Undressing feminism (figuratively)

What's the worst that can happen. Since the show is about tempting her into non-feminist-like behaviour, Ellie knows she will be asked to read something she ordinarily would not... But then Ellie has always taken a certain pride in believing she can listen to the other side of the debate.

"Fine", she says, and her prize amount changes immediately. The host gestures to the assistant girl and she hurries off with her tray. Her short skit does not leave too much of her behind to imagination as she walks away; she hurries back moments later, now with a book on her tray. She offers it to Ellie, almost bending over to lower herself to the sitting girl's level, giving the appreciative audience just enough of a show to keep it entertained through the relatively slow start.

"I should have known. "Undressing Feminism". Of course they'll want me to read something like that", Ellie mutters, failing to hide the distaste from her expression. Still, she is open-minded enough to read a few pages of anything, however disagreeable. The fact she does so, even for money, in no way means she endorses what she is reading... Even though she has little doubt the audience will see it as another defeat for her.

And in a way it is, Ellie knows, as she starts reading from the beginning at the host's nod. If she was reading it on her own terms, she would insert her own remarks, shatter the false premises and expose the author's bias... But to do so would fail the task and face the consequences she obviously cannot afford to face, the smiling host made that clear enough.

The young woman reads on, her expression increasingly sour. To make things worse, at the host's well-placed supportive remarks (supportive of the text, that is, even though he makes it sound as if it is Ellie's own thoughts that he is commenting on), the audience bursts into rounds of applause. After a few pages that feel like miles-long scrolls to Ellie, the host tells her to skip forward to the first bookmark.