Natasha Walter's The New Feminism came out in 1999, when I was months away from completing my Women's Studies degree at Kingston University. It was required reading for everyone on my course because it provided a profound and enlightening insight in to the state of feminism at the end of the twentieth century and provided a conclusion to all we had learned over three years.
So, I have been excited to read Living Dolls since its publication a month ago. Walter is arguably the most important feminist in the public eye today. She has a remarkable way of brining important issues of oppression in to the forefront of public debate while never allowing media outlets to paint her as a controversialist. Highly intelligent, she is always careful to not convey her points in a hectoring manner which is what makes this book such an important work. I was fascinated by every word and devoured it in three days. It makes grim, depressing reading at times but ultimately the mere existence of this work is enough to bring hope for the future.
Anyone doubting the importance of feminism in 2010 must read this book without fail. I am actually planning on bulk buying copies to give to audience members who fail to raise their hands as proud feminists at the end of my show at the Soho Theatre in June. In short, what I often fail to achieve in 70 minutes of stand up, she does so expertly over 238 pages.
She is passionate about her views but never appears radical, which is very important as this book is clearly aimed at those who do not normally choose to read feminist literature. She is always empathetic with her subjects, an incredible feat considering the belligerence of some. The opening chapter makes for disturbing reading when she attends a Nuts Magazine event to recruit new glamour models. Speaking with contestenst, agents and promoters she is never judgemental, only inquisible and this style reaps hugely telling responses from those who initially claim to being 'liberated' by flashing their breasts at baying mobs of men.
Those of us with an interest will already know the appalling statistics for rape convictions in the UK (6%) and be horrified by the glamourisation of prostitution by the mainstream media but Walter gets to the root of the problem and this work as as impressive a piece of investagative journalism as it is a work of feminist literature.
My only complaint would be the cover of the book. As a Photo Editor I can obviously appreciate that it is a very clever image depicting the appalling way in which women are pressured by society from childhood to the grave to be doll-like but why does it have to be so salacious? Surely Walter's publishers are not using sex to sell her book? I do not read men's magazines in public due to the female nudity on the cover. Yet I did get some judgmental looks from people who glanced at the Barbie doll in the vaginal area and clocked the word 'sexism' in the title as if I was reading some kind of training manual for misogynists. Which is funny, because I remember being concerned about the same thing when reading Naomi Wolf's provocatively covered, disappointing follow-up to The Beauty Myth, Promiscuities came in 1998.
Walter's book is arguably more important that Wolf's seminal debut. Ignorance has left many thinking things are equal in 2010 and they are not. As she points out complacency is the most dangerous enemy so don't delay on purchasing Living Dolls immediately.
Or come to my show at the Soho Theatre in June and I will give you one free!
