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Reviews
Everybody (Else) Is Perfect: How I Survived Hypocrisy, Beauty, Clicks, and Likes by Gabrielle Korn
auroraeve's review against another edition
4.0
I think a lot of her anecdotes and analysis do reflect many issues that millennials (specifically marginalized folks) are currently facing that are leading to demands of a societal shift. I appreciate that she ends on a note of unpredictability, as it's not possible for one person to develop the solutions to these larger issues of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and fatphobia.
However, I didn't find much of her analysis to be solution oriented. Ending on a note of rest from burnout explains this (and is indicative of the workplace toxicity that millennials are facing), yet it still left me wanting. Besides the current media landscape needing to undergo major changes (and some things being left behind entirely) I'm not sure what I, a 20-something, should be taking away from this book.
Of course the anecdotes supply numerous examples of diet culture perpetuated on an interpersonal level so that's one example of my personal behavior I could reflect upon. Otherwise, it seems there's very little that consumers can change. She mentions that "no consumption under capitalism can be ethical" and I agree, and I'm not sure what kind of changes are going to be made to hierarchies without everyday people engaging in them.
I guess maybe some orgs to support or books to read? It just seems like an incredibly valid critique of the feminist digital consumerism of the 2010s but without critism/calls to action for consumers. She mentions that millenials also had been taught about photoshop and how models aren't realistic back when she was a teen, yet has been struggling with the effects of internalizing the white supremacist patriarchal beauty standards and unlearning it all. I think even ending it on a note of "we not only need to change the media landscape but develop a way to unlearn these oppressive standards" would've worked.
However, I didn't find much of her analysis to be solution oriented. Ending on a note of rest from burnout explains this (and is indicative of the workplace toxicity that millennials are facing), yet it still left me wanting. Besides the current media landscape needing to undergo major changes (and some things being left behind entirely) I'm not sure what I, a 20-something, should be taking away from this book.
Of course the anecdotes supply numerous examples of diet culture perpetuated on an interpersonal level so that's one example of my personal behavior I could reflect upon. Otherwise, it seems there's very little that consumers can change. She mentions that "no consumption under capitalism can be ethical" and I agree, and I'm not sure what kind of changes are going to be made to hierarchies without everyday people engaging in them.
I guess maybe some orgs to support or books to read? It just seems like an incredibly valid critique of the feminist digital consumerism of the 2010s but without critism/calls to action for consumers. She mentions that millenials also had been taught about photoshop and how models aren't realistic back when she was a teen, yet has been struggling with the effects of internalizing the white supremacist patriarchal beauty standards and unlearning it all. I think even ending it on a note of "we not only need to change the media landscape but develop a way to unlearn these oppressive standards" would've worked.
kfolezzz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
fast-paced
4.5
This was a quick interesting listen. I can’t help but reflect on all the ways that feminism is so flawed, in part because it will always exist inside a patriarchal world. Like, we cannot escape it
i_masad's review against another edition
5.0
I loved everything about this book, from the approachable writing to the complicated topics and approaches to things like social messaging, capitalism, gender, and eating disorders. Gabrielle is such a vital voice on these topics, and so nuanced that I found myself nodding along constantly. Add to that the way she writes to invite people in rather than shut them out, and you have a wonderful essay collection that's essential reading during our time when corporations co-opt the slogans of social justice movements and we are made to feel like we can girlboss our way out of climate change.
lollierey's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
“We might never stop feeling as though if we just lost that ten pounds, or had that scar removed, or got rid of our gray hair / wrinkles / sun spots, we’d be happier, but maybe if we start leaving the discourse of physical flaws out of content entirely, it’ll die when we do.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder
cherireadsall's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
plnjne5's review against another edition
3.0
i don’t expect to read anything groundbreaking in memoirs generally, i liked reading about a young lesbian’s perspective in a senior editorial role. i was able to relate to her on a number of topics such as dating people who you knew wouldn’t meet your needs instead of prioritizing those needs and the way she talks about her disordered eating and feelings toward her own body vs loving the female body in partners/the disconnect. the counter-productivity of feminizing language in branding also drives me crazy.