Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy

I recently read this book, and I though the review below described it better than I ever could.

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. What does sexy mean today? Levy, smartly expanding on reporting for an article in New York magazine, argues that the term is defined by a pervasive raunch culture wherein women make sex objects of other women and of ourselves. The voracious search for what's sexy, she writes, has reincarnated a day when Playboy Bunnies (and airbrushed and surgically altered nudity) epitomized female beauty. It has elevated porn above sexual pleasure. Most insidiously, it has usurped the keywords of the women's movement (liberation, empowerment) to serve as buzzwords for a female sexuality that denies passion (in all its forms) and embraces consumerism. To understand how this happened, Levy examines the women's movement, identifying the residue of divisive, unresolved issues about women's relationship to men and sex. The resulting raunch feminism, she writes, is a garbled attempt at continuing the work of the women's movement and asks, how is resurrecting every stereotype of female sexuality that feminism endeavored to banish good for women? Why is laboring to look like Pamela Anderson empowering? Levy's insightful reporting and analysis chill the hype of what's hot. It will create many aha! moments for readers who have been wondering how porn got to be pop and why feminism is such a dirty word.

This book did just that. There were so many times when I would look up from the book and say out loud "OMG she is right!" or "Ah, I see!" or something like that. It was an eyeopener. I didn't realize there were so many contradictions in today's idea of Feminism. Before reading it, I had not been able to decide if exhibitionism can really be empowering, even if some women feel empowered, and this book really helped me sort out how I feel about it (objectification!). It also made me realize more and more that it is not okay for men to call someone a pussy, or tell a woman to "man up" and the like. It is demeaning! This book will enlighten you, and I strongly suggest everyone of every gender read it!