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A review by ciaochow
The Case Against the Sexual Revolution: A New Guide to Sex in the 21st Century by Louise Perry
4.0
When people ask if I'm a feminist, I can't help but to answer, “I guess so, but also not really?”
Whether you agree with her or not, Louise Perry's writing is really thought-provoking. There were many parts of this book I really enjoyed and found myself agreeing with — from her firm attitude towards porn, to open discussions about loveless/violent sex.
An unyielding feminist and as someone who has worked closely with vulnerable women, Louise Perry writes from a unique perspective arguing against the belief that modern-day ‘sexual freedom’ is truly liberating. She is right, mostly.
But I can also imagine someone countering her argument by deeming it self-serving and insufficient. She encourages readers to ‘get married’, and that (monogamous) ’marriage is good’ - while her core argument for marriage is its commitment and stability (which I do agree with), where the institution of marriage is no longer respected in society, divorce seems like an eventual outcome anyway. (I suppose I think that as individuals we shouldn’t *just* get married as a solution, but rather we should envision a culture that respects marriage more.)
I don’t know if she addressed this, but there was also an inherent belief that women would/should end up with a significant other. In one of the last chapters she brought up that the older wave of radical feminists who pushed for childlessness ended up dying alone, because feminist friends and family would eventually isolate as their ‘bonds’ were not ‘durable’ (as compared to having a partner+children to look after her). I’m not convinced this was an issue of being childless/unmarried per se - but rather, the lack of strong companionship/friendships. Surely, if I'm reading her thesis correctly, unmarried women - comme the Rich Single Aunt Trope - should also be able to live just as fulfilled lives, without men? Happy to be proven wrong on my reading though.
I actually really enjoyed this book, and I think this makes some really interesting arguments.
Whether you agree with her or not, Louise Perry's writing is really thought-provoking. There were many parts of this book I really enjoyed and found myself agreeing with — from her firm attitude towards porn, to open discussions about loveless/violent sex.
An unyielding feminist and as someone who has worked closely with vulnerable women, Louise Perry writes from a unique perspective arguing against the belief that modern-day ‘sexual freedom’ is truly liberating. She is right, mostly.
But I can also imagine someone countering her argument by deeming it self-serving and insufficient. She encourages readers to ‘get married’, and that (monogamous) ’marriage is good’ - while her core argument for marriage is its commitment and stability (which I do agree with), where the institution of marriage is no longer respected in society, divorce seems like an eventual outcome anyway. (I suppose I think that as individuals we shouldn’t *just* get married as a solution, but rather we should envision a culture that respects marriage more.)
I don’t know if she addressed this, but there was also an inherent belief that women would/should end up with a significant other. In one of the last chapters she brought up that the older wave of radical feminists who pushed for childlessness ended up dying alone, because feminist friends and family would eventually isolate as their ‘bonds’ were not ‘durable’ (as compared to having a partner+children to look after her). I’m not convinced this was an issue of being childless/unmarried per se - but rather, the lack of strong companionship/friendships. Surely, if I'm reading her thesis correctly, unmarried women - comme the Rich Single Aunt Trope - should also be able to live just as fulfilled lives, without men? Happy to be proven wrong on my reading though.
I actually really enjoyed this book, and I think this makes some really interesting arguments.