Claire

Claire is now friends with Brittany Mayer

Claire rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Machine of Death: A Collection of Stories About People Who Know How They Will Die
by Ryan North

read in July, 2012

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Claire liked Katrina Passick Lumsden's review of Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades, #1):

"

What in the hell just happened? Did I really read that? Oh, my god, I did. I did read that.

Meet Anastasia Steele:

Ana is just a giant mess of a human being. She's insecure to the point of it being laughable, 'klutzy' (even though she only trips... " Read more of this review »

Claire rated a book 2 of 5 stars

Suck It, Wonder Woman!: The Misadventures of a Hollywood Geek
by Olivia Munn

read in May, 2011

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I have fought for Olivia Munn, I really have.

I want to go out of my way to support supposed strong females in the geek community, and that's what Olivia proudly brands herself as. I love that a confident lady has come to the forefront and simultaneou...more I have fought for Olivia Munn, I really have.

I want to go out of my way to support supposed strong females in the geek community, and that's what Olivia proudly brands herself as. I love that a confident lady has come to the forefront and simultaneously embraced both her geekhood and her cuteness! Good on her!

…Aaaand then I made the mistake of reading this book. Shame on me for getting my hopes up.

As I clicked through the pages on my Kindle I was completely disappointed-nigh-horrified at the type of person she comes across as- for someone who dedicates an entire chapter to easy identification of “assholes,” she sure seems to fit the bill. Every chapter seems to be a series of complaints or put-downs, regaling us with stories about those who wronged her in one way or another. Sure, I don’t doubt that Olivia had some shitty childhood experiences and has to deal with some complete douchebags in Hollywood, but it comes across as if she has never had a break in life- something pretty immediately disproved by the fact that, well, she has a book deal. A book deal I am unfortunately reading.

Her attitude towards her fellow women is flimsy and contradictory at best- she can only commend acceptance of her body- the body of a “real woman,” mind you- by shaming thin and fat women alike. WAT. Honestly? Olivia Munn is a gorgeous woman and power to her for embracing it, but the self-deprecation and acting like she doesn’t know it just seems forced. Not to say we don’t all have body issues, it’s an inevitability of being a chick, but a woman who continually has the (admirable!) confidence to pose for playboy and wear skimpy costumes to conventions knows what she has going on.

Also, saying guys “grow a vagina” when they’re sick and needy? Talking about older women’s dusty and useless genitalia? Recalling the pain of being slut-shamed in grade school only to REEPEATEDLY turn the tables and do the same to several different women she’s crossed paths with? Jesus Christ, Olivia. It’s easy to rail on other people- it takes real moxy to act like a decent human being and really put a critical eye to what you saying. Crude humour doesn’t also have to be hateful and alienating.

And regarding Olivia’s constant overuse of the word “geek”:

- Stop gendering the word. Your geek history revolves almost entirely around men and their accomplishments, with women relegated to random slews of costumed pinups (many of whom are in NO way representative of female geekery). You also go on about a lesbian encounter and clearly, proudly acknowledge the straight male reader supposedly getting off to it. If you continually claim you don’t want to be known as someone getting by on sheer sex appeal, you need to have the substance to back it up. Dressing your cohost in a French maid’s costume doesn’t cut it.
- Even going by your broad and loving definition of geeks as people who are passionate about something, hacky sacks aren’t geeky. Not sure where you got that from.
- Don’t act as if all geeks are amazing, flawless people; pedestaling a group is just as harmful as stereotyping them negatively. I have run into tons of passionate, geeky people who are simultaneously rude, misogynistic and cruel.
- Stop telling us you’re a geek over, and over and over again. The more you insist you’re a geek, the less believable it sounds. If you’re a geek and you know it, fine, awesome, good for you- just stop shouting it to the heavens for verification. And liking the Star Wars franchise, the first four episodes of which were the top-grossing films in the respective years they were released, does not make you a supergeek. That is akin to liking Disney.

In the end, I don’t dislike Olivia Munn because she does photoshoots and jumps into pies, or because she’s a “threat” as an attractive fellow woman, or any of the other reasons Munn lays on the table instead of trying to actually connect to all the female geeks out there. I dislike Olivia Munn because her humor revolves around the vicious deprecation of other people, because she complains about being ostracized only to blindly spin around and do the same thing, and because she is so unaware of anyone’s criticism of her work that she uses ad hominem attacks to defend herself.

I love being able to share the female space with amazingly talented, smart, witty, geeky, hot ladies- I just don’t think Olivia has proved herself on that front.(less)

Claire wants to read

True Grit
by Charles Portis

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Claire is currently reading

Between a Rock and a Hard Place
by Aron Ralston

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Claire wants to read

The Detective (Johannes Cabal, #2)
by Jonathan L. Howard (Goodreads Author)

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Claire rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Johannes Cabal The Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard

Johannes Cabal The Necromancer (Johannes Cabal, #1)
by Jonathan L. Howard (Goodreads Author)

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Claire rated a book 2 of 5 stars

Let's Bring Back: An Encyclopedia of Forgotten-Yet-Delightful, Chic, Useful, Curious, and Otherwise Commendable Things from Times Gone By
by Lesley M.M. Blume

read in March, 2011

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Claire rated a book 3 of 5 stars

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)
by Suzanne Collins

read in March, 2011

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Claire is now friends with Brittany Mayer
May 08, 2013 09:51am · like
Claire rated a book 4 of 5 stars Machine of Death: A Collection of Stories About People Who Know How They Will Die by Ryan North read in July, 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 18, 2012 04:56pm
Claire liked Katrina Passick Lumsden's review of Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades, #1): " What in the hell just happened? Did I really read that? Oh, my god, I did. I did read that. Meet Anastasia Steele: Ana is just a giant mess of a human being. She's insecure to the point of it being laughable, 'klutzy' (even though she only trips... " Read more of this review »
Jul 18, 2012 04:50pm · see review
Claire rated a book 2 of 5 stars Suck It, Wonder Woman!: The Misadventures of a Hollywood Geek by Olivia Munn read in May, 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I have fought for Olivia Munn, I really have. I want to go out of my way to support supposed strong females in the geek community, and that's what Olivia proudly brands herself as. I love that a confident lady has come to the forefront and simultaneou...more
Jun 10, 2011 05:49pm · see review
Claire wants to read True Grit by Charles Portis	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 02, 2011 01:11am
Claire is currently reading Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 02, 2011 01:08am
Claire wants to read The Detective (Johannes Cabal, #2) by Jonathan L. Howard (Goodreads Author)	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 02, 2011 01:07am
Claire rated a book 4 of 5 stars Johannes Cabal The Necromancer (Johannes Cabal, #1) by Jonathan L. Howard (Goodreads Author)	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 02, 2011 01:07am
Claire rated a book 2 of 5 stars Let's Bring Back: An Encyclopedia of Forgotten-Yet-Delightful, Chic, Useful, Curious, and Otherwise Commendable Things from Times Gone By by Lesley M.M. Blume read in March, 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 02, 2011 01:06am
Claire rated a book 3 of 5 stars Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) by Suzanne Collins read in March, 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 02, 2011 01:06am

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