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A review by aksmith92
Off with Her Head: Three Thousand Years of Demonizing Women in Power by Eleanor Herman
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
The Setup: Off with Her Head: Three Thousand Years of Demonizing Women in Power by Eleanor Herman is an incisive and timely exploration of the misogyny faced by women in authority throughout history. Herman delves into the historical "playbook" long used to undermine powerful women, from Cleopatra and Catherine the Great to contemporary figures like Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton. Her analysis reveals persistent patterns of vitriol targeting female leaders based on gendered stereotypes, often focused on perceived ambition, appearance, and personal lives.
The book blends some factitiousness and humor with serious scholarship as Herman shares stories of slander and vilification across centuries, shining a light on the societal challenges that still exist for women in leadership roles.
What I Liked: NOTHING! Just kidding, although I must admit, it's always incredibly challenging to read about misogyny. It grinds my gears every time, and this book was no different. With that said, it was interesting to read about the showcased sexism throughout time and that even though women's rights and other gender equity practices have been in place for decades now, some things haven't changed. Those things that have yet to change are more insidious and usually pronounce themselves in narrative, media (for whatever that meant at the time), and societal norms. I was glad to glance back throughout millennia to see how those tactics were prolific and continue to this day. I learned a few things, particularly about history, that I needed to remember about or understand with the misogyny playbook at hand. I'm always interested in stepping back and learning about women in history since many have yet to be included in textbooks and other media.
What Missed the Mark: While I learned a few things, most weren't revolutionary or nuanced. Nuance is complicated here because so many things have been lost throughout time. At times, I felt like Herman was reading between the lines. While I fear she was likely correct, there were times when I felt there was a lack of explanation around some of the other atrocities associated with some of these women (Cleopatra, for one). Herman did mention she may have been a murderer (lol), but I felt the way Herman wrote about these women absolved them from all their crimes simply because they were victims of misogyny. Women can be many things: criminals AND victims of misogyny, but I think it's important to note it as such.
I will also state the two apparent reasons this could have been better. What others have already shared about this book: (1) this went on so long about the same thing over and over again - women have been told to smile so much more, men attack women's appearances when they have too much power, etc., which then meant there was a lack of actual solutions or ways to address these frustrating tactics from the misogyny playbook. The end chapter encapsulates some action or tangible solutions, but this book was simply about the atrocities women had to go through. I don't think Herman meant for this book to be the end all be all about how to address misogyny - we do not know since it's still around, but because there was a lack of addressing the problem, it made the book seem disjointed, and the pace was off.
(2) This book clearly emphasizes cis-heterosexual women and mostly white women in Western culture. A chapter at the end discusses the intersection between sexism and racism, which I appreciated. Still, the bulk of the book focused solely on European misogyny, including Christianity. Maybe Herman only wanted to discuss what she felt comfortable sharing based on her education and training. However, it felt that something was missing because of it. In the contemporary parts, there was also a lack of integration of LGBTQ+ items, except for the brief mention that modern women in power are regularly called lesbians by their haters.
Although some historical details were broad-brushed, this book made its point with clarity and wit, capturing a troubling reality with vigor and compassion.
The book blends some factitiousness and humor with serious scholarship as Herman shares stories of slander and vilification across centuries, shining a light on the societal challenges that still exist for women in leadership roles.
What I Liked: NOTHING! Just kidding, although I must admit, it's always incredibly challenging to read about misogyny. It grinds my gears every time, and this book was no different. With that said, it was interesting to read about the showcased sexism throughout time and that even though women's rights and other gender equity practices have been in place for decades now, some things haven't changed. Those things that have yet to change are more insidious and usually pronounce themselves in narrative, media (for whatever that meant at the time), and societal norms. I was glad to glance back throughout millennia to see how those tactics were prolific and continue to this day. I learned a few things, particularly about history, that I needed to remember about or understand with the misogyny playbook at hand. I'm always interested in stepping back and learning about women in history since many have yet to be included in textbooks and other media.
What Missed the Mark: While I learned a few things, most weren't revolutionary or nuanced. Nuance is complicated here because so many things have been lost throughout time. At times, I felt like Herman was reading between the lines. While I fear she was likely correct, there were times when I felt there was a lack of explanation around some of the other atrocities associated with some of these women (Cleopatra, for one). Herman did mention she may have been a murderer (lol), but I felt the way Herman wrote about these women absolved them from all their crimes simply because they were victims of misogyny. Women can be many things: criminals AND victims of misogyny, but I think it's important to note it as such.
I will also state the two apparent reasons this could have been better. What others have already shared about this book: (1) this went on so long about the same thing over and over again - women have been told to smile so much more, men attack women's appearances when they have too much power, etc., which then meant there was a lack of actual solutions or ways to address these frustrating tactics from the misogyny playbook. The end chapter encapsulates some action or tangible solutions, but this book was simply about the atrocities women had to go through. I don't think Herman meant for this book to be the end all be all about how to address misogyny - we do not know since it's still around, but because there was a lack of addressing the problem, it made the book seem disjointed, and the pace was off.
(2) This book clearly emphasizes cis-heterosexual women and mostly white women in Western culture. A chapter at the end discusses the intersection between sexism and racism, which I appreciated. Still, the bulk of the book focused solely on European misogyny, including Christianity. Maybe Herman only wanted to discuss what she felt comfortable sharing based on her education and training. However, it felt that something was missing because of it. In the contemporary parts, there was also a lack of integration of LGBTQ+ items, except for the brief mention that modern women in power are regularly called lesbians by their haters.
Although some historical details were broad-brushed, this book made its point with clarity and wit, capturing a troubling reality with vigor and compassion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Classism