When compared to Laura Bates' other published work, the utter perfection that is 'Everyday Sexism', based on the truth-revealing web phenomenon connecting women and girls and their experiences from all over the world, 'Misogynation' can seem like 'Everyday Sexism 2.0'. There isn't anything as terribly new here as I had hoped, or even brave, for a vital feminist publication in 2018.
However, Laura Bates always does what she does best: state the facts. 'Misogynation' is a fast, easily digestible read listing no-nonsense essays from the past five years or so; all written to expand on many women's experiences in the UK and beyond - highlighting how practically every woman ever has at least feared rape, and sexual and/or murderous predators, at some point in their lives, if not all the time, with reasonable evidence to back up these fears. All incidents of clear misogyny, such as street harassment, which are too often seen as "a bit of fun" and a "compliment" to women, are linked to how dismally, how depressingly, our society and culture treats women: As second-class citizens; disposable, passive, sexual objects with no agency of their own as preferred. Only their relationships to men make them matter. 'Misogynation' contains a dash of cathartic humour in its answers to our prayers - in its solutions to our sufferings - for good measure.
It also nicely shows great examples of why the UK's Daily Mail should be called the Daily Cesspool, or more accurately, the Daily Slowest-Newsday-Ever. Why is Page 3 still a thing? Why are there women in the 21st century who get fired from their jobs for being pregnant? Why is retro-sexism suddenly considered "cool"? Why stubbornly cater to trolls? And to dangerous stalkers and street harassers? This is monstrous. It is evil that isn't blindfolded. Women are dying because of such blatant misogyny. They are not stupid, they are not invisible - they are human beings.
Wow, what a radical notion I just declared.
We have a long way to go.
'Misogynation: The True Scale of Sexism' keeps the conversation going. That it is a successor of sorts to 'Everyday Sexism' proves that everybody needs feminism still; that it is absolutely relevant to human progress, for female safety and survival, now more than ever. Intersectional feminism is definitely included. There is not a lot new or groundbreaking in the book, but if women in our misogynists' society have to repeat things again and again and again for something to finally change, told in similar circumstances and contexts surprising to everybody except for women themselves, then let's keep these feminist non-fiction books coming. I'm happy that, even if I can't read all of them, there are so many that exist, that are allowed to exist. People are bound to read at least one of the modern feminist texts.
Someone is bound to listen to women sooner or later, and help them to make real, honest to goodness changes. Women won't take misogynistic bullshit anymore. They can't afford to, as 'Misogynation' reveals.
Final Score: 3.5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment