Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - The 2000s Made Me Gay

I'm queer and from the tail-end of the millennial years, so a lot of the pop culture referenced was just stuff I missed because I was too busy watching Spongebob, and therefore couldn't relate to a lot of the sweeping statements about "queer millennial culture". The essays feel a little disjointed, with the memoir portions and the pop culture portions being only tangentially related and rambly at many points, but when they click they're pretty engaging. It really reads like a millennial is writing it though, so take that as you will.

The book also keeps claiming it's a safer time for people (especially Gen Z) to come out, which is aggravating to read because of just how out of touch it is. Perhaps for a thirty-something Reductress writer living in a queer-friendly area, seeing more positive queer representation in pop culture, it feels like it would be safer to come out. But positive queer representation in pop culture unfortunately just doesn't correlate to "it's easier to be out now, everywhere."

Also, I hope to god that "Claire" is a pseudonym. The idea that the author might have outed someone, even if only to a few people who would know who Claire is, in order to...prove a point about her own pride (???) makes me feel sick.

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riverestyx's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.5

This was a great read. The author is a few years older than me so we consumed a lot of the same media growing up.

It was nice to look back on some of the media and reflect on it now that I've been out for a bit. Like the author, I was in the closet into adulthood- deeply closeted at that. This even inspired me to write a poem in defense of the song I Kissed A Girl because the essay on it got me thinking about the song in a new light.

If you're a queer millennial who came of age from like 2006 to 2011 then I think you'll enjoy this book.

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sneaky_snake22's review against another edition

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lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.5

It's more focused on the authors coming out story than a breakdown of pop culture and media (which is what I thought it was). That being said it's a nice story.

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v_neptune's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0

did not appreciate the lack of emphasis on jkr's transphobia, but otherwise this was a good book

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kbweis's review against another edition

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funny reflective fast-paced

3.25

i liked this! got quite repetitive at points but overall an enjoyable read. a lot of the essays center on media i have not personally consumed, but for the most part i was able to follow along. for the things i have watched, i felt like a lot of the points made were things i already know (jk rowling is bad, being a terf is bad), but it was still mostly nice to get to hear it from someone in a longer form essay rather than on twitter, etc.

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ninjamuse's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

3.75

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