Take a photo of a barcode or cover
mercedes 's review for:
Feminism is for Everybody
by bell hooks
informative
Patriarchy will not heal them. If that were so they would all be well.
bell hooks set out to make an accessible primer on feminism for, like the title suggests, everybody. And in some ways, it works. She introduces core tenets of feminism in small doses, doesn't alienate her audience (of everybody, which may be where the problem lies, you're going to ruffle some feathers somewhere if you have anything of weight to say), and, even while discussing difficult topics, maintains a feeling of hope throughout.
Yet the lack of footnotes cannot go unnoticed, especially when hooks asserts things as fact with zero evidence. For example, where she says, 'No longer forced by sexist tradition to wear makeup, women looked in the mirror and learned to face ourselves just the way we are.' Where, though? Even on a purely anecdotal basis, women as a group have not and are not doing this. It's laughable to claim, in 2000 no less, that sexist tradition no longer forces women to wear makeup. She also claims that non-monogamy 'challenge[s] the notion that the female body belongs to men.' Unless you're having sex with women, this cannot be true. If sex with one man perpetuates the idea that the woman's body belongs to him, then sex with multiple men must perpetuate that her body belongs to multiple men. It is disappointing not only that hooks presents illogical arguments, but that she presents them as fact with no evidence, most of the time not even anecdotal.
And, as much as I did really like some of her ideas about how patriarchy harms men, and how they need love, I think at times it felt a little like hooks was desperate to persuade male readers to come around to feminism. And while that is half of the point of the primer, if stating basic feminist principles doesn't convince somebody, they're a lost cause anyway. I don't think we should pander in the hopes that it'll finally win them around. If you won't listen to feminists unless they're caring about your plight, then goodbye.
I appreciate it for what it is, a primer. But I really was expecting better.
Feminist politics aims to end domination to free us to be who we are - to live lives where we love justice, where we can live in peace. Feminism is for everybody.
bell hooks set out to make an accessible primer on feminism for, like the title suggests, everybody. And in some ways, it works. She introduces core tenets of feminism in small doses, doesn't alienate her audience (of everybody, which may be where the problem lies, you're going to ruffle some feathers somewhere if you have anything of weight to say), and, even while discussing difficult topics, maintains a feeling of hope throughout.
Yet the lack of footnotes cannot go unnoticed, especially when hooks asserts things as fact with zero evidence. For example, where she says, 'No longer forced by sexist tradition to wear makeup, women looked in the mirror and learned to face ourselves just the way we are.' Where, though? Even on a purely anecdotal basis, women as a group have not and are not doing this. It's laughable to claim, in 2000 no less, that sexist tradition no longer forces women to wear makeup. She also claims that non-monogamy 'challenge[s] the notion that the female body belongs to men.' Unless you're having sex with women, this cannot be true. If sex with one man perpetuates the idea that the woman's body belongs to him, then sex with multiple men must perpetuate that her body belongs to multiple men. It is disappointing not only that hooks presents illogical arguments, but that she presents them as fact with no evidence, most of the time not even anecdotal.
And, as much as I did really like some of her ideas about how patriarchy harms men, and how they need love, I think at times it felt a little like hooks was desperate to persuade male readers to come around to feminism. And while that is half of the point of the primer, if stating basic feminist principles doesn't convince somebody, they're a lost cause anyway. I don't think we should pander in the hopes that it'll finally win them around. If you won't listen to feminists unless they're caring about your plight, then goodbye.
I appreciate it for what it is, a primer. But I really was expecting better.
Feminist politics aims to end domination to free us to be who we are - to live lives where we love justice, where we can live in peace. Feminism is for everybody.