I don't understand the Brené Brown thing (a deeply unserious post)
Is everyone pulling an elaborate prank on me?
Let me start with this: this is not an essay about how Brene Brown’s lack of intersectional thinking has, at the very least, the potential to harm marginalized people. There is already writing on this, particularly by Black women, who are both punished for standing up for themselves in non-Black spaces and stand directly in the crosshairs of white women’s “vulnerability and authenticity”. Here’s a great place to start:
The Dangers of Courage Culture and Why Brene Brown Isn’t For Black Folk - Dr. Carey Yazeed
Many jump to Brown’s defense, claiming that there there is a clear place for her body of work on anti-racism journeys. I personally have sneaking suspicions about how her image functions in workplaces. But look. This is not an essay about inequity at all. It’s not about the systems or structures in which Brené Brown is situated. This is a confession. This is a tiny little cry into the darkness. I’m reaching out for a hand to pull me out of this pit.
I literally don’t understand why any of us know who Brené Brown is.
I remember the first time I watched one of her longer talks. My roommate asked me what it was about. I said vulnerability. She said what about vulnerability. And I realized I didn’t remember anything I had heard.
I listened to podcast episodes recommended by professors, I read excerpts of her books carefully photocopied by supervisors/apostles. Colleagues I deeply respect used terms like “life-changing” to describe her teachings and even walked me through their training outlines. I just can’t recollect any of her concepts. I am her target audience and I really just feel like everyone is messing with me.
If by some freak accident/google alert you see this, it’s not you, Brené Brown, it’s me. So many people love you and clearly, it’s for reasons! I simply have to get this off my unimportant chest.
This also goes for fans. If anyone sees this who has a Brené Brown bumper sticker or whatever, it’s not you, it’s me. I have held this in because I couldn’t figure out a way to say it without sounding like I thought I was too cool or somehow too good for it. Now that I’m not a social worker, I can say things both serious and arbitrary without the gravity of my title:
I don’t care about Brené Brown! I don’t understand why she’s famous! I feel like other people write about all the stuff she’s written about and have since the dawn of language! Literally what am I supposed to be getting out of this! I remember the first time I heard her name it was in a social work class in graduate school and half the room made non-word utterances to demonstrate they already knew and cared who she was! So I literally have to be missing something! I don’t remember any of her quotes off the top of my head but I see them everywhere! It’s giving “scam”! My best interpretation is something like “being vulnerable means being yourself. when we feel shame we hide ourselves” and honestly I would bet $20 that is actually one of them! There is simply nothing in there! In my opinion! See, I sound mean! I’m not trying to be! What am I not getting! Help me understand!