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No Way! Okay, Fine.
No Way, Okay Fine! is a memoir about pop culture, pop music, feminism and feelings.
'I identified early on that my role in relationships was the sidekick, the platonic female cast member in an all-male production, or the friend who was relied on selectively when other options were unavailable. I was the comic relief or the stand-in, never the lead. I knew this, I felt it, I wrote it down, but I didn't dare say it aloud because that would prove that I cared and caring wasn't cool.'
From the small town in regional Australia where she was told that 'girls can't play the drums' to New York City and back again, Brodie has spent her life searching screens, books, music and magazines for bodies like hers, girls who loved each other, and women who didn't follow the silent instructions to shrink or hide that they've received since literal birth. This is the story of life as a young woman through the lenses of feminism and pop culture.
Brodie's story will make you re-evaluate the power of pop culture in our lives - and maybe you will laugh and cry along the way.
'I identified early on that my role in relationships was the sidekick, the platonic female cast member in an all-male production, or the friend who was relied on selectively when other options were unavailable. I was the comic relief or the stand-in, never the lead. I knew this, I felt it, I wrote it down, but I didn't dare say it aloud because that would prove that I cared and caring wasn't cool.'
From the small town in regional Australia where she was told that 'girls can't play the drums' to New York City and back again, Brodie has spent her life searching screens, books, music and magazines for bodies like hers, girls who loved each other, and women who didn't follow the silent instructions to shrink or hide that they've received since literal birth. This is the story of life as a young woman through the lenses of feminism and pop culture.
Brodie's story will make you re-evaluate the power of pop culture in our lives - and maybe you will laugh and cry along the way.
- GenresNonfictionFeminismMemoir
272 pages, Paperback
First published October 26, 2017
14 people are currently reading
696 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
abandoned-on-hold
October 30, 2017I need to remember that I really don't do very well with memoirs and specifically with memoirs from millennials with a focus on pop culture, feminism and feelings. Sigh , I obviously didn't read or think about that title before I picked this up, somehow convinced I would find this amusing. Rather I felt like I was trapped at a table of pseudo-intellectual 2o year olds referencing TV shows I have never heard of and discussing intersectionality with a gravity belying their years.
It seems very hard to critique this as it is such a personal piece of writing and it will hit the mark for the right reader. The main problem I had with this and my reason for a DNF was I struggled to find this relatable. It is certainly a book that is playing in the same space as Roxanne Gay's Bad Feminist and Clementine Ford's Fight Like A Girl but not having read either of those I am not sure how well it compares.
This was purely a mistake on my part to pick this up rather than the book being objectionable. I am now feeling old and grouchy about writing this, so I will just file this away in my growing "abandoned shelf" and move on.
It seems very hard to critique this as it is such a personal piece of writing and it will hit the mark for the right reader. The main problem I had with this and my reason for a DNF was I struggled to find this relatable. It is certainly a book that is playing in the same space as Roxanne Gay's Bad Feminist and Clementine Ford's Fight Like A Girl but not having read either of those I am not sure how well it compares.
This was purely a mistake on my part to pick this up rather than the book being objectionable. I am now feeling old and grouchy about writing this, so I will just file this away in my growing "abandoned shelf" and move on.
April 27, 2017
I crazy loved this so much. I laughed. I cried. I did both at the same time. I felt such pure joy and connection. I know this is being called a memoir but I read it as essays and the one on Kanye West is one of the best essays I have ever read. @brodielancaster please accept this as my application to be your BFF. I too have watched thousands of hours of Gilmore Girls (I am always watching GG) and FNL. The Tyra scene you reference in the book is one of the most powerful moments in the show. Clear eyes, full hearts. I've written a book about One Direction (truly). I've never seen Game of Thrones but I'd watch it if you really wanted me to. Well done and congrats on this excellent book. Copper boom!
July 9, 2017
Smart, funny, honest and insightful - Lancaster is the pop culture commentator we need right now.
Read
January 9, 2019THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!!! Fun to read but also written by a clearly intelligent woman. Personal and moving, too. So good.
August 8, 2019
I picked up this audiobook on a whim and I am so so glad I did! This is feminism through a pop culture lens and it worked incredibly well. Brodie’s experiences in life were the definition of relatable and I’m on a mission now to watch/read everything she’s done. I also really enjoyed hearing about her life growing up in a small Australian town. Highly recommend- I think there really is something for everyone in here! (But, I could very much have done without the chapter on Kanye after his more recent antics)
September 24, 2017
I didn't really know anything about Brodie Lancaster or what her book was about when I picked it up, but I had seen a lot of high praise which got me interested.
It is classed as a memoir and I think that memoirs work with their audience when they are either highly relatable to the reader or they offer some kind of new insight or lens on a topic or experience. I can therefore see why there have been so many rave reviews on here from readers of a similar age who have a similar obsession with pop culture to Lancaster.
For me the strengths in the book were where Lancaster analysed the ways in which we view and consume pop culture, relating it back to her own fears and vulnerabilities in regards to how she wanted to be seen by others, and how she wants to live her life and contribute to the world. The chapter on Kanye West was fantastic in both the fresh perspective it presented to me on Kanye's perceived arrogance and the raw honesty with which she related his experience back to her own fears and desires. She also was able to pin point and articulate so well the problems people have with how others consume their pop culture, such as in how they publicly make a celebrity death so personal, or dismiss someone for their love of something deemed to be 'not cool'.
I also found her chapters on body positivity and unlearning things she had previously been taught to be true through society and pop culture's portrayal of women to be really powerful.
Where I struggled and lost interest with the book were stories from Lancaster's life that fitted the 'memoir' style but for me at least weren't really revelatory or interesting - moving away from your home town where you didn't fit in, the struggles of living in another country or using religion to find connection and belonging, interspersed with references to TV or a movie related to her experience. I guess there was just nothing new or groundbreaking for me here. Again, as a twenty something these stories would have spoken to where I was at, and I guess looking back the way I saw notions of home and 'place' in my twenties were very similar, but ten years later I've moved on from those ideas which is why they didn't strike a chord. That is why I liked the acknowledgment from Lancaster at the end of the book that 'hey, the thoughts in this book are not my thoughts forevermore!'
So there were definitely hit and miss moments in this
book for me, but ultimately it was well written and intelligently delivered with a lot of heart, with the strong chapters making for fantastic reading that really got me thinking.
It is classed as a memoir and I think that memoirs work with their audience when they are either highly relatable to the reader or they offer some kind of new insight or lens on a topic or experience. I can therefore see why there have been so many rave reviews on here from readers of a similar age who have a similar obsession with pop culture to Lancaster.
For me the strengths in the book were where Lancaster analysed the ways in which we view and consume pop culture, relating it back to her own fears and vulnerabilities in regards to how she wanted to be seen by others, and how she wants to live her life and contribute to the world. The chapter on Kanye West was fantastic in both the fresh perspective it presented to me on Kanye's perceived arrogance and the raw honesty with which she related his experience back to her own fears and desires. She also was able to pin point and articulate so well the problems people have with how others consume their pop culture, such as in how they publicly make a celebrity death so personal, or dismiss someone for their love of something deemed to be 'not cool'.
I also found her chapters on body positivity and unlearning things she had previously been taught to be true through society and pop culture's portrayal of women to be really powerful.
Where I struggled and lost interest with the book were stories from Lancaster's life that fitted the 'memoir' style but for me at least weren't really revelatory or interesting - moving away from your home town where you didn't fit in, the struggles of living in another country or using religion to find connection and belonging, interspersed with references to TV or a movie related to her experience. I guess there was just nothing new or groundbreaking for me here. Again, as a twenty something these stories would have spoken to where I was at, and I guess looking back the way I saw notions of home and 'place' in my twenties were very similar, but ten years later I've moved on from those ideas which is why they didn't strike a chord. That is why I liked the acknowledgment from Lancaster at the end of the book that 'hey, the thoughts in this book are not my thoughts forevermore!'
So there were definitely hit and miss moments in this
book for me, but ultimately it was well written and intelligently delivered with a lot of heart, with the strong chapters making for fantastic reading that really got me thinking.
November 26, 2017
Zayne Malik – know him? I had no idea who Zayne Malik is? If you're in the dark, as much as I am, be it known he was once a member of One Direction. Yep, I'd heard of them. Are they still around – One Direction, or are they a boy band who, like many of their ilk, took over the world for a year or two before fading away? But Zayne Malik left the band in March, 2015 and this was, for Brodie Lancaster, as she reports in 'No Way! Okay, Fine', a major life event. From the distance of the generous age gap between the author and myself it would be easy to tell her to 'Get Real' or 'Get a Life'. But, then, I think how shattered I would have been if the rumours were true, back in the day, of Paul McCartney leaving the Beatles. At least there had been considerable telegraphing of the split when it eventually came. The planet, as well as myself, was prepared. Another guiding force in Ms Lancaster's world is Kayne West. Now the little I know of this man revolves around him dissing Taylor Swift at some award ceremony, so I guess from that little effort I've formed a negative opinion of the man. So illogically negative is that opinion I couldn't bring myself to read the laudatory chapter in her memoir revolving around his influence on the way she tries to live her life. It may have afforded me a totally different view of the rapper, but I think by that stage I'd probably had enough.
Ms Lancaster writes with passion about what she loves and hates about the society around her. Entitled men do not come out of it very well – and nor should they. Given I was out of my league with the icons that inform her world, for much of the time, some of her essays made little sense to me. Shows like 'The Gilmore Girls', 'Here Comes Honey Boo Boo' and 'Keeping up with the Kardashians' never have featured on my bucket list of shows of the past I must watch before I, in turn, am past it. What an old fart I am. Clearly I am not the demographic for this book.
Brodie Lancaster is a Melbourne writer, mainly operating in the blogosphere. This is her first book. As a larger sized person, she has also met her fair share of challenges, but she is not Australia's version of Roxane Gay, nor is this book an antipodean 'Hunger'. Her weight isn't front and centre. There is little to fault with this young lady's fine wordsmithery, although in tone she can be a tad ranty, if I am permitted to state. And she does redeem herself in my eyes through her love of Elvis and that remarkable young songstress Courtney Barnett, someone I also admire very much.
My beautiful daughter passed her copy of this book over to me, stating something like that I may find it interesting – and I certainly did. At least till I got to Kanye West. But I also remember that with Kate I failed to see the logic once behind her adoration of the Spice Girls and another boy band, Take That. For me the latter was indistinguishable from the plethora of similar musical dross at the time. But from that band Robbie Williams emerged and for me he is a marvel of modern day popular entertainment. My Katie loved him from the get-go – it just took this old codger a while to catch on. Who knows – in a year or two Zayne Malik maybe the new Robbie Williams.
Ms Lancaster writes with passion about what she loves and hates about the society around her. Entitled men do not come out of it very well – and nor should they. Given I was out of my league with the icons that inform her world, for much of the time, some of her essays made little sense to me. Shows like 'The Gilmore Girls', 'Here Comes Honey Boo Boo' and 'Keeping up with the Kardashians' never have featured on my bucket list of shows of the past I must watch before I, in turn, am past it. What an old fart I am. Clearly I am not the demographic for this book.
Brodie Lancaster is a Melbourne writer, mainly operating in the blogosphere. This is her first book. As a larger sized person, she has also met her fair share of challenges, but she is not Australia's version of Roxane Gay, nor is this book an antipodean 'Hunger'. Her weight isn't front and centre. There is little to fault with this young lady's fine wordsmithery, although in tone she can be a tad ranty, if I am permitted to state. And she does redeem herself in my eyes through her love of Elvis and that remarkable young songstress Courtney Barnett, someone I also admire very much.
My beautiful daughter passed her copy of this book over to me, stating something like that I may find it interesting – and I certainly did. At least till I got to Kanye West. But I also remember that with Kate I failed to see the logic once behind her adoration of the Spice Girls and another boy band, Take That. For me the latter was indistinguishable from the plethora of similar musical dross at the time. But from that band Robbie Williams emerged and for me he is a marvel of modern day popular entertainment. My Katie loved him from the get-go – it just took this old codger a while to catch on. Who knows – in a year or two Zayne Malik maybe the new Robbie Williams.
July 23, 2017
Clever, relatable and charming writing that blends memoir and cultural criticism effortlessly. Some sections stronger than others, but overall this was a fun, thoughtful and accessible read.
February 26, 2020
This book is amazing and made me cry a few times because I've never read anything so real about growing up/life/feelings. I felt like I was reading back my own life for the most part 10000/10
September 13, 2017
So much of what Brodie writes in her collection of essays speaks deep into my soul, something I never thought I'd find myself saying in a book review. Granted, we're the same age, both spent our teen years in a country town in Australia, went to the same uni and sat in the same tutes in Melbourne, listened to the same music, share an obsession with pop culture, discovered 1D as adults and have had to unlearn all the same lessons. If any author was going to "speak deep into my soul", it'd be Brodie, surely. I enjoyed so much of this book, and yet still found my attention waning during some of the longer expositiony bits. The anecdotes and Brodie's clever and often-hilarious references to pop-culture are the stand-out feature of these essays, so if you find yourself similarly reading over sections a couple of times, I urge you-push on.
May 27, 2020
If you grew up in Australia in the last two decades I highly recommend this book for a wonderful nostalgia hit. This book was like wrapping your favourite cozy blanket around you and receiving a much needed warm hug. I really, really loved it. It was like sitting down and having an amazing chat with a dear friend. Brodie writes beautifully on the topics of body positivity, relationships, friendships (my favourite essay of the book), growing up in a small conservative(ish) town and Pop Culture. I was going to give this book 4 stars but I didn't quite connect over the love of Kanye and 1D but I love that they're able to bring Brodie so much joy, just like Studio Ghibli and Murakami does for me (not everyone is going to get it and that's okay).
Ps. It also made me feel extremely homesick for Melbourne.
Ps. It also made me feel extremely homesick for Melbourne.
June 12, 2017
I will write a proper, longer review of this ... but for now I just want to say: AHHHHHH.
This was a cathartic, compulsive and capricious read - I was laughing one minute, then welling up the next. It's a love-letter to pop-culture, a thrilling ode to the "little things" that matter, and the stories that raise us. And a smartly observant look at how the osmosis of story and consumption creates our communities.
I loved it. Utterly, thoroughly LOVED it!
This was a cathartic, compulsive and capricious read - I was laughing one minute, then welling up the next. It's a love-letter to pop-culture, a thrilling ode to the "little things" that matter, and the stories that raise us. And a smartly observant look at how the osmosis of story and consumption creates our communities.
I loved it. Utterly, thoroughly LOVED it!
July 3, 2017
I'm a sucker for a pop-culture reference, especially when they involve Gilmore Girls and Broad City, so Brodie's memoir hit the absolute sweet spot for me. Touching on personal cues such as body image and online relationships, to her unwavering love of 1D and the popular sport of Kanye-bashing, Brodie's refreshing anecdotes and life lessons left me laughing, sulking and induced many 'OMG! me too!!' moments.
4.5 / 5
4.5 / 5
August 10, 2017
Just generally a really fresh, relatable perspective.
Brodie took my guts out and spread them out on the table in front of me while talking about music, fandoms and the concepts of needing to justify some of my tastes as "guilty pleasures"...that's ew and I'm not going to say it anymore. I'm just going to say I like a thing and not feel the need to apologise for it.
For example: I love Lorde and the next person who makes a face at me because of that is going in the bin.
Brodie took my guts out and spread them out on the table in front of me while talking about music, fandoms and the concepts of needing to justify some of my tastes as "guilty pleasures"...that's ew and I'm not going to say it anymore. I'm just going to say I like a thing and not feel the need to apologise for it.
For example: I love Lorde and the next person who makes a face at me because of that is going in the bin.
March 25, 2018
Part memoir, part motivational this book outlines everything from feminism in movies, being an adult obsessed with One Direction, being fat in a thin world and how New York is not all it's cracked up to be.
This book has heaps of great quotes that I've marked - give it a go :)
This book has heaps of great quotes that I've marked - give it a go :)
October 20, 2017
I didnt really connect with this author and a lot of the pop culture references meant nothing to me - I suspect that persons around the same age as the author will not have this problem.
I think this is not so much a memoir but a series (chapters/short essays) of thoughts and comments on subjects relevant to the authors life.
I think this is not so much a memoir but a series (chapters/short essays) of thoughts and comments on subjects relevant to the authors life.
April 11, 2018
3.5 Stars
No Way! Okay, Fine is an interesting look into feminism, pop culture, misogyny and sexual harassment from an Australian plus-sized woman.
No Way! Okay, Fine is an interesting look into feminism, pop culture, misogyny and sexual harassment from an Australian plus-sized woman.
July 24, 2017
I'd been hearing good things about this book for a while, then an interview with the author on Triple J sparked my interest--particularly because Brodie's hometown is Bundaberg, about an hour away from my own hometown.
Each chapter can be read individually, forming 14 essays easily consumed in a sitting. My personal favourites were chapter 5, 'Real Quality' (which explored the nature of taste, how it can be gendered/dismissed/set on a pedestal vs. simple affection for something regardless of perceived worth) and chapter 14, 'The Codes to Self-Esteem'. The latter draws largely on Kanye West and his formula (my confidence + your low self-esteem = my arrogance). The comparisons drawn between West and the Aristotelian idea of a tragic hero didn't sit well with me at first, but the more I think about it, the more it becomes what this book is actually all about--pop culture underpinned by real wit and intelligence, a broad world-view for someone so young (my age), and an enviable understanding of self. Brodie brings it all together at the end with an after word on how the book came to be, and its nature: static in time in context, a marker set in a fluctuating tide of truth and self and understanding.
Each chapter can be read individually, forming 14 essays easily consumed in a sitting. My personal favourites were chapter 5, 'Real Quality' (which explored the nature of taste, how it can be gendered/dismissed/set on a pedestal vs. simple affection for something regardless of perceived worth) and chapter 14, 'The Codes to Self-Esteem'. The latter draws largely on Kanye West and his formula (my confidence + your low self-esteem = my arrogance). The comparisons drawn between West and the Aristotelian idea of a tragic hero didn't sit well with me at first, but the more I think about it, the more it becomes what this book is actually all about--pop culture underpinned by real wit and intelligence, a broad world-view for someone so young (my age), and an enviable understanding of self. Brodie brings it all together at the end with an after word on how the book came to be, and its nature: static in time in context, a marker set in a fluctuating tide of truth and self and understanding.
July 12, 2017
I liked No Way! Okay, Fine, but I didn't love it overall. As with any collection of essays, some will be stronger than others; I thought the ones about Kimye were standouts, and was enthralled by the tale of teenage Brodie being catfished. I'm hesitant to criticize a book which so obviously contains so much of the author's heart and soul on its pages, but while I appreciated the vulnerability there were some drawbacks for me. At times I felt the pop culture references a bit tedious (though I understand this is pretty much the point) and I did not find the discussions around feminism particularly thought-provoking (blame the jaded gender studies major in me for that). To be really honest, sometimes the whole teenage-girl-diary vibe got a bit too cringey for me, but that's definitely just a matter of personal taste.
May 1, 2017
A coming-of-age story with a fierce, feminist heart and a broad sense of purpose, Brodie Lancaster's debut memoir No Way! Okay, Fine is narrated through a series of chronological yet distinct standalone chapters.
Read my full Books+Publishing review here: https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au...
Read my full Books+Publishing review here: https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au...
September 21, 2017
I loved this passionate, funny, joyful book of essays by Brodie Lancaster. Especially the section on Kanye – such smart pop culture writing through a powerful, personal lens.
December 29, 2019
An interesting book about pop culture and life as an emerging journalist. I related to the cat fishing and fandom a lot.
March 31, 2021
I picked this up as a random op shop purchase. Had not heard anything about it nor did I recognise the author name. But 'a memoir about pop culture, feminism and feelings' really grabbed me. So I thought 'why not' popped it into my shopping basket in hopes that I would actually pick it up before the end of time.
Just under 3 years later I listened to the audiobook and here we are now. (and, it's narrated by the Author! Yay!)
This started out really strong. I agreed with Lancaster's views and really felt for her situation. I don't really have much to comment on in the way of her views on 'feminism and feeling', because for the most part, I wholeheartedly agree. We move onto the 'pop culture' part of the book, and this is where you need some knowledge of some particular artists, specifically One Direction. As a fan of the band (but yet would not consider myself a Directioner, a title that Lancaster wears with pride) I understood the conversations that were being had, but seemed to find that a lot of readers of this book were confused by, due to not having the prior knowledge needed of the band before picking this up. So my first note; do your One Direction homework, or maybe just skip this book entirely (a LOT of this book requires this knowledge at different intervals).
Then we got to the Kayne / Taylor incident. Lancaster states she wholeheartedly supports the artist inappropriately bashing another artist on stage with a simple "well, he's right". As Lancaster explains, the reasons behind the announcement were to expose how the awards favour white artists over deserving black artists, which I see and agree with. It is the execution of this stunt and the subsequent attacks Kanye (and his recording studio) deliver against Taylor, is the reason I cannot excuse this behaviour fully. And, to note that, no, I'm not a massive Taylor Swift fan. This whole essay just seemed off from her previous remarks of "not to tear women down" and "women supporting women", this felt like a way to do just that, and honestly left me disappointed.
There's a lot I will take from this novel, and some things I will happily leave. I'll go searching for some of the feminist Zines and comics mentioned in the Afterward, and take these essays for what they were.
Just under 3 years later I listened to the audiobook and here we are now. (and, it's narrated by the Author! Yay!)
This started out really strong. I agreed with Lancaster's views and really felt for her situation. I don't really have much to comment on in the way of her views on 'feminism and feeling', because for the most part, I wholeheartedly agree. We move onto the 'pop culture' part of the book, and this is where you need some knowledge of some particular artists, specifically One Direction. As a fan of the band (but yet would not consider myself a Directioner, a title that Lancaster wears with pride) I understood the conversations that were being had, but seemed to find that a lot of readers of this book were confused by, due to not having the prior knowledge needed of the band before picking this up. So my first note; do your One Direction homework, or maybe just skip this book entirely (a LOT of this book requires this knowledge at different intervals).
Then we got to the Kayne / Taylor incident. Lancaster states she wholeheartedly supports the artist inappropriately bashing another artist on stage with a simple "well, he's right". As Lancaster explains, the reasons behind the announcement were to expose how the awards favour white artists over deserving black artists, which I see and agree with. It is the execution of this stunt and the subsequent attacks Kanye (and his recording studio) deliver against Taylor, is the reason I cannot excuse this behaviour fully. And, to note that, no, I'm not a massive Taylor Swift fan. This whole essay just seemed off from her previous remarks of "not to tear women down" and "women supporting women", this felt like a way to do just that, and honestly left me disappointed.
There's a lot I will take from this novel, and some things I will happily leave. I'll go searching for some of the feminist Zines and comics mentioned in the Afterward, and take these essays for what they were.
May 3, 2018
Okay! First things first. This is a book by a young woman. A young woman who writes about pop culture and One Direction for a living, and who shows a pretty self-deprecating sense of humour in her author talks. And she's written a book with the word 'memoir' on the cover.
So gold stars to her, for writing it, and to her publishers, for picking it out of the Richell Prize entries and publishing it (even though it didn't win the actual prize). I'll bet there are still many corners of the world where someone like Lancaster is not taken very seriously.
And in a way, that's what this book is about: how pop culture has helped her take herself seriously, even when it seems like the rest of the world would rather not.
The hundreds of music and TV references are what makes this book. It's funny and familiar and more relatable than I thought it would be. This book is more about relatable moments, in creating a community out of common experience, than in really exploring issues of taste, culture and gender in any in-depth way. (There are definitely parts of her chapter on taste that could've been fleshed out a bit.)
So gold stars to her, for writing it, and to her publishers, for picking it out of the Richell Prize entries and publishing it (even though it didn't win the actual prize). I'll bet there are still many corners of the world where someone like Lancaster is not taken very seriously.
And in a way, that's what this book is about: how pop culture has helped her take herself seriously, even when it seems like the rest of the world would rather not.
The hundreds of music and TV references are what makes this book. It's funny and familiar and more relatable than I thought it would be. This book is more about relatable moments, in creating a community out of common experience, than in really exploring issues of taste, culture and gender in any in-depth way. (There are definitely parts of her chapter on taste that could've been fleshed out a bit.)
July 10, 2017
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! Already a fan of Brodie, I was pretty excited about this book. It was everything I wanted/needed and more. I have never connected to a book so fully and entirely as I have with 'No Way! Okay, Fine'. A memoir of pop culture and feminism, the way Brodie writes and relates pop culture to her life is the same was I relate to my own life. Her chapter on home put into words exactly how I feel about my hometown, and the complicated feelings I have towards it, that I nearly cried. Her chapter on taste makes me cringe about my own "holier than though indie kid" stage as a young teen, but also helps me come to terms to unapologetically and publically love the music and to shows that I obsess over. Finally, her chapters on One Direction and Kanye West offer such an important perspective on both fandom and Kanye himself, in a way that is appreciative rather than critical. I hope these chapters help change people's own attitudes to fandom and Kanye.
This book is everything. Thank you so much Brodie for writing this. It's exactly what I need in my life right now, and alway.
This book is everything. Thank you so much Brodie for writing this. It's exactly what I need in my life right now, and alway.
January 4, 2018
Lancaster has captured it. The familiarity of a contemporary young adult female experience in Australia. The short personal essay/memoirs have a jovial edge without making light of the issues they discuss, such as weight, change, growth, grief, family, loss and discovery - all rooted in contemporary pop culture and classic teenagedom.
Lancaster's written technique is open and honest, she breathes life into the details of her experience without drowning in facts and details. This maintains a deeply personal yet highly relatable stance that captures human spirit and female strength.
A feminist gem, this book is perfect for the lonely reader to find validation, the busy reader to take a life-pause, or the tea loving reader to take a moment to sip their tea between essays without it growing cold on a nearby ledge. I'm glad Lancaster wrote in short essays, it makes an otherwise binge read so much easier to put down and make space for the provoked thoughts to sink in and settle before picking it up again.
Lancaster's written technique is open and honest, she breathes life into the details of her experience without drowning in facts and details. This maintains a deeply personal yet highly relatable stance that captures human spirit and female strength.
A feminist gem, this book is perfect for the lonely reader to find validation, the busy reader to take a life-pause, or the tea loving reader to take a moment to sip their tea between essays without it growing cold on a nearby ledge. I'm glad Lancaster wrote in short essays, it makes an otherwise binge read so much easier to put down and make space for the provoked thoughts to sink in and settle before picking it up again.
July 7, 2017
I don't think I've ever read a book like this before, and tbh I fucking loved it. I liked understanding the perspective of girls and women who go through fat-shaming, I REALLY liked the fact that I was understanding more and knowing what things I was doing wrong and how I can stop it now. It was just such a fresh and honest perspective on women and feminism in general with a LOT of pop culture references that I mostly didn't get coz I live under a rock BUT I highly enjoyed it (and every single Gilmore Girls reference as well, bless <3).
I have way too much to say about how great every part of this book was, and I stuck little coloured flags in the pages where there was some super good shit being said (pink), a Gilmore Girls reference (blue, and yes, every single one), a talk or video (orange) and songs and movies (green).
I have way too much to say about how great every part of this book was, and I stuck little coloured flags in the pages where there was some super good shit being said (pink), a Gilmore Girls reference (blue, and yes, every single one), a talk or video (orange) and songs and movies (green).
September 6, 2017
I related to so much of this it freaked me out. Never feeling at home in your own small town, having a family who share their feelings through pop culture references, trying to be cool about your tastes when really you'd be happy mainlining Keeping up with the Kardashians all day... This is my life!
It was so ace to have someone seriously relate the significant moments in their life to moments in pop culture, because when you grow up with a love of movies, they go hand in hand. This worked especially well when Lancaster was talking about misogyny and how women are perceived in the world. Because yeah. Same.
TBH the number of Gilmore Girls references alone made this five star worthy.
It was so ace to have someone seriously relate the significant moments in their life to moments in pop culture, because when you grow up with a love of movies, they go hand in hand. This worked especially well when Lancaster was talking about misogyny and how women are perceived in the world. Because yeah. Same.
TBH the number of Gilmore Girls references alone made this five star worthy.
October 4, 2017
For many years Brodie Lancaster felt like she had to play the sidekick, never the lead. She was told things like, “Girls can’t play drums.” She also doubted herself and felt like she had to be likeable in order to be accepted. But this writer, editor, and DJ has proven to everyone that she can achieve big things, as she details in her debut book, No Way! Okay, Fine. It’s part-memoir, part-cultural criticism and polemic, and she talks about growing up as a young millennial woman in a small rural town and embracing her love of different forms of popular culture.
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August 6, 2024
Really, really liked the vast majority of this. I had literally never heard of Brodie Lancaster before this, but I liked a lot of what she had to say about pop culture, politics, feminism, and fatness.
That take on Kanye sure didn't age well, though. Yikes. I guess that is what you risk when you write about celebrities, especially those who are still living and go on to do a whole bunch of awful stuff. I mean, I liked JK Rowling back in the day when I didn't know she was queen of the TERFs, so I get it.
That take on Kanye sure didn't age well, though. Yikes. I guess that is what you risk when you write about celebrities, especially those who are still living and go on to do a whole bunch of awful stuff. I mean, I liked JK Rowling back in the day when I didn't know she was queen of the TERFs, so I get it.
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