Leave a Comment / Reviews / By admin
Do you know who should review Amanda Montell’s unfiltered book about gendered language and its impact on women? Me. A guy. A rather prudish guy who’s a bit squeamish about excessively course language at that.
Now, I may not be the obvious choice to review this book. But I am the appropriate advocate to suggest that men should read this book.
Wordslut is an insightful (and at times, very uncomfortable) history of words, phrases, and even vocal intonations shaped by generations of patriarchy. (DOWN WITH THE PATRIARCHY!) Am I laying it on a little thick to win credibility with women readers? Maybe. But Montell really does deliver an entertaining, sharp look at the power of words.
My Wordslut book review:
Just so you know – I may earn an affiliate commission if you click a link from my site and purchase a product. Don’t worry, it won’t cost you anything extra! Hopefully, I’ll rack up enough commission to treat myself to a coffee someday—nothing fancy, just a plain small coffee from a gas station on the edge of town. Thanks for supporting the blog!
Wordslut Summary
Full title — Wordslut: A Hilarious and Informative Exploration of Gendered Language and Its Impact on Women
Allow me to mansplain this book to you…
Amanda Montell is a linguist (I guess that’s a thing?) and cultural critic. She digs into how the English language has been shaped, and often weaponized by patriarchy. Wordslut is a feminist manifesto and linguistic deep dive with a sprinkle of R-rated comedy routine.
Montell unpacks why women get dinged for “vocal fry” and “uptalk” (I didn’t know what either meant.) She dives into the loaded history behind words like slut, hysterical, and shrill. She shows how everyday phrases, insults, and even tone of voice have been policed for centuries to keep women in line.
But it’s not just doom and gloom. Montell also highlights how women, queer folks, and marginalized groups have reclaimed words and invented their own lingo to help shift power dynamics.
The book balances scholarship with humor. You’ll find pop-culture references alongside historical examples. Montel makes the subject accessible even if you don’t have a linguistics degree (or, in my case, any qualifications beyond dad jokes and a library card).
Words & Phrases Highlighted in Wordslut
- Slut → sort of the star word of the book
- Hysterical → from “uterus,” used to dismiss women as irrational
- Shrill → the go-to jab for women in politics
- B!tch → insult turned badge of strength
- buddy/sissy → originally short for brother and sister. Now a different connotation
- Spinster vs. Bachelor → the single life, judged differently
- Like / Uptalk / Vocal Fry → mocked speech patterns of young women, insinuating weakness
“…words like mompreneur, SHE-EO, and girlboss illuminate the notion that entrepreneur and CEO are not actually gender-neutral terms but are tacitly coded as male. They suggest that when a woman endeavors in business, we can’t help but to cutesy-fy her title.“
-Amanda Montell, Wordslut
Want my unqualified opinions on a few other books about women’s struggles in sports and other industries? Try these!
Good for a Girl by Lauren Fleshman Book Review: Memoir and Manifesto
The Longest Race by Kara Goucher: Memoir & Exposé Review
Geraldine DeRuiter’s If You Can’t Take the Heat Review
Who is Amanda Montell?
Amanda Montell is a linguist, author, and cultural critic who makes language both funny and terrifying. She studied linguistics at NYU and has written for places like The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, and Time. Her books include this one (Wordslut), Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, and The Age of Magical Overthinking. She also co-hosts the podcast Sounds Like a Cult. In short: she’s way more qualified to talk about words than I am.
Find Amanda here: Amanda Montell – Writer. Author. Linguist.
Now onto the rating! Wordslut book by Amanda Montell
My innovative system for rating humor books is explained here
Wholesomeness Score: 1/5
Nope. Not wholesome. Hopefully you’re not surprised. I assume Amanda Montell had no intention of ranking any higher on my scale of wholesomeness. Colorful language throughout. Lots and lots of colorful language. So much language. And sex. But only language about sex.
Hilarity Score: 3/5
Montell is funny. Wordslut intends to deliver a serious message but often accomplishes the task through snark and well-timed sarcasm.
Overall Book Awesomeness Score: 4/5
Very insightful AND entertaining, even for a fuddy-duddy-dad like me. Wordslut made me think about language and speaking in a whole new way. Definitely outside my comfort zone on many levels. But I welcomed the detour off my typical path.
Things I liked:
- Acedemic material delivered in a fun, casual way
- Enough sprinkles of humor to warrant including my “hilarity” scale rating
- Made me think
Things I didn’t like:
- Maybe I’m not as progressive as I thought. Montell frames sexual promiscuity (a.k.a. ‘slut’) as a power-play against patriarchy. Personally, I give equal non-endorsement to sluttiness of all sexes and genders.
- Made me think. (I hate when that happens.)
Have you read this? What do you think? Did I mansplain it to you sufficiently? Roast me in the comments!
