Jessie reviewed Feminasty by Erin Gibson
Review of 'Feminasty' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
An absolute riot.
the complicated woman's guide to surviving the patriarchy without drinking herself to death
281 pages
English language
Published April 4, 2018
"Since women earned the right to vote a little under one hundred years ago, our progress hasn't been the Olympic sprint toward gender equality first wave feminists hoped for, but more of a slow, elderly mall walk (with frequent stops to Cinnabon) over the four hundred million hurdles we still face. Some of these obstacles are obvious-unequal pay, under-representation in government, reproductive restrictions, lack of floor-length mirrors in hotel rooms. But a lot of them are harder to identify. They're the white noise of oppression that we've accepted as lady business as usual, and the patriarchy wants to keep it that way. Erin Gibson has a singular goal-to create a utopian future where women are recognized as humans. In FEMINASTY-titled after her nickname on the hit podcast "Throwing Shade"-she has written a collection of make-you-laugh-until-you-cry essays that expose the hidden rules that make life as a woman unnecessarily hard and …
"Since women earned the right to vote a little under one hundred years ago, our progress hasn't been the Olympic sprint toward gender equality first wave feminists hoped for, but more of a slow, elderly mall walk (with frequent stops to Cinnabon) over the four hundred million hurdles we still face. Some of these obstacles are obvious-unequal pay, under-representation in government, reproductive restrictions, lack of floor-length mirrors in hotel rooms. But a lot of them are harder to identify. They're the white noise of oppression that we've accepted as lady business as usual, and the patriarchy wants to keep it that way. Erin Gibson has a singular goal-to create a utopian future where women are recognized as humans. In FEMINASTY-titled after her nickname on the hit podcast "Throwing Shade"-she has written a collection of make-you-laugh-until-you-cry essays that expose the hidden rules that make life as a woman unnecessarily hard and deconstructs them in a way that's bold, provocative and hilarious. Whether it's shaming women for having their periods, allowing them into STEM fields but never treating them like they truly belong, or dictating strict rules for how they should dress in every situation, Erin breaks down the organized chaos of old fashioned sexism, intentional and otherwise, that systemically keeps women down."--Provided by publisher.
An absolute riot.
This book made me furious. And I was already mad. But that’s part of the reason it was written in the first place. There’s so much going on this is world that’s beyond infuriating! And the only way to really deal with it, both on personal and societal levels, is by being as informed as possible. If you aren’t incensed by most, if not every essay in this book – and please forgive the cliché – you aren’t paying attention. Scathing, whip-smart, exhaustively researched, and fucking funny, this book is here – Erin Gibson is here – to inform and educate us and call us to the front lines of already raging battles to change this breathtakingly messed up country, one chunky necklace and one misogynist at a time. And the thing is, with women like her helping to lead the charge (and pointing us to many other amazing women …
This book made me furious. And I was already mad. But that’s part of the reason it was written in the first place. There’s so much going on this is world that’s beyond infuriating! And the only way to really deal with it, both on personal and societal levels, is by being as informed as possible. If you aren’t incensed by most, if not every essay in this book – and please forgive the cliché – you aren’t paying attention. Scathing, whip-smart, exhaustively researched, and fucking funny, this book is here – Erin Gibson is here – to inform and educate us and call us to the front lines of already raging battles to change this breathtakingly messed up country, one chunky necklace and one misogynist at a time. And the thing is, with women like her helping to lead the charge (and pointing us to many other amazing women doing their damndest as well), I think we have a chance. Also, follow her on Instagram. Again, you’ll just get mad (and often laugh while you’re raging). But we’re long past the point where any of us, especially those of us privileged by any number of factors, can afford to look away.