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Living Rent Free In My Head: Essays On Pop Culture
Dominique Davis has a lot of opinions on pop culture. Starting the blog Fairly Professional in 2019, she shared her thoughts about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gossip Girl, and Olivia Rodrigo. Now she's ready to share more of her opinions with the rest of the world. Including updated versions of the essays from Fairly Professional, Living Rent Free In My Head features several brand-new essays further exploring the pop culture topics that live inside her head. Like why we idolize celebrity relationships (but why we shouldn't). If we can still love our favorite art despite their problematic creators. And should rom-coms come back? Spoiler alert, yes! Living Rent Free In My Head is a fun inside look into the current landscape of pop culture.
- GenresNonfiction
187 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 2, 2022
2 people are currently reading
565 people want to read
About the author
Dominique Davis
24 books16 followersNo matter the genre or time, Dominique Davis writes affectionately about unapologetic out-of-the-box women and the people who love them. From a mother-daughter con artist duo to a revenge-driven college student, there’s always something special about her characters, as she believes that all great stories should feature remarkable yet flawed female leads. Writing has been her passion since she could hold a pencil, and nowadays she divides her time between devouring books, fine-tuning manuscripts, and embracing her love for all things pop culture. You can learn more about her by checking out her website and following her on social media.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 28, 2022
The essays are fairly short, keep to the topic, and are really easy to read through. Davis has an engaging style that gets you interested in the topic even if you didn’t go into it with much of an opinion one way or another. Also, the essays on topics I wasn’t as familiar with, such as about shows I hadn’t watched, included enough background that I never felt like I missed her point because I wasn’t familiar enough with the material she was referencing.
And she manages all this while, like I said, keeping it short and to the point. No small feat. Something I fail to do regularly on this blog, as readers will attest.
There are 20 essays in a 180 page book, with a broad range of topics from ruminations on general celebrity culture, fandom, and changes in how we consume media, to examining specific aspects of TV shows, characters, and the topics they can handle either poorly or well.
They read very much like blog posts (what it said on the tin, so no surprise there), which is at times both a strength and a weakness of Davis’ style when being translated into book form. I think the topics required a variation in tone depending on the seriousness of the discussion. As Davis herself says in the Author’s Note, this book is centred on personal opinions rather than critical researched discussions, which is okay, but that approach is definitely not going to be equally as effective for all the topics it covers.
Sometimes I felt like the voice was a little too casual or editorial for the more critical topics, which leads to displaying personal biases and maybe also risking not being taken as seriously. At other times, though, that same personality came through as a compliment to the more speculative topics by being very conversational.
Out of habit, I read the essays in the order they appear even though technically they do stand alone and can be read in any order. But there is a method to the order they are put in, and often one topic is related to the next in at least a peripheral or conceptual way, which made the progression of the ideas seem cohesive and informed by what had come before.
While the opening essay on the definition of “celebrity” was a great warm-up to the book and a really interesting consideration, some of the essays following I found a bit derivative in the sense that I felt like I had read a lot of the same ideas on the internet already. Specifically, the question of Ariana Grande Black-fishing, or of analyzing how the media tends to treat female celebrities, or how unfair it is that people have made Taylor Swift’s reclamation of her past works all about the men again.
Of course it is fitting that some of the conversations in the public forum would find their way into a book like this; these ideas have been living rent free in others’ heads as they’ve been posting them and commenting on them, so of course it is in keeping with the title that these ideas are also living rent free in Davis’ head. But I did feel for some of them that there wasn’t much added to the conversation by way of expanding the arguments or considering other factors, perspectives, or implications of the issues.
Perhaps this is partially a result of the limitations of length, which definitely doesn’t allow for a very comprehensive or nuanced approach to some of the big, far-reaching topics that were considered. So, much like my earlier comments on the tone, for certain topics, the shortness of the essays could also be considered a weakness.
But in the essays that were on more specific, narrowed down topics, the length was perfect for allowing nuance while not getting tangled up in too much of the broader context. This is where the book, and Davis’ informal style, really shines.
As someone who has also felt the draw of TikTok but managed to resist its siren call thusfar, I found Davis’ essays on how TikTok has affected both the music and book industry really interesting and thought provoking. These essays consider pros, cons, and seemingly neutral effects as the medium of art and entertainment consumption continues to change rapidly, also changing the skills that musicians and authors have to cultivate to be successful.
The critical look at how true crime is marketed and consumed found in the essay “The Morality of True Crime Entertainment” resonated with me and put into words some of the feelings that have turned me off of true crime media from what little I’ve been exposed to. While not all of the aspects that Davis seemed to think important struck me as quite so significant, there were a lot of good considerations included.
Within true crime, there does appear to be a voracious demand for content that leads to people discussing more and more recent events with little regard for the surviving members of the family who may be affected by the discussion of the events in a sphere that is not a necessary part of the judicial system but rather firmly in the category of entertainment. On the other hand, I didn’t agree with all of Davis’ arguments about whether anyone should be able to report on true crime or the conclusion that true crime media has no benefit beyond its debatable entertainment value, but those are questions that definitely warrant further discussion and research.
The last few essays give a quick treatment of topics within media like rom-coms, reboots, and on-screen relationships. Among these essays, Davis also takes time to look closely at aspects of the shows Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the movie Jennifer’s Body, and the conundrum of people continuing to watch shows that they hate, or that are made by people they hate.
Now although I can’t give individual consideration to every essay, I have to mention specifically how much I loved “The Lost Art of Filler Episodes.” Considering the trend away from the conventional 20-24 episode TV seasons to the shorter 6-12 episode seasons of recent shows from Netflix and other streaming services, Davis examines the factors that go into that decision to get rid of everything that isn’t directly furthering the plot, and what might be the baby that inevitably gets thrown out with the bathwater.
With lengthier seasons, in order to maintain a coherent overarcing plot without exausting the attention span of the viewer, filler episodes are a necessary component to break up the stakes or the larger plot and perhaps give individual side characters more development. Sometimes, Davis argues, this is done really well and filler episodes can be some of the most memorable, stand-out episodes that become fan favourites. I couldn’t help but think of “The Tales of Ba Sing Se” from Avatar: The Last Airbender and what an incredible impact that little experimental, vignette-style episode had on its viewers.
Davis also briefly mentioned how story-of-the-week shows, I think she called it (like Buffy, Supernatural, etc.), can be mostly comprised of what are effectively filler episodes the events of which really don’t have a critical bearing on the ultimate plot of the season’s official Big Bad showdown. I’ve also heard it termed monster-of-the-week, which I guess is more specific to a certain genre of show, so story-of-the-week is better term to encompass all episodic shows regardless of genre.
This made me think that there is a connection to be explored between the shift over from mainly episodic shows, where there is a complete story arc for each episode, to serialized shows. And I, too, lament the loss of the filler episode as it appeared in so many episodic TV shows with ensemble casts. I miss “field trips with Zuko.”
Overall, I enjoyed joining the inhabitants of Davis’ head for the short time it took to read this book, and I definitely left somewhat better acquainted with all of the diverse pop culture crowd making their home up there.
If you are in the market for some quick reads on current culture, or looking for roommates to share your headspace, you can do Dominique Davis a good turn and check this book out: turn those squatters into paying tenants.
And she manages all this while, like I said, keeping it short and to the point. No small feat. Something I fail to do regularly on this blog, as readers will attest.
There are 20 essays in a 180 page book, with a broad range of topics from ruminations on general celebrity culture, fandom, and changes in how we consume media, to examining specific aspects of TV shows, characters, and the topics they can handle either poorly or well.
They read very much like blog posts (what it said on the tin, so no surprise there), which is at times both a strength and a weakness of Davis’ style when being translated into book form. I think the topics required a variation in tone depending on the seriousness of the discussion. As Davis herself says in the Author’s Note, this book is centred on personal opinions rather than critical researched discussions, which is okay, but that approach is definitely not going to be equally as effective for all the topics it covers.
Sometimes I felt like the voice was a little too casual or editorial for the more critical topics, which leads to displaying personal biases and maybe also risking not being taken as seriously. At other times, though, that same personality came through as a compliment to the more speculative topics by being very conversational.
Out of habit, I read the essays in the order they appear even though technically they do stand alone and can be read in any order. But there is a method to the order they are put in, and often one topic is related to the next in at least a peripheral or conceptual way, which made the progression of the ideas seem cohesive and informed by what had come before.
While the opening essay on the definition of “celebrity” was a great warm-up to the book and a really interesting consideration, some of the essays following I found a bit derivative in the sense that I felt like I had read a lot of the same ideas on the internet already. Specifically, the question of Ariana Grande Black-fishing, or of analyzing how the media tends to treat female celebrities, or how unfair it is that people have made Taylor Swift’s reclamation of her past works all about the men again.
Of course it is fitting that some of the conversations in the public forum would find their way into a book like this; these ideas have been living rent free in others’ heads as they’ve been posting them and commenting on them, so of course it is in keeping with the title that these ideas are also living rent free in Davis’ head. But I did feel for some of them that there wasn’t much added to the conversation by way of expanding the arguments or considering other factors, perspectives, or implications of the issues.
Perhaps this is partially a result of the limitations of length, which definitely doesn’t allow for a very comprehensive or nuanced approach to some of the big, far-reaching topics that were considered. So, much like my earlier comments on the tone, for certain topics, the shortness of the essays could also be considered a weakness.
But in the essays that were on more specific, narrowed down topics, the length was perfect for allowing nuance while not getting tangled up in too much of the broader context. This is where the book, and Davis’ informal style, really shines.
As someone who has also felt the draw of TikTok but managed to resist its siren call thusfar, I found Davis’ essays on how TikTok has affected both the music and book industry really interesting and thought provoking. These essays consider pros, cons, and seemingly neutral effects as the medium of art and entertainment consumption continues to change rapidly, also changing the skills that musicians and authors have to cultivate to be successful.
The critical look at how true crime is marketed and consumed found in the essay “The Morality of True Crime Entertainment” resonated with me and put into words some of the feelings that have turned me off of true crime media from what little I’ve been exposed to. While not all of the aspects that Davis seemed to think important struck me as quite so significant, there were a lot of good considerations included.
Within true crime, there does appear to be a voracious demand for content that leads to people discussing more and more recent events with little regard for the surviving members of the family who may be affected by the discussion of the events in a sphere that is not a necessary part of the judicial system but rather firmly in the category of entertainment. On the other hand, I didn’t agree with all of Davis’ arguments about whether anyone should be able to report on true crime or the conclusion that true crime media has no benefit beyond its debatable entertainment value, but those are questions that definitely warrant further discussion and research.
The last few essays give a quick treatment of topics within media like rom-coms, reboots, and on-screen relationships. Among these essays, Davis also takes time to look closely at aspects of the shows Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the movie Jennifer’s Body, and the conundrum of people continuing to watch shows that they hate, or that are made by people they hate.
Now although I can’t give individual consideration to every essay, I have to mention specifically how much I loved “The Lost Art of Filler Episodes.” Considering the trend away from the conventional 20-24 episode TV seasons to the shorter 6-12 episode seasons of recent shows from Netflix and other streaming services, Davis examines the factors that go into that decision to get rid of everything that isn’t directly furthering the plot, and what might be the baby that inevitably gets thrown out with the bathwater.
With lengthier seasons, in order to maintain a coherent overarcing plot without exausting the attention span of the viewer, filler episodes are a necessary component to break up the stakes or the larger plot and perhaps give individual side characters more development. Sometimes, Davis argues, this is done really well and filler episodes can be some of the most memorable, stand-out episodes that become fan favourites. I couldn’t help but think of “The Tales of Ba Sing Se” from Avatar: The Last Airbender and what an incredible impact that little experimental, vignette-style episode had on its viewers.
Davis also briefly mentioned how story-of-the-week shows, I think she called it (like Buffy, Supernatural, etc.), can be mostly comprised of what are effectively filler episodes the events of which really don’t have a critical bearing on the ultimate plot of the season’s official Big Bad showdown. I’ve also heard it termed monster-of-the-week, which I guess is more specific to a certain genre of show, so story-of-the-week is better term to encompass all episodic shows regardless of genre.
This made me think that there is a connection to be explored between the shift over from mainly episodic shows, where there is a complete story arc for each episode, to serialized shows. And I, too, lament the loss of the filler episode as it appeared in so many episodic TV shows with ensemble casts. I miss “field trips with Zuko.”
Overall, I enjoyed joining the inhabitants of Davis’ head for the short time it took to read this book, and I definitely left somewhat better acquainted with all of the diverse pop culture crowd making their home up there.
If you are in the market for some quick reads on current culture, or looking for roommates to share your headspace, you can do Dominique Davis a good turn and check this book out: turn those squatters into paying tenants.
August 2, 2022
I feel like a parent kicking their child out of the nest and into the real world with this book release. It’s scary, but it’s even more exciting to see the book stand on its own. From starting as merely an idea to becoming an actual book, it has been a fantastic thing to watch. I hope that everyone who reads it gets something from it. In the same way, I got something from writing it. I will always be proud to call Living Rent Free In My Head my first book. Here’s to many more to come.
August 23, 2022
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. The Dominique Davis collection of essays are an easy read. As I started reading, it became clear to me, I am not the best audience for this pop culture collection. I felt really out of touch with many of the essays as I didn’t watch the shows she referred to, nor I am a Gen Z or Millennial. Putting that aside, I enjoyed the first two essays on Celebrity.
September 18, 2022
There are thought-provoking essays written in this book. There's no doubt that Davis is insightful beyond her years. Being a sucker for love, I enjoyed her take on "Celebrity Couples Breaking Up." Everything she wrote spoke high volumes of truth. I enjoyed Davis' writing style and how she eloquently points out how we glamorize and hero worship celebrities; it is maddening when you really think about it. And that's what I enjoyed most about this book–it made me THINK! I revere Davis' courageous & bold statements on the heavy matters she discusses. That said, this book isn't for the narrow-minded! It is basically a mirror held up at our society, showing how repulsive our attitudes and behaviours can be when viewed from a different angle. Eye-opening and intellectually controversial, this deserves to be read by everyone! (Davis is too woke!)
July 21, 2023
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway so thank you to the author and to Goodreads. I had not heard of the author, but seeing a collection of essays about pop culture prompted me to register for the giveaway. (Side note: I am not against self-publishing, but I will admit I would not have registered for the giveaway had I known that this was the case for this book.) The 20 essays are each pretty short, but it took me almost a year to read because I found it difficult to read more than one at a time because of the author's repetition of a point numerous times (even within the same paragraph) and the multiple sentence fragments. If the essays could be tightened up with better editing, I think this would have been a much better read. I found the topics themselves to be very interesting, and I learned a few new things as well.
October 3, 2022
This one for me was a bit hit and miss. I agree with many of the things Davis touches upon, but some of her essays deal with subjects I'm not overly familiar with. Perhaps it's a generational thing; when she focuses on BookTok and Twitter (which occupy absolutely zero space in my life), the essays don't resonate with me. But when she talks about the cult of celebrity, reality TV, the lost art of "filler" episodes, and various more generalized essays on music, film and television, it's a delight to read. Your mileage may vary. 7/10.
dnf
August 31, 2023DNF @ 3% I received a copy of this ebook in a Goodreads giveaway. I feel like I didn't really need to read this book, like I pretty much already knew the things that were going to be explored.
September 3, 2022
Fascinating! Well written and easy to get lost in. First time I've read a book like this and I'm looking forward to finding more.
I received a free preview copy from Voracious readers only.
I received a free preview copy from Voracious readers only.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews