Bad Feminist

Essays

By: Roxane Gay

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

A collection of essays spanning politics, criticism, and feminism from one of the most-watched young cultural observers of her generation, Roxane Gay.

"Pink is my favorite color. I used to say my favorite color was black to be cool, but it is pink - all shades of pink. If I have an accessory, it is probably pink. I read Vogue, and I'm not doing it ironically, though it might seem that way. I once live-tweeted the September issue."

In these funny and insightful essays, Roxane Gay takes us through the journey of her evolution as a woman (Sweet Valley High) of color (The Help) while also taking listeners on a ride through culture of the last few years (Girls, Django in Chains) and commenting on the state of feminism today (abortion, Chris Brown). The portrait that emerges is not only one of an incredibly insightful woman continually growing to understand herself and our society, but also one of our culture.

>Bad Feminist is a sharp, funny, and spot-on look at the ways in which the culture we consume becomes who we are, and an inspiring call-to-arms of all the ways we still need to do better.

©2014 Roxane Gay (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers

Enjoyable

There was much more covered in this than just feminism. Gets into race and even sexual preferences. Really enjoyed it

amazing book

I'm a 29 year old heterosexual black male (not that that's important.....but it is) this book was amazing. not only is the writing non pretentious, human and relatable but Roxane Gay is one point with her critiques, even the ones I disagree with. Her scope comes from deep critical analysis of humanity, race and sex in America. I'm a bit more militant than how Gay tackles some issues but she tackles them definitely. She looks into the roles of women and POC in music, reality TV, books, films, news reporting, interpersonal relationships, etc....it's brilliant, it's human, it's necessary.

This book will totally consume you...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely. If you're nervous about a collection of intellectual essays being boring or too heady, you'll be in for a pleasant surprise.

These essays will take you through plenty of ups and downs; you'll feel viscerally moved to anger, joy, sadness, and there are plenty of moments to make you laugh too.

Roxane Gay is amazing. Even if you don't agree with her, you have to respect her strength and ability to acknowledge her own weaknesses, and the way she can examine complexities with nuance (without being too wordy) and relate big political ideas to pop culture.

This book deals with some really heavy stuff (our issues with fat culture, rape culture, racism, and on and on) but somehow manages to keep the tone mostly light-hearted and full of hope. That is impressive in itself.

Which scene was your favorite?

The literary review passages were all highlights for me, as a writer and avid reader. The chapter on Prince Charming is an all time favorite and I re-listen to it regularly.

There were also passages that moved me to tears,

Any additional comments?

I recommend this audiobook particularly because I tried to read my hard copy and ended up skipping some passages with difficult subjects. It can feel very lonely to read about something like gang rape in silence while your partner sleeps, or on a train car full of strangers, and I (mistakenly) thought I wouldn't lose anything by skipping around to different essays based on their titles.

I was wrong-- it's really best to listen in order, the essays build on each other in a powerful way. Though gang rape is never fun to discuss, listening made it much easier to take in.

not what Ihad expected

It is probably my fault, but I had expected this collection of essays to be more a lá The Witches Are Coming. Instead, it was a disorganized collection of thought with a disproportionate number of essays on popular culture and literature that reminded me more of book reports than social or pop cultural commentary. On the other hand, the essays on her own life were poignant and riveting. I might have enjoyed the book reports more had I known to expect them. They are useful, in their way, just not what I had anticipated. Gay has a clear and precise writing style that I enjoy, and her insights were well-explained and thoughtful. So I'm left feeling pretty "meh." I would recommend the book, with those asterisks.

Unique essays, entertaining and heartbreaking

If you could sum up Bad Feminist in three words, what would they be?

Brutal. Funny. True.

Any additional comments?

My first experience reading Roxane Gay and I can see why she has such a loyal following. While some of the essays in this collection are stronger than others, all display Gay's sharp intelligence, sensitive introspection, keen dissection of modern life (entertainment, social media, world events), and singular wit. She is at turns blunt and shy, confident and awkward, tightly focused and sweeping. Ranging from gender issues to gender identity, compassion to violence, the Hunger Games to Tyler Perry, body image to slut shaming, this collection of essays touches upon a number of critical issues, all with Gay's personal touch. I look forward to reading more from Gay, she made me think and laugh, made me uncomfortable and at home. Highly recommended.

Brilliant - even when I didn't always agree

This book created a seesaw of emotions in me. I started by giving it 4 stars and then determined I needed to give it 5 because of that seesaw - it made me chuckle, it made me mad, it made me cry, it made me think! The premise of the set of essays was brilliant really. I appreciated that she put a name to my brand of feminism ("Bad Feminist"). I loved how she spoke not so much of the hardened myth of "the feminist" but the overall treatment of women as a whole - by men, by themselves, by other women, by society, and so cruelly last year and this by politicians, in the context of books that she has read or movies she has seen. She also taught me something in her essays regarding race and my perceptions. Something I need to always keep with me. I highly recommend this book. Not to read just once but to read multiple times.
Bahni Turpin excellently narrated the audio.

Must read for all!

Roxane Gay's book is a must read for anyone wanting to engage with feminism and all its tangly snares. Full
of laugh out loud moments, intense intellectual critique and compassion. I love this book, and look forward to reading more of her work.

recommended

loved it. it is funny, sometimes hilarious. i found myself in many of the stories and in the definition of "bad feminist". and it is narrated beautifully. recommended.

Confronting, very necessary

Very confronting and also necessary. At some points hard to follow if you are not familiar with all the pop cultural references (aka, if you are not from the US).

Wish it was read by Roxane Gay herself. Excellent read and well worth the listen. Some chapters seem less on topic and the best parts are the most personal as Gay describes her experience with assault, in grad school, and her relationship to feminism. The main downside here was the performance, which felt off at times, particularly when Gay describes her accent or when she uses the n-word. It would be better to hear from Gay herself.