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olicooper1 's review for:
Cunt: A Declaration of Independence
by Inga Muscio
I have been wanting to read this for years--- I should have read it all those years ago. It might have been rated a bit higher. Alas, this is definitely a product of its time-- for example, the author essentially let's us all know only one thing surely unites all women and that is that they have cunts. Which we know is not a prerequisite or what makes up or define women.
I will start with what I did like-- I love love love the encouragement for self defense. And that self defense is a lot more than learning a few moves to wriggle out of a headlock. Self-defense is looking out for you-- physically, mentally, emotionally and looking out for your people in the same ways.
Love that the idea of sisterhood and support is a huge theme throughout. It is something that always feels lacking in world and I agree we can do with more of. Putting that into concrete actions-- encouraging readers to put their money in the hands of women owned and women-led businesses--I think is a great message!
In that ilk, she takes issue with men being the center of women's reproduction health-- the pill, abortions, etc. Makes the argument that if women were leading the charge, there would probably be less hormonally unstable and/or physically painful ways to approach these types of health issues. Makes sense. However, she manages to take it a step too far when she appears to be advocating for women to induce their own abortions (if they need and want one) by just really thinking about it. Sure... this herbal medley and vigorous massage routine and other items were "helpers" to induce abortion... but really, the power to abort relies in the power of thinking it to be true. ...I mean, I am with you-- where I want more study/funding/research into these areas of health and figure out better solutions than the man-made ones that still dominate.... but please don't try to convince women if they just want it bad enough, they can think it into occurring.
And my least favorite part was the beginning. Because I believe it is probably the most factually inaccurate and therefore just annoyed the crap out of me. The introduction went through the etymology and history of the word. Pretty sure this whole thing is just the dream world she created in her own mind to drive her philosophy or drive this book-- either way cool if that's what you need to think, but the way it is written is as if it is all history and that is just not true. She is correct that it is a relatively modern view for the negative connotations attached to the word, but all that mumbo jumbo about how cunt was a powerful word-- pretty sure all of that is made up. If not... show me sources. I haven't delved myself into the word, but have read about many various ancient religions that she tries to pull into the story on the history of the word. She seems to convince the reader there were a slew of goddess worship/female centric religions, reading it it almost seems like she is implying that there was about a 50-50 split between matriarchal and patriarchal religions, and one day the patriarchy won. But she is just lying. And then you come to the point in that first essay where she actually tells you she's lying... "Perhaps, as some "historians" may have it, I fabricated the historical considerations in reassessing the way we presently perceive "cunt."" So yeah, I get that creative invention of the history of the word helps create this space for her to talk about her approach to feminism, but don't intentionally deceive, then admit that your full of shit, then expect people to trust you wont do it again for the rest of your book. That's just poor form.
I will start with what I did like-- I love love love the encouragement for self defense. And that self defense is a lot more than learning a few moves to wriggle out of a headlock. Self-defense is looking out for you-- physically, mentally, emotionally and looking out for your people in the same ways.
Love that the idea of sisterhood and support is a huge theme throughout. It is something that always feels lacking in world and I agree we can do with more of. Putting that into concrete actions-- encouraging readers to put their money in the hands of women owned and women-led businesses--I think is a great message!
In that ilk, she takes issue with men being the center of women's reproduction health-- the pill, abortions, etc. Makes the argument that if women were leading the charge, there would probably be less hormonally unstable and/or physically painful ways to approach these types of health issues. Makes sense. However, she manages to take it a step too far when she appears to be advocating for women to induce their own abortions (if they need and want one) by just really thinking about it. Sure... this herbal medley and vigorous massage routine and other items were "helpers" to induce abortion... but really, the power to abort relies in the power of thinking it to be true. ...I mean, I am with you-- where I want more study/funding/research into these areas of health and figure out better solutions than the man-made ones that still dominate.... but please don't try to convince women if they just want it bad enough, they can think it into occurring.
And my least favorite part was the beginning. Because I believe it is probably the most factually inaccurate and therefore just annoyed the crap out of me. The introduction went through the etymology and history of the word. Pretty sure this whole thing is just the dream world she created in her own mind to drive her philosophy or drive this book-- either way cool if that's what you need to think, but the way it is written is as if it is all history and that is just not true. She is correct that it is a relatively modern view for the negative connotations attached to the word, but all that mumbo jumbo about how cunt was a powerful word-- pretty sure all of that is made up. If not... show me sources. I haven't delved myself into the word, but have read about many various ancient religions that she tries to pull into the story on the history of the word. She seems to convince the reader there were a slew of goddess worship/female centric religions, reading it it almost seems like she is implying that there was about a 50-50 split between matriarchal and patriarchal religions, and one day the patriarchy won. But she is just lying. And then you come to the point in that first essay where she actually tells you she's lying... "Perhaps, as some "historians" may have it, I fabricated the historical considerations in reassessing the way we presently perceive "cunt."" So yeah, I get that creative invention of the history of the word helps create this space for her to talk about her approach to feminism, but don't intentionally deceive, then admit that your full of shit, then expect people to trust you wont do it again for the rest of your book. That's just poor form.