Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud

September 15, 2017

According to Buzzfeed culture writer Petersen, unruly behavior--outside the "boundaries of what constitutes acceptable "feminine' behavior"--gets women "labeled too fat, too loud, too slutty, too whatever characteristic women were supposed to keep under control." Petersen examines the "unruliness" of ten celebrities, emphasizing how "unruliness...feels...more necessary than ever." Melissa McCarthy is "too fat," but her "ability to access an inner unruly woman made her a massive star." Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer are "too gross," but massive audiences can't get enough of their Broad City. Madonna is "too old," but she "refuses to conceive that age should limit her career." Hillary Clinton is "too shrill," but she's "spent her adult life being first." Petersen narrates her own case studies, adding urgent emphasis, especially as she shares her "hope that someday, the only rules a woman will have to abide by are those she sets for herself." That Dr. Petersen (she has a PhD in media studies) narrates adds both intimacy and urgency; she can sound like your best friend disclosing revelatory secrets as she shares not-to-be-ignored salient truths. VERDICT Curious, intelligent, media-savvy readers will surely welcome Petersen's perceptive, illuminating "unruly women." ["Will be appreciated by anyone seeking to understand the vicious social judgment that women--particularly high-profile, successful women--continue to face in our era": LJ 6/1/17 review of the Plume hc.]--Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC

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