Essay Questions

What is the significance of the the novel’s title?

The novel’s title is a reference to the author’s personal belief that in the same way there are good people there are bad people as well, and in that same regard, there are good feminists and bad feminists. The author however makes the distinction that “bad” doesn’t necessarily mean “evil” but rather “poor” or “deficient” in that feminism as a movement is complicated matter with many facets that has unfortunately been whittled down to represent the interests of white, heterosexual women. This watering down of the movement to an exclusive club almost and her staunch disagreement with this stance leads her to brand herself as a “bad feminist.”

Feminism is the obvious overarching theme but how is it discussed by the author?

The theme of feminism is discussed on two levels: first the author discusses the personal significance of the movement to her, and second, she discusses the historical developments that led into the creation of the movement. She then discusses the many minutiae of the ideologies that give the movement life and, unfortunately, also muddle it. The novel treats the discussion as part history lesson and commentary of it citing how some factions of women themselves have skewed the original notion and objective of feminism into the stereotypical bra-burning protesters.

How do the themes of Pop Culture and Feminism intersect in the novel?

The author argues that popular culture and mass media plays a critical role in formation of philosophies that drive a culture and that it can affect the creation of a culture in both positive and negative ways. She points out media programs created for entertainment purposes help perpetuate certain racial or gender stereotypes or promote violence against women. She is particularly critical about how these shows, and their corresponding gender representations, impact society and how society, in turn, fuels the demand for the creation of certain forms of entertainment. This cycle of supply and demand generated by the entertainment industry is where the themes of pop culture and feminism intersect.