I was in a mental hospital (had to go multiple times, unfortunately), and at one particular one, they had a bookshelf in the common room that had one of Jodi's books. It was the one about the school shooting. I had no idea, and started reading it, and was not pleased. Why did that hospital have that book in that ward? I took the book with me when I was discharged, not to steal it, but because I felt it was inappropriate in such a setting. So there's my Jodi Picoult confession. I still have the book. No one should read it.
The time before my most recent hospitalization there was a book called “there’s Iraq in my shoe” and it was really racist and problematic and I was like why is this here?!
That's terrible! Why on earth would they have something like that in a mental hospital? (I've been there too so no judgement here. I'm glad you got help and I hope you're doing well now)
My Sister's Keeper was so frustrating to me, because it could have been a great book. The ethics of saviour siblings is such an interesting topic. Spoilers: Most of the book is pretty good - a young girl is fighting for medical emancipation while her mother (who I found a lot less sympathetic than Picoult probably intended her to be) tries to force her into giving her older sister a kidney. But in the end, a highly convenient car accident leaves her in the perfect state to give her sister a kidney before she dies. Picoult addressed a complex, controversial issue... then sidestepped the entire ethical dilemma at the last moment.
Maybe put a spoiler warning cause ik some people still read the book. I had to read it for school. But also the end pissed me off cause it's just so convenient that she died right after getting the rights to her body. Felt like everything they worked towards was for nothing cause Kate got the kidney anyway
@@chris_chris_dav did you know there is a movie? SPOILERS IF YOU DIDN'T They changed the ending so the older sister dies before the court comes to a conclusion. Kim dies and she wins the case.
@@jackiegaffney6489 I remember my biology class actually had us decide the ethics of what's in that book. Apparently it's a fairly common phenomenon which is so disturbing to think about
THANK YOU, this pissed me off for YEARS and I thought there was something wrong with me bc I never saw anyone talk about it. That ending infuriated me so much I can’t even put it into words.
If I had a nickel for every popular book by a non-autistic author about an autistic boy being wrongfully accused of a crime, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice, right???
I know at least three. Forgot the name of the other one, though (only saw the book and read the summary on the back at a train station bookshop but didn't buy it, so no way I'll find it ever again, lol)
@@sabiha.sayeed also as an autistic person, I read it in early high school and actually liked it (but found it really inaccurate), then looked back on it recently as a young adult and realized how fucked up it actually was. It's truly bad. It's confusing, stereotypical, and just flat-out inaccurate, and I think a lot of where the author went wrong was trying to "get into the head" of an autistic kid. And I don't mean 1st person narration alone, that's not the problem, it's the specific WAY they do it.
theres no reason a creator cant write about things they didnt personally experience. the world would be bereft of a lot of incredible stories if we had to segregate them by race, sex, orientation, etc. but those portrayals have to come from a place of empathy and genuine desire to understand, not just because you think itd be cute or novel. at the bare minimum it would help to talk to or even just learn about the experiences of the people youre trying to portray.
White people should only write about what they experience cause they don’t really do justice to anything or anyone else when they deviate. They really as a whole aren’t very empathetic towards things that don’t have nothing to do with them.
Ive read Picoult in my learning of english, because I ran out of books and needed a new one. I enjoyed it, but mostly for the words and sentences. After reading, I had the feeling that my english had somehow improved after reading, that my understanding of the language improved. Couldnt tell you what happened in the book anymore, except that everyone was happy at the end of the day. Sorry Picoult. Thanks for teaching me better english though
It’s crazy how easy it is to be influenced by this stuff when you’re young. My mom’s white, middle class family have a lot of Picoult books, & growing up, I just thought she was a super super popular author, & that a lot of adults read Picoult books. I read Small Great Things when I was in my early teens & thought I was so woke lol, & more importantly, I thought I was so mature for reading the same books as my mom & her parents. Scary how easy it is to completely get sucked into white saviour-ism when it’s so normalized
Picoult writes novels, for a broad range of people, hence her “bingo- card” approach. I believe that her books provoke critical thinking and open mindedness. Unfortunately, some people seem to be offended by the idea of inclusivity.
we read the book about school shootings in my senior year of high school english class. I have very mixed feelings about it - while it was engaging as a novel, it preyed upon very real fears that I experienced as a student and kind of fetishized the narrative of a misunderstood kid turning to violence as a result of bullying. That being said, it did open up a dialogue for kids in my class to discuss our own anxieties about gun violence and school shootings. It's a very surreal experience reading a jodi picoult book while realizing you are in the demographic of the social issue she is addressing for "outsiders"
Agreed. I actually met her in high school and had such rosy memories of her. But knowing were she grew up (we are alumni of the same HS) I am not at all surprised.
"Judging from the quality of her work, I doubt she did any more research than simply glancing at WebMD and having a 15 minute phone call with Jenny Mccarthy..." ☠😂 this was too good
Sorry to be nit picky, but psychiatrist ARE doctors. They go to medical school and then specialize in psychiatry; they are able to prescribe medication. Psychologists on the other hand, typically have a master's in psychology, masters in education, a PhD in psychology or a PsyD; they cannot prescribe medication.
In high school, everyone in my AP English class had to read a book that dealt with a social issue, then write a research essay based on that social issue. Without exaggerating, Jodi Piccoult had written at least a quarter of the books on the list of ones we could pick. Even then, I thought it was weird that she'd written something on every concievable social issue, from racism to school shootings
She went to my high school. I only read two books by her though, Second Glance and the one about the Amish girl were really good. I also met her back when I was in high school because she came back to our school and signed our books. I am black but we are from the same very white town. I feel so disenchanted because I had such fond memories of her but I hadn't read any of her other books and I read them back in high school. So hearing that she is SO PROBLEMATIC is heartbreaking, yet unfortunately not at all surprising. The people of Smithtown are a unique bunch and they don't understand black people. I was one of 6 in my graduating class.
I read Second Glance my freshman year of high school and absolutely loved it. I haven't started the video but am nervous I'll have it ruined for me lol
As a fellow autistic person (and soon-to-be bachelor's graduate), I certainly relate so well to your critique of House Rules. I was told to read the book by my mother, who I believe was recommended to read it due to how it can help understand people like me. I tried to read it, and for the longest time I had no idea why I could not finish it. I had an inkling that it had something to do with how Jacob was a guy with Asperger's with a checklist of common autism symptoms, which I felt was unrealistic. I know people who are diagnosed like me and I cannot fathom them having that amount of symptoms, so that was my hunch. Plus, I tend to think a lot about autism representation and what can be done to be better with a sense of realism - which made me concerned on how Jodi Picoult would portray Jacob. What you and the psychologist reviewers have said certainly validated my concern about House Rules. It hit right on the mark! Also, I enjoyed watching you and your video essays. They may not garner a lot of views, but they leave me with a lot to think about. Also listening to your videos while commuting is soothing.
I was introduced to Jodi Picoult by my middle school English teacher and I thought the synopses of her books sounded so interesting. I love thinking about ethics and shit. I wanted to read My Sister's Keeper but never got to it. I did read Small Great Things which was ok I guess. Reading it as a black person was weird. Definitely felt like I was not the target audience. I The only thing I really liked about that book was the lawyer and eye doctor's relationship.
I promise you that when I read this full book pre-diagnosis it was worse than it sounds, I'm pretty sure the mom ends up getting with someone due to the case, once again using the disabled person as a narrative device rather than a full fledged character and person.
people without autism need to shut up and just listen and boost the voices of those who have it. idk why this is commonplace with any other marginalizing factor, but those of us with actual social and communication deficits get less of a much needed pedestal :/
Truly! It's like we aren't capable of being trusted or have a sense of agency, which is how Jacob was perceived throughout the novel. It really makes you think...
@@authenticuser4177 autistic people are some of the most ignored people when it comes to our own problems. the public only listens to parents/caretakers of autistic children, instead of autistic adults. It’s sickening
I used to be obsessed with her books as a teen, I even got my friend into them and we'd swap books and all that jazz. I think I read everything of hers until House Rules and then I stopped reading her books because I couldn't afford them. I remember getting the ebook for Small Great Things when I was a little older and I just couldn't get into. Her books are really appealing when you're young and dramatic but the older I got it hit me how shallow her books are.
The title of this video unlocked a memory for sure. As a tween/teen in the pre-2010 era, I found My Sister's Keeper in a bookstore somewhere. That led me down a rabbit hole of jodi picoult books and at around that time I named her as my favotite author. I was at an angsty phase then and I loved the melodrama of it all. I haven't read a book of hers in yeaaaars and I guess I was right not to.
ohhh my fucking GOD I remember reading House Rules in middle school. All I really remember was the fake murder mystery at the beginning [which i thought was cool and wanted to see more of], and the end where its revealed Jacob somehow kept the knowledge of the true murderer/rapist from himself??? and then monologing that he knew that he didnt know but he actually did know [????] and that he would do everything the same because GOLLY GEE BEING A MAJOR SUSPECT IN AN INVESTIGATION SURE WAS FUN!
this reminds me so much of a bigger issue that we are seeing- people want to capitalize on hot topics, regardless of whether they are the right speaker or what the consequences may be. take Madisyn Brown for example. She often speaks on social issues. Last month, she decided to speak on autism. Like, in a derogatory way and used Autism speaks (hate group) as her main source of information. She ignored all of the people in her comments telling her how harmful her over-speak was, saying she refuses to take it down or apologize for our "misunderstanding" then deleted the video and brushed it under the rug, all while alienating a large part of her audience and doing harm to the general understanding of this community without ever outright apologizing or correcting herself with proper information. Sorry for the run on. Just eerily similar to the main idea of shameless harmful over-speak you discuss here.
I remember raising an eyebrow at the anti-vax sentiment in House Rules, hoping none of the readers would take it the wrong way. I also remember that the mum in House Rules put the young lad through a regimen of supplements, including vitamin B12 injections, to try and "treat" him- common in alternative medicine circles, but these aren't standard treatments for autism (unless there's also a concurrent vitamin deficiency).
I've read at least 70% of her books, but I read them all as a teen. Her first book Song of the Humpback Whale is what got me into her and into reading even more. As an adult I've read one of her books and I'm currently reading a second. Many of the books discussed here I read as a teen. I wonder how i would interpret them now as an adult.
Don't mind me, just leaving a comment on how this video needs more views. Great video! Critical analysis of books and their effects is endlessly fascinating to me. People can write about sensitive issues but they're sensitive for a reason, best books that look into ethics don't really give you a straight right or wrong answer. The best books that deal with ethics make you think and question the black and white mentality that we've been taught.
"People can write about sensitive issues but they're sensitive for a reason, best books that look into ethics don't really give you a straight right or wrong answer. The best books that deal with ethics make you think and question the black and white mentality that we've been taught." And what's the end result then? I'm not even sure where you concluded that the "best books" do what you think "best books " do.
I remember being recommended Picoult's books when I was in Middle School and I was given My Sister's Keeper to read. And I hated it! I subsequently avoided any of her books following that, because I hated it so much, so I didn't even know about House Rules before this. As an autistic person, I would have been SEEING RED about that one, if it'd been given to me like My Sister's Keeper had.
I’ve been reading Jodi picoult’s books for YEARS but I definitely agree with a lot of your opinions. I think that a lot of her books adopt a very unique perspective on certain ethical issues (balancing between the law, family, relationships, etc.) and that combo can be quite jarring and occasionally come off insensitive. I think a lot of the time the weaker elements of her novels get covered up by her skilful writing style (which can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it). I cant speak on some of her books like small great things because I haven’t read all of them but as someone with autism I’ve read house rules and even though there were some really obvious issues with the way she portrayed autism the actual book itself was very investing and enjoyable to read. Once again, that can be a good thing or a bad thing I guess depending on what you want to take out of her writing.
Thank you for this video. I have autism and have read House Rules as well. Initially, I appreciated that Picoult tried to write an autistic character from his own point of view, and while some of it is accurate (Jacob's failure to understand the "rules" by which ordinary people--"neurotypicals"--structure their interactions and conversations, for example). In one memorable reflection, Jacob describes living among them like being a visitor to another country, where the same language is spoken but the customs make no sense; rather liked that). But I didn't care for how Jodi Picoult wrote Jacob as having an utter lack of compassion, sympathy, or empathy for his fellow human beings. The fact that she seems to think this is the case is made explicit when Emma, Jacob's mom, comments that Jacob has "no theory of mind" and cannot understand that other people have inner lives, thoughts, and feelings, the same way he does. I rather resent the suggestion that these things/concepts are beyond us, because they aren't. (The issue, I think, is the fact that Jacob--and other autistic people--don't respond in the way neurotypical people typically expect them too, prompting the suggestion that we lack an awareness of how they feel. But this is a mistaken assumption). Finally, Jacob himself frustrated me with his behaviour. Noted already, he doesn't seem to understand that other people matter. But he's so willfully obtuse that it becomes very frustrating, and stretches the mystery of Jess's murder far longer than necessary. I don't think Jacob is being intentionally difficult, so the problem is Picoult's writing of him. But Jacob knows most of what happened with regard to Jess's death. He compromises the crime scene, but never explains why. When asked questions about what happened, he gives short answers that (when taken at face value) appear to further implicate him. But if he had, instead, simply explained what happened, the story would have been over a lot sooner. Given that this problem stems from Picoult's misrepresentation of how autistic people think (a problem caused by another problem), it really rubbed me the wrong way.
Loved this video! I’ve seen this name around for years at the airport but never knew who she was. Also, I feel like this video is getting wrongfully shadowbanned. Likely because you mentioned the v*cc*ne research and relation to autism. Any *sensitive subjects* are usually best to *bleep* so big Algo doesn’t punish you. (My TH-camr friend told me this!)
I read one Picoult novel which so happened to be my last since I decided, after finishing it, the novel and she lived in another reality that I couldn't truly relate to. What went down in the novel and its end result would definitely not fly in the real world. One Picoult novel was enough for me.
Robert! this is great content. I finally read my first Picoult book, Mad Honey. Another author who is trans writes parts of the boo, the trans character. The was very well crafted!! It's as almost saying....well I can't be racist...I have a black friend. It also reminds me of the recent movie, American Fiction where the world feeds on stereotyped/tropes of black people. Would love for you to do a breakdown of Mad Honey.
I enjoyed the movie adaption of My Sister's Keeper. But, no one in my life that I am close to has cancer. Was the movie better? Or, am I so ignorant of the experience of cancer that I couldn't see the flaws in the film?
Can u doa commentary on the works of Lionel Shiver? She covered very important topics and she did it well. This is the author who wrote: We need to talk about Kevin. But, she wrote many more interesting books.
I have been waiting for someone to take apart Jodi Picoult books for a while. There's this one about this girl where they talk about how her sister had osteogenesis imperfecta type II where the entire time they try to sue their friend for not giving them proper warning that their daughter had a disability and that they should have been given the chance to abort her and oh my god I can't fucking stand that book. Does Picoult know that real people have physical and neurological disabilities? Does she think we choose to have our lives changed by the fact that we are "not normal" or that we want people to make us feel like burdens? This whole discussion about whether a child with disability, especially if the disability in question is physical, deserves to live is such a horrible thing to write. Not to mention if you read at least three of her books, you realize that she uses these disabled characters as vehicles of Romance for either the siblings or parents of the disabled child, like we're dogs for your meet-cute. Abhorrent behavior honestly.
@@HappyThife Handle With Care. There is a part where the older sister is faking having a physical disability just so she could be with some guy WHO ALSO HAS OSTEOGENESIS IMPERFECTA BUT TYPE 1, unlike the disabled daughter who has type two. Handle With Care's ending is also a lot so when you read it, i hope you find that interesting enough 💀💀💀💀
As someone who worked in health care, specifically ob/gyn/infertility, it's a very real conversation. But the way she approached it wasn't as good as it should have been and I understand how it can hurt people. It's a heartbreaking, nuisance, and decisive conversation that deserves good writing and compassion. From what I remember, the mother wasn't suing because she hated her child but to get money to support her child. Still, that's a weird way to write about it.
Piccolts books are... interesting. I read several of them up until House Rules, and honestly those books helped me start engaging in my media more critically. Where she ends up failing I think is because of her audience: middle class suburbia white women. Which means that whatever hot button topic she chooses must at the end of the day must appeal to that audience and their viewpoints on said topic. Thus House Rules turning out horribly. She's not a bad author, she's quite talented. It just feels like she's stagnated in her craft and hasn’t improved because, quite frankly, she's in a damn comfortable spot as an author.
Robert, I must say, I typically agree with a lot of the opinions that you put forth, but this is not one of those cases. First and foremost, I don’t think fiction should ever be regarded as an authority for accurate portrayals of mental illness. Of course the symptoms are exaggerated - the best aspect of fiction is that it isn’t the DSM-V. If I were to write a novel about how I cope with chronic depression, for example, it would probably be a novel about a girl living her day-to-day life, except sometimes she can’t get out of bed and occasionally doesn’t shower for several days because…depression. It would be horrendously boring. While I agree that representation that isn’t accurate representation doesn’t necessarily serve the purpose of functional education, that’s often not why people turn to fiction. If they want to be educated, they can watch a TH-cam video, or read a non-fiction book, or search up some articles online. But fiction serves to entertain first and foremost - any education that a reader takes away from a fictional story is secondary to the story’s entertainment. Regarding the oppression bingo - to me, this seems like a criticism for the sake of criticism. Are the stories jam-packed with a cornucopia of issues? Yes. But they’re all very real issues that marginalized groups experience. Maybe every single individual within a marginalized group won’t experience every single issue, but that doesn’t make the issues themselves irrelevant to a particular class of character. I don’t think Jodi is just trying to check boxes - I think she’s trying to cover the spectrum of issues that marginalized characters face, and to communicate the vastness of the obstacles that marginalized individuals need to overcome. Of course the mile-wide, inch-deep approach may leave some readers wanting for nuance or a more in-depth analysis, but I don’t think that makes her books bad by any stretch of the imagination. If anything, it encourages a market of readers who are introduced to an issue and feel inspired to learn more. Lastly, as much as you criticize Jodi for not doing in-depth research and glossing over important issues, I felt that your critiques of her were very surface-level and lacking in support. You only addressed 3 of her tens if not dozens of books, and ended the video with “read these other two, they’re REALLY bad!” I think a critique of an author that highlights her lack of nuance and research necessarily requires nuance and research, otherwise the critique comes off as hypocritical. Is Jodi a Pulitzer-worthy author? No, probably not. But if you wanted to critique an author for misrepresentation, poor characterization, and lack of nuance, I think there were much better choices available to you.
I also disagree. The Bingo topic is also really pick-and-choose. Like, IVF challenges aren’t really a stereotype of gay relationships that I’ve ever heard of. Wouldn’t be on my bingo card. It’s clear that Picoult is super comfortable in the courtroom drama format, and she’s approaching these social justice topics through that lens. Naturally, the criminal or civil justice system lends itself towards discrimination, bigotry, or oppression.
I'm not a fan of Picoult's writing but I don't agree with Robert's critique. I agree that it's hypocritical to say she lacks depth and then only focus on a few cherry picked examples to represent her extremely prolific career. Fiction is, by definition, exaggerated. Not necessarily in the sense of car chases and explosions, but even the most literary slice of life writer will focus on showing things that are relevant to the plot and/or theme. (I actually find it deeply obnoxious when writers have characters doing mundane stuff and then remarking some meta reference about "this only happens in real life, not in books" because...it is a book.) So yeah, if you're depicting someone with mental illness, for example, you're probably going to focus on the more extreme side of that experience.
As a Princeton grad, she's frequently celebrated there, but then so is, like, Donald Rumsfeld, so, you know, it doesn't mean much. As a Black reader, she is.... not good at telling our stories.
Why would a university be ashamed of Rumsfeld unless they don't share his politics. Lemme, guess, Gerald, you probably think "Republican Bad", right? I'd rather celebrate Rumsfeld than Picoult. But here's a better question: why would Princeton celebrate, say, you?
I have never heard of House Rules, but as a person with ASD, the portrayal is just…ew. And of COURSE Jacob is a white boy. They wouldn’t EVR portray a POC girl as autistic. (I’m a POC girl and like stated before I’m autistic) So that’s just terrible. And also I find it funny that there’s another book called Rules which is a really ableist book about autism. Hm.
if an author can only write about people who are like them, there would be no books in the world. as for her being able to complete whole books in 9 months, why should she be punished for her efficiency? she does write for 7 or 8 hours a day, after all. and as for the "bingo card" criticism, why should she be punished for her ability to comprehensively cover the various facets of a controversial issue? would we rather she present a monofaceted view of things?
First red flag: when he talks about a novel being "harmful". Typical pseudo-left wing comment from a pseudo-left wing commenter. "The white people the book is written for might be in need of the lessons the book tries to teach." Gee, you could say the same about Mark Twain's 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn', one of the greatest novels ever written by an American author. I gave up on this clown after after 3 and a half minutes.
Rob, I'd love for you to be featured in or feature other progressive/lefty/bread tubers who create similar sit down commentary videos. We'd all love for you to increase your reach and exposure. Send an email to everyone and anyone. Don't be scared to reach out to them! Another consideration is that a lot of us only listen (audio only) to these types of videos, so reliance on video elements may hinder consumability
![CAMPปลิ้น | EP.83[2/2] ประสบการณ์ขนหัวลุกจากตำนานวงการผี!](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/T_kFecQw7Ds/mqdefault.jpg)
I was in a mental hospital (had to go multiple times, unfortunately), and at one particular one, they had a bookshelf in the common room that had one of Jodi's books.
It was the one about the school shooting.
I had no idea, and started reading it, and was not pleased. Why did that hospital have that book in that ward?
I took the book with me when I was discharged, not to steal it, but because I felt it was inappropriate in such a setting.
So there's my Jodi Picoult confession. I still have the book. No one should read it.
free kindling!
Thats one way to be a good samaritan
Burn it!
The time before my most recent hospitalization there was a book called “there’s Iraq in my shoe” and it was really racist and problematic and I was like why is this here?!
That's terrible! Why on earth would they have something like that in a mental hospital?
(I've been there too so no judgement here. I'm glad you got help and I hope you're doing well now)
My Sister's Keeper was so frustrating to me, because it could have been a great book. The ethics of saviour siblings is such an interesting topic. Spoilers:
Most of the book is pretty good - a young girl is fighting for medical emancipation while her mother (who I found a lot less sympathetic than Picoult probably intended her to be) tries to force her into giving her older sister a kidney. But in the end, a highly convenient car accident leaves her in the perfect state to give her sister a kidney before she dies. Picoult addressed a complex, controversial issue... then sidestepped the entire ethical dilemma at the last moment.
Maybe put a spoiler warning cause ik some people still read the book. I had to read it for school. But also the end pissed me off cause it's just so convenient that she died right after getting the rights to her body. Felt like everything they worked towards was for nothing cause Kate got the kidney anyway
@@chris_chris_dav did you know there is a movie? SPOILERS IF YOU DIDN'T
They changed the ending so the older sister dies before the court comes to a conclusion. Kim dies and she wins the case.
Never read the book but the films ending is much better than whatever the book ending was meant to be. A car accident really? Jeez
@@jackiegaffney6489 I remember my biology class actually had us decide the ethics of what's in that book. Apparently it's a fairly common phenomenon which is so disturbing to think about
THANK YOU, this pissed me off for YEARS and I thought there was something wrong with me bc I never saw anyone talk about it. That ending infuriated me so much I can’t even put it into words.
If I had a nickel for every popular book by a non-autistic author about an autistic boy being wrongfully accused of a crime, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice, right???
What's the other one?
@@kittykittybangbang9367 Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime
I know at least three. Forgot the name of the other one, though (only saw the book and read the summary on the back at a train station bookshop but didn't buy it, so no way I'll find it ever again, lol)
@@silasoconnell6413 as an autistic person, I tried reading that book thrice. Just couldn't. It broke my brain.
@@sabiha.sayeed also as an autistic person, I read it in early high school and actually liked it (but found it really inaccurate), then looked back on it recently as a young adult and realized how fucked up it actually was. It's truly bad. It's confusing, stereotypical, and just flat-out inaccurate, and I think a lot of where the author went wrong was trying to "get into the head" of an autistic kid. And I don't mean 1st person narration alone, that's not the problem, it's the specific WAY they do it.
this is exactly the type of content i want from robert tolppi
same here! i lover her content
@@keelinmacken95522 her?
@@keelinmacken95522 obsessed much? Get a life
Not her. We just went over this like two vids ago sheesh
@@keelinmacken95522 her?? Robert isn't a girl
theres no reason a creator cant write about things they didnt personally experience. the world would be bereft of a lot of incredible stories if we had to segregate them by race, sex, orientation, etc. but those portrayals have to come from a place of empathy and genuine desire to understand, not just because you think itd be cute or novel. at the bare minimum it would help to talk to or even just learn about the experiences of the people youre trying to portray.
White people should only write about what they experience cause they don’t really do justice to anything or anyone else when they deviate. They really as a whole aren’t very empathetic towards things that don’t have nothing to do with them.
Ive read Picoult in my learning of english, because I ran out of books and needed a new one. I enjoyed it, but mostly for the words and sentences. After reading, I had the feeling that my english had somehow improved after reading, that my understanding of the language improved.
Couldnt tell you what happened in the book anymore, except that everyone was happy at the end of the day.
Sorry Picoult. Thanks for teaching me better english though
that's really awesome actually!
It’s crazy how easy it is to be influenced by this stuff when you’re young. My mom’s white, middle class family have a lot of Picoult books, & growing up, I just thought she was a super super popular author, & that a lot of adults read Picoult books. I read Small Great Things when I was in my early teens & thought I was so woke lol, & more importantly, I thought I was so mature for reading the same books as my mom & her parents. Scary how easy it is to completely get sucked into white saviour-ism when it’s so normalized
Picoult writes novels, for a broad range of people, hence her “bingo- card” approach. I believe that her books provoke critical thinking and open mindedness. Unfortunately, some people seem to be offended by the idea of inclusivity.
Im almost 40 and I love this kids stuff! So smart and insightful! Love the videos!! Keep em up!!!
lmao
Congrats on your bachelor's degree, Robert!
we read the book about school shootings in my senior year of high school english class. I have very mixed feelings about it - while it was engaging as a novel, it preyed upon very real fears that I experienced as a student and kind of fetishized the narrative of a misunderstood kid turning to violence as a result of bullying. That being said, it did open up a dialogue for kids in my class to discuss our own anxieties about gun violence and school shootings. It's a very surreal experience reading a jodi picoult book while realizing you are in the demographic of the social issue she is addressing for "outsiders"
throughout middle school i BREATHED jodi picoult novels. i never thought about any of this. it's so refreshing to hear! another robert banger!!
Agreed. I actually met her in high school and had such rosy memories of her. But knowing were she grew up (we are alumni of the same HS) I am not at all surprised.
Smithtown is a bubble.
just me, my bowl of cottage cheese, and a brand new Tolppi video… bliss, honestly
Ha! Same lol😊
@@KRAPYBARA84 even the cottage cheese? Whoa!
"Judging from the quality of her work, I doubt she did any more research than simply glancing at WebMD and having a 15 minute phone call with Jenny Mccarthy..." ☠😂 this was too good
Sorry to be nit picky, but psychiatrist ARE doctors. They go to medical school and then specialize in psychiatry; they are able to prescribe medication. Psychologists on the other hand, typically have a master's in psychology, masters in education, a PhD in psychology or a PsyD; they cannot prescribe medication.
In high school, everyone in my AP English class had to read a book that dealt with a social issue, then write a research essay based on that social issue. Without exaggerating, Jodi Piccoult had written at least a quarter of the books on the list of ones we could pick. Even then, I thought it was weird that she'd written something on every concievable social issue, from racism to school shootings
She went to my high school. I only read two books by her though, Second Glance and the one about the Amish girl were really good. I also met her back when I was in high school because she came back to our school and signed our books. I am black but we are from the same very white town. I feel so disenchanted because I had such fond memories of her but I hadn't read any of her other books and I read them back in high school. So hearing that she is SO PROBLEMATIC is heartbreaking, yet unfortunately not at all surprising. The people of Smithtown are a unique bunch and they don't understand black people. I was one of 6 in my graduating class.
I read Second Glance my freshman year of high school and absolutely loved it. I haven't started the video but am nervous I'll have it ruined for me lol
Second glance was SO GOOD!
As a fellow autistic person (and soon-to-be bachelor's graduate), I certainly relate so well to your critique of House Rules. I was told to read the book by my mother, who I believe was recommended to read it due to how it can help understand people like me. I tried to read it, and for the longest time I had no idea why I could not finish it. I had an inkling that it had something to do with how Jacob was a guy with Asperger's with a checklist of common autism symptoms, which I felt was unrealistic. I know people who are diagnosed like me and I cannot fathom them having that amount of symptoms, so that was my hunch. Plus, I tend to think a lot about autism representation and what can be done to be better with a sense of realism - which made me concerned on how Jodi Picoult would portray Jacob. What you and the psychologist reviewers have said certainly validated my concern about House Rules. It hit right on the mark!
Also, I enjoyed watching you and your video essays. They may not garner a lot of views, but they leave me with a lot to think about. Also listening to your videos while commuting is soothing.
My airport king is James Patterson
@@keelinmacken95522 apparently you did enough to respond.
I was introduced to Jodi Picoult by my middle school English teacher and I thought the synopses of her books sounded so interesting. I love thinking about ethics and shit.
I wanted to read My Sister's Keeper but never got to it. I did read Small Great Things which was ok I guess. Reading it as a black person was weird. Definitely felt like I was not the target audience. I The only thing I really liked about that book was the lawyer and eye doctor's relationship.
as an adult autistic person hearing the way this woman is portraying us, it's just SO aggravating truly
I promise you that when I read this full book pre-diagnosis it was worse than it sounds, I'm pretty sure the mom ends up getting with someone due to the case, once again using the disabled person as a narrative device rather than a full fledged character and person.
@@starsndips God that sounds AWFUL 😭😭 I can't believe there are people that read that and thought it was good autism representation
people without autism need to shut up and just listen and boost the voices of those who have it. idk why this is commonplace with any other marginalizing factor, but those of us with actual social and communication deficits get less of a much needed pedestal :/
Truly! It's like we aren't capable of being trusted or have a sense of agency, which is how Jacob was perceived throughout the novel. It really makes you think...
@@authenticuser4177 autistic people are some of the most ignored people when it comes to our own problems. the public only listens to parents/caretakers of autistic children, instead of autistic adults. It’s sickening
I’ve read quite a few Jodi Picoults books. She got me into reading, but they got too predictable.
I used to be obsessed with her books as a teen, I even got my friend into them and we'd swap books and all that jazz. I think I read everything of hers until House Rules and then I stopped reading her books because I couldn't afford them.
I remember getting the ebook for Small Great Things when I was a little older and I just couldn't get into. Her books are really appealing when you're young and dramatic but the older I got it hit me how shallow her books are.
The title of this video unlocked a memory for sure. As a tween/teen in the pre-2010 era, I found My Sister's Keeper in a bookstore somewhere. That led me down a rabbit hole of jodi picoult books and at around that time I named her as my favotite author. I was at an angsty phase then and I loved the melodrama of it all. I haven't read a book of hers in yeaaaars and I guess I was right not to.
ohhh my fucking GOD I remember reading House Rules in middle school. All I really remember was the fake murder mystery at the beginning [which i thought was cool and wanted to see more of], and the end where its revealed Jacob somehow kept the knowledge of the true murderer/rapist from himself??? and then monologing that he knew that he didnt know but he actually did know [????] and that he would do everything the same because GOLLY GEE BEING A MAJOR SUSPECT IN AN INVESTIGATION SURE WAS FUN!
this reminds me so much of a bigger issue that we are seeing- people want to capitalize on hot topics, regardless of whether they are the right speaker or what the consequences may be. take Madisyn Brown for example. She often speaks on social issues. Last month, she decided to speak on autism. Like, in a derogatory way and used Autism speaks (hate group) as her main source of information. She ignored all of the people in her comments telling her how harmful her over-speak was, saying she refuses to take it down or apologize for our "misunderstanding" then deleted the video and brushed it under the rug, all while alienating a large part of her audience and doing harm to the general understanding of this community without ever outright apologizing or correcting herself with proper information. Sorry for the run on. Just eerily similar to the main idea of shameless harmful over-speak you discuss here.
I remember raising an eyebrow at the anti-vax sentiment in House Rules, hoping none of the readers would take it the wrong way. I also remember that the mum in House Rules put the young lad through a regimen of supplements, including vitamin B12 injections, to try and "treat" him- common in alternative medicine circles, but these aren't standard treatments for autism (unless there's also a concurrent vitamin deficiency).
I was in the psych ward for a week and I was so hyped to get out and see whatever Robert was about to educate me on
I hope you're recovering well!
i'm so happy you're back!! you are awesome
Wishing you wellness! 🙌🫶
hope your doing good💖, i remember my psych ward days.
I've read at least 70% of her books, but I read them all as a teen. Her first book Song of the Humpback Whale is what got me into her and into reading even more. As an adult I've read one of her books and I'm currently reading a second. Many of the books discussed here I read as a teen. I wonder how i would interpret them now as an adult.
Don't mind me, just leaving a comment on how this video needs more views. Great video! Critical analysis of books and their effects is endlessly fascinating to me. People can write about sensitive issues but they're sensitive for a reason, best books that look into ethics don't really give you a straight right or wrong answer. The best books that deal with ethics make you think and question the black and white mentality that we've been taught.
"People can write about sensitive issues but they're sensitive for a reason, best books that look into ethics don't really give you a straight right or wrong answer. The best books that deal with ethics make you think and question the black and white mentality that we've been taught."
And what's the end result then? I'm not even sure where you concluded that the "best books" do what you think "best books " do.
I really like how much you can talk about in such a short timeframe. Hope you have a good day
Just noticed your new profile pic, you're handsome! And as always, very interesting video. Cheers from Italy! 💯🇮🇹
I remember being recommended Picoult's books when I was in Middle School and I was given My Sister's Keeper to read. And I hated it! I subsequently avoided any of her books following that, because I hated it so much, so I didn't even know about House Rules before this. As an autistic person, I would have been SEEING RED about that one, if it'd been given to me like My Sister's Keeper had.
I’ve been reading Jodi picoult’s books for YEARS but I definitely agree with a lot of your opinions. I think that a lot of her books adopt a very unique perspective on certain ethical issues (balancing between the law, family, relationships, etc.) and that combo can be quite jarring and occasionally come off insensitive. I think a lot of the time the weaker elements of her novels get covered up by her skilful writing style (which can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it). I cant speak on some of her books like small great things because I haven’t read all of them but as someone with autism I’ve read house rules and even though there were some really obvious issues with the way she portrayed autism the actual book itself was very investing and enjoyable to read. Once again, that can be a good thing or a bad thing I guess depending on what you want to take out of her writing.
Thank you for this video. I have autism and have read House Rules as well. Initially, I appreciated that Picoult tried to write an autistic character from his own point of view, and while some of it is accurate (Jacob's failure to understand the "rules" by which ordinary people--"neurotypicals"--structure their interactions and conversations, for example). In one memorable reflection, Jacob describes living among them like being a visitor to another country, where the same language is spoken but the customs make no sense; rather liked that).
But I didn't care for how Jodi Picoult wrote Jacob as having an utter lack of compassion, sympathy, or empathy for his fellow human beings. The fact that she seems to think this is the case is made explicit when Emma, Jacob's mom, comments that Jacob has "no theory of mind" and cannot understand that other people have inner lives, thoughts, and feelings, the same way he does. I rather resent the suggestion that these things/concepts are beyond us, because they aren't. (The issue, I think, is the fact that Jacob--and other autistic people--don't respond in the way neurotypical people typically expect them too, prompting the suggestion that we lack an awareness of how they feel. But this is a mistaken assumption).
Finally, Jacob himself frustrated me with his behaviour. Noted already, he doesn't seem to understand that other people matter. But he's so willfully obtuse that it becomes very frustrating, and stretches the mystery of Jess's murder far longer than necessary. I don't think Jacob is being intentionally difficult, so the problem is Picoult's writing of him. But Jacob knows most of what happened with regard to Jess's death. He compromises the crime scene, but never explains why. When asked questions about what happened, he gives short answers that (when taken at face value) appear to further implicate him. But if he had, instead, simply explained what happened, the story would have been over a lot sooner. Given that this problem stems from Picoult's misrepresentation of how autistic people think (a problem caused by another problem), it really rubbed me the wrong way.
i could listen to Robert all day
Robert, I thought you said “average middle class white BREEDER” not “reader”. 😂
Robert your videos are incredibly well done. Cheers bud.
Dude.. I had no idea this lady was actually relevant. I remember being obsessed with her Between the Lines book when I was around 10 or something
When I was in college "My Sister's Keeper" was a campus read. I'll just say, oh.
@5:00 i listened to the audiobook of Sing You Home and the accompanying song. I felt she was like a bootleg Danielle Steele 😂😂
Loved this video! I’ve seen this name around for years at the airport but never knew who she was. Also, I feel like this video is getting wrongfully shadowbanned. Likely because you mentioned the v*cc*ne research and relation to autism. Any *sensitive subjects* are usually best to *bleep* so big Algo doesn’t punish you. (My TH-camr friend told me this!)
A psychiatrist is an MD
I read one Picoult novel which so happened to be my last since I decided, after finishing it, the novel and she lived in another reality that I couldn't truly relate to. What went down in the novel and its end result would definitely not fly in the real world. One Picoult novel was enough for me.
This was an eye opening video. Thanks for offering your perspectives.
This was great!! I am so so glad someone is talking about House Rules, that book was wild!!
Thank you mr Tolppi, another incredible video!
Robert! this is great content. I finally read my first Picoult book, Mad Honey. Another author who is trans writes parts of the boo, the trans character. The was very well crafted!! It's as almost saying....well I can't be racist...I have a black friend. It also reminds me of the recent movie, American Fiction where the world feeds on stereotyped/tropes of black people. Would love for you to do a breakdown of Mad Honey.
I enjoyed the movie adaption of My Sister's Keeper. But, no one in my life that I am close to has cancer. Was the movie better? Or, am I so ignorant of the experience of cancer that I couldn't see the flaws in the film?
never been this early to a video before wtf, anyway another great video robert :)
I have never heard of this author before, so at least my mind is still intact. ^ ^
It's so scary how omnipresent these books are. Ive read three of her books and yet can hardly tell you anything about them.
Robert are you doing a Masters after you graduate?
Never read any of her books but I did find several of her novels at Thrift shops lol.
Can u doa commentary on the works of Lionel Shiver? She covered very important topics and she did it well. This is the author who wrote: We need to talk about Kevin. But, she wrote many more interesting books.
4:35 “namely,” not “namingly.” You’ve got a decent eye for explaining crappy books. Thanks, JP makes me shudder in beige
I have been waiting for someone to take apart Jodi Picoult books for a while. There's this one about this girl where they talk about how her sister had osteogenesis imperfecta type II where the entire time they try to sue their friend for not giving them proper warning that their daughter had a disability and that they should have been given the chance to abort her and oh my god I can't fucking stand that book. Does Picoult know that real people have physical and neurological disabilities? Does she think we choose to have our lives changed by the fact that we are "not normal" or that we want people to make us feel like burdens? This whole discussion about whether a child with disability, especially if the disability in question is physical, deserves to live is such a horrible thing to write. Not to mention if you read at least three of her books, you realize that she uses these disabled characters as vehicles of Romance for either the siblings or parents of the disabled child, like we're dogs for your meet-cute. Abhorrent behavior honestly.
@@HappyThife Handle With Care. There is a part where the older sister is faking having a physical disability just so she could be with some guy WHO ALSO HAS OSTEOGENESIS IMPERFECTA BUT TYPE 1, unlike the disabled daughter who has type two. Handle With Care's ending is also a lot so when you read it, i hope you find that interesting enough 💀💀💀💀
As someone who worked in health care, specifically ob/gyn/infertility, it's a very real conversation. But the way she approached it wasn't as good as it should have been and I understand how it can hurt people. It's a heartbreaking, nuisance, and decisive conversation that deserves good writing and compassion.
From what I remember, the mother wasn't suing because she hated her child but to get money to support her child. Still, that's a weird way to write about it.
you could call JP’s genre didactic sensationalism
Would love to hear you talk about Wally Lamb, he had a chokehold on the adult women in my family in the mid2000s
The Mrs. has likely read all of her books. I never had.
Curious - what race, gender, and class (generally speaking) are protagonists in her books?
Omg I can't believe you didn't even touch on her new one, Mad Honey. It's a wild fucking ride.
Piccolts books are... interesting. I read several of them up until House Rules, and honestly those books helped me start engaging in my media more critically. Where she ends up failing I think is because of her audience: middle class suburbia white women. Which means that whatever hot button topic she chooses must at the end of the day must appeal to that audience and their viewpoints on said topic. Thus House Rules turning out horribly.
She's not a bad author, she's quite talented. It just feels like she's stagnated in her craft and hasn’t improved because, quite frankly, she's in a damn comfortable spot as an author.
ursula le guinn has ruined most fiction for me
DO JAMES PATTERSON NEXT
The closed caption in this video is funny; they literally translated her name to “pig-cult”😂😂😂
As Finnish Pulp and paper industry enjoyer, don’t disrespect pulp like that😤so disappointed in you right now
I really appreciate your perspective on this issue especially in regards to ASD
I never knew that so many people read picoult. Im portuguese and shes not that famous here.
Yeah, that'd be cool if salt could explode
Holy shit anti vax too??
15min phone call with Jenny McCarthy😂
her books are sooooo freaking weird. wonder what her problem is
Bravo!
Robert, I must say, I typically agree with a lot of the opinions that you put forth, but this is not one of those cases.
First and foremost, I don’t think fiction should ever be regarded as an authority for accurate portrayals of mental illness. Of course the symptoms are exaggerated - the best aspect of fiction is that it isn’t the DSM-V. If I were to write a novel about how I cope with chronic depression, for example, it would probably be a novel about a girl living her day-to-day life, except sometimes she can’t get out of bed and occasionally doesn’t shower for several days because…depression. It would be horrendously boring. While I agree that representation that isn’t accurate representation doesn’t necessarily serve the purpose of functional education, that’s often not why people turn to fiction. If they want to be educated, they can watch a TH-cam video, or read a non-fiction book, or search up some articles online. But fiction serves to entertain first and foremost - any education that a reader takes away from a fictional story is secondary to the story’s entertainment.
Regarding the oppression bingo - to me, this seems like a criticism for the sake of criticism. Are the stories jam-packed with a cornucopia of issues? Yes. But they’re all very real issues that marginalized groups experience. Maybe every single individual within a marginalized group won’t experience every single issue, but that doesn’t make the issues themselves irrelevant to a particular class of character. I don’t think Jodi is just trying to check boxes - I think she’s trying to cover the spectrum of issues that marginalized characters face, and to communicate the vastness of the obstacles that marginalized individuals need to overcome. Of course the mile-wide, inch-deep approach may leave some readers wanting for nuance or a more in-depth analysis, but I don’t think that makes her books bad by any stretch of the imagination. If anything, it encourages a market of readers who are introduced to an issue and feel inspired to learn more.
Lastly, as much as you criticize Jodi for not doing in-depth research and glossing over important issues, I felt that your critiques of her were very surface-level and lacking in support. You only addressed 3 of her tens if not dozens of books, and ended the video with “read these other two, they’re REALLY bad!” I think a critique of an author that highlights her lack of nuance and research necessarily requires nuance and research, otherwise the critique comes off as hypocritical.
Is Jodi a Pulitzer-worthy author? No, probably not. But if you wanted to critique an author for misrepresentation, poor characterization, and lack of nuance, I think there were much better choices available to you.
I also disagree. The Bingo topic is also really pick-and-choose. Like, IVF challenges aren’t really a stereotype of gay relationships that I’ve ever heard of. Wouldn’t be on my bingo card.
It’s clear that Picoult is super comfortable in the courtroom drama format, and she’s approaching these social justice topics through that lens. Naturally, the criminal or civil justice system lends itself towards discrimination, bigotry, or oppression.
I'm not a fan of Picoult's writing but I don't agree with Robert's critique. I agree that it's hypocritical to say she lacks depth and then only focus on a few cherry picked examples to represent her extremely prolific career.
Fiction is, by definition, exaggerated. Not necessarily in the sense of car chases and explosions, but even the most literary slice of life writer will focus on showing things that are relevant to the plot and/or theme. (I actually find it deeply obnoxious when writers have characters doing mundane stuff and then remarking some meta reference about "this only happens in real life, not in books" because...it is a book.) So yeah, if you're depicting someone with mental illness, for example, you're probably going to focus on the more extreme side of that experience.
As a Princeton grad, she's frequently celebrated there, but then so is, like, Donald Rumsfeld, so, you know, it doesn't mean much.
As a Black reader, she is.... not good at telling our stories.
Why would a university be ashamed of Rumsfeld unless they don't share his politics. Lemme, guess, Gerald, you probably think "Republican Bad", right? I'd rather celebrate Rumsfeld than Picoult.
But here's a better question: why would Princeton celebrate, say, you?
That black professor may write herself better books
I have never heard of House Rules, but as a person with ASD, the portrayal is just…ew. And of COURSE Jacob is a white boy. They wouldn’t EVR portray a POC girl as autistic. (I’m a POC girl and like stated before I’m autistic) So that’s just terrible. And also I find it funny that there’s another book called Rules which is a really ableist book about autism. Hm.
I’ve noticed you talk with your hands a lot lol. Like it ain’t a bad thing and I’m not talkin shit or anything, just something I noticed
if an author can only write about people who are like them, there would be no books in the world.
as for her being able to complete whole books in 9 months, why should she be punished for her efficiency? she does write for 7 or 8 hours a day, after all.
and as for the "bingo card" criticism, why should she be punished for her ability to comprehensively cover the various facets of a controversial issue? would we rather she present a monofaceted view of things?
Wells said, I agree
First red flag: when he talks about a novel being "harmful". Typical pseudo-left wing comment from a pseudo-left wing commenter.
"The white people the book is written for might be in need of the lessons the book tries to teach." Gee, you could say the same about Mark Twain's 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn', one of the greatest novels ever written by an American author.
I gave up on this clown after after 3 and a half minutes.
1st world problems.
Quite literally
I love author tea. Have you watched Caleb Joseph's video on Colleen Hoover?
I want Robert to talk to destiny!
Who would’ve guessed a guy like me would want that. I think it could drive a lot of traffic.
why destiny??
Why would you want to subject Robert to that-
why?
Who or what is destiny? I'm so confused.
@@psychedelic.dreamer You know what? Do yourself a favour. Keep it that way
The brain rot of her books
I love her books.
5:43 can’t speak for POC, but as a queer & neurodivergent person, I dont suffer from either, I suffer from how society responds
Basically "I'm gonna blame society which can't handle my uniqueness."
Rob, I'd love for you to be featured in or feature other progressive/lefty/bread tubers who create similar sit down commentary videos. We'd all love for you to increase your reach and exposure. Send an email to everyone and anyone. Don't be scared to reach out to them!
Another consideration is that a lot of us only listen (audio only) to these types of videos, so reliance on video elements may hinder consumability