Trick Mirror

Book summary

Jia Tolentino is a writer and editor. After studying at the University of Virginia, she served with the Peace Corps in Kyrgyzstan and received her MFA in fiction from the University of Michigan. She has previously worked as an editor for feminist media outlets Jezebel and Hairpin, and is now a staff writer at the New Yorker.

Feminism’s mainstream acceptance has brought both progress and compromises, prioritizing individual success over collective action and failing to challenge entrenched beauty standards. Women are encouraged to treat their appearance as a marketable asset, leading to extreme measures like cosmetic surgeries and grueling fitness routines, while overlooking the opportunity to question beauty itself as a tool of liberation. Jia’s childhood in a Texan megachurch, the "Repentagon," offered a sense of belonging that later paralleled her experiences with MDMA, both providing transcendence and connection. Similarly, the infamous Fyre Festival exemplified the modern culture of deception, where figures like Billy McFarland thrive on self-delusion, mirroring systemic exploitation seen in industries like finance and tech. Women’s magazines now elevate celebrities as feminist icons, but this focus on exceptional figures risks diluting feminism’s broader goals and ignoring the privilege that distances these women from ordinary struggles. Jia’s time at UVA, later marred by the discredited Rolling Stone article on campus sexual assault, highlighted the persistent issue of institutional complicity and the need for rigorous journalism to drive change. Finally, the modern wedding industry, rooted in sexist traditions and fueled by consumerism, continues to place disproportionate financial and societal burdens on women, masking historical inequalities with lavish ceremonies.

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