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shealea 's review for:
Girls Can Kiss Now
by Jill Gutowitz
Does this book really count as nonfiction if it gave me nothing but vibes and uniquely millennial cringe humor?
Reading through this collection of essays was like walking through a minefield wherein 80% of the hidden explosives were inert. From interchangeably using lesbian, queer, and sapphic (without clarity) to purposefully erasing the bisexual / pansexual identities of publicly queer celebrities, Girls Can Kiss Now offers a frustratingly narrow and reductive perspective on queerness and sexuality.
Early on in the book, the author admits to not being an expert in any of the topics she tackles, including the history of pop culture (specifically the rising visibility of lesbians in pop culture), despite having built an entire career on pop culture commentary. Good on her for having that much self-awareness. But sucks for her readers because this book will give them next to nothing.
Make no mistake. There is definitely nothing intersectional about these essays. In contrast to how it's marketed, Girls Can Kiss Now presents very rigid, oftentimes binary boundaries: lesbians vs. the rest of the world, famous people vs. general population. And the (arguably) willful lack of nuance can get quite frustrating. Other sources of frustration include several unnecessary references to Harry Potter (without mentioning that its author is an unapologetic TERF), invasive speculation on whether Taylor Swift is queer, and the constant exclusion of transgender and nonbinary folk.
The flaws and limitations of Gutowitz's debut are plenty and glaring. Criticism is definitely justified and well-deserved. However, I was not upset on a personal level - mainly because I've learned to set the bar incredibly, embarrassingly low for white queer people. I went into this with no expectations and with very little faith in the author, only to be proven right. And in doing so, I was able to remain engaged with the limited material and possibly even found some enjoyment in millennial nostalgia.
In summary:
❌ DO NOT read this book if you're sincerely seeking knowledge and meaningful insights on lesbians, pop culture, and/or lesbians in pop culture.
✅ DO consider this book if you're working late at night and want to put on something in the background to feel less lonely and less bored. Kind of like The Big Bang Theory but in audiobook format.
Recommended with (lots of) caution.
[ trigger/content warnings: ]
Reading through this collection of essays was like walking through a minefield wherein 80% of the hidden explosives were inert. From interchangeably using lesbian, queer, and sapphic (without clarity) to purposefully erasing the bisexual / pansexual identities of publicly queer celebrities, Girls Can Kiss Now offers a frustratingly narrow and reductive perspective on queerness and sexuality.
Early on in the book, the author admits to not being an expert in any of the topics she tackles, including the history of pop culture (specifically the rising visibility of lesbians in pop culture), despite having built an entire career on pop culture commentary. Good on her for having that much self-awareness. But sucks for her readers because this book will give them next to nothing.
Make no mistake. There is definitely nothing intersectional about these essays. In contrast to how it's marketed, Girls Can Kiss Now presents very rigid, oftentimes binary boundaries: lesbians vs. the rest of the world, famous people vs. general population. And the (arguably) willful lack of nuance can get quite frustrating. Other sources of frustration include several unnecessary references to Harry Potter (without mentioning that its author is an unapologetic TERF), invasive speculation on whether Taylor Swift is queer, and the constant exclusion of transgender and nonbinary folk.
The flaws and limitations of Gutowitz's debut are plenty and glaring. Criticism is definitely justified and well-deserved. However, I was not upset on a personal level - mainly because I've learned to set the bar incredibly, embarrassingly low for white queer people. I went into this with no expectations and with very little faith in the author, only to be proven right. And in doing so, I was able to remain engaged with the limited material and possibly even found some enjoyment in millennial nostalgia.
In summary:
❌ DO NOT read this book if you're sincerely seeking knowledge and meaningful insights on lesbians, pop culture, and/or lesbians in pop culture.
✅ DO consider this book if you're working late at night and want to put on something in the background to feel less lonely and less bored. Kind of like The Big Bang Theory but in audiobook format.
Recommended with (lots of) caution.
[ trigger/content warnings: