Unsolicited Book Review: The White Trash Mom

I was very excited to pick up The White Trash Mom Handbook from the library, yet I was so disappointed when I actually read it. It was a love/hate thing. The book is absolutely hilarious, but it didn't represent any of what I want out of life. It was more of a how-to guide for those that are White Trash but want to fit into tactful society. Though the subtitle clearly said it was intended to help readers "Embrace Your Inner Trailerpark, Forget Perfection, Resist Assimilation into the PTA, Stay Sane, and Keep Your Sense of Humor", it was actually a "how to fake it" book. I'm sure it could be very helpful for some, but it took an opposite stance than what I recommend. The book insists that modern standards are too high and that these standards aren't going to change, so moms need to join the charade and play along. Along this line of thinking, it is a helpful guide for wading through the shallow walk of life. But I believe that the reason these high standards aren't going to change any time soon is that so many people find it easier to play along or fly under the radar than to just be real. If more of us White Trash Mamas found a way to relax and find our own skin, the standards could become a little more realistic.

From the book:
"Some of my tactics involve being dishonest. For example, pretending you bake a cake when you really bought it at the store. I don't think lying is the right way to live your life. But extreme situations call for extreme solutions. (extreme about cake?) The only reason I give the advice I do is because the current expectations of motherhood are so unrealistic. Call fudging your culinary skills the lesser of two evils." 

And the other evil option was?....to say, "Thanks! I picked it up at Kroger's. Their Buttercream is delicious!" Cue the sinister music. Ooooh...Evil!


I'm being a bit mean to this book. Please don't misunderstand. It is a hilarious book that has some very practical tips, like dressing "artsy" (boots and tie-dye to avoid being chosen to head committees) and using proper brown-nosing techniques. It also works as a great faux-tact translator: "Max is very creative and energetic!" really means Max is from hell and needs to be medicated. Hilarious and helpful. So, if you don't want to feel comfortable with who you are but you do want to be accepted by other people who aren't comfortable with who you are either, this is a GREAT book!

By the end of it (read: appendix,) the tone changed and the author gave kudos to brave women, such as Betty Ford who was honest about her problems and helped pave the way for women with similar struggles to get the help they needed.

And in the end, it says,

"Remember that being White Trash is all about being who you are and not giving into the pressure of what other people think."

I completely agree with that statement, even if the rest of the book did not support it.

Pin It