Lori's (Midway) Review of Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham

Title:  Not That Kind of Girl:  A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned"

Author:  Lena Dunham

Publication Information:  October 2014 by Random House

How I Got a Copy of This Book:  I pre-ordered an ebook copy...then I had to buy a hard copy because of reasons.



Goodreads Synopsis:  "There is nothing gutsier to me than a person announcing that their story is one that deserves to be told," writes Lena Dunham, and it certainly takes guts to share the stories that make up her first book, Not That Kind of Girl. These are stories about getting your butt touched by your boss, about friendship and dieting (kind of) and having two existential crises before the age of 20. Stories about travel, both successful and less so, and about having the kind of sex where you feel like keeping your sneakers on in case you have to run away during the act. Stories about proving yourself to a room of 50-year-old men in Hollywood and showing up to "an outlandishly high-fashion event with the crustiest red nose you ever saw." Fearless, smart, and as heartbreakingly honest as ever, Not That Kind of Girl establishes Lena Dunham as more than a hugely talented director, actress and producer-it announces her as a fresh and vibrant new literary voice.

My Thoughts:  Full disclosure--I'm not done with this book yet.  But I needed to write something so that I could spread the word.  Unless you've been living under a rock, I'm sure you've heard about this book of personal essays.  There have been a lot of great things written about it and there have been some pretty bad things written about (in my opinion, these things have been said by people who have no stinking clue what it's like to be a female in their mid-20s in the 21st century so really ought to stop speaking...anyway! moving on!).

The book is broken into five sections--Love & Sex, Body, Friendship, Work, and Big Picture.  I've read the first two sections and part of the third.  Dunham writes so intelligently on these topics because duh! she's lived them.  She shares her experiences and infuses them with humor.  She constantly makes me exclaim "Oh my goodness! My tooooooo!"  I've seen a number of friends or people I follow on Twitter comment on how her stories are their stories.  It's great to see someone to whom you can relate so closely.

The book reads like a no holds barred conversation with one of your best friends.  With alcohol that magically doesn't give you a hangover.  I don't know what exactly that means, but it sounds like the right thing to say.

Dunham's writing has made me feel more comfortable in my own skin, which makes the book priceless in my opinion.  I really like the way this book fits into the current conversations about feminism and what it means to be a female in the twenty-first century, a la Caitlin Moran (another book of essays I can't wait to sink my teeth into!).

I would highly recommend this book.  But, I must admit, it's not exactly for the faint of heart.  So if you aren't up for a frank conversation about love & sex and the female body, better hold off (but really work hard at trying to become ready for that conversation because this book is just too great to miss!).

I'll definitely be back with full thoughts once I finish the book.

Anna reviews 'Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture' by Ariel Levy

Name: Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture
Author: Ariel Levy
Publisher: Pocket Books, 2006
How I got this: I read it at college and then I bought it.
Why I read this: It was recommended to me by my sister.

Jenna Jamison. Pamela Anderson. Playboy models. Girls Gone Wild. No, this isn't a list of my favourite porn stars, but a list of just some of the people that many women in the USA look up to as role models and people they aspire to be like. Levy's sharp, witty and clever look at the sex industry in America examines all of this and makes some well-observed and well-argued points about sex and sexuality for women in the USA.

Levy begins by describing the sudden rise in popularity of lap-dancing classes for women, the increasing popularity (amongst women) of magazines like Playboy and Esquire, and the acceptance of porn-stars as legitimate role models. She examines some of the reasons why this has happened and comes up with the term 'female chauvinist pig'. Female chauvinist pigs (FCPs) are women who view themselves and other women as sex objects. This is seen in women embracing Girls Gone Wild, Playboy, porn stars, and many of the other things that have traditionally being viewed as degrading towards women. She then goes on to examine the rise of raunch culture, and why women have accepted this. She also looks at the history of feminism and how society has come to this place, as well as looking at how raunch culture affects adolescents.

The book is compelling and Levy makes some excellent points. She argues that this rise of raunch culture and FCP's does not mean that feminism's aims have been achieved and it certainly does not mean that women are sexually liberated. As she points out, since when is aspiring to look like a porn star or a playboy model-whose job is to fake sexual pleasure- liberating for women? Women- and only women- are under more pressure than ever to be perceived as hot, which means being sexually desirable and saleable. It's not enough for women today to be successful, beautiful, talented, and accomplished, they have to be hot. Case in point: Amanda Beard, and American Olympian swimmer appearing in Playboy. This importance on being hot applies only to women- no male Olym pian has felt the need to prove his self worth by putting his genitals on display in a magazine.

Her analysis of why this happens is excellent. She gives several reasons, one of them being the 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' mentality. I haven't read that book but briefly, it involves 'tomming'. Tomming means conforming to another more powerful person(s) idea of who you are and who you ought to be. In other words, if you can't beat the system that oppresses you, join it and embrace it. Women in the USA are not sexually liberated. She quotes Susan Brownmiller "You think you're being brave, you think you're being sexy, you think you're transcending feminism. But that's bullshit."

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's utterly compelling and Levy's clever, angry and well-written book really makes you think. It's sad because despite some of the major advances women in the USA have made, it shows that there is still a very long way to go. As she points out, if women today are sexually liberated, why do we work so hard to look like someone elses idea of what sexy is instead of just being ourselves?


Random aside: take a look at this postsecret. I think it shows that the sexuality of Western women and women of Islamic faith are both equally repressed and restrained by patriarchy, just in different ways: 

Anna's review of 'Full Frontal Feminism' by Jessica Valenti

Title: Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman's Guide To Why Feminism Matters
Author: Jessica Valenti
Publisher: Seal Press, 1997
How I got this book: I read it at college then I bought it.


I gotta make a confession: I used to think feminism was ridiculous. Whenever I heard it mentioned I'd roll my eyes, and I had several arguments with people where I said that it was just a bunch of crazy man-haters. It wasn't until I was forced to read this book for sociology that my views on feminism began to change. I realized that everything I'd thought about feminism was wrong and that feminism is, in fact, a gift to both women and men. We just have to accept and embrace it. Valenti's book addresses the many myths that exist about feminism and broadly describes what feminism is about.

The book begins that many people are feminists but don't identify as one for a variety of different reasons. Reasons such as they believe the myths about feminism like every feminist is a lesbian who hates men, all feminists are ugly, etc. Those myths just that- myths, and by the end of the book, Valenti will have you convinced that there is not a shred of truth in those myths. Valenti then goes on to discuss how things like pop culture, sexuality, work, and violence against women relate to feminism. The book is directed at an American audience. I'm not from America but it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book. One of the best things about this book is its language. Valenti writes very colloquially; it reads like a conversation you are having with your best friend who is telling you about feminism. Another wonderful thing about 'Full Frontal Feminism' is that at the end of most of the chapters, there is information about where one can find out more about a topic, as well as how one can help out. Throughout the book I found myself nodding along agreeing with Valenti and being able to relate to most of it. For instance, what woman hasn't heard things like wearing a short skirt/dress/top means a man may thing you are 'asking for it', what woman doesn't fear walking on her own at night in a city because she's afraid she'll be raped? As Valenti rightly says, rape is seen as an inevitable part of life instead of an epidemic that needs to be stopped.

Valenti also talks about men and feminism. Men are harmed by patriarchy also and as Valenti says, "their problems are our problems, ladies". The first time I read this book this chapter was one of the biggest shocks to me, which I feel really bad about now. She talks about how men are affected by patriarchy as they are taught that they must never show emotions, that they must be aggressive, dominant, be the bread-winner, etc. I really wish that Valenti had talked about men and feminism more, but the one chapter she wrote on it is excellent.

Overall I loved this book. One of the few things I disliked about it is that she doesn't write enough about patriarchy and capitalism- capitalism reinforces patriarchy and vice versa. That aside though, it is an excellent book. It's interesting, gives a broad introduction to feminism, and uses many concrete examples to back up the points made. I'll always have a soft spot for this book as it made me believe in feminism. As soon as I read this book I insisted that all of my friends read it and now we all identify as feminists! For this, I will be forever grateful to Valenti.

Rating: 4 stars


What does feminism mean to you? Do you find yourself thinking of the same stereotypes about feminists?