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The Indignities of Being a Woman
It’s the 21st Century. Why the hell are women - 51% of the population - being treated like second class citizens?
The Indignities of Being a Woman candidly traces the history of womanhood and investigates how much things have really changed for womankind. By carefully x-raying areas such as body image, marriage, mental illness, fashion, and politics, this audiobook examines what it was like to be a woman in the past versus what it’s like now, when women are constantly told equality between the sexes exists but reality proves otherwise.
It’s the brainchild of two childless comedians, Merrill Markoe and Megan Koester. Markoe is a multi-award-winning comedy writer whose credits span television, magazines, and books. She has four Emmy Awards, one for each of her dogs. Koester has written for VICE, Jezebel and the Guardian and has one basic cable acting credit. The two writers—one a comedy veteran, the other an emerging talent—intersperse their dry wit with their own experiences of being long-suffering feminists in the modern world.
The Indignities of Being a Woman candidly traces the history of womanhood and investigates how much things have really changed for womankind. By carefully x-raying areas such as body image, marriage, mental illness, fashion, and politics, this audiobook examines what it was like to be a woman in the past versus what it’s like now, when women are constantly told equality between the sexes exists but reality proves otherwise.
It’s the brainchild of two childless comedians, Merrill Markoe and Megan Koester. Markoe is a multi-award-winning comedy writer whose credits span television, magazines, and books. She has four Emmy Awards, one for each of her dogs. Koester has written for VICE, Jezebel and the Guardian and has one basic cable acting credit. The two writers—one a comedy veteran, the other an emerging talent—intersperse their dry wit with their own experiences of being long-suffering feminists in the modern world.
8 pages, Audible Audio
First published January 1, 2018
32 people are currently reading
671 people want to read
About the author
Merrill Markoe
32 books147 followersAn author, a television writer and a sometime standup comedienne.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
January 16, 2019
Don't come here for history or for nuance, but if you want to laugh at the absurdities of sexism over time, this is great!
September 21, 2018
Very interesting listen for sure, it listens more like a podcast which I really liked. The content was really well researched and presented in a very interesting way as well, I like how each chapter was a different topic making it very well structured. There were some very funny parts however some parts felt very forced and didn't flow as nicely as others. Over all really enjoyable listen I think everyone should listen as it covers really important and current issues
December 11, 2018
Sometimes, in our privileged, modern, "egalitarian" society, we amnesiacs start to think it's always been this way. We hear stories of certain people being treated in certain horrifying ways and it doesn't entirely resonate, because it's not something we lived ourselves. And so we can talk about "men's rights" or the "problem of gender neutrality", or declare that "I'm not a feminst", or hate "third wave feminism (whatever that is)" like they're big issues and forget that for literally THOUSANDS OF YEARS an infinite number of awful things have been done to us, often with our own complicity, just because of our gender. ONLY because of our gender. Our incomes, our rights to our children and property, our schooling, our bodies, our voices, our votes, our clothes, our choices... all policed and codified. For thousands of years.
This book is a hilarious and real reminder of just how FUCKED UP the world has been to women BECAUSE they were women. And unless we continue beating the drum of feminism, beating back the lawmakers, the religions, the profiteers, the toxic patriarchal narrative, and demand to be treated like human beings, it is so easy to fall backwards.
This book is a hilarious and real reminder of just how FUCKED UP the world has been to women BECAUSE they were women. And unless we continue beating the drum of feminism, beating back the lawmakers, the religions, the profiteers, the toxic patriarchal narrative, and demand to be treated like human beings, it is so easy to fall backwards.
March 27, 2019
What an awesome read! So much information to digest that I will definitely be reading this again in the future. I appreciate the inclusiveness of this book. Trans people are discussed not as a surprise of the future, but their history is acknowledged. The intersectionality troubles for women of color are recognized again and again and with specificity. Both authors are amusing ladies and add a sense of humor to the work, which is enjoyable. My one gripe is that on a couple of occasions the younger of the two would go into a small rant about "types" of women. Maybe ones who like makeup or ones who seem more frivolous to her. I could have done without that.
May 11, 2019
I found the topic very interesting, but the narrators rather off-putting. They sounded like a bunch of bitter, resentful women. I get it - what women have to put up with sucks. But I would've appreciated a more professional, neutral tone. It even made me doubt the accuracy of the facts they presented - have they only mentioned facts that fit their biased views? Not to mention that most of the jokes felt forced and over the top.
I really wanted to like this more, and even though I resonated with the book's message, was frustrated by the ridiculous expectations that society has always had from women, and amused by the beauty treatments used in ancient times, I believe the communication of the message could've been done in a much better way.
I really wanted to like this more, and even though I resonated with the book's message, was frustrated by the ridiculous expectations that society has always had from women, and amused by the beauty treatments used in ancient times, I believe the communication of the message could've been done in a much better way.
April 5, 2019
The Audible Original is a light-hearted look at how women have been put upon over the centuries (because if you can't laugh at this stuff, you will just go crazy). The narrators cover "indignities" in the following categories: Politics, Make-up, Sex, Religion, Marriage and Children, Body image, Crime, Fashion, Hair, Medicine and Entertainment. They roll out the horrrifyingly true facts, but manage to get the listener laughing rather than screaming.
This is an easy history lesson for women everywhere
This is an easy history lesson for women everywhere
March 12, 2023
I had to go into this with low expectations. Books that try to be humorous already walk a thin line with me, and especially books that try to be humorous about serious things. This is pretty much a conversational style stand up routine about sexism through the ages, narrated by two women with lots of sarcasm and quips and irreverence. It doesn't purport to be all-encompassing, and indeed, other than a lot of obscure and interesting facts, it didn't really give me any truly NEW information? But I still liked it.
Like I said, I set my expectations very low, so the fact that we got little bits of intersectionality re: race and sexuality was nice? It was cis-centric most of the time, and there was a lot of "the two genders" rhetoric, but there was inclusion of trans women in some chapters. It was very very minimal though, so don't go in expecting much. There were lots of interesting factoids, a lot of depressing historical titbits that you just had to laugh at. Misogyny has taken a lot of weird forms over the centuries, and the was they discussed it was informative while also being funny. I liked the conversational interludes where the authors chatted and kept things personal and light, even while discussing terrible things. I'll say that at least: they succeeded in making me laugh! But they also succeeded in making me cringe several times. Even if the book wasn't trying to be all encompassing, I feel like a couple of the historical sections, especially about non-Western cultures, could have used more nuance. And there were some, uh, opinions that I couldn't take v seriously. I'm sorry.
Listened to the audiobook as read by the authors, and that was fun. Like I said, sorta like a stand up show, with fun little musical interludes. I almost skipped over this one in my 'You Bought It So You Must Read It' journey, because I was so sure it would be an out-dated version of feminism. But it wasn't bad. Wasn't all good either. But at least I don't feel like I wasted my time.
Like I said, I set my expectations very low, so the fact that we got little bits of intersectionality re: race and sexuality was nice? It was cis-centric most of the time, and there was a lot of "the two genders" rhetoric, but there was inclusion of trans women in some chapters. It was very very minimal though, so don't go in expecting much. There were lots of interesting factoids, a lot of depressing historical titbits that you just had to laugh at. Misogyny has taken a lot of weird forms over the centuries, and the was they discussed it was informative while also being funny. I liked the conversational interludes where the authors chatted and kept things personal and light, even while discussing terrible things. I'll say that at least: they succeeded in making me laugh! But they also succeeded in making me cringe several times. Even if the book wasn't trying to be all encompassing, I feel like a couple of the historical sections, especially about non-Western cultures, could have used more nuance. And there were some, uh, opinions that I couldn't take v seriously. I'm sorry.
Listened to the audiobook as read by the authors, and that was fun. Like I said, sorta like a stand up show, with fun little musical interludes. I almost skipped over this one in my 'You Bought It So You Must Read It' journey, because I was so sure it would be an out-dated version of feminism. But it wasn't bad. Wasn't all good either. But at least I don't feel like I wasted my time.
November 8, 2019
A journey through the indignities of being a woman through the ages. Indignities were often an understatement with regards to some of this history. Much of it is very dark and, at times, lethal. The humor was mostly enjoyable, although sometimes it was a bit much.
All in all, I found this an enjoyable run down of some very unenjoyable things. Am I grateful to be a man? Honestly, I love women and wouldn’t have any problem with being one, if I had to be, despite it all. I’m fine with being a guy, so I guess I have no complaints. Still, my wife is a woman. My sister is a woman. My mom is a woman. My nieces are women and girls. Some of my friends are women. I care about their well-being, so I don’t like the fact that things aren’t what they should be even now.
This is a huge subject and this book couldn’t come close to covering it all. Most of the twentieth and twenty-first-century aspects of the subject are about the way things are in the United States. As bad as that can be there, there are plenty of parts of the world with a lot of women is a great deal worse. For more on this subject, I would recommend A Brief History of Misogyny: The World's Oldest Prejudice by Jack Holland. It was written by a guy, but it’s still pretty good.
I don’t think there’s a hard copy of this since it’s essentially an Audible production. Still, if you’re going to cover such a grim topic as the ongoing systemic inequality that women still face, you could do worse than whistling in the graveyard with these two fine authors.
Unlike some of the other reviewers, I have no problem with all the Trump jokes. They will eventually date this production if we’re lucky.
All in all, I found this an enjoyable run down of some very unenjoyable things. Am I grateful to be a man? Honestly, I love women and wouldn’t have any problem with being one, if I had to be, despite it all. I’m fine with being a guy, so I guess I have no complaints. Still, my wife is a woman. My sister is a woman. My mom is a woman. My nieces are women and girls. Some of my friends are women. I care about their well-being, so I don’t like the fact that things aren’t what they should be even now.
This is a huge subject and this book couldn’t come close to covering it all. Most of the twentieth and twenty-first-century aspects of the subject are about the way things are in the United States. As bad as that can be there, there are plenty of parts of the world with a lot of women is a great deal worse. For more on this subject, I would recommend A Brief History of Misogyny: The World's Oldest Prejudice by Jack Holland. It was written by a guy, but it’s still pretty good.
I don’t think there’s a hard copy of this since it’s essentially an Audible production. Still, if you’re going to cover such a grim topic as the ongoing systemic inequality that women still face, you could do worse than whistling in the graveyard with these two fine authors.
Unlike some of the other reviewers, I have no problem with all the Trump jokes. They will eventually date this production if we’re lucky.
February 5, 2019
Funny but raunchy.
These ladies are comedians, not historians, which I knew going in. I enjoyed it, but if you’re expecting academic history or a sophisticated intersectional approach, you may be disappointed. The focus is on “Western” history, and I’d enjoy a broader history, but I think that’s because I enjoyed what was included.
Also definitely do NOT listen with kids around—or husbands, maybe ;-)
These ladies are comedians, not historians, which I knew going in. I enjoyed it, but if you’re expecting academic history or a sophisticated intersectional approach, you may be disappointed. The focus is on “Western” history, and I’d enjoy a broader history, but I think that’s because I enjoyed what was included.
Also definitely do NOT listen with kids around—or husbands, maybe ;-)
March 29, 2019
If you are a woman or have a woman in your life whom you love, please listen to this recording. This is a comedic but thoroughly frightening history of how far we have come yet how far we are still from true equality, recognition and respect amongst the male population.
May 27, 2020
Abandoned at 50%. Either it's not the right time, or it's not the right tone. I just couldn't abide one more minute.
April 18, 2020
I am only giving this audible book 3 stars. It is not because I am a misogynist, something that I would vociferously deny. It is possibly because I am a sexist which is something that a white male of 73 years has a hard time avoiding. It is simply because I find that it is hard to maintain more than a three star quality over a eight hour plus allegedly comedic book. I think there is more trauma than humor in this book.
But I do want to commend the two women who were evidently at the forefront of this project. I even tried to find the younger of the two on Facebook and sent a message to someone with the same name asking to join her Fanbase. So there is some woman out there in Los Angeles wondering who the fuck this guy was!
The first chapter of this book was I thought five star stand-up comedy. But as one got used to the repartee between the two women of two generations it got a little old. They tried to act as if they were just having A spontaneous conversation but you knew that a lot of writing and preparation had gone into it and that sort of took away from the effort at spontaneity.
I am totally aware of how distressing it must be to be a woman in our society. I mean for god sake in the founding documents all men are created equal. For some reason those of us in the US glory in that remarkable statement rather than vomiting at the omission. And how long it took for women to get the right to vote. And the fact that the ERA still is awaiting conclusion. And let’s not mention women voting for Trump.
In many ways this was a joy to listen to and I pretty much listen to it back to back to back in two days. Probably that is part of the reason that I got a little tired of it predictability.
I am a supporter of women’s rights. Back in the last century when it was a pretty new idea, I remember going to a women’s bookstore and finding a sign on the door. The sign asked men to please not come in. I was saddened just short of being enraged. But I walked away from the door.
But I do want to commend the two women who were evidently at the forefront of this project. I even tried to find the younger of the two on Facebook and sent a message to someone with the same name asking to join her Fanbase. So there is some woman out there in Los Angeles wondering who the fuck this guy was!
The first chapter of this book was I thought five star stand-up comedy. But as one got used to the repartee between the two women of two generations it got a little old. They tried to act as if they were just having A spontaneous conversation but you knew that a lot of writing and preparation had gone into it and that sort of took away from the effort at spontaneity.
I am totally aware of how distressing it must be to be a woman in our society. I mean for god sake in the founding documents all men are created equal. For some reason those of us in the US glory in that remarkable statement rather than vomiting at the omission. And how long it took for women to get the right to vote. And the fact that the ERA still is awaiting conclusion. And let’s not mention women voting for Trump.
In many ways this was a joy to listen to and I pretty much listen to it back to back to back in two days. Probably that is part of the reason that I got a little tired of it predictability.
I am a supporter of women’s rights. Back in the last century when it was a pretty new idea, I remember going to a women’s bookstore and finding a sign on the door. The sign asked men to please not come in. I was saddened just short of being enraged. But I walked away from the door.
May 3, 2019
I really liked this audiobook! I thought it was well researched and although it made me (even more) angry with the patriarchy, I thought the humorous spin that Markoe and Koester put on the different topics and how they related the stories to their own experiences kept me engaged and wanting to find out more. Listening to this book while cross stitching a "Make Herstory" pattern may be my feminist peak of 2019 so far. Definitely a must-listen for anyone frustrated by the misogyny we see on a daily basis today.
January 18, 2019
The Indignities of Being a Woman is a hilarious satire that balances both rhetoric and historical evidence to explore womanhood and its evolution in a down-to-earth manner. 4 stars instead of 5 because there are a few too many monologue sections in the second half of the book that I [personally] find to be dry.
**This book may not be good for sensitive or young readers due to language and some topics that may be triggering.
**This book may not be good for sensitive or young readers due to language and some topics that may be triggering.
September 20, 2018
Well researched and presented. Focusing on twelve aspects of life and civilization, the authors do a wonderful job of demonstrating the scope and severity of the ill-treatment and inequalities in the lives of women throughout history. I found the humorous tack they took in their writing and presentation just enough to keep me from crying. I can not recommend this title enough.
November 19, 2018
Funny, sad, frustrating, horrifying … thought provoking …
March 29, 2019
The most important message from this book is...VOTE!!!
January 7, 2021
Very entertaining, it is like listening to a great educational and comedic podcast staring your friends. Merrill and Megan made me feel like I was part of a close friend group. It is indignant, and got me mad at various points, still, highly recommended.
October 12, 2020
An amusing feminist audio-book, talking about the role of women in different aspects of society through the ages. It shares some pretty curious facts and poses thought-provoking questions.
October 22, 2018
Yup, that's me. A feminist. Brand it whatever you want, because I know feminism has been given a bad rap, but I believe everyone deserves equal footing regardless of race or gender. And no, I don't want Caucasian, WASP or puritanical Christian men to have less, I just don't want to be limited in this life solely because I'm a woman who has non-traditional wants and values. My personal happiness doesn't involve marriage and kids, and I have the right to pursue what makes me happy as much as anyone else without being held accountable to someone else's version of what they think should make me happy. If I want a career and don't have kids, I shouldn't have to explain or defend myself. If I decide I want to have 3 kids and no husband but still work, again, not anyone's business (so long as I can provide for them). Or if I decide to be married with kids and stay home, again, no reason to feel guilty, inadequate, or have to explain how I want to live my life.
Having said all that, this book took me way longer to listen to than I expected. I endured a lot of frustration and disappointment, not in the performance or coverage of historical factoids about women, as the authors try to sprinkle hints of humor, but how can you laugh at marital rape? My issue is with the literal indignities. They set me in a dark place where I am reminded of the pooh-covered end of the stick ladies have been handed over and over throughout history. And we've been expected to smile politely and delicately accept it as though it were a gift. I'm an egalitarian feminist; I don't want anyone to have less (male, female, other). I believe everyone should be equal; with equal rights, freedoms, and it be less about privilege based on gender and more about what a person has to offer. Akin to the Handmaid's Tale, I had a difficult time keeping my justice warrior in check and simply listening to the outright degradations, double-standards, and limitations, many of which are still imposed upon women today. It is 2018 and we're still, at times, ranked as 2nd class citizens. We're still expected to look a certain way, act a certain way, when we're successful and buck traditional roles, we are seen a certain way (as a threat to the establishment instead of people looking for our own happiness). Ultimately, I hated this book. Again, not for the material itself or the presentation, but what it represents because of how it boldly addresses something that still happens in modern society.
Having said all that, this book took me way longer to listen to than I expected. I endured a lot of frustration and disappointment, not in the performance or coverage of historical factoids about women, as the authors try to sprinkle hints of humor, but how can you laugh at marital rape? My issue is with the literal indignities. They set me in a dark place where I am reminded of the pooh-covered end of the stick ladies have been handed over and over throughout history. And we've been expected to smile politely and delicately accept it as though it were a gift. I'm an egalitarian feminist; I don't want anyone to have less (male, female, other). I believe everyone should be equal; with equal rights, freedoms, and it be less about privilege based on gender and more about what a person has to offer. Akin to the Handmaid's Tale, I had a difficult time keeping my justice warrior in check and simply listening to the outright degradations, double-standards, and limitations, many of which are still imposed upon women today. It is 2018 and we're still, at times, ranked as 2nd class citizens. We're still expected to look a certain way, act a certain way, when we're successful and buck traditional roles, we are seen a certain way (as a threat to the establishment instead of people looking for our own happiness). Ultimately, I hated this book. Again, not for the material itself or the presentation, but what it represents because of how it boldly addresses something that still happens in modern society.
December 9, 2019
2.5 stars, but rounding up to 3.
I really enjoyed the authors/narrators! They are funny, smart, and clearly did a lot of homework on sexism throughout the ages. This book isn't a complete picture on sexism, and some chapters leave out certain demographics, but they admit that up front so I'm not holding it against them. It's a great kicking off point to learn more about how women have been treated since the beginning, and how some of those circumstances still impact us today. It's fascinating.
That being said, I wish this book had been a podcast, and if you haven't started it yet I'd encourage you to treat it like one (chunking it into smaller pieces and spreading it out over time). The book presented as a lot of fast facts, and while they were interesting facts, there wasn't a lot of narrative or anecdote around them to make them stick with me. Every time one of the women added some personal context to research I found myself wanting to know more about her experience and how it relates to the women from the past. I can see myself probably "picking this book up" again when I need some background noise to re-listen to my favorite chapters.
I really enjoyed the authors/narrators! They are funny, smart, and clearly did a lot of homework on sexism throughout the ages. This book isn't a complete picture on sexism, and some chapters leave out certain demographics, but they admit that up front so I'm not holding it against them. It's a great kicking off point to learn more about how women have been treated since the beginning, and how some of those circumstances still impact us today. It's fascinating.
That being said, I wish this book had been a podcast, and if you haven't started it yet I'd encourage you to treat it like one (chunking it into smaller pieces and spreading it out over time). The book presented as a lot of fast facts, and while they were interesting facts, there wasn't a lot of narrative or anecdote around them to make them stick with me. Every time one of the women added some personal context to research I found myself wanting to know more about her experience and how it relates to the women from the past. I can see myself probably "picking this book up" again when I need some background noise to re-listen to my favorite chapters.
May 30, 2019
Audiobook. And it really has to be read as an audiobook, since it’s comedic and every chapter starts with a song and ends with a bouncy repartee between the two narrators.
It’s quite funny, and there are a lot of head-shaking, eye-rolling facts in here. But it’s not perfect; there are a few tiny historical errors, and it mainly focuses on the lot of American women, which is fine, but in doing so pretty much ignores the daily horror that is womanhood for much of the rest of the world. Women’s suffrage wasn’t fought for only in the US. But no matter - this is a great little book that reminded me that although women have progressed hugely in equal rights (at least in the West), there’s much that’s overlooked, taken for granted or simply accepted even today.
One thing that the book touches on (or perhaps dances around) only a bit is the role that women play in propagating their own oppression. Half the population cannot be held down for millennia without allowing it to happen, to some extent. As the chapter on politics points out, we do not always stick together.
It’s quite funny, and there are a lot of head-shaking, eye-rolling facts in here. But it’s not perfect; there are a few tiny historical errors, and it mainly focuses on the lot of American women, which is fine, but in doing so pretty much ignores the daily horror that is womanhood for much of the rest of the world. Women’s suffrage wasn’t fought for only in the US. But no matter - this is a great little book that reminded me that although women have progressed hugely in equal rights (at least in the West), there’s much that’s overlooked, taken for granted or simply accepted even today.
One thing that the book touches on (or perhaps dances around) only a bit is the role that women play in propagating their own oppression. Half the population cannot be held down for millennia without allowing it to happen, to some extent. As the chapter on politics points out, we do not always stick together.
March 20, 2020
This audiobook was so hilarious to listen and informative as well. Merrill Markoe and Megan Koester are an excellent pair of comedic storytellers that throughout the book give historical details and provide research of how being a woman centuries and even present day are treated as inferior species.
January 15, 2019
very interesting information....very interesting indeed. sad...but interesting...
June 19, 2019
I'm a proud feminist. Learning Stuff. Getting mad. Laughing out loud..
November 11, 2021
If you're looking for complete historical accuracy, this is not for you. If you're looking for a good laugh, however, you might be in for a few entertaining hours of snarky commentary about sexist absurdities in past and present. Being a US production this is, unsurprisingly, very US focussed on many occasions - every single one of which sections made me go "thank fuck I don't live there".
April 19, 2021
The patriarchy is exhausting and depressing. Ugh.
April 24, 2025
Great audio book. Reads like a podcast. Will make you side eye every man ever…as if we weren’t already.
February 13, 2021
3.5 estrellas
Las humillaciones de ser una mujer a lo que yo añadiría: "en el mundo anglosajón o anglófono". Es interesante y como está escrito por dos cómicas estadounidenses, evidentemente, en clave de humor. Pero un humor mordaz. Imagino que hay mucha gente a la que incluso le resultará muy agresivo y no habrá podido terminarlo.
Es interesante, sí, aunque desde luego, y sin pretenderlo, no es un análisis universal ni mucho menos. Añade alguna que otra anécdota sobre el tema sobre todo de la Antigua Grecia, Egipto, Roma, etc.
Las humillaciones de ser una mujer a lo que yo añadiría: "en el mundo anglosajón o anglófono". Es interesante y como está escrito por dos cómicas estadounidenses, evidentemente, en clave de humor. Pero un humor mordaz. Imagino que hay mucha gente a la que incluso le resultará muy agresivo y no habrá podido terminarlo.
Es interesante, sí, aunque desde luego, y sin pretenderlo, no es un análisis universal ni mucho menos. Añade alguna que otra anécdota sobre el tema sobre todo de la Antigua Grecia, Egipto, Roma, etc.
November 24, 2022
Very relatable as a woman and made me literally laugh out loud in parts... the facts presented were interesting, although I wouldn't say that the history is the main point of this audiobook. Loved the sarcasm and interaction between the hosts!
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