Bad Feminist

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In the first essays, we are introduced to Roxanne Gay :she is a professor, a scrabble player, a Hatian, someone who works hard but doesn't take herself too seriously. I liked her. The fact that I disagreed with the majority of her opinions in the following essays made me wonder if we could be friends though. She has very strong opinions and sometimes presents them as though you would be an idiot to disagree. After catching me arguing with my iPad several times, my husband wondered out loud why I was still reading her. But I think it is good to understand different points of view, and it helps me understand my own.
Her essays can be jumpy at times. She uses And yet. as a sentence in every other essay. And she can use her own history and background not only to clariify or give meaning to her argument, but often to dare you to disagree with her, because if we didn't have the same history/experience than we really don't have room to talk. But my main problem is that her main thesis is that you don't have to be the perfect feminist to believe and advocate for feminism, that flawed people do not make the movement flawed. I agree with her on this. As well as on economic equality and more respect and opportunities for women. But many of Gays criticisms, especially on entertainment, and especially about race, don't seem to get the same leeway. I'm not saying she can't be offended, but often she goes into these movies and books already ready to take offense, and she doesn't give the artists the leeway to get things wrong, even if their intentions are in the right place. Must there be perfect movies and books, even in that wide latitude given in fiction, to fight racism? Can't imperfect works of art still achieve a little bit?
We would also disaagree on abortion issues and LGBT issues and even her opinion that a woman has the duty to work outside the home. But I feel like I gave her a listen. Hopefully, my disagreements which might make me flawed in her eyes wont disqualify me from being a feminist.


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