ANTI-INTELLECTUALISM IN THE BOOK COMMUNITY | Another Hot Take

There has been a lot of discussion recently about anti-intellectualism in the online bookish community, especially booktok and booktube. This was in part sparked by a viral video on tiktok by a bookish creator named Celine, @celineistalking . I agreed with her points, and I wanted to share some of my own perspectives. In this video essay or discussion, I start off trying to understand the perspective of people who may not value reading critically or who simply don't place importance on it. I then delve into defining anti-intellectualism and talking about it in the context of the rise of short form content, surface level reviewing, problematic books, and creator/consumer responsibility.

Find me on all platforms as @musahobooks

Chapters:
(0:00): Intro
(1:46): Reading is ultimately for fun
(3:15): Intellectuals can be mean sometimes
(6:12): What is anti-intellectualism?
(9:34): Is short form content bad?
(11:10): Does anti-intellectualism affect publishing?
(12:23): Hollow reviews and problematic books
(15:54): No, you don't have to be a literary scholar
(16:37): Creator and consumer responsibility
(20:05): Outro

[beanbagbooks]

🧠 Great takes as always!

I see anti-intellectualist takes like "the curtains are just blue" all the time, and as a lit major it annoys me, but I recently read some Tumblr post that explained it really well: people are taught about symbolism as if every symbol means the same thing in every context. Like, if something's blue the character is depressed and if something's red the character's angry, etc. Symbolism is text-dependent and not EVERY color matters EVERY time, you just have to notice how often it's mentioned and in what way. But that's harder to teach, and if you didn't have a great English teacher, or aren't naturally interested in critiquing art, you might not understand that.

Also, a lot of what we broadly call "symbolism" can just be character information, and thinking of it that way is sometimes easier to grasp. Like, if the curtains in a character's room are pink with purple polka dots, that's going to send a much different message about who they are than if they're navy blue. You don't have to say "they're a vibrant person who hates playing by the rules, " you can just show us what their room looks like. And that's much more effective, because that's how you learn about people's personalities in real life. You don't get a neat little character card telling you all their traits and preferences. You observe them. Reading books more critically helps prepare you for reality.

[Thetrilingualreader]

It is actually extremely offensive and frustrating that pro-intellectualism is often simplified into bigoted white men because that is also bigotry, that is also erasure. A lot of diverse people are pro intellectualism and just want to have a community that *gets them* and their nuanced experience. Women and Bipoc deserve friends that engage with text criticially if it stimulates their fancy. Our existence doesn't always have to do with how oppressed we are.

[missauriella]

I feel like you didn’t realize that you just presented a master class on HOW to do book reviews online for people who want to do so. Loved your take on this.

[xDianaMoonx]

The negative comments I've seen seems like an extension of toxic positivity. They just assume anything "negative" is a critique on them as a person and that we should all be free vibing all the time. It's not even about having such critical thinking or literary analysis, but just... Why. Why is this book hot or spicy, or why it gave feelings. But it just feels like a cult of toxic positivity and that we're not allowed to say no thanks to the popular books. That's all I have to say, because you and Celine said everything brilliantly. I just feel sorry for the newer generations.

[TheRonnieaj]

I’m a romance author. I’m intentionally very trope based, because that does make for easier selling, and that’s what my readers enjoy. Especially since I write Black queer characters, and there will never be enough trophy goodness for marginalized communities in my opinion. But also, there’s always a theme. There’s always something that’s being explored. it might not be super deep, and it might not have a “conclusion“ but it’s still there. And I’m always really excited when a reader catches on to those deeper meanings. I’m also always pleasantly surprised when readers come up with theories and meanings and symbolism that I didn’t consciously think of. That, for me, is the absolute joy of my writing.

[ApricusInaros]

If I see people being focused on how many books they can read each month, then I perceive it as a lack of intellectualism in the bookish online community. It feels like fast consumerism, not caring much about thought provoking lecture but being in a competition who can read the most. It's pretty much quantity over quality, as we have it in most aspects in our society nowadays.

[erinsbooks]

I feel like I read books for entertainment and only that. However, I do like to read books that make me think as well. I don't see why it has to be one or the other.

[nabilahalshari]

I'm not sure if it's something to do with my ADHD but I find intellectualising my reading to be fun. I would just like to be able to find safe spaces and communities where I can read and talk about books in the way I want. I'm fine with people doing what they want, books are one of the most diverse hobbies anyway, there's bound to be a niche for everyone.

[ninjasonic]

I'm always afraid that I'm too dumb to actually analyze a book. I have some ideas and often think about what the point of the book is or what intentions the author might have, but when I google it, there are people making analysis I would have never thought of.
I'm just trying to remind myself that it's enough to try to think about the book and it's okay not to understand everything. Maybe I "just don't get it" sometimes, and that's okay too.
But I would never complain about other people analyzing or critizising books, who would I be to do that.

[RafBlutaxt]

Great video! Just today I got one of those "It's just fiction, if you don't like it don't read it" comments on a video where I pointed out misogyny, islamophobia and other issues with a Dan Simmons novel. In my experience this form of anti-intellectualism is very pervasive in the part of the reading community that prides itself on reading "serious genre fiction" books like epic fantasy, complex science-fiction etc. It is really frustrating to constantly get that kind of comment too. So yeah, shortform content and romance is not the problem, it's the pretentiousness and unwillingness to see one's privileges questioned.

[noonlemur]

know you have other plans for the future but your segment about how to start reading a little more critically and what kind of questions readers can ask themselves has me thinking you would be an incredible language arts teacher!

[vicenterosa]

I loved this discussion! 🧠
I think that meme "por qué no los dos?" applies so well here haha. there absolutely are books I read just for enjoinment, specially queer YA/middle grade (something I didn't have growing up). but I still analyze them, even if subconsciously and not deeply. we're not just passively absorbing all we watch/read/listen to.
I think this is really tied to the anti-science thinking (ant1 v4x and stuff), one more manifestation of that. and also as seeing media/culture as devoid of politics, it really bugs me! now you gave me more reasons to start posting about books 😂

[EricKarlAnderson]

Thanks for such an interesting video! You approach both sides of the argument in a balanced and interesting way. It's an important point that anti-intellectualism is more about people who are resistant to having their preconceptions/values being interrogated. And I'm glad you highlight how this is often connected to representation of diversity in books.

I've been wrestling with a lot of the issues you discuss as I sometimes get comments from people saying my comments on books are frivolous and I should talk about YA instead. Other times I get comments saying I talk too much and over intellectualise things. So I get confused about where the way I discuss books fits into public conversation. 

Also, I enjoyed when the rain entered into the background (though I know it's distracting when you're talking) 🌧🧠

[Readatrix]

🧠💡

I love The Diviners, too -- and have only read the first book.


I love a deep dive on books. Granted, I like it best after I read the book and then can follow along, but then it's the best content. I also find videos like this catnip, the ones about reading as a whole and trends in the community.

Audiobooks are my go-to at work when I'm doing repetitive tasks. The work takes up only a small portion of my brain, but I'm still doing something and that makes me less fidgety while listening. But the audiobooks tend to be pretty simple, and this is when I catch up on romances since they're character focused and the plots are less complicated. My analysis tends to be light.

But there's something amazing in thinking about that you read. The moment when you know you've picked up what the author is putting down through a metaphor. Or something crystalizes about your own thoughts and beliefs. I would hate for readers to miss out on this if it's something that would bring them greater joy.

[augustlunaonline]

17:40 & 18:46 both hit the nail on the head! The ability to express why something made you feel a certain way is such an important basic skill in life!

[PageTurnersWithKatja]

I voted for this topic in your poll and you delivered - and then some. The discussion was brilliant and wonderfully balanced.
I haven't seen the video by Celine since I'm not on TikTok, but I'm definitely curious now.
I loved The Diviners the year it came out, and this is encouraging me to get back to the series.

[yarnpenguin]

Excellent video!

I tend towards thinking of the "let people enjoy things!" cries from different angles. The first: people have come to see the things they like as intrinsic parts of who they are, so critique feels like personal attacks. This is the easiest to parse. They are a fan of Things, which is as important to them as any other aspect of their identity. Even mild criticism becomes an indictment of their character.

We've got individuals trying to ban "And Tango Makes Three" from schools and libraries. That one's easy, too. Simple censorship.

Then there are those, often young, who take "all art is political" as such deep gospel that their engagement with media becomes activism, and all art becomes didactic. So that encompasses everything from not buying the books of writers who are abusive IRL or bigots, all the way to believing the act of watching Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon means condoning actual, real, literal SA or incest because they think that depiction is endorsement because fiction affects reality and if you don't think so you're a drooling simpleton who needs to look up the Jaws Effect. If girls read Twilight, they're going to be abused IRL! It happened to someone's cousin! (Racism? What racism?) Fandom spaces are dealing with this very loudly all over social media.

I think this all leads to a powder keg situation of knee-jerk reactions. Identities being attacked! Censorship! Anyone pointing out the dissonance of a romance novel being extremely pro-consent but not examining the MMC's territorial behaviour thinks that romance is going to break women's brains!

We've lost the ability to have nuanced conversations about media and understand most people are smart enough to separate real life from their escapism, but it's still important to be able to talk about the things that might be uncomfortable or problematic in our fiction without jumping to the conclusion that the critiquer wants anything that isn't wholesome fluffy bunnies banned.

Because there *are* people out there demanding that anything that isn't their version of moral purity swept under the rug and hidden at best, banned at worst. Sometimes, people just want to discuss it, but they're not trying to get rid of it (hi, it me; I want to discuss the problematic but also not censor art, especially books), but it can be hard to tell who's who sometimes.

[fannybaud]

I couldn't agree more with your take on that conversation.
I think books are sometimes reduced to surface-levels elements. The reason behind our opinion of a book is rooted in something much deeper, as you so aptly put it: What elements made you enjoy this book ? What values does it promote ? Do you agree ?...
For me, it feels especially true with Jane Austen's books. Talking about them as simply cute romances is just not the whole story.
The same story can be retold a hundred times, but it's the execution and the themes that make it unique.
One book series I love on that subject of reading critically is a middle-grade series about bookwanderers, readers who can travel into books. It's entitled Tilly and the Bookwanderers, written by Anna James and is a complete 6-book series. It's a wonderful ride full of adventure, friends, family, and, of course, the value and magic of books.
Thank you for your video, and I am so looking forward to your next discussions !

[catchnow]

Brilliant conversation. 💯 on point!
This is why you are my favourite social media person. You bring context and substance with light heartedness.
Like you said, two things can be true and exist at the same time.
🧠 💡

[shreyabooked]

I think this applies to all consumer responsibility, in terms of the music or shows we consume, as well. 🧠
You are, as always, so articulate.