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Reviews tagging 'Classism'
Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier by Marisa Meltzer
4 reviews
46jjsg's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
I've been waiting to read this for months and when I finally got my hands on this book it was a endless cycle of "It's Over to We're Back to It's SO Over." Literally my mental rating of this novel went from 2.0 to 3.0 to finally 4.0 to back down to 3.75
Part 1: I can't help but pause reading the first section because it does seem like the author/journalist has a bias towards Emily Weiss. It cautiously toes between the lines of admiration and adoration. Tentatively, I would almost say this is like a loser girl writing about the popular girl she always wanted to either be or be with... later I felt like every other sentence feel like oh Emily wasn't like other girls like she's soooo cool and sophisticated !!! She has such a drive like idk what it is (bruh it's bc she has money!!!) Like seriously is the author just trying to blow Emily every 2 paragraphs???
Part 2: This is when it gets good. Seriously you have to wait for 50% of the novel for it to really hold your attention and then the rest is a breeze to fly through. We get interesting interviews and intersections of not only Glossier, but how the beauty industry and Glossier's target demographic was changing. The sociology aspects of this part are really interesting- nothing was too surprising (I'm gen z and lived through this!! I'm a primary source so I can speak on that on the vibes of that era) but it was still shocking to see someone published mention the move to authenticism and bimboism. Wish the book dived down to topics like being the spectacle, but that would be asking too much from the book. It briefly mentions parasocial relationships, but even that was very surface level.
Part 3: Again, a super interesting section; however, I think it ends on a lackluster note. Racism, both macro and micro, is a serious issue that is talked about in part 2 but we have no mentions or attempt to question Weiss in part 3? Like the book mentions that you can't pin it all on Weiss and that it's a industry (and societal) problem; however, didn't Weiss create that environment? The whole concept of Glossier reaks of white feminism and the whole "You can sit with us" mentality is a basic "insider vs outsider" group mentality. Sure you can't blame Everything on Weiss, but both the statement that Weiss had it dificult in the buisness world as a women and Weiss facilitated racist ideals can co-exist. This book tries to uwu-ify Weiss and it's quite laughable and not at all surprising. Just like Weiss giving jargon tech bro bs in her last interview with the author, the book also ends on a jargon bs note with "Weiss is not a villainous figure, but she is also not the philosopher-genius she aspired to be. Rather, she is a women who was learning on the job, who was calling the shots from the beginning of Into the Gloss until she stepped down as CEO of Glossier. She built a company that will last, and she deserves all the credit for that. So who is she? Weiss is a complicated women who is admired more than she is liked."
Cringe oof
Part 1: I can't help but pause reading the first section because it does seem like the author/journalist has a bias towards Emily Weiss. It cautiously toes between the lines of admiration and adoration. Tentatively, I would almost say this is like a loser girl writing about the popular girl she always wanted to either be or be with... later I felt like every other sentence feel like oh Emily wasn't like other girls like she's soooo cool and sophisticated !!! She has such a drive like idk what it is (bruh it's bc she has money!!!) Like seriously is the author just trying to blow Emily every 2 paragraphs???
Part 2: This is when it gets good. Seriously you have to wait for 50% of the novel for it to really hold your attention and then the rest is a breeze to fly through. We get interesting interviews and intersections of not only Glossier, but how the beauty industry and Glossier's target demographic was changing. The sociology aspects of this part are really interesting- nothing was too surprising (I'm gen z and lived through this!! I'm a primary source so I can speak on that on the vibes of that era) but it was still shocking to see someone published mention the move to authenticism and bimboism. Wish the book dived down to topics like being the spectacle, but that would be asking too much from the book. It briefly mentions parasocial relationships, but even that was very surface level.
Part 3: Again, a super interesting section; however, I think it ends on a lackluster note. Racism, both macro and micro, is a serious issue that is talked about in part 2 but we have no mentions or attempt to question Weiss in part 3? Like the book mentions that you can't pin it all on Weiss and that it's a industry (and societal) problem; however, didn't Weiss create that environment? The whole concept of Glossier reaks of white feminism and the whole "You can sit with us" mentality is a basic "insider vs outsider" group mentality. Sure you can't blame Everything on Weiss, but both the statement that Weiss had it dificult in the buisness world as a women and Weiss facilitated racist ideals can co-exist. This book tries to uwu-ify Weiss and it's quite laughable and not at all surprising. Just like Weiss giving jargon tech bro bs in her last interview with the author, the book also ends on a jargon bs note with "Weiss is not a villainous figure, but she is also not the philosopher-genius she aspired to be. Rather, she is a women who was learning on the job, who was calling the shots from the beginning of Into the Gloss until she stepped down as CEO of Glossier. She built a company that will last, and she deserves all the credit for that. So who is she? Weiss is a complicated women who is admired more than she is liked."
Cringe oof
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Racism, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Homophobia
jessereadsthings's review
informative
fast-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Classism, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Body shaming
alisonfaith426's review
informative
medium-paced
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Classism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Cursing, Body shaming, Bullying, Racism, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Homophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, and Transphobia
issyd23's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
2.0
It’s giving girlboss I’m sorry but it did make me want to rewatch The Hills which Emily Weiss is a guest star for a few eps! 2💄
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Classism
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