The book in question is called Vagina – yes, of course I’m going to link to it on Amazon*; shame is is a Batman villain** – and John Crace clearly has decided that if someone is going to write a four hundred page book about her… I believe that the current term of art is ‘hoo-hah?’ …then the least he can do is to write a four hundred word review that recaps properly the transformative challenge to, and defiance of, Western patriarchy that is Naomi Wolf’s genitalia. And, lest you think that the Guardian is merely being cruel – which it was, by publishing the article*** – read Jenny Turner’s review at the same site, which is: a, considerably longer; b, much more sympathetic to Wolf’s faction of feminism than are most of the people reading this****; and c, equally goggle-eyed astounded that Naomi Wolf wrote this thing.
All in all: that’s one sweet gig Naomi Wolf’s got there. I’m impressed.
Moe Lane
*BTW: doing an Amazon search for ‘Vagina’ is one of the funniest damn things that I’ve done today.
**No, really.
***Note: I did not say that they were unjustified.
****I actually do recommend reading the article all the way through; there’s a good bit that I disagree with the author about, particularly when it comes to her unconscious biases, but some of you may be surprised to discover that you may have more opinions in common with Ms. Turner that you might have thought, and her review was certainly interesting to read.
But that still leaves a big question flapping in the wind. Who’s afraid of Vagina Wolf?
This Crace fellow nails it (sorry–not really) and Ace’s comment ‘absurdly over-documented squak shack’ just about sums it up.
Naomi Wolf is a modern liberated woman, which apparently means that her entire self-worth is centered on her hoo-hah and not anything as mundane as professional accomplishments, intellectual attainments, educational credentials, and contributions to the betterment of her community and fellow citizens.* In this she is actually less than a pre-liberated woman whose self-esteem was centered not only on her baby-maker, but also on her ability to cook.**
The modern world is just strange.
*No, a four hundred page book on that subject does not classify for any of those things.
**Try to guess how much I am joking.
I believe that the current term of art is ‘hoo-hah?
“Cooter.”