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A review by flaneussy
Cunt: A Declaration of Independence by Inga Muscio
2.0
Ehhhhhhhh
It's not that I was surprised that a book like Cunt was sort of ~out there~, and it's not like I disagreed with everything that Muscio put forth. Still, I had a few issues with the book:
1. I guess I expected the book to focus more on the history of the word "cunt," but it was actually a collection of ramblings about all of the problems that plague Inga Muscio. And women in general, I suppose. But mostly Inga Muscio.
2. The prose. Oh god. I hope that my future exposure to the word "cuntlovin'" is extremely limited. I resent the fact that Muscio has made me start to hate the word "cunt." Maybe that was her plan all along?
3. Muscio tries to wear several different hats--doctor, historian, art historian, and economist, to name a few--but a lot of her claims are unsubstantiated. I took issue with a few of the things she said, but the self-induced abortion was probably the biggest thing.
4. Encouraging the masses to buy specula and stare at their own cervixes seems like a really bad idea. I wonder how many people injured themselves.
And finally, my biggest problem:
Cunt is cis-sexist (she doesn't even mention the existence of trans or genderfluid people) and vaguely classist; Muscio's suggestion that people buy exclusively from women-owned businesses ignores the reality that most people can't afford to do that. Combatting gynophobic stigma is pretty rad, but gender is tied to so much more than one's genitals.
It's not that I was surprised that a book like Cunt was sort of ~out there~, and it's not like I disagreed with everything that Muscio put forth. Still, I had a few issues with the book:
1. I guess I expected the book to focus more on the history of the word "cunt," but it was actually a collection of ramblings about all of the problems that plague Inga Muscio. And women in general, I suppose. But mostly Inga Muscio.
2. The prose. Oh god. I hope that my future exposure to the word "cuntlovin'" is extremely limited. I resent the fact that Muscio has made me start to hate the word "cunt." Maybe that was her plan all along?
3. Muscio tries to wear several different hats--doctor, historian, art historian, and economist, to name a few--but a lot of her claims are unsubstantiated. I took issue with a few of the things she said, but the self-induced abortion was probably the biggest thing.
4. Encouraging the masses to buy specula and stare at their own cervixes seems like a really bad idea. I wonder how many people injured themselves.
And finally, my biggest problem:
Cunt is cis-sexist (she doesn't even mention the existence of trans or genderfluid people) and vaguely classist; Muscio's suggestion that people buy exclusively from women-owned businesses ignores the reality that most people can't afford to do that. Combatting gynophobic stigma is pretty rad, but gender is tied to so much more than one's genitals.