Book CommuniTEA: Why Is Everyone Lyin And Not Standing In Their "Truth"?! [CC]

[@alexnieves]

How to ruin your book release day. Step 1: Attack reviewers for not reviewing it well enough. Step 2: Play the victim. Step 3: Increase the frequency and potency of your attacks on reviewers. Step 4: Play victim again and wildly equate your situation to people who have experienced actual trauma. Step 5: Profit?

[@rocio9863]

She has experienced actual trauma herself tho

[@alexnieves]

@@rocio9863 Which is entirely irrelevant to going out of her way to treat people like shit.

[@rocio9863]

@@alexnieves oh, the irony

[@alexnieves]

@@rocio9863 How is what I said ironic? Lauren Hough tweeted a bunch of hateful shit to people that reviewed her book, including a bunch that were POSITIVE about it. She lashed out at a whole bunch of people, name called, etc literally for no reason. The fact that she has personal trauma in her life is not a free pass to do that, sorry it's just not.

[@JessOwens]

Alex, YOU CAN'T GIVE MY VIDEO AWAY, GOSH 😂

[@GavinReadsItAll]

Giving this video 4.5 stars 👏🏻

[@JessOwens]

Amazing rating, THANK YOU, GAVIN ☺️

[@jesmccutchen6006]

I cackled at this

[@tahliae]

How dare?! Anything with the Nigel is automatically 5 stars! 😂 (edit: jk obviously) Side note, Gavin can you please make a Nigel-inspired cocktail? Booktube pets give me life and so does your daiquiri obsession - you’re the perfect person to pull it off !

[@quwii]

Rounding up!

[@camishavilme7402]

Jess Owens I gave you 4.5 but I’m rounding down 😖

[@gaildoughty6799]

Lauren’s next book: I Am a Victim: How 4 Star reviews on Goodreads are exactly the same as rape

[@maia_gaia]

Read this before getting to that part and was like "ah this must be over-exaggerating her tantrum"................ Why are authors like this?

[@gaildoughty6799]

@@maia_gaia In this case, I think Ms Hough is, well, perhaps not well.

[@readknight]

"Life will give you no warnings" that's literally why we use them on social media and in our work!! Bad things will hit you out of nowhere IRL but it doesn't have to be that way in situations we can control. Giving a trigger warning can spare someone from reliving their most traumatic moments just because of a tweet or a video. This "life is cruel so I will give you no kindness" attitude is absolute trash. I'll never support anyone who thinks being unnecessarily inconsiderate is some mark of strength. It's lack of empathy and nothing else.

[@idek7438]

Also that's something a 50-year-old Trump supporter would say while ranting about snowflakes and millennials with their avocado toasts and participation prizes lmao which I don't think is the look Lauren Hough is going for

[@LisaSimpsonRules]

I am in two minds about this. In a book club, I give a general warning that there may be topics that people find disturbing, but because the books are not read beforehand, nobody knows what is in the story until we find it. And actually we have had difficult topics showing up, like rape, drug use, abortions, the Holocaust. When we read J. G. Ballard we spent some time discussing if the main character was a pederast in one of his short stories. Many times there are not difficult topics, but one never knows what may affect who. So there is a blanket warning that difficult topics may arise, and it is left at that, and would-be readers that say that there are topics they wouldn't like to read about, the recommendation is that they should not join. We read fiction in this club. To me, when I am reading about a difficult topic, I sometimes have in mind "Somebody in real life has gone through this abuse/problem/situation, and they survived. So, am I going to be so weak and feeble that I cannot read about that abuse/problem/situation" But this is what works for me. I understand that some people completely reject this attitude, and they need warnings before reading anything. But if that is so, they are told that this club is not for them.

[@delia.c]

The cherry on top with the whole Lauren Hough fiasco is that she has a Patreon where you can pay a mere $20 to learn how to build your social media platform because she's "good" at it...the joke really writes itself.

[@JessOwens]

LMAO WHAT

[@moustik31]

I'm cackling. What a self-important b*tch indeed. Without social media, I wouldnt know how authors are terrible people. They should do it Beyoncé style and keep their peace.

[@hyperlinkhmv]

This is completely irrelevant to your comment but I just wanted to say that I like your profile pic and I'm a Slytherin too!! :)

[@mrsiz218]

FACTS!!!

[@jazwhoaskedforthis]

Ohhhh my god what a way to waste 20 dollars. I hope people requested refunds after this

[@alliecat1019]

The idea that “coming out” legitimizes your identity is so heartbreaking and really problematic.

[@jesskotzer]

Nothing can be sacred in 2021. We just ask check as many boxes as possible so that others can identify us.

[@kaitlinschneider845]

That one killed me. What a gross thing to say.

[@anjar6483]

Especially because for so many people it is not safe to come out or to openly talk about their marginalized identity. Like it is a privilege that that person can discuss their disability openly with little consequence. When I talk about my disabilities, I typically get labeled "not disabled enough," which honestly, this person is essentially saying you're not disabled enough if you're not open about your disability, proving my point exactly 😒

[@jesskotzer]

@@beefar0ni aw, well you know who you are, and that’s what matters. you don’t need to fit into other’s boxes

[@hbsupreme1499]

@@jesskotzer not even sacred I think that word is jsut for people to be over dramatic and emtional but saying you need to come out to be LGBT is dumb

[@Bibliofilth]

That open letter about Detransition Baby is absolutely disgusting.

[@rachaelhall9009]

It’s making me so sick listening to her read it. Ugh. 😞

[@stormydavis5860]

@@rachaelhall9009 yes literally turned my stomach.

[@tavistallings8112]

What’s even more disgusting is people are trying to add their name to it. As a non-binary person I am disgusted by the whole thing. 🤢

[@KFoxtheGreat]

Yes. Their misunderstanding of the term "gender" to just the stereotypes associated with genders is brain breaking and makes me want to punch something 😤

[@MDev1997]

It had me fuming so much I had to stop washing my dishes because I was worried I would end up shattering them with my angry vice grip

[@RaetheSaint]

Lauren really stirred the pot AGGRESSIVELY and was shocked when it spilled over and burned her

[@ktxx22]

The amount of Misgendering in that letter on the women’s fiction prize has me absolutely livid. Bunch of ignorant hateful folks.

[@booksoverbreakfast]

Nigel has some FEELINGS about this mess.

[@bookishnatie9614]

🤣 If Nigel can tell she ain't the best person just by that. Animals don't lie.

[@mrsiz218]

Nigel had me crying!! 😂😂

[@gracedays7443]

Lauren Hough’s nonsense really does make me think Twitter is a whole other universe. I got a 99.2% on a midterm recently, imagine if I started bickering with my professor about that .8% and then cried misogyny or something when I got kicked out of class...like the clownery...

[@moustik31]

Fr. Her and her verified friends are so far removed from reality, you'd think they were Kardashians, not some random women with a moderate taste of celebrity. Blaming it on sexism was such a White Feminist move though. Completely on brand.

[@idek7438]

Yeah like girl if you wanted 5 stars maybe you should have written a better book lmao

[@PlantBasedBride]

Nigel 🥺😭😭 I would die for him tbh

[@Gna_d54]

He could sense how mad his mom was going to get about that Hough mess and coming to her defense. Nigel's an 11/10. Best boy.

[@JessOwens]

🥺🥺🥰

[@m.f.hopkins8728]

He had me rolling during the section on Hough. LOL And about Hough... um, wow. She done shoved her foot into her mouth, all the way down into her throat.

[@PNJ-r1c]

I felt like this week’s shenanigans were frustrating Nigel.

[@indiebookmaven4396]

Hes adorable

[@evies.1018]

4.5 stars is SUCH a good review too. For me it means “this book is super good and I’d totally recommend it to people, but there’s some really minor stuff that didn’t work for me personally/tiny things that bugged me”. Honestly some of my favorite books are probably more of a 4.5 but my strong feelings towards them pushed them up to a 5. To get angry at reviewers for giving your book .5 stars less than a perfect five is RIDICULOUS. It’s a shame bc the book actually sounded interesting too.

[@JessOwens]

4.5 is an incredible review ! Lauren is delusional

[@BookmarkChronicles]

Nigel is like “mom, give me the mic. I got something to say too” Omg he is so irked by this Lauren Hough nonsense😂 us too Nigel. She is really out of control!

[@JessOwens]

Nigel was fuming

[@jazzguardian5706]

As someone who just came out at 27 years old. The idea that "in the closet" gay people don't have the "experience" of out of the closet gay people is laughable. Homophobia doesn't just jump from over closeted gay people. We still have to deal with all that hate and just because we have decided that we aren't ready to come out does not give someone who is already out the right to invalidate our identity. The delusionnnnn

[@Valentine-jo7ls]

Yes omg! Knowing there is homophobia aroujd you is usually WHY people are afraid to come out.

[@jazzguardian5706]

@@Valentine-jo7ls exactly I wasn't "allowed" to be gay when I was younger (pastors kid) I didn't even know what bisexuality was when I until I was 19. Homophobia isn't just teasing, its genuinely detrimental to the development and mental health of lgbtq+ youth whether closeted or not. Growing up thinking you'll get kicked out if somehow someone or something outs you is torture

[@apersoniswear4324]

fr like why do they think we're in the closet in the first place

[@lukasribin4168]

I mean, you’re pretty much saying that there is no difference between “passing” and not passing, in the sense of the status quo, which is more laughable than the suggestion that having people know about your sexual identity is not the same exact experience of having them be none the wiser.. because it really isn’t. Not all of us have the option of hiding certain attributes, where awareness of such is what opens us up to far worse and more direct discrimination and loss of opportunities.

[@Ph4ntomR3q]

Oof, that TERF-y letter was awful. Obviously transphobic and hateful, but they clearly have little to no respect for the dead authors whose names they appropriate; and they seem to know very little about them, considering Daphne Du Maurier had a very complex relationship with her own gender, something that might upset these people! I wish I could say I'm surprised that these self-proclaimed feminists are invoking the names of women about whose lives they care so little. It's grimly hilarious that they need to use dead women to support them. Thank you so much for doing all of this work. I hope it isn't too taxing and you can take care of yourself (and Nigel, of course!).

[@MissCaraMint]

Wait really? I didn't know that.

[@itskatleo]

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, Lauren Hough compares people calling her out for showing her ass to victim blaming. Ma’am, this is a Wendy’s.

[@JessOwens]

Truly! The Wendy’s dollar menu

[@englishmajorloser]

I found Nigel's comments very insightful. He needs his own show now!

[@JessOwens]

Working on it 😉

[@ellethinks]

My favorite part of the Lauren situation is that if you look at her goodreads profile she’s given plenty of books less than 5 stars. So apparently she likes to nerd out on a power trip every once and awhile? 🤣

[@JessOwens]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@LaytonsLoveliest]

I would actually love to wear a 'NERD ON A POWERTRIP' hoodie. All over that! Loved this episode

[@petiolereads]

yes!!

[@JessOwens]

🥰🥰

[@dimerymichaels3539]

💕💕💕

[@feminisTina.]

Same! Can we make this happen?!

[@BurntToastStars]

Yes please 😈

[@PlantBasedBride]

Lauren Hough is a mess. She is so rude and offputting and then acts surprised and offended that people aren’t fawning all over her....? I’m so confused by this whole thing. In what universe is a 4.5 star review worth getting upset over?? She started this whole thing by bullying reviewers who liked her book but not in the exact way she wanted, so... 🤦‍♀️

[@JessOwens]

It’s beyond strange that she started all this from a 4.5 star review. I’m still confused

[@godofchaoskhorne5043]

She has a pretty popular Ted talk with largely positive comments praising her personality. If onky they knew lol

[@AJStoeck]

Reader, I married him < Viewer, she blocked me

[@JessOwens]

😂😂😂

[@ElizabethNicoleSchwartz]

That Lauren Hough situation is a mess 😭 but honestly? Karma.

[@MermaidPrincessLuna]

She's the gift that keeps on giving. Instead of apologizing she's just making more and more offensive comments.

[@JessOwens]

@Corvidae LAMO

[@MermaidPrincessLuna]

@Corvidae Exactly! Instead she just deletes, denies, and says even worse things. Absolutely insane.

[@rymhreads]

the TERFY MCTERF-TERF open letter including actual names from long-dead authors is literally a plot device taken from a Simpsons episode where Sideshow Bob wants to become mayor. Thank you for reading my comment, Charlotte Bronte

[@sdrawkcabemdaer5]

I'm half convinced that the letter was written by JKR alone and she just signed a bunch of dead people's names to make herself feel supported in her bullshit 🤷‍♀️

[@rachaelhall9009]

@@sdrawkcabemdaer5 omg that would NOT surprise me

[@osteophagus]

Loved hearing your voice just get more and more done throughout the reading of that nasty TERF letter. "We didn't say you weren't bi enough" You straight up said she's not part of the LGBT community!!!! I'm screaming.

[@Aster_Risk]

Yes! Saying she's not part of the LGBTQ+ community is literally telling her she's not bi enough.

[@Mariah-KittyCat]

The open letter contradicts what they are striving for. They state the purpose of the prize is "to encourage women to transcend the constraints of biology and culture [...]" isn't that exactly what Torrey Peters is doing? She is a woman, who is writing to transcend the constraints of her biology and a culture constantly working against her.

[@felixyall4541]

as a trans guy reading through that letter made me feel sick. how ignorant can people be

[@JessOwens]

Extremely ignorant unfortunately

[@rmrgreeneydgrl90]

"Nerds on a power trip, merch coming soon" yes please!

[@JessOwens]

😂😉

[@BreakingStubad]

Marines' thumbnail is her wearing a "nerd on a power trip" t-shirt and I clicked on it just for that 😂

[@charlie2.048]

I remember the "four stars temper tantrum" confusing tf out f me. Four stares for me means I loved a book. Five stars mean "I will be rereading this multiple times." Five-star books for me are books I can crawl inside of and feel like I'm home. Also, your dog is an angel.

[@KathyTrithardt]

The person that was like "let me get this straight, she wrote a book about [whatever words she used] and people are confused that she acted impulsively?" Um, ma'am, she shat on the reading community on her RELEASE DAY so how were any of us supposed to have read her work and known what she is like, not to mention that doesn't negate her social responsibility to not be a jerk?

[@JessOwens]

Exactly ! How does any of that play into how she behaved !?

[@KathyTrithardt]

@@JessOwens Deflect! Strawman! I shant take responsibility!

[@idek7438]

All the people defending her were like "if you followed her on twitter/knew what she's like you would know that this is classic Lauren behaviour" Okay so I guess she's an asshole and a bully all the time and not just on Twitter? Is that supposed to justify her somehow? Lmao

[@jazwhoaskedforthis]

This! actually, I thought that she had some ingrained abusive tendencies that she learned from her upbringing that she has yet to address and unlearn. The exaggerating, the gaslighting, the abusive language, the defensive doubling down, etc. It’s kind of ironic that her book is about it being hard to leave and she’s still back there mentally and emotionally.

[@MissCaraMint]

@@idek7438 Yeah. That's even worse.

[@ellethinks]

Omg that open letter to the Women’s prize... what a mess. I can’t even begin to construct my thoughts around that. The fact that they compared themselves to JKR explains it all I guess...

[@kaitlinschneider845]

As soon as they brought up JKR and painted her as a victim of "gender extremists" I was like, OH this is who we're dealing with.

[@renialatrice]

Do people not realize that bisexuals can have preferences and that some end up with the opposite sex like it's not that hard to figure out

[@JessOwens]

Obviously they don’t get it

[@LienesLibrary]

Can we get a Nigel reaction cam for all things at all times 😅 he’s like a floofy R2D2 saying what we’re all thinking with just the right little noise 🤗

[@JessOwens]

Omg 😂 I love this idea

[@StephanieMRM]

Maybe making male writers eligible for a women's literary prize is not "breaking through centuries of patriarchal conditioning" but a trans writer sure as hell counts for that

[@stormydavis5860]

That whole letter was a case of patriarchal conditioning....

[@thebabblingbooklett1616]

Reviewer: I really loved this book, it’s great and I would definitely recommend it! 4.5 stars 😊💞 LH: 😤😡 HOW FUCKIN DARE YOU!!!!!🤬

[@JessOwens]

Basically

[@mrsiz218]

I would be so proud of my 4.5 AND 4 stars! You wouldn’t be able to tell me anything! Crazy!

[@elenigalanis3645]

girl my twitter has literally 10 followers and she blocked me after I retweeted a screenshot of her own deleted tweets 🤦🏾‍♀️ you really can't make this stuff up lmao

[@JessOwens]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Jamia.mp4]

Sis what’s your @ I’ll be follower # 11 in solidarity

[@elenigalanis3645]

@@Jamia.mp4 hahah thanks girl :) it's @e_galanis

[@Jamia.mp4]

@@elenigalanis3645 done ✔️

[@frankensteinlives]

I found this video bc Reads With Rachel linked me to you and let me tell you, never have I been happier to follow a link in the description! Great job!

[@kansascitygirlinacoloradow4285]

Literally cried laughing at the Lauren Hough section. Thank you for all you do for us 🙏

[@JessOwens]

I try to do what I can for the people 😂

[@christinec28]

"Represents herself as straight" 😡😡😡😡 DO YOU KNOW THE AMOUNT OF RAGE I HAVE lol. Bisexuals are targeted like this daily. I'm tired of us bisexuals having to prove ourselves to the community, a community of which we are the MAJORITY of, and people act like we don't even exist... (PS: Please ignore my earlier comment if you got a notification of it. I deleted it. I didn't know yet you had talked about the situation in this video as I was still watching when I commented. Thank you for shining a light on this. Biphobia gets ignored SO MUCH in the publishing world. Thank you for everything you do, Jess.)

[@academicrage]

Yeah, wtf does that even mean? Did she have "I'm totally a straight person, I swear" in her bio? As a bi woman in a relationship with a man this shit is infuriating.

[@JessOwens]

It’s so gross, how the hell can you check someone’s social media and decide they’re straight !? 🤦🏾‍♀️

[@christinec28]

@@academicrage According to later comments in the thread, Hurn saw she was married to a man and assumed Tallie was straight from that 🙃🙃🙃🙃 Cos you know as soon as bisexual women marry men, we cease to be bisexual.

[@academicrage]

@@christinec28 Oh yes, I forgot about the magical side effect of the marriage ceremony, which erases the ability to experience attraction to any other gender than your spouses'. My mistake. But yeah, I figured it would be something like that. Bi erasure is nothing if not predictable...

[@angelikaskoroszyn8495]

"Presenting as heterosexual" What does it even mean? Currently I date nobody. And yet every person assumes that I'm heterosexual. To make them change their opinion I would have to date a woman. Heterosexuality is the societal norm

[@bookling_of_bohemia]

This tea was DELICIOUS and the Lauren Hough part felt CATHARTIC.

[@JessOwens]

I felt so much better afterwards 😆

[@marjoriebruton6909]

Re Dark Matter Zine: this was shockingly upsetting for me... I am biracial and struggle with being seen as MULTIPLE races that I am not and being marginalized based on my assumed race rather than my actual race. Beyond that I was not really raised with the culture typically associated with either of my races because I am biracial. But this entire letter she wrote felt like I was being told I’m not Mexican enough because I wasn’t given the opportunity to be raised by 2 Mexican parents. It also discredits the racism I have experienced that happened because someone assumed I was a race. It was still racist, even if I’m not apart of that group and that experience still happened to me, and it was still scary. That whole article just made me uncomfortable...

[@JolienReads]

I'm always baffled how much can happen in one week... These are all adults, you would think they know not to do these things by now. Lauren Hough blocked me too by the way! I feel part of the group. 😂

[@JessOwens]

Welcome to the club 🥳

[@AutumnOceanSky]

Every time I think you’ll be done with these videos due to a lack of material, here comes the next one. 🙃

[@JessOwens]

HONESTLY, SAME

[@bea9631]

been looking forward to you talking about Lauren Hough ever since it happened ! glad she’s feeling the consequences of her actions

[@k.d.r.3980]

Girl, your whole rant about Lauren gave me life!!! She is a textbook example of someone having no self reflection. This spiral was alarming! Like, I'm concerned about her mental health at this point. Wow!

[@JessOwens]

Honestly, I wonder if something really is wrong bc that spiral has been intense

[@jessparra]

the passionate Lauren mess reporting with the tiny microphone 🤣🤣🤣🎉🎉🎉💖💖

[@constancethereader]

I can’t waaaaaaait for this!!! (I mean, I can wait till tomorrow, but I am so ready to hear your take on everything)

[@christinecrs3753]

If you checked goodreads right now, Lauren's book is at 77% 1* rating. She really did tanked her own book.

[@jaye61970]

She tanked it and then tanked it some more just in case it wasn't tanked enough. I said this on Mina's video and I think it bears repeating...her agent and publisher must be PISSED.

[@christinecrs3753]

@@jaye61970 that's what i have been wondering too, where is her publisher and agent during all of this? Did they spoke to Lauren and got a crappy answer?

[@Aster_Risk]

SAVY Writes Books linked your channel and I'm so glad. This is the type of content I've been trying to find. I absolutely loved your pop-in where you explained that yes, you know what capitalism is and you hate it. I get so sick of people using the existence of capitalism as some sort of retort any time someone wants to complain about injustices. Edit: I got to the Dark Matters Zine bit and was furious. I have Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder and I am lucky to get out of bed and function enough to work so I can pay my mortgage. I have spent years hiding it and that I take medication, because jobs and other people do view you differently when they know. I've had attendance issues in the past, because sometimes I am incapable of functioning the way I need to and have to call in as "sick." I finally work at an employer where my supervisor is encouraging me to fill out disability paperwork for protected leave, so that I can take time off when I need to. Major Depressive Disorder qualifies as a disability, and has hindered my life in many ways. It's bull for someone to say I haven't lived a life of a person with this type of disability because I don't shout it from the rooftops. I have lived this life for close to two decades all while feeling ashamed of it. There's a reason people don't talk about disability, sexuality, gender etc., and that's because it's sometimes unsafe or can cause hostility in your life.

[@JessOwens]

Coming “fully out” with whatever marginalization can be dangerous for so many reasons ugh

[@BeyondSolitaireBooks]

Leaving isn't the hardest thing, but getting off of Twitter is.

[@JessOwens]

LOL yes

[@ElizabethNicoleSchwartz]

Jess I'm obsessed with your little mic. Iconic.

[@JessOwens]

OK, ME TOOOO

[@tkennedyreads4525]

Great video! I don't understand how in that letter they said "allow women to go past biology" yet then go on to continue perpetuating transphobia.

[@JessOwens]

That letter was absolutely terrible

[@TK-gy7ci]

the editing!!!!! thank you! i was waiting for you opinion on the LH situation. i wasn't disappointed

[@jenniwhatsbookin]

I have strong suspicions that Lauren Hough and her publicist will be able to American Dirt this and still make her book a bestseller (also I don’t agree with rating a book on goodreads that you haven’t read, but at the same time it’s hilarious 😂😂😂)

[@Nevermoorian_reader]

I was dying at the end of this video. “I already did it girl” You are literally my new favourite KZbinr.

[@peasalexandrowicz790]

UGH THAT DARK MATTER ZINE IS JUST 🤮 I THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA TALK ABOUT PUBLISHING QUEER BAITING . . . WELL THAT'S NOT WHAT IT WAS

[@beatingaroundthebooks]

Wow, I saw the start of the Lauren Hough drama and thought it was ridiculous, but the places it went... 🤯 I also don't agree with giving 1 star ratings without reading the book, but she really brought it on herself. 4.5 stars is an amazing rating as well, like wtf is the problem? Would definitely love "Nerd on a Powertrip" merch.

[@courtneyiuppa805]

Honestly, I’d watch an entire video of Nigel thinking the tiny mic is a treat! 😂

[@CeeBee781]

“Passing” is a huge, important, and relevant aspect of living as a member of almost any marginalized group. Being able to “pass” comes with its own challenges, it’s own strife and guilt, it’s own inner battle. People get by and survive however they can. People who use their ability to “pass” to live their best life to the best of their ability should not be shamed or stripped of their identity. For instance, I’m a mixed race woman who can pass as white. As a result, I’ve heard every horribly racist joke and trope and argument from white people around me. They feel comfortable indirectly calling my mom a N-word right in front of me because they think I’m white and will put up with their racism. Ive put up with this my whole life, listening to half my family and myself disparaged and threatened and trivialized and mocked right to my face because I “pass”. Is this as bad as explicit racism aimed at me? No. Does it hurt? Is it valid? Am I allowed to claim the black half of myself? I think so.

[@avsambart]

How many times do we have to say TransWomen are WOMEN. They lost me as soon as they mentioned JK 🙄 What.... What do they think the B in LGBT means? Sounds like THEY need to talk to the LGBT community so they can understand them. Omg the Own Voices section. omg. You can't force people to come out (not just oritentation) so they can be 'genuine' ownvoices. That is disgusting. A huge reason why people aren't "out" is because it's still a struggle for themselves or they don't want family to find out or they get treated differently when society knows. Omg if I had to out my sexuality in order to sell a book I would cry. I'm fine with friends knowing but my family? That terrifies me. Nigel kept going 🤣🤣 he's seriously the cutest!

[@escapedscienceexperiement9824]

that terf went on a whole rampage 😭😭😭 "gender identity extremists" i cant

[@JessOwens]

Awful

[@jazwhoaskedforthis]

Imagine just using a pronoun and being polite and welcoming is now enough to get you called an extremist, but storming a capitol isn’t? What a world

[@BlueLemons_96]

The minute that letter mentioned JK Rowling I was like 'ok, terf shit, got it'. These people are so pathetic.

[@stubbornlybookish5555]

The sff literary magazine claiming if you don't write about your exact lived experience it's not ownvoices is really rich. If I choose to write about a depressed bisexual mermaid does that mean it's not ownvoices because I'm not a mermaid?? You review sci-fi and fantasy for fucks sake! Policing authors on how 'out' they are is super gross and never okay. I cannot believe the audacity of Lauren Hough equating herself to victims of rape, sexism, and then Hitler!? The fuck is she on? The worst part of this is probably going to result in a lot of sales because people are so quick to flock to someone who has been 'cancelled', and she is the one who is perpetuating it. It makes my blood boil. Also! BIPOC authors have experienced people one starring their reviews for years now and when this white woman calls foul, Goodreads has a whole team looking into it? This whole situation is fucked.

[@JessOwens]

It’s really trash now that magazine is on their view of own voices. And yes, you cannot write about mermaids unless you are one, sorry 😂

[@TheBasementkitty]

Nigel trying to get the mic makes me so happy

[@hallesinclair5174]

Jess Owens, I mean this when I say, you are an absolute delight. Love your humor, and this video throughly entertained me. I cant believe people like Lauren exist but at least people like you exist too as its our only hope of countering her.

[@michellerever3564]

Since I've been blocked for days, I look forward to finding out what I've missed.

[@michellerever3564]

Caught up. They're trying to make this a sexist thing, saying men don't get backlash ... Tell us you don't follow Book Twitter or ComminiTEA without telling us you don't follow Book Twitter or CommuniTEA.

[@beautyonthebookshelf5717]

The whole Lauren Hough thing reminds me of the Sarah Dessen Scandal when Ms. Dessen went after one single random college student who didn't want her books on a college-level committee (wanted Just Mercy instead). And then the amount of crazed authors who went after that poor student on Dessen's behalf blew my freaking mind!! I stopped supporting so many authors that day lol. So many of them used the whole sexism and internalized misogyny thing too. I still get mad thinking about that whole thing.

[@JessOwens]

The Sarah Dessen drama was ridiculous ! I can’t believe she took a passage out of context and tweeted “whoa is me” and all those authors took her side without looking further into it 😤

[@veerle9345]

the dislikes are from lauren and her friend XD

[@POlivares23]

As always, great video. They’re always entertaining, engaging and make me think about topics you discuss in a broader sense outside of just the book community.

[@ellismorten]

I have so many thoughts about all of the things happening but all I can say right now: Nigel is so cute I'm crying

[@Genitianadinarica]

I've seen most of these things before and I was waiting for you to talk about them, but now I'm just raging all over again. I could yell about every single thing you mentioned for days, but listening it all together was tough not gonna lie. Thank heavens for Nigel, he honestly made me feel so much better. Here's hoping that the next week is marginally better.

[@danichiong6727]

On the heels of the whole Steven Erikson thing recently, I'm curious to know if the people who felt that authors should be in review spaces feel any differently now after Lauren Hough's mess. I doubt any of of them will say anything on this though, all the bluster was about defending their fave

[@JessOwens]

I would love their opinion on this sitch

[@FourPawsandaBook]

I love that Hank Green and TJ Klune got involved. 😂😂

[@anovelbeauty]

As someone currently getting their PhD in clinical-community psych: yes, PTSD can make /some/ people more prone to being reactionary, angry, and sometimes aggressive (I'm not Hough's therapist, I have no idea if this actually is part part of her specific experience and I'm not trying to make a diagnosis).... BUT everyone is still responsible for their choices and actions and if some of your symptomology or triggers cause you to act in such a way that it harms others, it doesn't then excuse the harm done. Explain it? Sometimes. Excuse it? Probably not. As a more obvious example, if someone surprised me by coming up behind me, not knowing I have PTSD, and that triggered my hyper-reactivity and I fully decked them because I thought I was being attacked, it would explain my actions, but it also wouldn't excuse the fact that I punched someone who presumably meant me no harm. So then it's my responsibility to a) apologize and try to help mitigate any harm I caused (i.e. get an ice pack, help them up, etc.), b) if it's safe/comfortable, explain that this was triggering for me and not what I intended, and c) know this is something to continue working on with my therapist in order to help myself and those around me. Of course, once you add less obvious triggers and/or more abstract/complex situations into the mix, it gets a lot messier. There's always a place for empathy and compassion when someone has mental health struggles, but there is almost always a level of personal responsibility to situations as well (i.e. knowing when it's better just to remove yourself from the situation or go do a grounding/mindfulness activity and return with a calmer state of mind). And of course, there's always the possibility that it has nothing to do with mental health struggles. In the case of Hough, all we see is her public actions, which are obviously harmful (and doubling down on her initial reaction is also really hurting a lot of reviewers who were just trying to give honest thoughts on a book, equating her experience to SA, etc. is obvs even worse), we don't and likely won't know the full "why" of the situation. However, I do wish people would be very careful to make assumptions about whether or not it's part of her PTSD, because it could potentially contribute to de-legitimizing a lot of others with PTSD who struggle with aggression, anger, and hyper-reactivity which actively harms their personal relationships. I realize this mini-essay really didn't come to any firm conclusions about the whole situation. I guess what I'm saying is that: a) you never know what someone else is dealing with or triggered by, so air on the side of empathy, b) people can have complicated mental health struggles that deserve compassion and still make crappy decisions that harm others, they're not mutually exclusive, and c) personal responsibility for one's actions is rarely absolved by their mental illness.

[@KayBethBookish]

Jess, this is the first video of yours I've watched and honestly you're my new hero!

[@Neeks]

"MAKE IT MAKE SENSE... it's doesn't make sense!" I am screaming!

[@kitsworld]

The Lauren Hough section - best rant ever. EVER! I love this channel so much! Love Jess. Love Nigel. Consistently excellent content. Bravo! 💜

[@whimsydearest]

Welp, someone's confused about what the B in bisexual means.

[@JessOwens]

Clearly

[@audreyjohnson2945]

I’m living for the fire at the end of this video. Wow.

[@Martin-xp5yl]

Jess, this was truly magical to watch 🤣The Lauren Who(ugh) bit made me laugh so much my cat had had enough and ran of my lap.. I'd say surely publishers must be thinking about training their authors how to deal with basic things like not wrecking your reputation/release but then I realised publishers are too busy making their own PR disasters. Nigel's commentary this week was spot on. Also why must the TERFs be so loud 😩Definitely makes me want to pick up Detransition Baby in solidarity

[@JessOwens]

Let’s read Detransitoon Baby, suck it TERFs. Nigel is so fed up with everyone

[@jess-sn9pk]

omg i just finished the premiere and it was fantastic! but i legit got an email from Goodreads support a minute later saying how my review simply warning people of what transpired (with a lil bit abt her needing a new weed dealer oop) has been taken down for violating guidelines and that they do not 🤨 this is the first time it's ever happened to me, though i have written about authors issues,and i'm now wondering if others will be getting that retaliation soon yikes

[@jess-sn9pk]

@@katehepburnsgardensign1350 yeah like it was obvious in the email that goodreads had been alerted of the situation (definitely by her publisher) and now are cleaning up and silencing reviews on a platform she was just touting abt not helping her 🧐 suspicious

[@JessOwens]

Goodreads sent out an email what!?

[@jess-sn9pk]

@@JessOwens yep! they sent it to me bc they were taking down my review where i spoke on what lauren did and cited how reviews about the author and not the book are against their guidelines - but i've checked (i have receipts lol), and they're only deleting the reviews speaking negatively about lauren and her actions, but leaving up the 5 star reviews of people who also haven't read her hook but are supporting her nonetheless 🙃 a damn mess

[@LG-to6gm]

"You raggedy b*tch." Thank you, Jess Owens!! Anyone who can make harmful jokes about SA after getting irrationally emotional about a 4.5 star review is a selfish person who lacks empathy.

[@ginnyjake]

This channel is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

[@JessOwens]

🥰🥰 thank you

[@Chiweeniekiko]

What? I’ve never heard of Dark Matter Zone, but how can this person who is not a member of ALL marginalized groups speak for ALL marginalized groups? Reclaiming my identity and decolonizing my mindset has been a lifelong journey growing up Indigenous in urban America. People are gatekeepers and will tell you “you aren’t enough.” The community decides who belongs to that community...So, who is this person to own the Own Voices hashtag? Like what?

[@JessOwens]

I have no idea. It’s so bizarre. Like no one person of any group can speak for the entire group. That magazine makes no sense

[@MissCaraMint]

I've had to forgo help I could have had in fact help I was entitled to, as someone with ADHD because I had to deny that part of myself to be in the military. I'm just getting that help now. Help that I should have been give regularly all though my university experience. This person has no idea

[@chelseyworth9256]

Listening to such vitriol against trans women is so painful :( Thank you for using your platform to defend trans authors Jess! P.S. I love your accent, your voice is so friendly and calming to listen to :)

[@JessOwens]

Oh thank you 🥰 I find my voice annoying LOL

[@katieosborne5203]

I’m excited for you to create a Patreon, and will literally support you no matter what content you put up, because you’re always a joy to listen to, and I’ll get to feel good that my money may have had a hand in getting Nigel treats/toys.

[@ThisSecretCat]

I’d support her Patreon. I’d get the official merch (still waiting for that shirt that says, “We ride at dawn, MF!” Jess is really out here doing the Lord’s work, and she deserves every penny.

[@JessOwens]

😭😭 you are too kind

[@JessOwens]

😭😭 stop it, thank you. but also, I want that we ride at dawn, MF shirt 😂

[@Financiallyfreeauthor]

It’s so strange the publishers being stingy with ARCs. That’s one of the very best marketing tools a publisher has! Spread them far and wide.

[@nel1214]

Ironic how Lauren tells people to "grow up" then turns around and acts like a child herself. I can't understand why she was trying to make it out like people were silencing her? I don't condone the tanking but Goodreads isn't the be-all end-all of authorship. I personally don't know anyone who judges a book by the rating alone. Most likely they're going to comb through the reviews first (especially for negatively rated books) and at the end of the day, it's still up to the reader to decide whether or not they will pick up a certain book no matter what other people might be saying about it. Plus not every reader in the world uses Goodreads. A few thousand people giving her book a 1-star rating doesn't mean shit. She didn't have to stir up such big fuss but here we are :\

[@kylesargent9395]

Omg 😂😂😂 I could watch you go off about Lauren for HOURS. Amazing segment, fabulous journalism, you are a treasure.

[@bookaddict24-7]

The Detransition Baby story makes my blood boil. The fact that they used JKR as a point in their argument (and not to call her a TERF) makes me sick. Thanks for talking about it!

[@aes2621]

Just wanted to say thank you for the captions 🥺

[@JessOwens]

always 💜

[@PeytonReads]

Random comment but where did you get that mini microphone because it’s so cute and I lowkey need it 😂

[@JessOwens]

Yes you do 😂 Uniwit&reg; Mini Portable Vocal/Instrument Microphone For Mobile phone laptop Notebook Apple iPhone Sumsung Android With Holder Clip - Silver www.amazon.com/dp/B019F8ALVU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_GWGK6Y5TEKWJA9BBS9RZ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

[@PeytonReads]

@@JessOwens thank you! But holy shit it’s only $9??? Yessss

[@mindy5769]

Glad to know I'm not the only one who just looks at their dog and says "why are you crying?!" 😆

[@RachelS23]

Listen, I need the 'Nerd on a Powertrip' merch please. Thank you

[@booksofkell]

Ummm... WOW. Where do I even begin with this? SO much to unpack. The ludicrousness of it all- my god!! Miss Lauren.... wow. Speechless. 4.5/5 stars

[@Literatiloves]

The 19 dislikes are definitely Lauren’s friends. 😂 Whoo, Her whole debacle was a master class in self sabotage. Great video!

[@torianakay1405]

I found your video from Savvy’s video which covered Gabbie Hannah & Lauren Hough (to a lesser degree) & really appreciate your coverage here! PS: I love your dog, I have a Boston terrier & am definitely partial to smushy faced pups.... mine would be doing the same thing as yours with the mic-SO cute 😍🥰

[@JessieMaeBooks]

The Lauren Hough update!!!!! what in the WORLD was she thinking?!?!

[@JessOwens]

She was NOT thinking

[@NaominOmi28]

She has the AUDACITY to play the victim after she repeatedly bullies innocent, kind reviewers??

[@amandawilmot6780]

I know I'm late to this, but that letter to the Women's Prize was absolutely the most disgusting thing I've read in a while. I don't understand why there are those folks who want to disparage women, especially those most marginalized, while claiming to defend women's rights. To me, it feels the same as if there were seperate categories for queer women, bipoc women, white cishet women, instead of the term "women" as an umbrella term. Why can't "women" be the umbrella term that encompasses all types of women, straight women, bi women, les women, black women, hispanic women, asian, indigenous, trans, etc? Why not strengthen the movement by allowing our definition of "woman" evolve and become more inclusive? Anyway, amazing video as always. I really appreciate your voice in the bookish community and I appreciate you (and Nigel, of course) 💜

[@RoseRamblesYT]

Every week we learn about more and more people who need to talk to their group chat first, touch some grass (if they can in this pizza pan situation), get some better weed, simply shut up, and so on and so forth. Whew!