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vaekay's review against another edition
4.0
That said, I want to read more of Gay's more recent work to see how her voice and ideas have grown and changed in the last 10 years.
Graphic: Outing, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Child abuse, Confinement, Medical content, Murder, Bullying, Death, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Sexism, Body shaming, Cursing, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Abortion and Homophobia
Minor: Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Ableism, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Genocide
dreareads_'s review against another edition
3.25
I will begin by saying that there are plenty of essays to love, and Roxane Gay is at times a very engaging author. Her writing is at its best when she is clearly passionate about the topic and unrestrained in her opinions.
That being said, I feel like this book is a clear product of its time. The discussions on feminisn, gender, and representation in media were examples of the liberal feminism that was rampant in the early 2010's. This is not necessarily a bad thing (the essays were written at that time) but it does make it more difficult to fully engage with it in 2024. I also had my own frustration with her takes on academia, because while I agree with majority of her criticisms, as a woman of color in Academia myself I found that some of her stances perpetuated a kind of toxic expectation on students of colors that is prevalent amongst academic of colors from older generations. I was also left wishing for a more in depth exploration on the significant role of class and wealth and discussions of representation.
I still believe this is a book worth while reading. Especially because despite of it being a product of the 2012's a lot of the discussions on misogyny are still unfortunately too relevant today. I look forward to reading more of her contemporary work and seeing how (and if) her perspective has evolved in the years since the release of Bad Feminist.
(Idk how relevant this is, but I listened to the audio book and I was disappointed that it was not narrated by her. It created a sense of disconnection between the written essays and the audience that I hadn't experienced before)
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Abortion, Racism, Death, Child abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Sexism, Rape, Cursing, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Misogyny
maryhungerford's review against another edition
4.5
Moderate: Rape and Abortion
sponberry's review against another edition
4.5
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Racism, Sexual assault, and Abortion
evangelinew's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Abortion, Rape, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Racism
catgibbons's review against another edition
4.5
Moderate: Rape and Abortion
florizona's review against another edition
2.25
Graphic: Bullying, Rape, and Racial slurs
Minor: Fatphobia, Hate crime, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Slavery, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Body shaming, Mental illness, Abortion, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Outing, Racism, Sexual content, and Sexism
klathe's review against another edition
3.5
- To Scratch, Claw, or Grope Clumsily or Frantically
- The Careless Language of Sexual Violence
- What We Hunger For
- The Illusion of Safety/The Safety of Illusion
- Reaching for Catharsis: Getting Fat Right (or Wrong) and Diana Spechler's Skinny
Also I will add here a quote that resonates from the essay, The Alienable Rights of Women. Quote:
"I struggle to accept that my body is a legislative matter. The truth of this fact makes it difficult for me to breathe. I don't feel like I have inalienable rights. I don't feel free. I don't feel like my body is my own." (p. 273-4).
Quotes such as the one above, and those essays above that I mentioned, I feel have a timelessness to them that will always be reflective of the plight of misogyny and life under patriarchy. Particularly in the above quote I found myself relating to the sentiment of 'my body is not my own' as a trans person living in the year 2023.
Elsewhere in this collection, however, this timelessness is lost and it so clearly reads as a text of its time (published in 2014). Despite many highlights and particular essays and points of interest I will take with me, I was left wanting more in many of Gay's media critiques and there were some moments where this definitely read as a feminist text born from the Tumblr era, or the feminist blogosphere as she states. I'm not sure yet if this fact on its own makes it good or bad, I found myself likening it to a kind of time capsule for pop culture and pop feminism of the time.
Take from it what you will. I liked this book and I have found a writer that I enjoy in Roxane Gay. I will definitely continue to read her work.
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Abortion
luce98's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Sexism and Racism
Moderate: Abortion, Violence, Slavery, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Rape
leweylibrary's review against another edition
3.75
It is fascinating thinking about how these essays were written almost ten years ago and so many of the issues they deal with are still just as prevalent now. And not in a fun way, in a depressing way.
Graphic: Slavery, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Murder, Misogyny, Fatphobia, and Abortion
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Eating disorder