The Book
This is a non-fiction book about gender and gender roles and how we look
at gender and how gender forms us and shapes us. It’s a look at make-up and
hair, and how we dress, how we use make-up and how we are forced into gender
roles.
Thoughts
It’s so interesting. It’s so good.
I listened to this on audiobook, which was also a lot of fun. I really
liked the narrator. The narrator is also Emer O’Toole. I thought it was someone
else, I don’t know why. It was very nice to have her read it, the book is very
personal at points, and written from first person perspective, so it’s good to
have the author read it. Also she has a lovely Irish accent, so that’s nice.
I liked that it’s a bit more intersectional than some other feminist
works I’ve read. She’s Irish, and obviously a white woman, but she acknowledges
the different struggles women of colour face and she has researched that as well,
which is good. Emer O’Toole also identifies as queer, so she has a different
perspective than a straight woman would have. She has done quite a lot of
research on trans issues. I realize that since she’s cis and white she can only
have a limited insight into trans issues and issues that affect people of
colour. She still seems like she is more balanced and less white-, and
cis-centric than other feminist books I’ve read.
I really liked hearing about gender roles and how we live in gender
roles and how we force ourselves to conform, both men and women. And how
harmful it is for both men and women to force themselves into a gender role
they don’t really fit into, and how much work it can be.
It was interesting to see how O’Toole, growing up in Ireland, worked
hard to fit in with the traditionally minded men and women there, and sort of
denounced feminism to be cool. I think it’s quite a common thing to do as young
women to seem cool, because we want to fit into this feminine, sweet,
non-confrontational role. And then she gets older, moves away from Ireland, and
discovers what feminism really is and she sort of comes into her own with
feminism. Which I think was fascinating.
Finally
I don’t have too much to say about this book actually. I just really
liked it, and found it really interesting, and you should definitely pick it
up. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty dang good, and it made me think a lot.
Emer O’Toole is a badass.
The Book