare of books with heavy topics. I like reading memoirs quite a lot, and I (unfortunately) often make judgments about the author and whether I would likely be friends with them or not. I'm mostly certain that I would not be friends with Holly Madison. She did not disappoint in telling interesting stories about her life in the Playboy Mansion and her career. However, she often wrote about other people in a way that felt immature and petty. I will say that the quotes from Alice in Wonderland at the opening of every chapter was a novel idea. In the end, I walked away knowing the names of a lot more Playboy Playmates; maybe it will help me on trivia night.
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced