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emsim's review
4.0
If I’m remembering correctly, I found this book through a recommendation of bisexual activist, Eliel Cruz, on Twitter. Wanting to make my queer theory more intersectional, I decided to give it a go (and the cover makes it easy on the eyes! It’s so beautiful, everyone!).
It’s important to know that this book is scholarly and academic in nature. I don’t know if I would have made it through the first chapter if I wasn’t in the habit of reading similar books and articles for my grad school classes. It’s a style and level that can be hard to stick with if you aren’t used to it or if you are expecting a book written for a popular audience. Even with my knowledge of academic writing, this book was sometimes difficult for me to wade through because I don’t understand all the terms and references. Every once in awhile a gem of a sentence will jump on the page and keep me reading, or, after slogging through a couple pages of references I don’t get, the discussion will suddenly move back to ground I am familiar with. It was worth the extra effort, though.
Perez critiques and analyzes various films (Brokeback Mountain, for example), books, short stories, and societal events (such as the Abu Ghraib photos and the Gay Shame conference) to argue that the modern gay man romanticizes, exoticizes, and objectifies brown male bodies. In these examples, the reader see that queer theory, as championed by white gay men, has gained a place of privilege and normality in our society and within the academy. Instead of continuing to push for progress and inclusion, mainstream queer theory has settled for its place of privilege, leaving other marginalized groups in its wake. Perez is doing the important work of calling attention to these contradictions and inadequacies. White gay men hold a certain amount of privilege in US society and have proven reluctant to make their theory and ethic inclusive, intersectional, and revolutionary. A TASTE FOR BROWN BODIES explores the ways this privilege is used to objectify and exoticize brown bodies. Reading this book helped me become aware of the presence of this effect in the media I consume.
It’s important to know that this book is scholarly and academic in nature. I don’t know if I would have made it through the first chapter if I wasn’t in the habit of reading similar books and articles for my grad school classes. It’s a style and level that can be hard to stick with if you aren’t used to it or if you are expecting a book written for a popular audience. Even with my knowledge of academic writing, this book was sometimes difficult for me to wade through because I don’t understand all the terms and references. Every once in awhile a gem of a sentence will jump on the page and keep me reading, or, after slogging through a couple pages of references I don’t get, the discussion will suddenly move back to ground I am familiar with. It was worth the extra effort, though.
Perez critiques and analyzes various films (Brokeback Mountain, for example), books, short stories, and societal events (such as the Abu Ghraib photos and the Gay Shame conference) to argue that the modern gay man romanticizes, exoticizes, and objectifies brown male bodies. In these examples, the reader see that queer theory, as championed by white gay men, has gained a place of privilege and normality in our society and within the academy. Instead of continuing to push for progress and inclusion, mainstream queer theory has settled for its place of privilege, leaving other marginalized groups in its wake. Perez is doing the important work of calling attention to these contradictions and inadequacies. White gay men hold a certain amount of privilege in US society and have proven reluctant to make their theory and ethic inclusive, intersectional, and revolutionary. A TASTE FOR BROWN BODIES explores the ways this privilege is used to objectify and exoticize brown bodies. Reading this book helped me become aware of the presence of this effect in the media I consume.
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