I still remember the first explicitly feminist book I owned: The Dialectic of Sex by Shulamith Firestone. Of course, there have been lots of feminist books in my life since then, many of which I have admired more. But nothing quite measures up to that first time, does it?
I thought of Firestone again when I read Jessica Valenti’s Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman’s Guide to Why Feminism Matters and The Essential Feminist Reader, edited by Estelle B. Freedman. Either of these books—or better, both—belongs in the hands of a first-time feminist: the former for its driving, spirited voice and the latter for its comprehensive groundwork. Jessica Valenti is the founder of the blog feministing.com. It’s open to everything from news about the vagaries of electoral politics to the humour of Margaret Cho. It’s opinionated and speaks with engaging frankness about why feminism matters.
This is the ethos of Full Frontal Feminism, too. It says it right there on the first page: “When you’re a feminist, day-to-day life is better. You make better decisions. You have better sex.” Valenti affirms that feminists define feminism for ourselves, thank you very much. She focuses a feminist lens on 21st-century U.S.A., peppers the book with inspiring concrete examples of recent feminist actions by young women and adds feminist history.
Valenti’s analysis is cogent and sharp. I loved her take on sex in popular culture: “Pop culture is becoming increasingly pornified.” Many of us have gotten trapped in the circular dilemma of sex-positive-but-exploitative-but- empowering-but-demeaning. Valenti brings it back down to the essentials: Women must do what they want to do for themselves and not to please a man. Period.
I was less impressed by her support of same-sex marriage. I’m one of those old- school feminists who sides with the late Jane Rule and thinks that fighting for marriage is at best a mistake for anyone of any persuasion. I don’t want to get extended health benefits because of my relationship status; I think everyone should get extended health benefits.
