September 1, 2018
Current events and women's issues humorously tackled by a successful and prolific black woman comedian.In her follow-up to You Can't Touch My Hair,2 Dope Queens star Robinson brings back the unique brand of humor that made her debut book a bestseller. Here, the author explores common issues for women such as the yo-yo ride on the weight roller coaster, her own battle to accept her body image ("every day, I struggle not only with rewiring my brain to not equate self-worth with how my body looks, but also with not letting men and clothing companies define my own gaze"), and the idea of whether she has on "standing jeans or sitting jeans," the former of which she needs to undo in order to eat her meal. She writes about men's penis sizes, issues with her mother, the accumulation of debt, how meeting celebrities has affected her, and "being a trash person in a trash world"--to be fair, though, "no one on this planet can completely rid themselves of their trash ways." All of the essays are filled with hashtags, slang, unnecessary abbreviations, and constant references to current events and pop culture, so readers not familiar with the current trends may get lost from time to time. Although unquestionably a humor book--and much of it is quite funny--the author isn't afraid to confront serious issues, including violence against blacks, women, and Muslims; the difficulty of being a woman sports fan; and how topics such as abortion rights are constantly under attack by the white men in power in this country. Throughout, it's clear that Robinson has a specific brand of humor that won't resonate with everyone. Readers who enjoy her podcast and loved her first book will find even more to appreciate here; others should look elsewhere for a good laugh.A mixed bag, much like many essay collections from pop-culture figures.
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October 15, 2018
In her second book, Robinson (Two Dope Queens podcast; You Can't Touch My Hair) takes on topics such as interracial dating and issues of race still inherent within modern feminism. In more lighthearted prose, the author also describes meeting heroes such as Oprah and Bono and spending a day with Julia Roberts and her family on their yacht. Throughout, Robinson maintains her etymological quirks and humorous abbreviations as well as an unapologetic directness in her opinions peppered with wit and a unique gift for mixing erudite commentary with pop-culture observations, resulting in highly entertaining word pictures. VERDICT Robinson's collection will appeal to fans of her previous work as well as those who enjoy sociopolitical essays sprinkled with a generous dash of humor.--Stacy Shaw, Denver
Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
October 22, 2018
Comedian Robinson (You Can’t Touch My Hair) spins stories that are laugh-out-loud funny yet carry an unmistakable undertone of seriousness regarding sexism and race relations. As a woman of color in stand-up comedy—often the arena of white men—Robinson has faced harassment (including fellow comedians catcalling her on and off the stage), and her anger fuels bold proclamations that should inspire women to push back against sexism and discrimination (“Women have to stop apologizing for things they don’t need to apologize for”). She is especially on point when discussing the highs and lows of race relations, believing that America had changed for the better in 2008 (“It felt like a new era, and anything was possible because there was proof of it every day in the Oval Office”) and then for the worse in 2016 (“We have a president... who behaves as though all African-Americans live in the inner city”). The author also touches on lighter topics as well, such as Oprah’s endorsement of Robinson’s first book (“Queen O continued with her message, and it was beyond lovely”), the difficulties of modern dating, and even the importance of good skin care. Robinson’s side-splitting memoir will both entertain and empower her readers.
September 15, 2018
To quote Robinson herself from this collection's essay about workaholism, "Why publish one book in the span of two years when I could pub two?" And in those two years since releasing her instantly best-selling first book, You Can't Touch My Hair (2016), writer, actor, and podcast host Robinson has been busy. She made her feature-film debut in Ibiza; freed herself from student-loan and credit-card debt; came to terms with that previously mentioned workaholism; hung out with her idol, Bono, multiple times; and even fell in love (not with Bono!). As in her first book, Robinson maintains a baseline of free-associating, footnoting, list-making hilarity, which both disarms and readies readers for the tougher truths she tackles. Particularly poignant are her essays about money?a very open piece that will speak directly to those working in creative fields and millennials, who, like Robinson, graduated into the Great Recession?and about feminism: her frustrations with its lack of inclusivity and her demands for it to be and do better for women of color, queer women, and all women.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)