The Witches Are Coming

September 16, 2019
Cultural critic West (Shrill) focuses her keen eye and sardonic sense of humor on, among other topics, misogyny in the Trumpian political landscape; the backlash to the #MeToo movement; and Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand, Goop. The book’s title is a call to action against men who defensively label #MeToo a “witch hunt”; West gleefully declares, “We’re witches, and we’re hunting you.” In “Ted Bundy Was Not Charming—Are You High?” she notes that even serial killers and con artists receive the “institutional benefit of the doubt” afforded to straight white men, yet female political candidates such as Elizabeth Warren are held to an impossible standard of “likability.” In subsequent essays, West takes South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone to task for promoting the “human-extinction-level dangerous” notion that the far right and the far left are equally stupid, and admonishes comedians Adam Corolla and Louis C.K. for relying on offensive jokes and pandering to conservatives. Some of West’s targets (Goop’s “resident shaman”; Ivanka Trump’s recipe for success: “Love what you do, and work really, really hard”) are a little easy, and she’s preaching to the choir on issues such as sexism and climate change. Though this is a different kind of book than the more personal Shrill, fans of West’s trademark wit and sharp tongue will be satisfied.

Author and narrator Lindy West is at her incendiary best in her latest collection of essays, which unpack the bizarre, broken, and infuriating mess of current American politics. She takes small bits of pop culture--from famous internet cats to Adam Sandler movies--and uses them to illustrate complex truths about patriarchy, racism, and climate change. West's sharp and sometimes biting narration perfectly captures the dry humor of her own jokes. But there are also moments when her voice almost catches, revealing her deep compassion for the world. Her anger and exhaustion come through loud and clear, but so does her earnest hope for the work still to be done. This is a must listen for anyone who cares about the future of the country--and the planet. L.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine