Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman
One of NPR's Best Books of 2017
From BuzzFeed culture writer and celebrity gossip expert Anne Helen Petersen comes this bold cultural criticism examining how female celebrities push society's boundaries. This paperback edition features a new foreword by the author.
About This Book
The unruly woman—too loud, too brazen, too opinionated—has always existed at the margins of acceptable feminine behavior. But today, she's more visible and less easily dismissed than ever before. Petersen uses the lens of "unruliness" to explore contemporary pop culture powerhouses including Serena Williams, Kim Kardashian, and Hillary Clinton, examining why the public loves to love (and hate) these controversial figures.
Each woman profiled has been labeled as "too" something: too queer, too strong, too honest, too old, too pregnant, too shrill, too much. Through incisive analysis, this book explores what makes and breaks famous women in contemporary media culture.
What Readers Are Saying
"Petersen's gloriously bumptious, brash ode to nonconforming women suits the needs of this dark moment. Her careful examination of how we eviscerate the women who confound or threaten is crucial reading if we are ever to be better." —Rebecca Traister, New York Times bestselling author of All the Single Ladies
Recognition and Awards
- NPR's Best Books of 2017
- Entertainment Weekly "Must-Read List"
- Cosmopolitan's "Books You Won't Be Able to Put Down This Summer"
- Amazon's "Best Books of the Month"
- Refinery29 Editors' Pick
