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libscote's review
2.0
This was fine. It was just...I probably would have enjoyed it more had I read it when it came out, rather than in 2020.
jot_reads's review
4.0
this book was like an anthology of articles from a magazine called bitch which comments on pop culture from a feminist perspective. the book was as great as the issues i look forward to each quarter. even though i consider myself a feminist, it gave me new perspectives on how our society looks or doesn't look at gender politics.
manxomemia's review
5.0
I definitely didn't unequivocally agree with every opinion in this collection of essays, but every essay tacked an important issue, and did it in a way that was thought-provoking and added to the debate. These kinds of topics (gender, feminism, sex, body image, media, etc.) need to be scrutinised, and our love for certain problematic parts of pop culture need to be questioned. I'm not about to start hating Bridget Jones for not doing a good enough job of reinforcing the validity of a woman leading a single life, but it's interesting and crucial to think about the wider societal implications of the media we consume.
Essential reading. Highly recommend.
Essential reading. Highly recommend.
strangethyme's review
4.0
The only good thing to come out of being stuck at the DMV over 3 hours was being able to finish BITCHfest. Because the articles are all from mid 90's to the mid 2000's, I felt a lot of nostalgia reading the articles (primarily the section titled "Hitting Puberty"), and they reminded me of how "ashamed" I was of my own inner feminist growing up, being afraid I would start to fit the stereotype that my family often clung to when mocking feminism. Only in the past couple of years have I been able to fully realize what it means be a "feminist", and that is that there is no clear box for it, and the whole idea of a "feminist stereotype" goes against the goal of feminism and eliminating harmful gender-based stereotypes.
This isn't to say I liked or even agreed with all of the articles, but I appreciated them all to an extent, and found some really refreshing.
P.S.
I think BITCH Magazine would approve of "ask the passengers" by A.S. King,which kept popping in my mind while reading several different articles.
This isn't to say I liked or even agreed with all of the articles, but I appreciated them all to an extent, and found some really refreshing.
P.S.
I think BITCH Magazine would approve of "ask the passengers" by A.S. King,which kept popping in my mind while reading several different articles.
carol26388's review
4.0
To be honest, I haven't read this particular compilation. I've actually been a subscriber to Bitch Magazine since I first learned about it in 2003, so I assume I've read most of these articles. I recommend this--but especially the magazine--to all my feminist friends who want to engage their brains in their cultural consumption.
What's in it?
Cultural deconstruction. Interviews with interesting people who usually have contributed some kind of outsider voice to culture/art, ranging from young artists to ones who have been contributing in their field for decades. What kind of art? Film, fashion, music, visual, written, performance, video and all their sub-genres. (In other words, all the various ways people express themselves). Occasional rants. A profile of an activist and some of the organizations they recommend. Letters to the editor. A book, movie and music section that focuses on indies, and has led me in directions I would not have found on my own (Little Jackie was an especially awesome find). A two page smorgasbord of cool stuff staff members want to bring to readers' attention in every issue. A full-page comic.
I love the way it celebrates as much as it deconstructs. I long ago dropped my Ms. subscription because it was more depressing than uplifting, loved its theory a bit too much and had trouble staying relevant. Bust was a bit too DIY and indie-band fangirl, and it definitely lacked the analytical angle I wanted with my cultural commentary. Bitch manages to overcome the tendency of outsider commentary to overwhelm when acknowledging and discussing the multitudes of challenges we face. I highly recommend it.
What's in it?
Cultural deconstruction. Interviews with interesting people who usually have contributed some kind of outsider voice to culture/art, ranging from young artists to ones who have been contributing in their field for decades. What kind of art? Film, fashion, music, visual, written, performance, video and all their sub-genres. (In other words, all the various ways people express themselves). Occasional rants. A profile of an activist and some of the organizations they recommend. Letters to the editor. A book, movie and music section that focuses on indies, and has led me in directions I would not have found on my own (Little Jackie was an especially awesome find). A two page smorgasbord of cool stuff staff members want to bring to readers' attention in every issue. A full-page comic.
I love the way it celebrates as much as it deconstructs. I long ago dropped my Ms. subscription because it was more depressing than uplifting, loved its theory a bit too much and had trouble staying relevant. Bust was a bit too DIY and indie-band fangirl, and it definitely lacked the analytical angle I wanted with my cultural commentary. Bitch manages to overcome the tendency of outsider commentary to overwhelm when acknowledging and discussing the multitudes of challenges we face. I highly recommend it.
saras's review
2.0
It was OK. Didn't read every essay. Some were interesting, others sort of predictable.