Young (
Crazy Old Ladies: The Story of Hag Horror) writes a riveting study of the celebrated, scandalized women who have served as standards for beauty while also being scapegoated, scrutinized, and shamed. She starts with a depiction of Clara Bow, the first woman officially described as having the “it” factor. The chapters that follow spotlight women including Josephine Baker; actress Nell Gwynn, who was the longtime mistress of King Charles II; Twiggy; Kate Moss; and Kim Kardashian. With descriptions of childhood trauma, misogyny, gaslighting, and exploitation woven into the women’s stories, the book lends depth to figures blown up by tabloids into hyperbolic and often dehumanized versions of themselves.
VERDICT A fascinating study of what celebrity means, how it makes and unmakes women, and what stories go untold in the relentless manufacturing of women as objects of desire. This book offers intersectional and intentional subversions of dominant narratives about women in ways that will engage readers curious about the strange, oscillating power of fame, especially as it impacts women’s sense of self.
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