EVERYTHING'S TRASH, BUT IT'S OKAY

Current events and women’s issues humorously tackled by a successful and prolific black woman comedian.

In her follow-up to You Can’t Touch My Hair, 2 Dope Queens star Robinson brings back the unique brand of humor that made her debut book a bestseller. Here, the author explores common issues for women such as the yo-yo ride on the weight roller coaster, her own battle to accept her body image (“every day, I struggle not only with rewiring my brain to not equate self-worth with how my body looks, but also with not letting men and clothing companies define my own gaze”), and the idea of whether she has on “standing jeans or sitting jeans,” the former of which she needs to undo in order to eat her meal. She writes about men’s penis sizes, issues with her mother, the accumulation of debt, how meeting celebrities has affected her, and “being a trash person in a trash world”—to be fair, though, “no one on this planet can completely rid themselves of their trash ways.” All of the essays are filled with hashtags, slang, unnecessary abbreviations, and constant references to current events and pop culture, so readers not familiar with the current trends may get lost from time to time. Although unquestionably a humor book—and much of it is quite funny—the author isn’t afraid to confront serious issues, including violence against blacks, women, and Muslims; the difficulty of being a woman sports fan; and how topics such as abortion rights are constantly under attack by the white men in power in this country. Throughout, it’s clear that Robinson has a specific brand of humor that won’t resonate with everyone. Readers who enjoy her podcast and loved her first book will find even more to appreciate here; others should look elsewhere for a good laugh.

A mixed bag, much like many essay collections from pop-culture figures.