New Erotica for Feminists: Satirical Fantasies of Love, Lust, and Equal Pay by Caitlin Kunkel

New Erotica for Feminists: Satirical Fantasies of Love, Lust, and Equal Pay Reviews

• 
  MissBecka Gee

  This was filled with many many giggles of truth.
  
  
  
• 
  Kelly

  Quick, funny feminist satire. I read pieces out loud to my husband (who agrees deeply on the Jeff Goldblum fantasy).
• 
  Chloe Metzger

  Well, things are about to get steamy in here!  New Erotica for Feminists takes our wildest fantasies from equal pay to a reimagining of some of our favourite films in a feminist way and makes them a reality. An excellent mix of humour and satire this is going to get you talking, one way or another. 
  
  Ok, ok, this isn't exactly the next 50 Shades, but it should be a bestseller. This is a collection that takes the worn out tropes of erotica and porn and turns them on their heads. Born from a conversation between friends joking about a perfect feminist world - and so New Erotica was born. 
  
  'Imagine a world where erotica was written by feminists: Their daydreams include equal pay, a gender-balanced Congress, and Tom Hardy arriving at their doorstep to deliver a fresh case of LaCroix every week.'
  
  I read this in a flash and was laughing out loud the whole way through. So much so, I got a few odd looks from my partner and so I had to explain what I was reading - I'm pretty sure it confused him even more. That's the perfect thing about the collection, it doesn't try and take itself seriously, it doesn't attack anyone or anything. This makes a point because it makes you laugh at the same time. It doesn't take away from the issues - but makes them more relatable. 
  
  This doesn't take away for what we're fighting for, instead, it injects a little fun and silliness. I can imagine if you've had a day of patriarchy fuelled BS this is the perfect book to come home too. Is it a literary masterpiece that will change the tides of modern feminism? Probably not but I think it will give the lift that we need in the current climate. 
  
  Of course, I gave this 5 stars! I was completely hooked and even though as of writing, I have just finished - I want to pick it up and read all over again. This is going to make an excellent Christmas present after I've bought my own copy of course! 
  
  A huge thank you to the authors, publishers and Netgalley for this review copy in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Sarah

  This was cute and would make a great funny gift. Got through it in about an hour. Overall, I loved its sense of humor and particularly the way it bent historical and literary events to be more feminist. However, I found it to be pretty white feministy and bland. While the authors indicate they left the language open so that anyone could fill themselves in regardless of gender identity or racial background, I found the content pretty prototypical for white feminist circles.
• 
  Elly Lonon

  After reading just a few pages, I was surprised to find myself breathing harder, my heart beating faster. A few pages later I was kicking at the covers, fidgeting. As I moved to the second section my right hand started moving down my body, lower and lower, until my frantic fingers furtively probed the recesses of my pocket and withdrew my phone to call my representatives and demand they support Planned Parenthood and women's reproductive rights.
  
  Dammit. I've been putting off reading this because I just had abdominal surgery and knew to laugh would be painful. But my excitement got the best of me and I read it with only a week of recovery time. Now I'm simultaneously in agony and smiling. You may feel the same way even without surgery because while the vignettes are delivered with wit and darkly creative humor, the points the authors make about equality and inclusion are crushingly poignant. Every feminist (and we should all be feminists) with a sense of humor should read this book.
• 
  Alisa (worldswithinpages)

  Absolutely HILARIOUS! Loved so many of the stories in this book!
• 
  Rebecca

  Review originally posted to
  www.rebeccasravereviews.wordpress.com
  
  A perfectly timely collection of hilarious anecdotes that hit that niggle you've got buried inside you, whether it's strangers commenting on your parenting, men undermining your button pushing ability in a lift, or how you wish cat callers would focus on the book tucked under your arm instead. A very short read - it only took me an hour or two at most to read - but so very uplifting in a time where everything on the news and your social media news feeds is doom and gloom, necessary #metoo movements, and a never ending supply of stories from women around the world that make you want to cry and yell and make some change. Reading this won't change the world, but it will improve your mood and make you feel seen, make you feel connected to other women around the world, so that when you get to the back of the book with a list of resources and what you can do to make a change, you feel recharged and ready to go!
• 
  Yoda

  Something was missing in my life, it was this book! Hilarious and makes me realize that I wasn´t alone in noticing a lot of those moments of mansplaining and patronizing in your regular day-to-day life. I love it and need more.
• 
  jessica h

  Despite being the ardent feminist I am, I was doubtful that I would gel with the satire in this little book, but it was actually pretty fun. Have to say the formatting of the ebook was a little frustrating; it was hard to know when each of the little vignettes were ending and when the next began.
  
  Nonetheless, most tongue in cheek scenarios were very amusing, if not a little cringe worthy on occasion. The literature and pop culture sections were my personal favourite, and I particularly enjoyed the cameo’s of Idris Elba and Tom Hardy in these fantasies.
  
  The book ends with a list of simple ways in which readers can make a difference, including listening to podcasts of diverse voices, or creating a little feminist book club of rebellion. The authors point out that they align with intersectional feminism, but the actual snapshots of erotica themselves could be considered somewhat lacking in diversity.
  
  However, they do redress the need to acknowledge privilege at the end, and mention supporting non-binary individuals as part of the feminist cause.
  
  All in all, not exactly a groundbreaking book, but a fun, fresh and relevant collection all the same.
  
  Thank you to Sceptre for providing me with an eBook via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
• 
  Yolanda Cooper

  The best bedtime reading...!
• 
  Mel

  Exactly the humor I was hoping for! 😂🙌🏻💜
• 
  Katie

  I mean, this was pretty funny, but mostly it just made me sad that this is our life, amiright?
• 
  fer

  3.5 ⭐
  
  Curtinho e divertido, otimo se tu estiver numa ressaca literaria.
  
  Vi algumas reviews falando que é um livro que se preocupa com feminismo interseccional na teoria, mas a leitura em si é bem pra feminista branca (white ppls problems). Acho que isso rola sim, mas o livro é tao curtinho e despretencioso que isso nao me incomodou (ou talvez porque eu seja o publico alvo: feminista branca classe media)
• 
  Donna

  This books was great. A super short, zippy read that was equal parts hilarious and heart-breaking. Why heart-breaking? Because WHY THE HELL DON’T WE HAVE ANY OF THIS IN 2018???
  
  It’ll take you an hour, maybe two, to read NEW EROTICA FOR FEMINISTS, and it’ll make you laugh. For sure. But once you get a little bit of distance from it, once you can step away from the book for a moment and really let it all seep in, you’ll go, WHAT THE HELL. Because what these ladies are talking about, what they’re poking fun at and drawing attention to, are really simple things. Like being listened to, left alone, and trusted. About not having our bodies up for public discussion or being considered a bitch for deigning to have an opinion about something. For not wanting to get interrupted or mansplained to. It’s really very simple.
  
  But apparently it’s not because we needed this book. And I’m sure we’ll need more books like it and I hope more books keep coming out that are like it until finally, one day, shit finally sits right and it’s not needed anymore. So until then laugh. Laugh until you cry. And then drink whine and continue shredding the patriarchy piece by piece. And do it wearing a great shade of lipstick. Or not. It’s your choice, after all.
  
  5
  
  I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Kate

  This was an entertaining read. At the time I picked it up from the library, I didn't realize it originated from McSweeney's essays, but that makes sense because I love that site.
  
  This is a well-written compilation of satire around feminist erotica...essentially, most of the essays follow the structure of some cheesy/stereotypical porn-like opening paragraph, with dialogue filled with double entendres, but then you find out that they're not talking about sex but some timely feminist issue. It's creative and well done, as this easily could have become over the top and redundant. Maybe because I read it in small doses (a few essays here and there while I waited for something to microwave, etc.) it helped it not get stale or repetitive. Each essay is only a paragraph or two, so it goes quickly. While this book could easily be read all at once, I wouldn't recommend doing it that way. It also helps that the essays were grouped by theme, so it gave some structure and continuity to the essays, which also is beneficial since there are multiple writers involved.
  
  Overall, a worthy read.
• 
  Traci Thomas

  This book isn’t quiet brace enough to really be satire that works. It’s fine and smart but likes the bite that calls out society. It’s comfortable in white woman feminism without truly calling out white capitalism and patriarchy.
• 
  Paula Phillips

  I have a friend on Instagram who is a very strong feminist, and lately, I found myself reading more feminist books and doing what I do when I see a new topic - researching it and learning more about it. She had posted a snippet of this book on her Instagram page, and after reading it, I knew I had to read it. I then put in a request for our library to buy it, which they did. I placed a hold on it and was the first in our libraries to read it. I had had a terrible day at work that afternoon as was pulled into my boss's office and told off as a staff member had placed a petty complaint. I came home and was feeling awful; I needed something to cheer me up. I decided to change it to my PJs and head to bed and read New Erotica for Feminists and OMG this was precisely what I needed to cheer me up as I found myself giggling away and snapshotting some of the pages and posting them on my Instagram page. New Erotica for Feminists touched not only on the feminism side with erotic scenes but made myself feel better as I had needed a laugh. I highly recommend this book to everyone to read, and I have to admit in quite a few parts I read this to my partner as he wondered what I was giggling at, and he was like that's not funny, the thing though if you are or identify with the gender of female or consider yourself a feminist then to you, it will be.
• 
  Adam

  This was hilariously funny and sadly all too necessary. I love the humor writing McSweeney's compiles and because of them, this book was on my radar. I bought this for our library after the first 5 pages. It's smart, funny, and shorter than I was ready for because of how much I enjoyed it.
  
  Possibly my favorite part: There is a call to action in the end! The authors took the time to help us think about what we do next if we ground our teeth at the truths they skewered just pages before. A quick read with long lasting ideas disguised by sharp wit and spot on satire.
  
  I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Amber Sweat

  I bought this book right before boarding my flight, but then my flight got delayed for 40 minutes (I am STILL waiting, as I type this) and I finished it in that allotted time. A SUPER quick read, and I seriously laughed out loud. I’m always wary about books like this, because I worry that they’ll trivialize feminism in the name of comedy, but this book strikes a fantastic balance between the erotic and satire.
• 
  Trin

  The best of these might cause you to crack a smile or chuckle at the #relatable content. The worst are obvious, repetitive, and just not that funny. The authors come at certain actual political topics, and certain pop culture elements, from angles that are just...odd.
  
  Also, as with those mildly amusing (then increasingly annoying) "Porn for Women" books of yore, I feel the need to point out that the idea erotica for this feminist would have, you know, some actual fucking in it.
• 
  D. Arthur

  I laughed! I cried! And afterward I phone banked for a better more feminist tomorrow!
• 
  Brianna Z.

  Do it in your bed. With friends. In the bathtub. On a work break. While waiting for your pizza rolls to cool. Wherever you are, read this book.
• 
  Oyinda

  Book 3 of 2021
  
  I loved this one so so much. It's a collection of what I now know as 'vignettes', which are short passages. These are intricately feminist, and they are so funny, witty, and amazing. I enjoyed them so much, as they talked about a range of topics.
  
  They are divided into different parts, and one of my favorite parts is the one that talks about the workplace. Topics like promotions and maternity leaves are handled here, and I loved it SO MUCH!
  
  Ultimately, this book made me sad and angry. Why? It's simple. This book is filled with short passages of what should be the ideal life for women in so many areas of life. These ideas are not so far fetched and shouldn't be impossible, but they're all still satirical fantasies. It really makes you think - why do we have to be subjected to so many injustices simply because we're women????
  
  This is a highly recommended read.
• 
  Robin Morgan

  According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary an oxymoron is a combination of contradictory or incongruous words; the best examples of which are things like civil war, student teacher and jumbo shrimps.
  
  And now in this book, “New Erotica for Feminists: Satirical Fantasies of Love, Lust, and Equal Pay;” containing eight short stories, written by four marvelous authors: Caitlin Kunkel, Brooke Preston, Fiona Taylor, Carrie Wittmer, which are not only satirical but also extremely oxymoronic in nature.
  
  No feminist would ever allow herself to placed in situations where she’d be selling herself to achieve a promotion on her job; fill a man’s desire for sexual fulfillment so he might achieve ecstasy; or fulfilled their own individualistic desire to fulfill their fantasies, like hunks bringing them gifts everyday just for being gorgeous.
  
  Erotic stories, which I’m beginning to write, can’t and would never be feministic-friendly simply because there’s just too much juxtaposition between the concepts of these two ideals. Yet, I found reading these gave me a totally different and a rather amusing prospective of what it would be like if feminists would actually write the different types of hot, steamy erotic stories many women love to read to fulfill their own fantasies.
  
  The stories in this book might also be somewhat energizing in the tongue-in-cheek manner in the way it deals with things which are actually turn-ons for feminist.
  
  Given the above, I’m happy to give these four authors and this book the 5 STARS it has gotten from this reviewer.
• 
  Nancy

  Erotic Fantasy Turned on it’s Head for Feminists
  
  Fantasies can be fun. This book has some remarkably funny short erotic stories, but it also gives you food for thought. How many of us have seethed because the guy standing with us pushes the elevator button after we do –just to make sure we really did it? Not erotica, but a great take on reality.
  
  This book is diverse in it’s content covering the workplace, parenting, pop culture, and a bow to classical literature with Romeo and Juliet, among other topics. I particularly liked the section with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
  
  This is a great book to read by yourself when you need cheering up. It’s also good if you’re angry at the way the world is treating you. Lots of good reinforcement here. I think it’s particularly good to share with friends. It was written by friends talking about the things that pissed them off. It can be a great way to get into a discussion with your feminist friends or colleagues.
  
  I enjoyed the book. It’s very quick to read the first time, but like ice cream or chocolate to really enjoy it you need to got back for more.
  
  I received this book from Dutton for this review.
  
• 
  Nicole

  i read this last night before going to bed and i only meant to read a few chapters/vignettes but i ended up reading literally the entire thing in one night! i basically laughed the entire time and it was so good and clever and inspiring i can't wait to recommend to everyone i know ever.
  
  edit: as a bi/latina woman, i appreciated that the book was v open and easy to insert myself in with lack of racial characteristics/use of both she/he/they pronouns throughout the book referring to romantic/sexual partners. it was clearly done with the intent of making this book enjoyable to women/nonbinary/poc/queer readers alike.
• 
  Carol

  I appreciate the satire, showing in a humorous way the unrealistic expectations women face daily. I would have liked more length from many of the passages--they were just too dang short!
  
  That said, I liked the bredth of the situations covered. My favorite passage inluded a shout-out to Aparna Nancherla, my favorite comedian.
  
  I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review consideration.