Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo

8 reviews

lancemama's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Bullying, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Cultural appropriation, Slavery, Classism, Colonisation, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Violence, Racism, Racial slurs, and Police brutality

Moderate: Cursing, Antisemitism, Gaslighting, Hate crime, and Islamophobia

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

livlamentloathe's review

challenging dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I did not stop talking about this book for the time it took me to listen to the audio. I loved it. I was taught by majority-white school systems that didn't go into detail about much black history. And if it wasn't "relevant," rarely spoke on the racism of important historical figures. So I learned a lot from Mediocre. I appreciated Oluo's writing and tone (in the audiobook). She's an incredible writer. I appreciated her honesty and fear and her empathy despite it all. Sometimes I struggle to see things fully without changing my POV. It's important to read books like this in order to better see the magnitude of what we're facing. I hope we CAN do better.

I think this book is SO BRILLIANT. I loved the diversity of topics and how Oluo connected past to present. How she'd start with a relatable recent event and go back into the past then slowly bring it forward again. I especially enjoyed chapters which I didn't have much knowledge of: I didn't know much about Buffalo Bill or football before this book, being a fan of neither Westerns or... football. Those chapters were just informational frenzies for me and I parroted them daily to my boyfriend as I read.

In reading and recommending this book, I encountered a lot of defensiveness from others, which was frustrating. It's easy to be defensive. It's a natural instinct. But as Oluo said repeatedly, why do we get defensive? It's important to investigate these feelings and consider fully opening our minds; listening without our guard up. Oluo is a phenomenal writer. Please read this. Please recommend this. Please talk about this with your white friends and loved ones. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny, Bullying, Classism, Racism, Violence, Slavery, Police brutality, Murder, Colonisation, and Hate crime

Minor: Racial slurs and Gun violence

This book is anti-racism, anti-sexism, anti-classism. It's about how white supremacy has created a hateful and harmful system for minorities, especially people of color, in America. The trigger warnings I mention exist within the book but the author and the book is clearly AGAINST these acts. It does in no way promote them.

traciereads's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Bullying, and Hate crime

Moderate: Sexism, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Police brutality, Misogyny, Murder, and Slavery

Minor: Antisemitism, Cursing, and Islamophobia

emfass's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Ijeoma Oluo is simply one of the best writers writing today. In both this and So You Want to Talk About Race, she takes very tough and complex issues and makes them accessible. She is thorough and thoughtful and I honestly could have read another 100 pages or more of this book. It was also incredibly impactful to listen to the audiobook and hear Oluo's words in her own voice.

The introduction and conclusion chapters are vibrant and necessary overviews of the violence and harm caused by white male supremacy in the U.S. The chapters in between cover related topics by way of specific stories throughout American history. I deeply appreciated the unpacking of these important moments, and in particular the historic events I've lived through. 

Especially eye-opening to me were:
-the stories of Buffalo Bill and the Bundy brothers (Chapter 1)
-an exploration of Bernie bros (Chapter 2, possibly my favorite section of the book, as it helped put to words so many things I've sensed but didn't know how to say)
-the history of access (or lack thereof) to higher education in the U.S. (Chapter 3)
-the horrific tactics that white people used to try to keep Black people from leaving in the post-Reconstruction South (Chapter 4)
-the "problem" of women in the workforce after World War II (Chapter 5)
-the Squad's political career as women of color in Congress (Chapter 6)
-the racist history of football in the U.S. and the tidal wave of backlash that follows when players (including Colin Kaepernick and Michael Bennett) try to use their voice for change (Chapter 7)

Throughout the book, Oluo also shares many instances of the cruel, unjust, horrifying abuse she has endured as a Black woman writing very visibly about racial, feminist, and social justice issues. She does it not for pity, but I think as firsthand examples of the lengths white men will go to when they feel threatened.

I highly recommend this to everybody.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Xenophobia, Violence, Suicide, Slavery, Sexism, Racism, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Murder, Misogyny, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Genocide

Moderate: Antisemitism, Bullying, Sexual assault, Islamophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Excrement

michellegm15's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Whew. What a journey. First of all, this book is a fabulous and enjoyable read, even though the topics covered therein are often complex, infuriating, and devastating. Not an easy task to pull off.

This book has also definitely given me a lot of education about white male supremacy. I learned a lot of history I either hadn't been taught or hadn't been shown from the angle of white male supremacy. It makes a STRONG case that white male supremacy is what America was built on and that it has wreaked havoc, violence, and oppression on too many people (including, in some ways, white men themselves) for far too long and that we need to work toward dismantling it rather than putting our efforts toward gaining closer proximity from it. White men, generally speaking, need to learn to develop a sense of identity based on healthier ideals. I also felt both schooled as a white person and validated as a woman. I hope a lot of people read this book. It really needed to be written, and it was incredibly brave of the author to write it AND to give it the title it has. To push against white male supremacy while it works tirelessly to punish her and her family for her work is courageous. I'm grateful she put this out into the world!

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Gun violence, Hate crime, Antisemitism, and Bullying

sydneyj's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Antisemitism, Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Xenophobia

mfieldshalva's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Bullying, and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Gun violence

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

Thanks to Seal Press for the free advance copy of this book.

 MEDIOCRE is one of those books that makes the reader feel like they've put on a new pair of glasses and everything is clearer. So much of what Oluo dissects in this book are ideas that I've seen half-formed in many places, but she really expands on them and places them into the larger social context in a way that made lightbulbs go off all over the place for me. 📚
•
The thesis of this book is that American men have been told the world is theirs, and when that wasn't delivered, they needed scapegoats - women, BIPOC, poor people - anyone who isn't them is taking away what is rightfully theirs. 📚
•
Oluo traces several threads throughout American history - from the Wild West to the NFL - that have converged over time to bring us to where we are today. I feel like I have a much deeper understanding of these social forces now, and am better equipped to have conversations about them in the context of our current political landscape. I think if you are still trying to grasp all the reasons why Trump voters act the way they do, this book is a must-read. 📚
•
Content warnings: Antisemitism, bullying, death, gun violence, hate crime, Islamophobia, mass/school shootings, misogyny, physical abuse, police brutality, racial slurs, racism, slavery, suicidal thoughts, violence, and xenophobia. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Bullying, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Mass/school shootings, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Xenophobia