All too often we’ve seen people cringe and say “why can’t she just stay in her lane?” Anytime a woman speaks up, draws attention, or otherwise bucks the status quo – in most cases, anytime she behaves like her male counterparts – she is considered unruly. Here, Anne Helen Peterson looks at celebrity women (and she’s a former Buzzfeed culture writer, so she knows celebrity) who are widely considered unruly.
In each of the ten chapters, Petersen identifies a celebrity who embodies a quality that makes them unruly. In some way or another, these women are too…much. Madonna is too old, Kim Kardashian is too pregnant, and Lena Dunham is too pregnant. In many cases, Petersen does a good job of pointing out the intersectionality when it comes to unruliness; yet, 8 of the 10 women used as case studies are white. Overall, though, I thought it was a good analysis of both celebrity culture and how we define appropriate femininity.
4 out of 5 stars.
Pair with: A glass of a red blend with notes of tart cherry and plum.
Peaches to Apples 