Aegis 2010
112
Book Review >>> Christine Horvath
Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down Street-Porter, Janet. London: Quadrille Publishing, 2009. 170 pp.
Ever feel like the “experts” are lying to you? The experts convince you to buy bottled water and the latest skin care product to prevent you from developing inevitable jowls in your later years. Even if you do not feel this way, Janet Street-Porter believes that you should. She makes the case for reclaiming the “your way” approach to life in her non-fiction self help manifesto called Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down. Many of her arguments such as the one against banks and corporate executives who misuse funds are quite sound, and these arguments have the potential to inspire one to fight against corporations. On the other hand, Street-Porter contradicts herself multiple times throughout the book and can often be hypocritical. The style she uses to tell her revolutionary manifesto is quite odd, using multiple fonts and different colors to emphasize her points. Although she employs unconventional methods and enjoyable British colloquialisms, Street-Porter’s unusual non-fiction work does not quite resonate as relatable to her audience as she and her readers would have hoped. Janet Street-Porter stands proud, tall and skeptical-looking on the title of her book. Next to her are the words in bright pink block letters: “DON’T LET THE B*****DS GET YOU DOWN”. Although one might think this is a feminist manifesto aimed at fighting the patriarchal society in which we live; upon further reading I came to find out that it was not about being a strong woman but rather being a smart consumer and member of society. Instead of buying into the generic consumer and social trends that the recession and experts of money, nutrition, shopping, happiness, etc., have seemingly bombarded us with over the years, Street-Porter states that “you’re in charge and there are two ways to get through life: your way and the wrong way” (9). Street-Porter makes a good argument against, as she calls it, “mumbo jumbo” (10). In one section entitled “Money”, she discusses England’s professional financial sector. In one of her bold, exaggerated blurbs, she says, “If politicians were so good at managing the economy, how come they never predicted the collapse of banks? These are the same mob who were living well at our expense, with their noses deeply in the trough, producing receipts to claim that things like jellied eels and potted orchids were necessary tools of their trade” (113). Here, she makes a great point by explaining that the people who the English (and Americans) have trusted with their money have over-extended its use. Now every citizen has to worry about whether or not their retirement fund is going to be available to them when they need it. Another point she brings up is that private sector workers have had to keep the same hours but take cuts in pay; a sacrifice, Street-Porter explains, which was never asked of bankers or BBC senior staffers. In this way, Street- Porter exposes the social hierarchy
