Lindy West

i am pretty positive that i would feel literally completely differently about this book had i read it myself instead of listening to the author read the audiobook. but since i went that route, i can say that it slays. this is so funny, in so many places. i had to pause it over and over again to actually laugh out loud, which i virtually never do. and i thought i'd never pick this up because even though i like lindy west, i don't get pop culture stuff and figured i'd miss all the references. show more turns out that even though there is like maybe 1 movie in this entire book (top gun) that i both have seen and remembered probably enough of to really "get" the essay, i found pretty much every one of these essays so funny and/or worth listening to anyway. i enjoyed this so much. show less

If you're ready to think deeply and perhaps differently about issues such as feminism, body positivity, and comedy as having a social conscience, I highly recommend this read/listen.

West constructs her memoir around themes that spring from her lived experience. As a huge fan of the personal non-fiction genre (personal essay), this title resonated deeply. Not because I have so much in common with West—I'm from a different generation, different geography, different body shame show more experience—but because West writes and thinks with such an evident attention to synthesizing ideas, evaluating lived experiences, and speaking about feelings as valid frameworks for arguments when juxtaposed with what a culture at large or one individual reveals about their unexamined bias. And because West is out to move the needle toward greater kindness, inclusivity, and understand as a world builder.

Thought provoking and entertaining, West compelled me to examine my own learned biases toward fat people (Hello, I am Fat) and what society expects of women as daughters/partners/work colleagues (the entire book). show less

Best for:
People who want essays that critically explore politics and pop culture while making you laugh your ass off.

In a nutshell:
Author Lindy West follows up her Bestseller (and TV show!) Shrill with this book of essays exploring the Trump era, the Me Too movement, and many other aspects of political and pop culture.

Worth quoting:
“We need to start calling things by their real names: racism is racism, sexism is sexism, mistakes are mistakes, and they can be rectified if we do the show more work.”
“Watching otherwise rational human beings rhapsodize about [Ted] Bundy’s ‘charm’ and ‘brilliance’ while furrowing their brows over Elizabeth Warren’s dubious ‘likability’ creates a particularly American kind of whiplash.”
“Both sides, inasmuch as there are two ‘sides,’ are not equally stupid or equally bad. The notion that they are is human-extinction-level dangerous.”
“…if you are a person who is unable to access abortion for any reason, your state is total disenfranchisement and your right to life has been stripped from you.”

Why I chose it:
West is a fantastic author.

Review:
There’s something wonderful (dare I say magical?) about the way Lindy West writes. She can cut to the chase quickly while also providing hilarious analogies and examples to illustrate her points. She shares parts of herself that she doesn’t owe to anyone as a way to personalize stories. She takes a critical eye to things that maybe one has been thinking about and nails down the exact components one should be taking away from them. And she writes like a person might actually talk! Her asides are hilarious, and I can definitely picture her saying many parts of these essays in conversation with her friends.

The first essay of the book is the inspiration for the title - the US president’s insistence that he is the subject of a witch hunt. West explains why that is absurd, but turns the concept around, claiming that we are witches, and we are the ones doing the hunting. Hunting down horrible, dangerous political leaders, manipulative and rapey Hollywood figures, the patriarchy.

I love it.

The essays range in topic from her love of the movie Clue, to a critical exploration of Adam Sandler’s films and what they say about what white men aspire to / get away with, abortion access, the ridiculousness of South Park’s ‘both sides are equally bad’ rhetoric, and so much more.

She even went to one of GOOP’s events!

I think my favorite is the one where she explains why she left Twitter. It sums up so much of what is deeply wrong with that social media platform (among others) while also acknowledging the ways it can be so important to different groups. I also enjoyed her takes on other pop culture folks I grew up exposed to, such as Adam Corolla and Joan Rivers - they were genuinely different and interesting to read.

I did not know this was coming out - I saw it mentioned in passing somewhere and immediately purchased it. There were only four copies available on Amazon UK, so I’m thinking maybe it doesn’t have a distributor here yet? Anyways, if you’re overseas, keep checking, and maybe ask your indie booksellers if they’re planning / able to carry it.

Keep it / Pass to a Friend / Donate it / Toss it:
As with Shrill, which made the trip across the ocean when I moved here from Seattle, I will Keep it. And also buy copies for friends. Maybe give it as Christmas gifts. show less

I first heard -- and, indeed, first heard of -- Lindy West when she appeared on a couple of This American Life episodes, once in a segment about her calling out her then-boss (and still friend) Dan Savage for his painful and clueless attempts to fat-shame America out of its obesity epidemic, and once with an amazing story about getting an actual, sincere apology from an internet troll who had attacked her in a way that seems unbelievably appalling and cruel even by the usual cesspit-y show more internet standards. And, listening to her on the show, I knew instantly that I really, really wanted to read this woman's writing.

Well, now I have. And, boy, did it not disappoint. In this volume she talks about her life, her family, and her relationships; about feminism; about comedy; about abortion; about online harassment; and about what it's like to be fat and to decide, after a lifetime of being told that your body is disgusting and you are unlovable because of it, that you just aren't going to quietly take that anymore. And it's all just amazing. West is so sharp and so smart, so willing to be loud and bold and firm in declaring her convictions, but also wonderfully thoughtful, reasonable, and deeply, deeply humane. And so funny. Parts of this made me laugh out loud. Like, a lot. Other parts made my heart hurt. Also a lot. Possibly a moment or two kind of made me do both at once. Like I said. Amazing. show less