Scan barcode
draxin's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Suicide
kchulhu's review against another edition
challenging
informative
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Emotions play a large part in fuelling a writer’s imagination, which later turns into the pieces we read. For Roxane Gay, I assume fury is her major drive.
She writes to vent her anger and resentment towards everyday injustice, sexism, racism, and other societal ills. She is angry, but not explosive. Her fury is cold, controlled, and methodical. At least in this book (her Twitter outbursts are a different matter). Perhaps writing 280 characters requires less effort than essays for established publications.
She writes to vent her anger and resentment towards everyday injustice, sexism, racism, and other societal ills. She is angry, but not explosive. Her fury is cold, controlled, and methodical. At least in this book (her Twitter outbursts are a different matter). Perhaps writing 280 characters requires less effort than essays for established publications.
The tools of the modern age afford us many privileges, but they also cost us the privilege of time and space and distance to properly think through tragedy, to take a deep breath, to feel, to care.
This book is a series of essays covering politics, culture, and social issues. It’s well structured, the arguments are supported by extensive literature, and nicely wrapped with Gay’s sharp observation complete the piece.
Her personal anecdotes are fascinating, but her writings on culture are chef-kisses. To be honest, the lines in these pieces are frequently blurred. Gay frequently begins her articles with personal tales before gliding into the main subject—the most recent blockbusters, series, or books. For example, she began her Sweet Valley High Reboot article by reminiscing about her teenage years; spent yearning to be like the twins.
And she is merciless. People tend to be more lenient towards others within their group or settle with the bare minimum when things are bad. Let’s see her takes on two of the most lauded movies highlighting racism and injustice towards Black People in the 2010s: The Help (2011) **and 12 Years a Slave (2013).
The Help is, in the absence of thinking, a good movie, but it is also an unfairly emotionally manipulative movie.
I am worn out by slavery and struggle narratives. I am worn out by broken black bodies and the broken black spirit somehow persevering in the face of overwhelming and impossible circumstance.
Understandably, this might stem from the fact that White and Black people experience life differently. What might have been considered a large step for one group is merely the bare minimum for another. And Gay refused to compromise, she wants to see something that raises the bar. I have to agree with her, because it’s the only way for society to move forward.
The creme de la creme of this book, though, is the titular Bad Feminist essay –divided into two parts. It resonates with a personal struggle I’ve been having for years. I won’t divulge much, but the gist is:
The most significant problem with essential feminism is how it doesn’t allow for the complexities of human experience or individuality. There seems to be little room for multiple or discordant points of view.
Though I mostly enjoy her thoughts and perspectives, some of them can be overreaching. Furthermore, angry writings may not be to everyone’s taste, but they do appeal to certain groups. If not, how come the book has nearly 4 stars rating on Goodreads?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Minor: Rape
taviarz's review against another edition
slow-paced
4.0
Good for an intro to media analysis and how it intersects with gender, race, and politics.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Gun violence, Racism, Murder, Misogyny, and Death
kstein's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Racism
maameaba's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Racism
ericadawson's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
relaxing
tense
4.25
Roxanne Gay is more forgiving than I am, but these were some eye-opening essays.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Rape
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Cursing
bi_n_large's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Abortion, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, and Misogyny
islam_sulieman's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
wrenrwilson's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Sexual assault
beca_reads's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
I feel that younger me would of appreciated this. I wish I had read this a few years ago when I was first starting to explore feminist writing, It lays down the foundations and some nuance to the each topic that is explored. I would definitely recommend this book to people just starting out in reading feminist nonfiction as the writing is accessible, and explores a variety of topics from education to the music industry.
I went into this thinking it was going to be more statistical based but was more so Gay's personal journey with being a feminist while drawing on feminist research and global events To begin with I was not so sure on the writing style but I think maybe some of the earlier essay's were just weaker than some of the later essay's in the book. I did really enjoy how Gay talked about literature and other forms of the media throughout the book, It's left me with lots of good recommendations to read or watch and added a critical lens to media I've already consumed.
I went into this thinking it was going to be more statistical based but was more so Gay's personal journey with being a feminist while drawing on feminist research and global events To begin with I was not so sure on the writing style but I think maybe some of the earlier essay's were just weaker than some of the later essay's in the book. I did really enjoy how Gay talked about literature and other forms of the media throughout the book, It's left me with lots of good recommendations to read or watch and added a critical lens to media I've already consumed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Police brutality, Ableism, Body shaming, Racism, Hate crime, Homophobia, Colonisation, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Rape, Lesbophobia, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Classism, Islamophobia, and Misogyny