Do we even want to be ideal, or is there a way for us to become more comfortably human?

I loved this book for some of the reasons others did not: each essay felt like a conversation with Gay herself. This was a deeply personal series of essays that did not feel pretentious in any way. Gay is authentic, self-aware, scathing, and imperfect which is why her voice is so important. I consider myself to be decently well-versed in feminist and racial justice conversation, but Bad Feminist kicked me to the curb and reminded me how much I still have to learn. Despite having learned so much thus far, I have a lot of self-reflection to do. This book made me particularly aware of the way I consume books, movies, and TV shows about the Black experience in America - written by white individuals. Equal parts humbling, devastating, and hilarious, Gay's collection gave me a lot to think about.