If you’re reading GFY, you’ve probably heard about Anne Helen Peterson’s great and incisive new book, Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman. If not, I think it’s absolutely going to be right up your alley. Let’s flip it over and read the back:
From celebrity gossip expert and BuzzFeed culture writer Anne Helen Petersen comes an accessible, analytical look at how female celebrities are pushing boundaries of what it means to be an “acceptable” woman.
You know the type: the woman who won’t shut up, who’s too brazen, too opinionated—too much. She’s the unruly woman, and she embodies one of the most provocative and powerful forms of womanhood today. In Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud, Anne Helen Petersen uses the lens of “unruliness” to explore the ascension of pop culture powerhouses like Lena Dunham, Nicki Minaj, and Kim Kardashian, exploring why the public loves to love (and hate) these controversial figures. With its brisk, incisive analysis, Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud will be a conversation-starting book on what makes and breaks celebrity today.
I often link to Anne Helen Peterson’s writing in Fugs and Pieces, and there’s a reason for that: I find her to be incredibly smart and insightful on the issues of celebrity of all stripes. I read an analysis of this book that floated the idea that it would be great for a book club, and I agree, if you’re in a book club that reads non-fiction and likes to talk about celebrities. We have five copies to give away!
THE TASK: I’m going to pick our winners at random, but to keep it fun, please comment and tell us which real-life celebrity you love in spite of that fact that he or she often seems unpopular with the world at large. (I, for example, often find Kim Kardashian to be very amusing. I wouldn’t say that I love her, but I think I have a lot more fondness for her than the average Fug National. )
THE RULES: All entries must be posted in the comments of this post by 9 p.m. Pacific time on Friday. FYI, if this is the first time you’ve commented here, the system will automatically kick you into comment moderation, but don’t worry, I will rescue you. (Prizing courtesy of the publisher. Open to residents of the United States only. Thank you!)
