Many of these essays were originally published as blog posts. It is amusing to read but it in no way takes on feminism, which makes one wonder in the decision to include it. But the question remains if every reader would be a scrabble lover.
The personal essay “To Scratch, Claw, or Grope Clumsily or Frantically,” is one in which any scrabble lover will enjoy.
But, according to Gay, that’s perfectly okay. But I enjoy the songs the way I have to enjoy most music-I have to forget I am a sentient being.” This is what she means by being a “bad feminist.” She enjoys and partakes in things that may not always live up the ideal feminist standard. She mentions Robin Thicke’s unabashedly misogynistic song, “Blurred Lines,” and “Give It 2 U,” saying that “As much as it pains me to admit, I like these songs. The references range from the television show Girls to a whole essay about The Hunger Games, and references to a plethora of songs. Obviously, there is a strong theme of the autobiographical “me” and pop culture references are littered throughout the entire collection. These sections are: Me, Gender & Sexuality, Race & Entertainment, Politics, Gender & Race.
As seen by the sections of the book, Gay discusses a whole range of topics. While both her definition of bad feminist and her embracing the title can be assumed to be the thesis of the collection of essays, Gay seems to have seen it more of a theme that she occasionally writes about throughout the essays. I am just trying-trying to support what I believe in, trying to do some good in this world.” It is interesting to read this, with cancel culture a prominent fixture of 2020, making one wonder how this line of thinking would uphold today. I am not trying to say I have all the answers.
Gay proclaims “I embrace the label of bad feminist because I am human. The Haitian-American author quickly shares what she considers to be a bad feminist: It’s about being a real, not a “professional feminist,” one that is “flawed and human.” Gay says that she has “interests and personality traits and opinions that may not fall in line with mainstream feminism, but I am still a feminist.” So she isn’t a perfect feminist-she’s a bad feminist-but one nonetheless. Roxane Gay’s 2014 collection of essays in Bad Feminist, a New York Times bestseller, is full of essays that aren’t just concerned about feminism but deal with racial, gender, and personal topics as well. This review is part of our Goodreads Group, Love Yourshelf, and our ongoing Book Reviews project.
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