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Man, I have #feelings about this book.
Objectively: this is an important book and I might even say it should be required reading for young women and men. Perspective is, to me, the biggest joy of reading. She gives us the perspective of not only a fat person, but of someone on the receiving end of a mass-scale Internet bully witch-hunt, and her stories are probably a good litmus test for your own capacity for empathy. I have been a fan of Lindy for years and one thing that remains consistently true in her writing is that she tackles the hard topics head-on and forces the reader to do some good, hard introspection in a way that doesn't feel like you're in detention for your latent biases. The fact that she is so, so funny helps her to maintain that delicate balance in a way that I don't think anyone else can do. She is legitimately hilarious; I can't stress that enough.
On a personal note: it's possible that I've gotten to the point where I agree with Lindy so aggressively that it's sometimes not fun to read anymore because it feels like an echo chamber. I also think sometimes she forces in humor where it isn't necessary, and I think there's a reason her writing style lends itself well to blogging: it's better in small doses. I did grow tired of the funny euphemisms (vagina doctor! penis news! butt safety!) after a while.
Objectively: this is an important book and I might even say it should be required reading for young women and men. Perspective is, to me, the biggest joy of reading. She gives us the perspective of not only a fat person, but of someone on the receiving end of a mass-scale Internet bully witch-hunt, and her stories are probably a good litmus test for your own capacity for empathy. I have been a fan of Lindy for years and one thing that remains consistently true in her writing is that she tackles the hard topics head-on and forces the reader to do some good, hard introspection in a way that doesn't feel like you're in detention for your latent biases. The fact that she is so, so funny helps her to maintain that delicate balance in a way that I don't think anyone else can do. She is legitimately hilarious; I can't stress that enough.
On a personal note: it's possible that I've gotten to the point where I agree with Lindy so aggressively that it's sometimes not fun to read anymore because it feels like an echo chamber. I also think sometimes she forces in humor where it isn't necessary, and I think there's a reason her writing style lends itself well to blogging: it's better in small doses. I did grow tired of the funny euphemisms (vagina doctor! penis news! butt safety!) after a while.
SO GOOD!!! A wonderful blend of humor, activism, and vulnerability. A great read, never felt dull or forced.
Some thoughts are inside thoughts and should not be shared with others.
The comparison of period blood too a broken slurpy machine is one such thought.
The comparison of period blood too a broken slurpy machine is one such thought.
Content Warnings
Unfunny in a way that is cringey because she’s trying to be funny😑
If I could afford it, I'd hire a skywriter to put every word of this book out into the stratosphere - that's how crucial I think it is for ALL to read. In the first chapter, I was CRYING from laughing, trying to read passages out loud to my husband and gasping for breath. By the last chapter, I was humbled, inspired, moved, determined. Lindy made me feel like my voice matters, and like I don't have to prove myself to anyway to "earn" space in the world. This is one of those books I will return to when I'm feeling lost or insecure or small to remind myself that I get to be a person.
Before Reading Shrill: I have no clue who Lindy West is, but this book has a high rating. I'll give 'er a go.
After Reading Shrill: I want to take every word Lindy West says/writes and catch it in my hand and wear a flannel shirt with a breast pocket so that I can put all her words in that pocket and keep them close to my heart forever and always.
I'm not even being dramatic. I'm obsessed in the best way possible.
West is smart, funny, and brave.
There is a perfect balance of funny and serious. I would be laughing hysterically in one chapter, crying in the next, and raging in another. Topics from body image (predominantly how people treat fat people) to comedy (rape was not, is not, and will not EVER be funny) to periods (I haven't laughed so hard in a long time) to abortions to personal life experiences/relationships (many of which tie into the aforementioned topics). West is definitely hilarious, but she is also well spoken and vocal about important topics so many others are afraid to vocalize.
There are sections that were extremely difficult to read such as the comments the trolls made (and undoubtedly continue to make). The comments were repulsive and something I have never been subjected to - perhaps in part because I don't use a lot of social media - and I was furious that she is treated this way. This is why people are afraid to speak up (oops - be "shrill"). This is exactly why we need to speak up. To be even louder.
I realize that the same people who Lindy stands up to are those who would scoff at me for even calling her brave, but this is not negotiable. This is the truth.
It is brave to stand up for yourself and for those ridiculed and oppressed (for being overweight, for being women, for just being whatever it is that society is not comfortable with at that moment). It is brave to refuse to back down to bullies who never grew out of being bullies - we call those people ignorant assholes as grown-ups - and have threatened, dehumanized, and attempted to shame. News Flash! The shame is on you.
Lindy, thank you for being yourself. For speaking up for other women. For putting feminism front and center. I love you, I love you, I love you.
A couple of my dog-eared sections:
Women matter. Women are half of us. When you raise every woman to believe that we are insignificant, that we are broken, that we are sick, that the only cure is starvation and restraint and smallness; when you pit women against one another, keep us shackled by shame and hunger, obsessing over our flaws rather than our power and potential; when you leverage all of that to sap our money and our time-that moves the rudder of the world. It steers humanity toward conservatism and walls and the narrow interests of men, and it keeps us adrift in waters where women's safety and humanity are secondary to men's pleasure and convenience.
YES. YES. YES.
I thought, at the time, that love was perseverance.
This one struck a very, very personal chord with me.
Feminists don't single out rape jokes because rape is "worse" than other crimes-we single them out because we live in a culture that actively strives to shrink the definition of sexual assault; that casts stalking behaviors as romance; blames victims for wearing the wrong clothes, walking through the wrong neighborhood, or flirting with the wrong person; bends over backwards to excuse boys-will-be-boys misogyny; makes the emotional and social costs of reporting rape prohibitively high; pretends that false accusations are a more dire problem than actual assaults; elects officials who tell rape victims that their sexual violation was "god's plan"; and convicts in less than 5 percent of rape cases that go to trial. Comedians regularly retort that no one complains when they joke about murder or other crimes in their acts, citing that as a double standard. Well, fortunately, there is no cultural narrative casting doubt on the existence and prevalence of murder and pressuring people to not report it. Maybe we'll start treating rape like other crimes when the justice system does.
A more perfect thing has never been written. READ IT AGAIN IF YOU AREN'T GRASPING IT YET.
Already went out and bought all the other books she has out.
An Easy 5 Stars (Goodreads, consider more stars)
After Reading Shrill: I want to take every word Lindy West says/writes and catch it in my hand and wear a flannel shirt with a breast pocket so that I can put all her words in that pocket and keep them close to my heart forever and always.
I'm not even being dramatic. I'm obsessed in the best way possible.
West is smart, funny, and brave.
There is a perfect balance of funny and serious. I would be laughing hysterically in one chapter, crying in the next, and raging in another. Topics from body image (predominantly how people treat fat people) to comedy (rape was not, is not, and will not EVER be funny) to periods (I haven't laughed so hard in a long time) to abortions to personal life experiences/relationships (many of which tie into the aforementioned topics). West is definitely hilarious, but she is also well spoken and vocal about important topics so many others are afraid to vocalize.
There are sections that were extremely difficult to read such as the comments the trolls made (and undoubtedly continue to make). The comments were repulsive and something I have never been subjected to - perhaps in part because I don't use a lot of social media - and I was furious that she is treated this way. This is why people are afraid to speak up (oops - be "shrill"). This is exactly why we need to speak up. To be even louder.
I realize that the same people who Lindy stands up to are those who would scoff at me for even calling her brave, but this is not negotiable. This is the truth.
It is brave to stand up for yourself and for those ridiculed and oppressed (for being overweight, for being women, for just being whatever it is that society is not comfortable with at that moment). It is brave to refuse to back down to bullies who never grew out of being bullies - we call those people ignorant assholes as grown-ups - and have threatened, dehumanized, and attempted to shame. News Flash! The shame is on you.
Lindy, thank you for being yourself. For speaking up for other women. For putting feminism front and center. I love you, I love you, I love you.
A couple of my dog-eared sections:
Women matter. Women are half of us. When you raise every woman to believe that we are insignificant, that we are broken, that we are sick, that the only cure is starvation and restraint and smallness; when you pit women against one another, keep us shackled by shame and hunger, obsessing over our flaws rather than our power and potential; when you leverage all of that to sap our money and our time-that moves the rudder of the world. It steers humanity toward conservatism and walls and the narrow interests of men, and it keeps us adrift in waters where women's safety and humanity are secondary to men's pleasure and convenience.
YES. YES. YES.
I thought, at the time, that love was perseverance.
This one struck a very, very personal chord with me.
Feminists don't single out rape jokes because rape is "worse" than other crimes-we single them out because we live in a culture that actively strives to shrink the definition of sexual assault; that casts stalking behaviors as romance; blames victims for wearing the wrong clothes, walking through the wrong neighborhood, or flirting with the wrong person; bends over backwards to excuse boys-will-be-boys misogyny; makes the emotional and social costs of reporting rape prohibitively high; pretends that false accusations are a more dire problem than actual assaults; elects officials who tell rape victims that their sexual violation was "god's plan"; and convicts in less than 5 percent of rape cases that go to trial. Comedians regularly retort that no one complains when they joke about murder or other crimes in their acts, citing that as a double standard. Well, fortunately, there is no cultural narrative casting doubt on the existence and prevalence of murder and pressuring people to not report it. Maybe we'll start treating rape like other crimes when the justice system does.
A more perfect thing has never been written. READ IT AGAIN IF YOU AREN'T GRASPING IT YET.
Already went out and bought all the other books she has out.
An Easy 5 Stars (Goodreads, consider more stars)
I stumbled onto this book so I had no expectations. There were parts that just made me laugh out loud. The end was a little boring as the argument about comedy has been done so much. Very quick and easy read.
A quick but inspiring book that everyone should take the time to read.
I picked this up without knowing the author or many of the stories she wrote about.
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
So good. So intelligent, so funny, so eye opening, so true. This is probably my pick of 2017 so far! I will read more Lindy West, for sure! Love her!