Superfan: How Pop Culture Broke My Heart

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This memoir explores one woman's lifelong obsession with pop culture as a lens to examine family, grief, female rage, Asian fetish, and the costs of resisting the "good Chinese girl" stereotype. For much of her life, pop culture served as an escape from family tragedy and a means of fitting in. Characters like Anne of Green Gables offered hope for a loving family after losing her father at twelve, while Princess Diana exemplified the possibility of redefining what it means to be a good girl. As she matured, however, Jen Sookfong Lee recognized that pop culture often excluded individuals like her, the child of Chinese immigrants who sought safety in the invisibility of Model Minority myths. Through reflections on figures like Gwyneth Paltrow, Bob Ross, and the Kardashians, as well as the enduring impact of The Joy Luck Club, she navigates her emotionally complex upbringing. Jen critiques how pop culture perpetuates unrealistic ideals and harmful stereotypes, which challenged her journey as an Asian woman, single mother, and writer. With wit and honesty, she connects the spectacle of popular culture to personal relationships and the societal foundations of our collective obsessions.