10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
"self help" is an accurate label - feminist is NOT!, October 19, 2009
This review is from: Supergirls Speak Out: Inside the Secret Crisis of Overachieving Girls (Paperback)
I'll write a proper review when I feel like being in a really bad mood by reliving this book. As another reviewer wrote, I and many, many of my friends are considered perfectionist, overachieving women, but this book just isn't for or about us. The author makes sweeping generalizations and says, over and over (usually implicitly, but sometimes explicitly) that only very privileged women can be "supergirls." She says in interviews that this is not true, but her book says otherwise. (She specifically says that low-income immigrants, girls with acne, and girls who don't visit tanning salons CANNOT be supergirls, for example - and that's just the start.) I guess it shouldn't surprise me that the author paints supergirls only in terms of her own experiences, and only interviews others with nearly identical experiences. I also can't understand how the author is minoring in Women's Studies, because so much of it seems blatantly sexist and lacking the insight I've found in even introductory gender studies classes - there is certainly no concept of intersectional feminism in this book, and the author makes no room for dissenting voices on topics as basic as female sexuality. (According to Funk, only men can enjoy casual sex, but women cannot, and yes, Funk can speak for ALL women. And that's feminist how...?)
The editing is sloppy, and although there are a few places where Liz Funk absolutely shines, she pisses me off too often to redeem herself. I have hesitated to publicly write anything negative about this book, because the author herself has published articles on how wrong and mean it is to criticize a writer online - but I feel like this book deals with such an important topic so poorly that I can't be silent, plus, hey, I love talking about literature. The point is for "supergirls" to speak out, isn't it?
This is the only book that has upset me enough to actually keep a reader's journal - I just needed a place to write down all my objections.
To be fair, this book was labeled "Self Help," and I am rarely impressed by this genre. Also, to be fair, despite my privilege, I am not Funk's audience - I have already graduated from college (recently though it was), and I'm not rich enough to read this book. I took out student loans and pay my own bills, my god! I can't be a supergirl!
I hope someone else writes on this topic in a form that can be labeled Gender Studies. I'll wait till then...
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6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Non-fiction chick lit. How groundbreaking., March 29, 2010
This review is from: Supergirls Speak Out: Inside the Secret Crisis of Overachieving Girls (Paperback)
I snatched this title off the shelf at Border's and shelled out the 15 bucks for it, salivating with excitement to read a collection of stories about women like me, who have sacrificed peace of mind for over-achievements. I, too, have been trying to relax my over-competitiveness and perfectionism "on paper" as I enter my mid-twenties. I was a bit miffed at the pink, girly cover, since not all women are hyper feminine, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she just really likes the color. I was a bit weary that the author's scope may be limited to privileged, upper-middle class, white "good girls," but I thought, surely a book about overachieving women wouldn't be anything like chick lit.
Boy, was I wrong.
Within the first few pages, I had to remind myself that the author was only 19 at the time of writing it, so perhaps she didn't have the most developed perspective on the "Supegirls" issue. Perhaps I misunderstood her definition of "Supergirls." She gets one thing right: that people need to learn to enjoy their lives and not succumb to society's pressures to be perfect. A good lesson for anyone. However, when she began overgeneralizing "Supergirls" as needing to juggle perfect social calendars and being seen at all the right club scenes, I flipped. This is ridiculous. Never have I met a true, over-achieving "Supergirl" who would ever waste her time primping for the male gaze and bar-hopping or wasting a night on the town. True "Supergirls" would be embarrassed to be seen at such vapid venues. They're in their rooms getting ulcers from studying so hard, winning national scholarships, meeting foreign ambassadors, getting fellowships to prestigious programs, Photoshopping their headshots for speaking engagements, picking the perfect business suit colors to garner authority, running way too many nonprofits and organizations, practicing their 10-second personal pitches, and yes, of course, looking put-together as pie. Many of these talented girls happen to be beautiful, as is the case with that rare type of "Supergirl" drive/talent/excessiveness, but I'll be damned if they are out in clubs with babydoll dresses listening to top 40 and drinking watermelon martinis, or whatever the hell those are. And I'll be damned if all of them are colorful skirt-wearing, heterosexual-subscribing, upper-middle class, chick-lit reading, Girl Power enthusiasts. Many of these "Supergirls" are just really successful people who DO need to "stop and smell the roses," as Funk would say. Not hyper-feminized goody goody girly girls.
The objectification of the female body and the subsequent effect it has on girls (anorexia, bulimia, debilitating low self-esteem, insecurity, etc.) is a HUGE issue, but it is NOT the "Supergirl" issue. Like the "Supermom" issue, it's DIFFERENT from the intellectual/academic/professional overachieving issue. Look at the women winning Fulbrights, personally assisting Obama in their mid twenties, the valedictorians of the Ivy Leagues, the women achieving things NOT on behalf of womanhood, but on behalf of humanhood. In my mind, true "Supergirls" have bigger things to worry about than body image insecurities, as these completely fall to the wayside of academic and professional success. They exist, but they are NOT at the core of perfectionism and over-achievement.
A little more research on Funk revealed that she falls into the collective feminist voice that speaks "Wow, women really CAN be smart, beautiful and successful." Once she, and other new-wavers stop acting so surprised that women can be better-than-average, perhaps this world will be a better place for all humans, regardless of sex or gender.
Funk is clearly bright, but not brilliant with this publication. I was very upset after reading a few chapters and skimming through the rest, because I bought it based on my desire to improve my life by not being such an overachieving stressball myself. I am returning this book to Borders, today. It did not help me, at all. I continue with my struggle to relax and accept myself as not being perfect.
I predict the following types of girls will connect and identify with this book: average, hardworking girls who try REALLY hard to get good grades, get into a decent enough college, LOVE pink, look nice for the boys, are conflicted between traditional roles of women and their achievements, and seem popular on Facebook. They're not movers and shakers. They're really good conformers.
True female geniuses, overachievers, lesbians, rags-to-riches, brilliant rabble-rousers, the ones who are more humanist than feminist? These are only a few demographics that this book completely ignores. I want to hear about more about THESE women. Not autobiographical chick lit. Hyper-feminine women are only a part of the female demographic, especially the over-achieving ones.
Before I close, I'd like to mention that I skimmed some later paragraphs in search of some retribution for Funk, but instantly came across a "you/your" typo, and shut the book for the last time. That was enough for me.
Liz, if you read this, please do not hesitate to contact me regarding this review.
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