Jennifer Baumgardner, author of F’em!: Goo Goo, Gaga, and Some Thoughts on Balls:
We live in a society where sex is used against women as much as it’s used by women. Sexy Feminism calls foul on that (and other) double standards—and makes manifest my frequent observation that feminists are almost always the sexiest people in the room.
Katie Goodman, feminist comedian and actress (and author of Improvisation for the Spirit):
Genius! Sexy Feminism is a delicious primer for budding feminists (and the feminist-curious), as well as a sigh of relief for long-term third-wave feminists who long to be understood and are tired of explaining our beliefs. Finally a book that explains us to ourselves and to others in a funny, sexy, smart way.
Really, people, this is intellectual porn at its best: wise, insightful, complex and thoughtful about complicated issues that are constantly being forced into over-simplified stereotypes and boxes. Sexy Feminism helps us break out of our confines and allows us to choose (yes choose! That’s the POINT of feminism, right?!) who we want to be and how we want to express ourselves.
In a world where real shit is going down every day – domestic abuse, rape, sexual slavery, war – sexiness might seem unimportant and yet, as Jennifer and Heather show us, it is at the fundamental root of feminism. Smart, funny, powerful confidence is attractive and sexy. This is what makes women strong and what makes others sit up and listen. Jennifer and Heather do an outrageously good service to us all by bringing feminism into it’s sexy, confident maturity.
Kirkus Reviews:
A fun and enlightening guide detailing the multifaceted ways women can integrate an inclusive mode of feminism into their lives without compromising their ideals and giving up their lip gloss. Co-founders of the blog SexyFeminist.com, Armstrong and Rudúlph examine their individual journeys to becoming feminists and why they wrote this book: “We want to help other women find their own feminism, just as we found ours.” The authors aim to “show young women how fun, empowering and, yes, sexy it is to fight for women’s rights and choices.” After a minihistory of feminism, they cover a variety of topics, including Brazilian wax jobs, plastic surgery, vanity and makeup, dieting, fashion, dating, the conundrum of working women, female friendships and feminism in the bedroom. The chapter on plastic surgery decodes the different types of procedures, followed by a Sexy Feminist Action Plan, titled “Invest in Yourself, Not New Boobs.” Armstrong describes her personal experience in “What I Learned from a Laser Facial Peel.” Though the tone is light and playful, there is plenty of information packed into each chapter. Most include follow-up questions for further exploration. The afterword, “Real Ways To Fight For Feminism,” lists feminist charities and pointers on becoming literate in politics and media. The appendix includes resources for sexy feminists, and the book serves as a quick and satisfying read for women of a certain age who might need a refresher course. A sexy heads up for young women who may not grasp how culture and media continually manipulate women into thinking that what they have and how they look are never quite good enough.