Cunt: A Declaration of Independence Expanded and Updated Second Edition

With a fair mix of radical feminist rants, sincere criticisms of sexuality, and a compressed history of patriarchy
-this book shatters many misconceptions about feminist theory. Fresh, honest, and fluid Inga Muscio is as blunt as one can get.

this is both entirely relevant and totally dated at the same time. i wish i had read it 20 years ago. even 15, when the way she wrote it wouldn't have irked me at all (the language and way she writes is annoying to me now, but not so bad that it interfered with my reading; but i do think it would turn people off, although i guess anyone that would be truly bothered by her use of "fucken" probably wouldn't pick up a book called cunt) and i was more into the radical ideas that she proposes, but that now actually seem mostly unrealistic in this world. that said, some of what she's talking about is still totally great and important. we're still told by corporations run by men that we should use "feminine hygiene" products to mask our show more natural scent and it's just as sexist now as it was then. etc. there are ideas here worth exploring, but like the book i just read before this one, it approaches gender in a way that is pretty transphobic (but like that book, was published in 1998 so needs to be updated because she'd probably want to respectfully adapt it). i feel like dr jen gunter on twitter is the natural progression of this book, but she's a doctor and has real stats and knowledge to back her up. (not that this grass roots approach isn't worthy as well.) the fact that we're still needing to talk about this stuff more than 20 years later just shows how radical it must have been at the time to put this book out at all.

it surprises me that she doesn't seem to take the position that most of what happens in prostitution is rape, and instead glorifies the prostituted woman. i certainly don't want to vilify her, but to goddess-ify her and talk only about her sexual power while completely ignoring the reality of what prostitution is for most women in the life (i.e. not a choice they'd freely make if they didn't have to) is surprising in the context of the rest of this book.

i'm mixed up about this. overall it's valuable but would have been more so had i read it closer to when it came out. even then, though, i wouldn't have agreed with all of it (like the whore section and her thoughts on the scum manifesto, for example). i think much of the messaging still needs to be out there, but in updated fashion. her writing can take a minute to get into, but her honesty and passion is obvious, and welcome.

a quote that i loved from Soraya Mire, about our society: "Men are the mirror."

an even better quote, from Anne Jardim: "The ceiling isn't glass, it's a very dense layer of men."

"Every iota of power women claim and use to the advantage of our sisters brings the destructive patriarchal age that much closer to its timely, timely, timely end." show less

I was ready to give this book two stars until I read the postscript. While I totally feel almost all of Muscio's points and consider myself to be fairly feminist and frustrated by our patriarchal society, I was a little turned off by the constant Goddess/womyn/bootcamp-style anger. If *I'm* turned off by that, imagine someone who isn't already a righteous, cunt-loving babe! I guess maybe we're at the point where only separatism and antagonism will make turn heads and create pockets of sisterhood and empowerment, but I don't really buy a movement succeeding by excluding. The PS tempers her original tone quite a bit, particularly by admitting her unintentional exclusion of transfolks, and felt like a welcome step back from the constant show more "MEN HAVE CONTROLLED US FOR MILLENNIA, NOW LET'S STOMP THEM!" vibe of the original edition. show less

Read the original version shortly after it was released and remember loving it so much. Traded that version in when this expanded/upgraded version came out and re-read it, again loving it. Somewhere between then and now, my views changed. As I re-read it now, I find myself cringing. Yes, it's still relevant because not much has changed (and is getting even worse than when it was written), but I much prefer a more academic study than this, which is highly personal and mostly opinion based on personal experiences (none of which I have experienced). The author seems to contradict herself often which makes me question her p.o.v. on just about everything (which I didn't pick up on the first few readings). I'm pro-choice, but 3 abortions with show more the same boyfriend because you are afraid of taking pills (while wishing only the worst on men who don't respect you by wearing condoms) is plain ignorance and irresponsibility. Identifying as a lesbian since age early grade school but, given the above and the desire to sleep with other men, maybe "queer" or "bi" would make the p.o.v. clearer. If the power of thought could cause an abortion, why couldn't it prevent a pregnancy? If you hate rape scenes in movies, refuse to watch, and advocate staging walk-outs, why in the world would you read books and watch movies with brutal rape scenes (written by a man) and then encourage a friend to watch the movie without a warning about the rape scenes (which apparently you knew would be a trigger)? Lastly, the statement, "We all have cunts, and it does not matter if they are biological, surgical or metaphorical" made me pause, especially in hindsight, because the vast majority of the topics deal with biological cunts with little-to-no mention of surgical ones and absolutely no mention of metaphorical. show less

I got this book for my birthday, and I carried it with me everywhere -- to the grocery store, to work, to a local coffeeshop. And if I had to go in somewhere and leave the book behind, I left it on my dashboard so passersby could plainly see the title. Heehee.

I can't say I'm going to go out and start doing everything Ms. Muscio suggests, but she's certainly planted some seeds. I do wish I had a young niece so I could throw her a menarche party; all my nieces are past that stage now.

Here's my advice to you about this book: Yes, the name is shocking and might even be offensive to you. Before I read this book, I was offended when I heard that word too. But it's just a word. A benign combination of 4 little letters to which humans have show more added meaning. If a few humans gave it a specific meaning, then other humans can certainly give it a new meaning.

And yes, some of the items Ms. Muscio suggests in this book might seem bonkers to you. I know I can't see myself ever doing some of the things she suggests. But that's not the point. Take a step back and look at the big picture of what she's saying. Our bodies are nothing to be ashamed of. Our bodies deserve to be respected and loved. Respect, love, and protect yourself. Respect, love, and protect your fellow womankind. Rid your life of purposeless jealousy, cattiness, and suckass vibes towards other women. Invest in the women in your community -- spend your time to help single moms learn to read or find a job (and thus daycare); spend your time to teach young girls in your community that their bodies are nothing to be ashamed of; spend your money supporting local woman-owned and woman-positive businesses; give your money to organizations that teach girls self-esteem.

You might feel as if what you're doing is pointless and isn't making a dent in the overpowering sadness in the world. You're right that you're probably not making a huge dent. One person rarely does. But you are changing the world, if only in a small way. Join up with your friends, family, and others and put your heads together and make an even bigger dent. And besides -- how could you live with yourself if you just sat back and watched all this sadness and did nothing, absolutely nothing, to stop it? show less

In her first book Cunt, author and activist Inga Muscio urges women to usurp the word “cunt” and to redefine it as “an all new woman-centered, cuntlovin’ noun, adjective, or verb” (11). Now in its second edition, Cunt expands the call for female independence, adding a Foreword by Dr. Betty Dodson, author of Sex for One—a praise of female sexuality, an Introduction by cultural critic Derrick Jensen, an Afterword that questions the first edition, and an updated and expanded list of resources for women.

Cunt is divided into three sections. The first section, “The Word,” explores the etymology of the word cunt, focusing on the positive connotations the word had in our ancient history. Muscio then delves into a discussion of show more “The Anatomical Jewel” in her second section. This section serves as a positive and informative handbook on sexual health for women and those who wish to understand women’s health. Muscio candidly chats about and provides advice on menstruation, contraception, abortion, prostitution, masturbation, sexuality, and sexual assault. Her friendly, conversational writing style makes readers feel at ease while thinking about these sometimes difficult and uncomfortable topics. The final section, “Reconciliation,” empowers women readers by providing guidelines for composing a “womanifesto” and exploring how other women have reclaimed their female power through activism on various fronts—from buying only products made by women to taking self-defense classes.

Cunt’s Afterword sympathetically addresses issues left out of the first edition, focusing most exclusively on the absence of the transgender community. Muscio apologizes for this exclusion, explores transgender issues, and argues for transgender inclusion in feminist movements.

Perhaps the most important part of Cunt is the list of resources Muscio provides at the end. This list includes information for locating independent news, women’s and girls’ magazines that are not consumer-centered, independent bookstores and publishers, sex shops, stores owned by women, institutes and groups for healing, and revolutionary organizations.

Cunt is appealing to adult women of all ages and those who wish to sympathize with them. Derrick Jensen asserts in his Introduction to the book, “Cunt is a necessary book, one of the most important books in print today, not only for bio and trans-women, […] but for men-folk […] as well. […] I first read Cunt last year […]. I have read the book several times since, and each time have learned more about the women in my life, more about my own life, more about life in general” (xix-xx). However, Muscio’s frank prose may prove to be too candid for some readers. She brings up sensitive topics that some people may not feel comfortable reading about. The cover of the book is also outrageous with its bright colors and the word “cunt” front and center. Regardless of the aforementioned cautions, Library Journal recommends Cunt for both public and academic libraries.

Alisa Orrin show less

Don't let the title scare you.

I loved this book, simply because Inga reminded me why we need to stick together and love each other. I have experienced so much viciousness from women in my life, and I'll stand for no more. Her writing was so personal, I felt like she was right there reading to me. She just reached right into my heart and opened it up to some things I didn't think of before. She supported some of my current work with women - no matter how much they resist love them anyway. We need to be kinder to each other in such a world like this today.
This is truly the most thought provoking book that I have ever read. I appreciated the way that Ms Muscio talked about how the choices that we make affect others. Before this, I never show more gave much thought to the type of business that I supported. The chapter on movies and the often violent content toward women really was a wake up call to me. Read this book with an open mind and an open heart. show less