Girls Will Be Girls by Emer O'ToolePublisher: Orion Publishing Group
Release date: Feb 26 2015
Genre: Non Fiction
Source: Bought
The fiercest new voice of feminism - Emer O'Toole is the perfect mix of Caitlin Moran, Germaine Greer and Lena Dunham. Emer O'Toole once caused a media sensation by growing her body hair and singing 'Get Your Pits Out For The Lads' on national TV. You might think she's crazy - but she has lessons for us all. Protesting against the 'makey-uppy-bulls**t' of gender conditioning, Emer takes us on a hilarious, honest and probing journey through her life - from cross-dressing and head shaving, to pube growing and full-body waxing - exploring the performance of femininity to which we are confined. Funny, provocative and underpinned with rigorous academic intelligence, this book shows us why and how we should all begin gently to break out of gender stereotypes. Read this book, open up your mind and, hopefully, free your body. GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS is a must-read wake-up call for all young women (and men).
From being the face of female body hair, to smashing down the normalisation and consumption of porn (and its unrealistic standards), or to confronting the manipulation of our bodies for the 'male gaze,' Emer O'Toole is my new favourite face of feminism and brings her wit, honesty and humanity to the table to defeat patriarchy.
"When it comes to how best to perform your gender under patriarchy, only you have the right answer for you.”
So far, the girls have all wrote amazing, articulate and inspiring first reviews. And I really don't want to mess mine up. But honestly, I couldn't have picked a better book for my first review because Emer O'Toole has given me feminism in anecdotal, hilarious and accessible chunks. And, while I'm being honest, I don't know if I'll be able to do this book justice, but I'll try.
O'Toole's idea is simple: she believes gender
is a social construction and an act we play. She takes feminism and puts it in reality in regards to her own life, her path
to feminism, where that path has led her and presents a book which is groundbreaking,
thought-provoking and ideal for young women wondering what feminism is all
about. So instead of writing "I really love this, go buy it!!!" repeatedly, I've highlighted some of the reasons why this book is really bloody fantastic and you should totally check it out.
"What I hate is patriarchy - societal gender relations based on sexism. But the hard thing is, patriarchy is made up of people I love."
Being a feminist is hard. Unlearning misogyny, sexist views, patriarchal values that you have been sold, taught in schools, read, learnt from parents, seen on advert, on TV, in a film. Sexism is everywhere. And it changes regarding class, culture, ethnicity or background, but it has the same fundamental underlying idea about women. O'Toole knows her privilege (that of being white) and is honest in her way of learning feminism and what it is. My idea of feminism changes each day with the people I meet or the situations I find myself in. O'Toole shows you that's okay. Partly being a memoir, O'Toole highlights her readings of the classic gender politicians (I love you Judith Butler) with her life. From scenes of fighting with her older brothers for their input in household chores or to seeking male approval at 18 by discarding feminism, O'Toole is honest in how she found her beliefs. She reinforces how the great thing about feminism is that we don't have to agree on everything, but the things we do agree on are the things that matter: choice, equality, humanity.
