Are you a famous man accused of sexual misconduct in the wake of the #MeToo movement? No worries. Theres a new image-management strategy, that Andrea McDonnell brilliantly identifies as 'discursive self-cleaving, in which celebrities like Terry Bollea, aka Hulk Hogan claim it was their public personas, not their real selves, who was the violator, so they are not to blame. Powerfully argued and persuasively written, with multiple examples, McDonnell shows how discursive self-cleaving builds on and perpetuates misogyny and must be called out. This is an incredibly original and eye-opening book, truly a must-read.
Susan J. Douglas, University of Michigan, USA.
In this timely book, McDonnell explores how men in power have sought to deflect stories about sexual misconduct, bringing together analyses of Hulk Hogans sex tape, Donald Trumps locker room talk, and R. Kellys sexual abuse of Black women and girls. Essential reading for anyone interested in celebrity, gender and sexual norms in the US.
Karen Boyle, University of Strathclyde, Scotland.
