The Descent of Man | 
pickI admit that (intuitively) I am more of an individualist than is fashionable at the moment, but Grayson Perry makes some very interesting points about masculinity and its downfalls.
This is an eloquent examination of masculinity and its wider impact on society.
As with every non-fiction read, I don't agree with everything he says, but he raises some excellent points for discussion and I would recommend it to those interested in gender dynamics.
"Several times I have asked audiences to put up their hand if they have sexual fantasies where the central theme is gender equality. No one ever raises their hand. (Who would? Nick Clegg maybe?) Perhaps it is a silly request, or maybe they are all dreaming of being bent over the desk by the boss, or being the boss. No one gets aroused by thinking about holding hands in matching fleeces while shopping for sofas or sharing childcare, do they?"
An extended essay on toxic masculinity, I'm finding this one an interesting perspective so far.
Perry is an artist giving an opinion, so I can relax and absorb his thoughts rather than dissecting the quality of his evidence. As with any opinion-piece, I find myself internally playing devil's advocate, but he's making some very good points.
Today's purchases... looking forward to reading them! 📚 💕
pickShould be required reading in schools. I came to this thinking it would be about his art work but it is a manifesto for man. Loved it.
pickI‘m not too sure how to review this. It‘s an excellent read, a perspective I haven‘t read before, with spot-on narration. But my goodness it made me sad!
His critique of ‘traditional‘ masculinity and the harm it does to men (and the rest of us) asks questions that make you think about how you think about gender. And just how embedded/difficult to change it is, even
“Men's rights
The right to be vulnerable
The right to be weak
The right to be wrong
The right to be intuitive
The right not to know
The right to be uncertain
The right to be flexible
The right not to be ashamed by any of these”
“I grew up with David Bowie, the patron saint of the boy in his bedroom who felt alienated by the male culture of his peers.”
My childhood/adolescence summed up in one sentence. This was the poster of David that kept me company.
#booksandbowie
"Feminists and civil rights campaigners made white men visible in ways they'd never been before. They started to give the default dominant group equal 'otherness', and white men didn't like it. This feeling of visibility prompted men to adopt a victim status befitting an oppressed group. The patriarchy felt itself wobble and fall a notch nearer equality, but screamed as if it had fallen way below the groups it still oppressed."
“Revolutions that really effect lasting change happen thoughtfully in peacetime.”
"Many aspects of masculinity seem such a blight on society that to say it is 'in crisis' is like saying racism was 'in crisis' in civil-rights-era America."
Next...
Putting off mowing the lawn, which is overgrown after I participated in No-Mow May, an initiative to let wild plants grow to provide early food for the bees. This would be a worthy thing had it not been preceded by my participation in an unofficial No-Mow March 🌾🌾🌾🐝🐝🌾🌾🌾
“There has been a great diversity of the debate of the subject,” it wrote, “but the generally accepted rule is pink for the boys, and blue for the girls. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger colour, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl.” (“The Descent of Man” by Grayson Perry, 2017)
Book Mail, I‘m really looking forward to reading this
I‘m loving this so far! I‘ve read lots of books on feminism but this is the first I‘ve read denouncing ‘toxic masculinity‘ from the male perspective and it is excellent (I‘m only 27 pages in...)
so-soI really enjoyed Grayson Perry‘s TV series on masculinity a couple of years ago; he has enormous empathy, which makes for a more nuanced exploration of what makes men tick. This book runs along a similar theme but is more of a manifesto for a shift in masculinity. It‘s an interesting and engaging read but I found it occasionally a bit too broad brush in its descriptions of male behaviour.
An interesting set of essays on masculinity is very perceptive and has me both self reflecting but at times despairing. This is a typical extract and is giving me a insight into a man who i often admire for his bravery in publicly cross dressing yet like many men has this inner core bubbling away. I'll finish it quickly but definitely giving me much to think about.
pickA timely series of essays investigating the role of masculinity in the written by Perry, a British artist and transvestite. He raises many of the issues which vexes men; we are presented with a stereotype of masculinity which seems no longer appropriate and Perry argues that it is time to work towards a new model of what it means to be a man.
When I get a pen out and start marking passages and writing notes in the margin, the book is speaking to me
pick#arc.
I loved the conversational writing and delightful illustrations. Perry considers all of us casualties of the effects of modern masculinity and advocates for a new approach.
I thought it was great. I learned new things about gender roles through time and enjoyed the book's unique voice and style. 4.5⭐️
🤷🏽♀️
Excellent book mail from Saturday and today! I'm most excited to read the bottom two. (Bless Book Depository, I knew I couldn't wait for the US versions of these!) #bookmail
Picked this one up on the spur of the moment, based largely on the cartoons and chapter heading. Looks like an interesting investigation into what it is to be a man in today's society
I fell in love with this book before I got my hands on it. When I read an interview a couple of months ago with #GraysonPerry, I just knew.
pickPick. Pick. Pick. This is a well written, well thought out and sensitive plea for men to take a break. Have a chill. Perry wants to rework the idea of masculinity for the good of mankind. #talkingsaveslives
More beautiful words from #graysonperry #thedescentofman #feminism #equality #talkingsaveslives
I've got to say this book is brilliant. I'm really enjoying. He uses language in a readable and clever way. #graysonperry #feminism #equality
Great series of reflections on how being a man is constructed - plus great cartoons.
pickI this was an interesting read. Mixture of anecdotes, hard hitting facts and musings with a healthy dose of humour. The deconstruction of the traditional masculine role is important so that we can understand the need to evaluate and change the problems instead of clinging rigidly to old fashioned stereotypes. Now hunting for more books about gender if anyone can suggest any?
Next on the audio is this! I've seen it around and know what it's about but don't know what to expect really and am intrigued!
I like that my paper's magazine included a books page in their gift lists...
