‘Speaking Out’ by Tara Moss
Review by Kylie Thompson
Genre: feminism, current events
I do a lot of reading on buses, and there’s only been one time that it’s caused a problem. Not overly surprisingly perhaps, it was ‘Speaking Out’ that made waves. Sitting on the bus, reading silently, I was interrupted by a man who felt compelled to give me his most “honest”, brutal critique of the book. He hadn’t read it, of course, and “never will”. But he “knew” that Tara Moss was wrong with the sort of fervour best left to religious devotionists.
It’s odd to think that reading on a bus can lead to being called an “uppity b*tch”, but such is life in the modern world when you happen to be a woman. It’s not the first time a strange man has felt inclined to tell me his thoughts on something, of course: for many of us, this unwanted ‘advice’ or lecturing is a tediously regular part of life. It also rather proves Moss’s point about the sense of entitlement rife in society right now: after all, what else is there to call the belief that strangers have the right to tell me when to smile, how to dress, or what is appropriate reading matter for a grown woman?
‘Speaking Out’ is the sort of book that we all wish we didn’t need, but the sort we clearly do. It seems odd that in 2016 there’s still a need for a book about navigating the dangers of being a woman in the public sphere, but here we are. The truth is that the world, online and off, can be a dangerous and hurtful place, and it’s increasingly clear that ‘just ignore the trolls’ only serves to give them more power and even a subtle sort of permission to continue their abuse. Whether it was the Twitter users tormenting the daughter of Robin Williams after the comedian’s death, the litany of abuse and threats of rape and murder that often accompanies female opinion on the internet, or even the media’s perpetual focus on women’s beauty over intellect or talent, the trolls are out in force.
It’s no surprise that Tara Moss is responsible for such a brutally honest snapshot of life in the modern trolling age. Though she’s a celebrated, popular author in her own right, most often the first focus of any interview is her beauty, and her career in modelling. It’s expected when she’s talking about the latest fashion collection she’s supporting, of course, but even when discussing her writing work, the focus is often on her appearance first, and her writing second. Rather than accolades or support, when her first novel hit the bookshelves, parts of the media, as well as a slew of crime readers, focused only on debating whether someone so beautiful was capable of writing so well. Allegations that ‘Fetish’ was ghost written were so constant that Moss eventually sat for a lie detector test to prove she was the writer.
It’s rather easy to see that Moss is speaking from a place of experience.
What’s frustrating about the fuss around ‘Speaking Out’ is how much comes from people who haven’t read the book, but assume they know what it says. Contrary to rumour, this isn’t some melodramatic feminist ranting without a shred of evidence to back it up. Moss backs her arguments with a bevvy of statistics sourced from studies conducted around the world. As well as the scientific research, Moss also brings to light a slew of media articles and anecdotes, making for a personal, humanised discussion of the issues facing women today. It’s easy to forget that every number of those oft quoted statistics represents a human life, a person with their own stories and dreams, a human being who has been physically, sexually, or emotionally attacked.
Moss makes it impossible to forget that the conversation is around people, not percentages.
‘Speaking Out’ isn’t just about acknowledging the issues, even threats, of the day. Instead, it’s a conversation about what women can do to more safely and effectively navigate those issues. If you’re looking for ranting and raving, or a book about why men are evil, this really isn’t the book you want. It’s a compassionately written exploration of what’s going wrong, and how we can best protect ourselves while dealing with those issues, but ‘Speaking Out’ is also a call to action. Whether male or female, we can all do something to make the world a better, safer place. We can stand up to the people on buses demanding we stop reading and listen to their ranting, and we can do it without resorting to name calling or abuse.
While it’s marketed as the sort of book girls and women will get a lot out of (and they will), it’s also an important read for the men in our lives, too. No one wants their daughters or sisters to grow up afraid, or silenced. That, I think, is a large part of Moss’s point: we all have the power to bring change, no matter who we are or the privilege we hold. Every voice matters in the conversations of the day, even if a voice is saying something we don’t agree with. As individuals, and as a society, we can’t learn or grow when only listening to those things we want to hear.
‘Speaking Out’ is published by Harper Collins, and is available through the major retailers both online and off.
Rating: 4 and a half stars
