max theodore’s Reviews > Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny > Status Update

"Eviction is a ubiquitous problem for black women, one that sociologist Matthew Desmond takes to be the undernoticed analogue of mass incarceration for black men, which constitutes a deep source of systemic injustice and disadvantage. 'Poor Black men are locked up while poor Black women are locked out,' Desmond argues."

(re last update) “Women’s subordination casts them in terms that are functional and relational […] a woman is often expected to play the role of a man’s attentive, loving subordinate […] women’s conduct vis-a-vis men is taken unduly personally (by them and on their behalf). So women’s indifference becomes aversion, ignorance becomes ignoring, testimony becomes tattling, & asking becomes extortion.”

this book is soooo smart it’s making the point that misogyny doesn’t come from men personally hating women but from patriarchy controlling women’s actions (obvious) specifically by talking about how men don’t have to hate ALL women—just the ones who have the audacity not to serve as subordinates, caretakers, and side characters to them. except she’s saying it better than i am

me: nonfiction books don’t have cliffhangers
the last line of chapter 1: “For the sake of illustration, enter Rush Limbaugh.”

imagine if i could stop starting new books. but i'm really excited about this one