I'm Judging You

July 4, 2016
Ajayi, the voice behind the pop culture blog Awesomely Luvvie and the cofounder of the Red Pump project, an HIV/AIDS awareness nonprofit, writes with humor and intelligence about a range of topics, including personal hygiene, social media etiquette, racism, sex tapes, rape culture, plastic surgery, weight, homophobia, reality television, feminism, and even the Comic Sans font. The book is a light, 21st-century discussion of manners and morals, with Ajayi taking people to task for oversharing on social media or for being casually bigoted. The the book has a strong social message and is funny—Ajayi includes footnotes explaining her made-up words and expressions—but the material is a little too familiar and far reaching. Ajayi is at her best when she delves into her personal experiences as a Nigerian immigrant in the U.S. and combines humor with pathos; this honesty makes the book worth reading. Agent: Michael Harriot, Folio Literary Agency.

July 1, 2016
A collection of societal criticism tempered with humor.If you combined Joan Rivers, Whoopi Goldberg, and Amy Schumer and added a twist of Nigerian slang for that extra bit of tang, you'd come close to deciphering the unusual blend that comprises Ajayi's writing. At first glance, these essays appear to be fluffy, making fun of odd things such as posting pictures of someone's grandma pre-burial or complaining about women who don't wash their bras more than once per year. But if readers push past the forced humor, expletives, and made-up words, they will discover that Ajayi explores real issues. Why is racism still so rampant in the United States? Ditto rape, and why does it take so long for a woman to be heard when she accuses her attacker? Why are people still homophobic? Why do people lighten their skin or undergo cosmetic surgery? "There are seven billion of us on earth, and we are all different," writes the author. "But one thing is clear: humans excel at using our differences as excuses to act like assholes and torment each other....We have created rigid, yet often invisible, systems that keep some people at the top on the backs of others at the bottom, based on their identity markers....I am judging all of us for being shitty humans by being culture vultures, homophobic jackasses, racist trolls, sexist douchebags, and born-again hypocrites." By exposing the uncool, unwashed underbelly of American society, Ajayi's essays force readers to reconsider their stances on a variety of issues, including social media and the public airing of everything, celebrities, sex tapes, the various types of friendships one might have, feminism, religion. Be prepared for some laughs, but also be prepared to think and confront tougher issues. Bits of humor help these occasionally hard-hitting essays go down.

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April 1, 2016

In her much-read blog, AwesomelyLuvvie.com, Ajayi addresses popular culture with sharpened wit. But she also acts as a professional gadfly to plumb cultural significance, media representation of race, contemporary mores, and more. Look for Ajayi at LJ's upcoming Day of Dialog.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.