Review "Six Conversations we're Scared to have"

[Igneococcus]

I hope this sharetoken works, my laptop has died a lonely death while I was away and I'm doing this from the phone.
Sarah Ditum review if Guilty Feminist book:
https://www.thetimes.com/article/325fffb2-2c93-4dc8-908f-8b9bf22f331a?shareToken

Thank you for link. Unfortunately share token doesn't work for me.

Dang, I hope someone will be around who can post a working one or an archive link. It provides me with weird truncated (after the word sharetoken) links when I do them on my phone.

Does this work:
https://www.thetimes.com/article/325fffb2-2c93-4dc8-908f-8b9bf22f331a?shareToken=6f711fd28049c9b10485c100fb4ff81d

That works, thanks!

“I agree with her, but I’m not sure that she agrees with herself. Because ultimately, Six Conversations We’re Scared to Have is a mealy-mouthed imitation of robust intellectual inquiry. It is a coward’s idea of what bravery looks like. It is a conversation in the same way that shouting into a well and listening to your own echo is a conversation.”

Pointed.

Thanks Iggy. That article was a good read. Mealy mouthed is a great term for what she does, but the isn’t that the premise of her podcast?

I don't really listen to podcasts @Helleofabore because time spent listening to podcast means less time to listen to music but yeah "Guilty Feminist" is already quite, not sure what the right word is, "prevaricating" maybe, or mealymouthed? It doesn't sound very committed to feminism. I only really know her and the podcast from reading about them.

She comes across as really fucking thick

Superb review! Thanks for posting. My favourite quotes:

Take a deep breath and revel in the distinctive scent of no analysis whatsoever.

Perhaps most embarrassingly, she claims that “it is difficult to find historical examples of public campaigns that target individuals or call for censorship from the left”. Which revises Stalin out of history in a way that Stalin himself could only admire.

The GF really is feminism-lite, but having the gall to call your book that while skirting around an important issue with your fingers in your ears is a bit much.

'And the seventh one I decided to avoid entirely'

Oo, that's scathing.

I've avoided the podcast so far, think I'll be avoiding the book. Imagine having the audacity to publish something like this without, apparently, doing the first bit of research!

Smacks of 'wouldn't it be nice, if everyone was nice!

Thanks for sharing the article. I gave up on TGF podcast because of her TWAW ‘let’s all be kind’ wishywashery. A devastating own goal to write a book about taboo conversations and not address that particular elephant in the room.

I love Sarah Ditum's writing. I particularly enjoyed the reference to Stalin in this piece 😁

Deborah Francis-White seems so impressive on the surface. She has a fascinating back story. She speaks in a self-possessed and confident manner that I find really appealing. She has been through infertility and come out the other side. And yet, there's nothing behind it all apart from mealy-mouthed posturing. So disappointing.

I listened to a couple of episodes of The Guilty Feminist a few years ago and thought it was so bad, it seemed like a satire. Yet another example of 'Feminism' but only as long as it doesn't upset anybody 🙄

Not surprised that someone calling herself the “guilty feminist” hasn’t really got as far as feminist first base in her thinking. What does it mean, “I kind of am a feminist (lite) but don’t worry boys I feel guilty about it so I am a man-pleaser really! Don’t hate me!!!” Or something else guilt-related? Anyway I never bothered with the GF as the name pissed me off so much.

Yes the Stalin line made me lol. The whole gender ideology project and associated thought policing and reality-denying craziness sometimes makes me think of dictators and ideologues of old, and how confused they’d be yet also keen to pick up a few tips.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/23/the-observer-view-on-gender-failure-to-accurately-record-biological-sex-harms-us-all?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Was very pleasantly surprised to read the Observer editorial today.

The Stalin line was hysterical!

which revises Stalin out of history in a way Stalin himself could only admire

when commenting on her belief that censorship doesn’t come from the left 😃

Yes, thanks for trying. Didn’t work for me either

'The book we need right now about the dilemmas of our time. Deborah's insight & clarity gives us something to aspire to' DAVID TENNANT
'A bold and timely manifesto for dialogue over division' JEMIMA KHAN
'If you have ever felt shut down, this book is a godsend' EMMA THOMPSON
'Finally! A book to succinctly express the complexity of our age. Fiercely intellectual, thought provoking and inspiring' TOM ALLEN
'Compassionate, rigorous, electric!'' TRAVIS ALABANZA

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Six-Conversations-Were-Scared-Have-ebook/dp/B08Y94G6HV

Sarah Ditum is 🤩🤩🤩

I was howling laughing at the Stalin comment

The Guilty Feminist has never been feminist. It was just a way of DFW appealing to a certain left-leaning demographic who liked to think they were feminist. She has no right to use the term to describe herself. No GI-supporting woman can be a feminist, because GI is a men's rights movement.

"The Guilty Feministst_^ started in 2015 as a place for Frances-White to share lightweight material for women who liked the idea of the “feminist” label but weren’t sure about the detail."

Ooooooffftt. 😂😂😂

TGF started when podcasts were male dominated, and i think she used the feminist label so it wasnt dismissed as being too girly and frivolous. She wanted to appeal to an untapped audience while not been ignored by the women who did already listen to podcasts.

I remember listening to one episode with a trans identifying man, where they rang bells when anyone said anything problematic. They were rightly or wrongly critical of Germain Greer, but either way i could imagine greers reaction to the use of bells.

I think she used the feminist label for clout, but really wanted a podcast of women chatting, so ending up out of her depth. In feminism we cant just say something is wrong and expect everyone to nod along, we are trying to change things, so we have to work through the consequences and say difficult things.

But shes never going to be the women to do that.