Reviews for The Good Body

The average rating for The Good Body based on 2 reviews is 2.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-03-14 00:00:00 Frederic Beaulieu Not as good as the Vagina Monologues, but still very powerful and funny and wonderful in its own way. My favorite moment of this book was reading it in an airport... My copy had a different cover from the one pictured here. The cover art is a naked female torso with scoops of ice cream instead of breasts. I thought it was a fantastic image that managed to convey the commodification of female bodies, the link between female sexuality and self-denial, the strange way female sexuality and food have become "forbidden" for women in popular culture, etc. Well, two white middle aged men were sitting across from me at the gate, waiting for the same flight I was, and eying my book with great discomfort. Unveiled discomfort. Until I finally made and held eye contact with them and they were forced to say something. "Uh... what is THAT?" They had never heard of Eve Ensler. Or the Vagina Monologues. (And seemed shocked... SHOCKED... that a stranger and a girl would say "vagina" right out loud in an airport! This is not late-night cable, young lady!) So I explained it was a play, a feminist play. And as soon as I said "feminist" their facial expressions seemed to both instantaneously switch off, like a light. "Oh." And back to the sports section. Clearly nothing of concern to THEM.

Review # 2 was written on 2010-02-28 00:00:00 Logan Langor I did not care for this book at all. I wonder if I saw it presented on stage, if that would change my opinion, but I disliked it so much that I'd be unlikely to give any money or time to be exposed to it again. First of all, there is really nothing new in terms of the style or presentation of material. Ensler is using the same structure as The Vagina Monologues, the only difference is that this work focuses on her stomach and she herself gets a lot of stage time. Although there were a few thought provoking moments - her assertion that all women throughout the world, regardless of their race or class, when asked one thing that could be changed that would really improve their lives, most answered in a way that related to changing some part of their physical bodies. First of all, there is no citation for that. Who did this study? And how? Also, the liposuction description was revolting. But it was so revolting that I imagine it will stick with me for sometime. The piece about the Cosmo editor who works so hard to reshape herself, and ends by saying that her husband thinks she is beautiful, but he doesn't count, "Because he loves me." That was a really interesting section, but more in terms of the way that we discount the opinions of important people in our lives, as opposed to anything really revealing about body image. I think the part of this book that disturbed me the most was how much Eve Ensler focused on her own stomach issues. If you want to navel gaze, fine. But don't try to make it something that it's not. Don't try to make it a play about the body image issues of women all over the world. The global focus was also somewhat offensive. When Eve Ensler refuses to eat bread that is being offered to her in Africa, I wanted to smack her. Maybe that is the point. But still. Never did she seem to acknowledge the complete privilege of her position and the luxury it is to be able to refuse food at all. When she is taken out for ice cream, which is forbidden by the Taliban, her host is risking her life so that Eve freaking Ensler can feel like eating ice cream is okay in this moment due to it being an act of political rebellion. Give me a break! Also, the extent to which Ensler selects stories where women of all ages blame their mothers for their body image issues is pretty shocking. Urgh. It also seems like this play is not even the story of how a woman learned to love her body. Or how a woman overcame her struggle with body image. This really seems to be a play about how Eve Ensler travels all over disliking her stomach. I have no opinion about her particular stomach, but I now have no stomach for Eve Ensler.