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A review by doomluz
Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark by Cassandra Peterson
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I loved this! Mostly I checked this out because I had heard how she came out as being married to another woman, but that doesn’t come up until the last few chapters. Peterson recounts her childhood and adolescence, but also a lot of the celebrities she’d met throughout her life. It had humor and some interesting stories, but she also went into some of the hardships she's endured.
The only thing that bugged me was in Chapter 15, when she spoke about sexual assault and rape. She used a hypothetical example for men to understand how rape can be terrifying by describing being overpowered by a man. Then she explained that she used a man in the example because if it was a woman it would actually be more of a fantasy for most men. The hypothetical example felt unnecessary, but the main problem is that this kind of logic makes it harder for male victims to find support, especially if the woman is more conventionally attractive.
Other than this, I loved hearing about how she got the role of Elvira and what that was like.
I also recommend listening to the audiobook. My partner made me realize that memoirs read by the author feel more personal. Peterson has a great voice and I think the humor and emotions come through a lot stronger.
The only thing that bugged me was in Chapter 15, when she spoke about sexual assault and rape. She used a hypothetical example for men to understand how rape can be terrifying by describing being overpowered by a man. Then she explained that she used a man in the example because if it was a woman it would actually be more of a fantasy for most men. The hypothetical example felt unnecessary, but the main problem is that this kind of logic makes it harder for male victims to find support, especially if the woman is more conventionally attractive.
Other than this, I loved hearing about how she got the role of Elvira and what that was like.
I also recommend listening to the audiobook. My partner made me realize that memoirs read by the author feel more personal. Peterson has a great voice and I think the humor and emotions come through a lot stronger.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Cancer, Death, Death of parent, and Drug use