What is Popular Feminism?

What does feminism look like in the 21st century? Why is feminism popular now? What are the consequences of a visible feminism? These are the questions that Sarah Banet-Weiser answers in her book, Empowered: Popular Feminism and Popular Misogyny, and because of this, I believe this book is an important one.

If you have ever had questions about feminism or misogyny, this is the book for you! Banet-Weiser has an amazing ability to take broad themes from a theoretical, academic level and apply them to everyday examples that make these themes more realistic. Not only did her examples support her idea on how popular feminism and popular misogyny are interconnected, but she was able to weave a complicated web around economics, media, relationships, work and video games, which displayed to her readers just how deeply rooted the themes of feminism and misogyny are in our daily lives.

Please do not look at this book as a textbook or an academic text; although it is thoroughly researched, and yes, she is a professor, it is easy to read because it flows really well and it is applicable to everyday life. I also love how Banet-Weiser's goal is not to convince people to be feminist, but rather show how feminism and misogyny are in relationship with one another. She is teaching, and allowing her readers to follow their own conclusions, and I think that is a wonderful thing.

Do I even need to say this is a 5 star book? I highly recommend it! If you have any comments, questions or review requests, please comment below, email me (theopinionatedbookworm@gmail.com), or follow me on Instagram (@theopinionatedbookworm1).

Comments

Kamila Knows Best

One of the biggest regrets I had during 2021 was that I let my blog slip through the cracks...which is a pity, because I like to blog. Therefore, I have decided to write once more (hopefully more than once), because I want to talk about Kamila Knows Best by Farah Heron. You may recognize Heron's name from her previous works: The Chai Factor and Accidentally Engaged. Both of these novels were well written, humorous, and heartwarming, but I loved them all the more because they are set in Canada and written by a Canadian. Kamila Knows Best stays true to all of these points. Set in Toronto, this adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma was faithful to the original while adding twists and turns that are accurate for a modern retelling. Kamila is an accountant who loves her father, friends, dog and career deeply, but all of these things means she is too busy for a serious relationship -- or so she claims. Kamila also fancies herself a matchmaker, and takes pride in the fact th...

Arc of a Scythe

The end of a trilogy can either be a very frustrating event, or a very melancholy feeling. If the ending is not what you hoped, it can feel disappointing to have invested so much time. However, if the ending is satisfying, as was the case for The Toll by Neal Shusterman, then leaving a series behind can be a concoction of emotions. The Toll The Arc of a Scythe trilogy came to a dramatic, thrilling, wonderful close in the final installment, and while I can say that I enjoyed it, I find it interesting how my interests seemed to change from the story of Citra and Rowan, to Greyson's story. I loved how complex the world got, and the ending was perfectly written, even though I still wanted more. 4 stars from this Bookworm! The only reason it was not a five is because I loved the second one. Second books are great because there is still a build up of tension, fantastic characters, and an ending that does not conclude the whole series and make me wish I could start all over again... Oh w...

The End of the Reading Rut

This reading rut I was in was a painful experience that unexpectedly came to an end when I picked up Seven Days in June by Tia Williams. I was taken on an unexpected journey, torn open while reading about the love story of Eva and Shane. Now that the story is over, I wish it had never ended. 7 days to fall in love, 15 to forget Fifteen years after Eva and Shane first fell in love, they meet again during a writers panel hosted by a mutual friend. Although they had not spoken to each other since their love ended, they were forever in each other's thoughts when writing their respective novels, a fact that only they were aware of. Even after so many years, their feelings are still electrifying, but one question remains, can they overcome the events of the past? Sometimes, reading a romance novel can seem formulaic, but this story broke every formula I have ever experienced in my literary adventures. Each chapter told me something about Eva and Shane that I genuinely did not expect. On...

The Literary Adventures of an Opinionated Bookworm

Search This Blog