BITCHfest: Ten Years of Cultural Criticism from the Pages of Bitch Magazine

The easiest way to sum up my impression is that I'd never read the magazine when I started this book, and when I was done, I ordered a (prepaid) subscription. I've still read very little on feminism, so even the presumably standard stuff was novel. It was surprisingly not-angry, given the title. Most pieces were just wry, and unnervingly close to resigned. On the other hand, except for one bit in one chapter intro, everything was thoroughly rational and quotable. I particularly liked seeing some of my presumably more out-there views expressed; the ones I've never heard anyone share before. And I still love the bit "[apparently women] use their genitals only as sticky traps in which to catch wedding rings."

To be honest, I haven't read this particular compilation. I've actually been a subscriber to Bitch Magazine since I first learned about it in 2003, so I assume I've read most of these articles. I recommend this--but especially the magazine--to all my feminist friends who want to engage their brains in their cultural consumption.

What's in it?

Cultural deconstruction. Interviews with interesting people who usually have contributed some kind of outsider voice to culture/art, ranging from young artists to ones who have been contributing in their field for decades. What kind of art? Film, fashion, music, visual, written, performance, video and all their sub-genres. (In other words, all the various ways people express themselves). Occasional show more rants. A profile of an activist and some of the organizations they recommend. Letters to the editor. A book, movie and music section that focuses on indies, and has led me in directions I would not have found on my own (Little Jackie was an especially awesome find). A two page smorgasbord of cool stuff staff members want to bring to readers' attention in every issue. A full-page comic.

I love the way it celebrates as much as it deconstructs. I long ago dropped my Ms. subscription because it was more depressing than uplifting, loved its theory a bit too much and had trouble staying relevant. Bust was a bit too DIY and indie-band fangirl, and it definitely lacked the analytical angle I wanted with my cultural commentary. Bitch manages to overcome the tendency of outsider commentary to overwhelm when acknowledging and discussing the multitudes of challenges we face. I highly recommend it. show less

Satiating. Good to read, like bell hooks, just after a class in which a few loud students are insisting that feminists are merely man haters, and racism is a thing of the past.

some of the articles in the magazine itself are pretty out there. like, my little ponies teach little girls how to raise their humps and bat their big, dilated eyes. i'm not saying it's bad to question the toys we hand our kids, but still. the fare in the book is a bit more selective.

these collected articles tackle some pressing issues in just the ways i want them tackeled. for once.

Satiating. Good to read, like bell hooks, just after a class in which a few loud students are insisting that feminists are merely man haters, and racism is a thing of the past.

some of the articles in the magazine itself are pretty out there. like, my little ponies teach little girls how to raise their humps and bat their big, dilated eyes. i'm not saying it's bad to question the toys we hand our kids, but still. the fare in the book is a bit more selective.

these collected articles tackle some pressing issues in just the ways i want them tackeled. for once.

Bitch is one of the smartest, funniest, broadest-minded feminist media forces I can think of. Because of the magazine format, these essays are concise and clearly written with the smart, savvy but not necessarily academic reader in mind, and never fail to push my thinking.

bitch: feminist response to pop culture is pretty much one of my favorite magazines evar. It is consistently thought-provoking and intelligent. It does not ignore issues of race and class, which I frequently find absent or superficially dealt with in feminist discourse. It's not glossy (except for the cover). It's not in color. There are no Calvin Klein ads, no thin women splayed out across two pages, selling perfume and shoes. Celebrities and models are never on the cover.

BITCHfest is divided up into 8 sections: Hitting Puberty; Ladies and Gentlemen: Femininity, Masculinity, and Identity; The F Word; Desire: Love, Sex, and Marketing; Domestic Arrangements; Beauty Myths and Body Projects; Confronting the Mainstream; and Talking Back: show more Activism and Pop Culture. Each section has approximately 4-7 essays. There were 1-3 outstanding ones per section. Obviously, not every article ever printed is in here. Hitting Puberty and Domestic Arrangements were my favorite sections. In the back there is an extensive list of resources, from websites to zines to writers.

It wasn't life-changing, but still very good. And it's nice to have so much Bitch in one volume and not have to dig through the aging, torn magazines I stack in haphazard piles. show less

This book was only 400 pages long, but it took me something like eight months (or more - I can't remember the exact date I started reading the book) to finish it. But it wasn't because I didn't find the book interesting; instead, there's just a lot of information to ruminate over and digest. Most of these essays are least ten years old - some even older than that - so they can sometimes feel dated, but many are still relevant today, and nearly all of them were pretty darned interesting.