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A review by saucy_bookdragon
Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood by Maureen Ryan
challenging
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
3.5
A very dense book that could have done more with its reporting. I'm involved enough with discourse around Hollywood that the systemic problems discussed were not surprising, but I did find a lot of the specific examples fascinating.
Some especially eye-opening discussions were the ones about how entry-level workers are abused, how Nicole Beharie was abused on Sleepy Hollow, the racism on Lost, the lack of diversity with the 2015 Muppets show, SNL's toxic environment, and the positive environments of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and WandaVision. I applaud the author's in-depth reporting and thorough research!
I did find the book a bit too dense, at times feeling like a textbook. It also felt repetitive at points, especially when it tried to discuss the overall systemic issues. The book is much stronger in how it talks about specific examples. I also found part two of the book weak, although there's good ideas presented for how Hollywood can change, a lot of it is too broad or vague (advice like "fire bad people" or "don't be racist") or it's not considering alternative systems enough. Especially the advice on how entry-level people can protect themselves is weak.
Overall, Burn It Down is well researched and eye-opening in many ways. Though it is not as radical as the clickbait-y title suggests and its prose is far too dense and dry. I'd recommend the whole book for people who aren't familiar with Hollywood's systemic abuse, for people who are familiar I'd recommend maybe skimming around the novel for whatever shows or examples you're interested in reading about.
Some especially eye-opening discussions were the ones about how entry-level workers are abused, how Nicole Beharie was abused on Sleepy Hollow, the racism on Lost, the lack of diversity with the 2015 Muppets show, SNL's toxic environment, and the positive environments of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and WandaVision. I applaud the author's in-depth reporting and thorough research!
I did find the book a bit too dense, at times feeling like a textbook. It also felt repetitive at points, especially when it tried to discuss the overall systemic issues. The book is much stronger in how it talks about specific examples. I also found part two of the book weak, although there's good ideas presented for how Hollywood can change, a lot of it is too broad or vague (advice like "fire bad people" or "don't be racist") or it's not considering alternative systems enough. Especially the advice on how entry-level people can protect themselves is weak.
Overall, Burn It Down is well researched and eye-opening in many ways. Though it is not as radical as the clickbait-y title suggests and its prose is far too dense and dry. I'd recommend the whole book for people who aren't familiar with Hollywood's systemic abuse, for people who are familiar I'd recommend maybe skimming around the novel for whatever shows or examples you're interested in reading about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Racism, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Homophobia