Customer Reviews

Cunt: A Declaration of Independence (Live Girls)

5 star:		(76)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I adore the Internet because, among other things, it allows us to be anonymous voices delivering messages without attached messengers. Thus, the messages must be evaluated without prejudice...

But Ms. Muscio's book is clearly written from a particular narrator in a particular class, and it feels impossible to write a review without declaring that, yes, I'm a white male and yes, many parts of _cunt_ made me feel personally uncomfortable.

Nonetheless, _cunt_ is very much worthwhile reading. Whether you agree fully, partially, or not at all with the the book, Ms. Muscio offers a clear and pointed commentary on women's roles in society, and offers many suggestions for combating sexism and nurturing women. Where she falls short is on offering ways on engaging and changing society at large. Sexism hurts all of us, not just women; its eradication requires cooperation from all of us.

Buy the book. Read it. Pass it around. Argue it with someone who sees it differently. Even if ultimately nobody's mind is changed, _cunt_ can can at least help to remove our absurd taboo on discussing our sexuality. Enlightenment does not spread through silence.

This book is from a kickass school: it's not preoccupied with men, it's not loose and theoretical. It's about coming to terms: with your own body, with language, with the culture at large. It's about subverting the tampon industry, hanging out with your mom, taking control of some of the more suspicious parts of your life, and riding skateboards down the street while wearing bunny-ear hats. I never did feel like part of the club before when reading feminist literature, but this book made me feel invited to the party.

It would seem that to date, reviews of "cunt" fall into two camps: those who unreservedly love the book (and likely were strongly predisposed to doing so before they'd ever seen the dust jacket), and those who hate it with an all-too-unsurprising virulence (expressed in generalities suggesting these critics may not have cracked the spine at all, or done anything more than peruse the description on the book's rear cover). A less strongly pre-agenda'd, although by no means `objective', reading might prove more informative:

On the one hand, there is much in "cunt" that is problematic. The book is far too prone to telescoping gender into the genitals, literalizing the cunt as an abstractly idealized and ontologically primary font of identity. This points to a larger confusion, namely that the book is frequently unclear on the differences between the cunt as anatomical materiel and as metaphor. Additionally, and despite a clearly demonstrated lack of misandrony ("cunt" is in no way, shape or form a male-hating screed), Muscio frequently reduces the world to a dichotomy of dick/male=arrogated power vs. cunt/female=site of oppression and resistance. "cunt"'s approach thus precludes the book from addressing how patriarchy deeply and systematically exerts control over people with dicks as well, even (and especially) those who haven't thought to spend a single second recognizing how patriarchal relations twist both their conceptions and lived realities. Thus, "cunt" has little to say about how males and females are reciprocally culpable in the continuing, self-repressive reproduction of patriarchy itself and, in this silence, largely fails to grapple with how any effective and durable response necessitates that we all participate, regardless of whether the sperm-derby stuck us with a double-x or an xy.

These critiques aside, however, the book willfully veers between the hilarious (in a laugh-with, not laugh-at, way), the deeply touching, the instructive, and the joyously celebratory, all the while remaining well attuned to significant differences within the category of `female' itself. Muscio enthusiastically, relentlessly, and with unfailingly outrageous good humor points out the ludicrous double-standards yoking females from without and within, double-standards that've become so commonplace as to leave most folk immobilized beneath the assumption that it's "just the way things are." And, beyond this act of recognition, Muscio offers a treasure trove of prescriptions, many of them outright fun, for what to do about it. Thus, "cunt" is a powerful arsenal against the relegation of more than half the planet's population, generation after generation, into second-class-citizenship, and for this "cunt" is a must-read.

When the book first came out and Inga would find herself in social settings accosted by "So, what do you do?" questions, how she'd answer would pretty much be determined by her impression of the person asking. Usually, it was something like: I'm a writer of a women's studies book rather than blurting out, "I wrote a book about c*&^s. And you?" I found the same to be true when asked "So, what are you reading these days."

Now that I've finished reading Muscio's book, I'm quite happy to tell people about it and freely voice the title. It's not because of any one thing she's said. The book as a whole is a gem once you get past the F-word in every second sentence. It was a distraction in the beginning but not anymore so than the title of the book.

The book gives some biology, some current state of affairs, and some history on the weight women have had to bear because they have c-word(s). Muscio wants women, transgenders etc.. to reclaim the word from men. The word is just a metaphor for a bigger picture. C-word(s) haven't been important to women in the last 200+ years but they have earned men an awful lot of money, among other things. Although the bold Muscio is not so gentle with the terminology.

Muscio wants women to start regaining their power, not as men bashing feminists but as the intelligent and beautiful goddesses we are. Doing this requires some responsibilities of us. Beginning with taking back the language. Learning about our bodies, self protection. Providing a support network. Muscio covers all these things. I found the passages on bleeding and rape to be especially effective, moving and educational. I wish I had read this book as a teenager.

To say some of what Muscio has to say is eyebrow lifting is an understatement. I didn't agree with some of the things she said, especially her idolization of prostitutes into goddesses serving an important role in society. In fact, I found most of what she had to say about whores to be garbage. The profession of prostitution is just one more male dominated form of women abuse. I also refuse to smash my teevee to bits as I'm quite content to be deluded by my one channel.

If you are sensitive to swear words and church bashing, this book probably isn't for you. But if you can get past it you might just learn something about your c-word and women as a whole.

Serious stuff? Can be at times but Muscio's little life antidotes lighten things up and give perspective on her choices and thoughts. I like how she doesn't claim to know everything but encourages women to discuss the topics in their own circles.

This is the book's second edition. It includes a huge afterward of updates on Muscio's previous thoughts not because she feels anything is wrong or out of place but because ideas have evolved. She loses me a bit here when she goes off on politics and Bush (could be because I've been over-Bushed lately). At the end is an incredibly huge section of recommendations for surfing the net. Everything from alternative women's magazines and sex toys to educational resources and all natural pads.

So go pick up your book today. Read it and then start talking about it to the women in your life. Share your book with others. Encourage discussion. Only through discussion and understanding can we reclaim our C-word(s) along the other aspects of our lives.

[...]

When you read a book that changes something fundamental inside you, and you can't stop thinking about it for days, and you find yourself referring to it constantly, and you carry it with you in your backpack and relay specific quotes into your journal for safekeeping--then you know you've tapped into a literary archive of incredible genuius. Cunt: A Declaration of Independence, is such a nugget. Ms. Muscio interviews influential, provocative women such as Diamanda Galas to point out how society has shaped our view of women. Although the section on Periods and Birth Control may make some twitch in their chairs, the humor and frankness with which she illuminates how society has reviled thse things for so long, makes you yearn for a world where periods are a monthly "blessing." Some may find the subject matter and language too provocative and blunt to handle. All the more reason, if you ask me, to read Cunt. As for the word itself, by the time you're done with the book, you'll have no problem screaming it from the rooftops or informing your neighbor on the train when asked what you're reading, "Why Cunt, of course!"

This is the most empowering book i've ever read. As a feminist, lesbian, and avid reader/student of women's studies, i have to say that this is the best book i've read all year. Inga Muscio talks about female anatomy, rape, abortion, orgasms, menstruation, and prostitution. While i didn't agree with EVERY point she made, i was shown an itelligent point of view that made me think of things i had never thought of before. She made me feel even PROUDER to be a woman. I have purchased copies of this book for my girlfriend and another female friend, and i intend on buying a copy for my mother. I wish i could give this books to everyone that has ever meant anything to me, male and female, to share her beautiful points of view. She embraces life, praises women, and entertains all at the same time. I recommend this book to everyone for an education and a new appreciation for women and for life. I recommend this book HIGHLY, and you'll want 3 copies (one for yourself, one for your best friend, and one for your mother/sister!) ENJOY!

Like the title says, I had mixed feelings about this book. Some of it I liked very much, and there were a lot of interesting ideas to be found. But some of it just had me shaking my head, most likely because I'm an athiest who is very into science and medicine. Like the claims that one can 'fix' their painful periods by stopping the use of all painkillers and just going outside to look at the moon for a few weeks. Or that the author induced an herbal abortion that wasn't actually caused by herbs but by her thinking hard enough about the abortion happening. Not to mention a lot of mentions of the almighty Moon Goddesses.

If you ignore all the 'you can shape your entire world just by thinking hard enough' spiritual mumbo-jumbo (unless you're into that kind of thing, which is fine, I'm just not) it's a good book. Some of it's a bit extreme for my person views but what's the point of reading works like this if not to experience views other than your own? Sadly the above-mentioned issues kept me from enjoying this book as much as I could have, though not everyone will have that issue.

How wonderful to read a book written by a woman, about being a woman, without the usual androcentrism of male bashing, or how to snag the man of your dreams. Muscio writes with such clarity and frankness that there is no room for self-pity. She writes frankly about some of her prior life experiences and decisions without making excuses or blaming men. Rather, she is absolutely focused on the power that she has harnessed as a result, and encourages other women to find and harness their own woman power.

The title of this book is so stark that many will, unfortunately, miss out on how beautifully and with such love that it is written. Still, it is the most powerful book that I have read in a long time. Moreover, I strongly recommend this as a resource for any sort of womens' support group or literary group. I would also recommend this for college curricula in a feminist studies or gender class (in conjunction with "Reviving Ophelia"), provided the title will not prevent it from being carried on a campus bookstore.

This book has had an immeasurable impact on how I view myslef, my body, and my relationship with other women. It's rather empowering to have somebody (FINALLY) say all of the things that you've been thinking but never thought you had an audience for. As a rape survivor, I found one passage to be especially true:

A man could, feasibly, sacrifice his lunch break raping a woman. That woman would then spend the rest of their life dealing with it. So would her daughters. So would theirs. The distribution of power is not acceptable.

This book will force you to reexamine your attitudes on a multitude of issues. You will not be the same after reading it.

Every woman should read this book. Maybe you won't do all the things in it, maybe you'll only do one. Maybe none. But it will change you and the way you see yourself and your place in this society. You won't like it and it hurts a bit at first. But everything she says is true.

I'm buying a few copies for Christmas to give to my female relatives. I suggest you do the same.

You'll laugh and cry and come away from it feeling empowered. Thank you, Inga.