<p>Who is the author of Bad Feminist?</p>

<p>Roxane Gay is the author of Bad Feminist.</p>

Society & Culture

Bad Feminist Book Summary - Bad Feminist Book explained in key points

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Bad Feminist summary

Name: Bad Feminist
Rating: 4.2 (113 reviews)
Author: Roxane Gay

Roxane Gay

Essays

4.2 (113 ratings)

14 mins

Brief summary

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay is a collection of essays that explores the complexities of modern-day feminism. Gay examines the contradictions and blind spots within feminist discourse, offering insight into the challenges of being a feminist in a flawed world.

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Gender & Sexuality

Table of Contents

Bad Feminist
Summary of 5 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 5

What’s in it for me? Find your own way to be a feminist.

Thanks to the #MeToo movement and women’s marches, feminism has become very prominent in the media and social discourse in recent years. But there’s no one way to be a feminist. Even within the movement, there are wildly differing views.

Roxane Gay explains the idea of essential feminism and why she goes against some of its ideals to champion her brand of "bad” feminism. Bad feminism is for anyone who feels they don’t fit into the prescribed version of feminism for one reason or another, but still wants to make their voice heard.

You’ll see that being a bad feminist is better than not being a feminist at all.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

why bad reality TV makes us feel so good;
how a terrorist made the cover of Rolling Stone; and
that the movie The Help is less than helpful for advancing racial equality

Note: The following blinks contain strong, offensive language. A racist term is used with regards to stereotypes in films.

Roxane Gay refers to herself as a bad feminist.

Nobody’s perfect. As humans, we all make mistakes, and Gay is no exception. But as a feminist, she is under constant pressure to live up to all the demands that come with the label.

Part of the problem is that there is no single definitive version of feminism. It’s a complex movement and, in trying to represent all women, it has inevitably disappointed many.

Traditionally, feminists have fought for the rights and liberties of white, cisgender, heterosexual women. This brand of feminism excludes black, transgender and queer women – failing to acknowledge the very different obstacles that these women face.

As white, cis, heterosexual women are more likely to have the opportunity to espouse their views in public, it is this group that writes the feminist rulebook. Gay calls their brand of feminism essential feminism. They treat feminism as a club with strict rules and guidelines that must be followed to be a "proper” feminist, such as opposing pornography and rejecting the objectification of women under any circumstance.

But women who champion essential feminism come from a position of privilege. They don't have the same experience as those who also belong to another minority/oppressed group, such as women of color or those under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella, and so their opinions on what makes a real feminist can alienate those who don’t share the same background.

And it’s not only women from minority groups who feel excluded from essential feminism. Just disagreeing with some of these views can be enough to leave some women feeling shut out. Take women who enjoy watching or acting in pornography or women who enjoy certain aspects of popular culture in which women are objectified.

The author certainly doesn’t identify with essential feminism. That’s why she calls herself a bad feminist. She believes in equality for all women and men in all areas of life.

She used to avoid the "feminist” label, so she can understand why so many women are hesitant to adopt it. The problem is that the word "feminist” is strongly associated with essential feminism and conjures up images of the women who use the feminist movement as a way to brand themselves. But Gay has made peace with her imperfect feminism. She’s accepted that she’ll never please everyone and that by doing and believing things that contradict essential feminism, her form of feminism is a crucial part of the conversation. After all, being a bad feminist is better than not being a feminist at all.

Reality TV dehumanizes women.

The term "reality television” is misleading. It doesn’t present real life, but a warped version of reality. And the same can be said of the representation of women on reality shows. So often, they’re performing an over-the-top, unrealistic stereotype of their gender.

There are certain common stereotypes about women: that they’re desperate to fall in love and get married, that they’re obsessed with their weight and that jealousy prevents them from forming true friendships with other women. Reality TV does nothing to dispel these stereotypes. Watch any reality show, and you’ll see plenty of these types in the cast.

We have become desensitized to the atrocities of sexual violence against women.

Rape is a horrific crime that can leave victims both physically and emotionally damaged. That’s why so many television shows use rape storylines to inject drama and boost their ratings.

Some programs are fueled almost exclusively by traumatic stories of sexual violence toward women. Just look at the TV series Law and Order: SVU. It’s covered so many rape-related plots that each new episode must go the extra mile to keep the audience engaged – adding increasingly gruesome details and twists. This means that it’s no longer particularly shocking for an audience to see a man "just” forcefully penetrating a woman. We’re so used to seeing rape victims left disfigured, beaten or subjected to any number of other ordeals that forceful penetration on its own isn’t seen as that bad anymore. It takes a lot more to provoke disgust in an audience numbed by overexposure to rape stories.

Films like The Help hinder progress toward racial equality.

In 2011, The Help was released in movie theaters. Set in segregated Mississippi in the 1960s, it was a feel-good tale about a group of African-American maids who served privileged white families. It may have been praised by critics and popular with audiences, but when it came to furthering racial equality, it was the opposite of successful.

The film exploited certain stereotypes, including the “magical negro” and the “white savior narrative.” The magical negro is a black character whose main attributes include kindness, wisdom and an element of the supernatural. She always uses those traits to help the white protagonist – not herself. The magical negro trope is popular with white audiences because they can feel good about watching a positive portrayal of a black person. What they don’t notice, however, is that this stereotype isn’t really a fully formed character – it’s just a catalyst for the white protagonist’s goals.

In the United States, deeply entrenched systemic sexism and racism toward African Americans still exist.

Mass shootings are a near-daily occurrence in the United States. Far more Americans have died as a result of these random acts of violence than at the hands of radicalized terrorists, but attacks carried out by white men are never labeled acts of terrorism.

It seems that people can always find a reason why a white man who commits a terrorist act is deep-down a good person, just as the same people can always find a reason why an innocent black boy is bad.

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What is Bad Feminist about?

Bad Feminist (2014) is a collection of often personal essays examining race, gender and feminism in the United States. The author, Roxane Gay, pays particular attention to the way media, politics and pop culture shape society’s views and champions her own brand of feminism – one that doesn’t always follow the rules.

Bad Feminist Review

Bad Feminist (2014) by Roxane Gay is a thought-provoking exploration of feminism and its complexities. Here's why this book is worth reading:

Packed with honest and vulnerable personal anecdotes, it offers a unique perspective on what it means to be a feminist in today's world.
Roxane Gay's nuanced discussions about race, privilege, and popular culture bring depth and relevance to the feminist dialogue.
With its unapologetic and unfiltered approach, the book challenges traditional notions of feminism, making it a refreshing and compelling read.

Best quote from Bad Feminist

Theres a trend of young women claiming they would happily be beaten by musician Chris Brown – a man convicted of violent assault against a woman – because hes so desirable.

—Roxane Gay

Who should read Bad Feminist?

Anyone not sure if feminism is for them
Anyone looking to gain insight into racial equality in America
Students of politics, literature and creative writing

About the Author

Roxane Gay is a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times. She has worked as a professor at Purdue University and has founded the publishing house Tiny Hardcore Press. She is the author of a novel – An Untamed State – and the memoir Hunger.

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