BITCHfest: Ten Years of Cultural Criticism from the Pages of Bitch Magazine,   ISBN:9780374113438

Customer Rating: 

The price of the book alone is worth the stunning introduction by comedienne Margaret Cho. She'll give any woman enough reason to declare with sincerity that she is a bitch without the least bit shame & if she's called it, she'll know to carry it as a banner of pride. Of course, those who are unfamiliar with this magazine may not realize that `bitch' is not used in a way that degrades women or encourages meanness & insensivity towards other people. It's just declared the label that society gives women for standing up for themselves & demanding equal treatment. So, from one bitch to another, this book is for you.

It has topics ranging from the absence of positive African American women on tv to a feminist's take on the use of `guys' to include women. I do not necessarily agree or understand all of the ideas expressed in this collection, but it did cause me to think over what I see on the tv. We like to pretend that popular culture has no inherent value, but as spelled out in the pages of Bitch, we see that our culture's ideals & perceptions of us are portrayed in pop culture for all to see. Why are commercials for domestic cleaning products almost always featuring women? And why are they so happy to be cleaning? I don't mind cleaning or doing the laundry, but I've never been that cheerful about it.

What I love about this book & about Bitch magazine itself is that it tries (& doesn't always succeed) to reach out to us on the fringes who are sitting
there, remote in hand, wondering what the hell has happened. Didn't the feminist movement take place? So, why are females so ashamed to call themselves feminist anyway? Do they want equal treatment or not? Why does tv seem so vanilla when we're in an era that supposedly celebrates diversity? There are plenty of questions left unanswered & reading this, you'll be thinking of your own to add to it.

Customer Rating: 

Book came as promised and was full of the humor and thought-provoking philosophy I've come to enjoy from Bitch the Magazine!

Customer Rating: 

This is a compilation of articles from Bitch Magazine. It touches on a wide range of topics and while there is a lot of interesting feminist analysis, most of it is at a very easy level to read. I gave a copy to my friend that has feminist tendencies but isn't interested in the higher-level literature and she absolutely devoured the book. This book isn't going to change the feminist landscape but it's a great little way to introduce people to the topic.

Customer Rating: 

I found this book to be rather eye opening,
really talks about feminism in depth through a series of high-quality articles provided from the "Bitch" magazine.

For everyone interested/passionate about feminism/women's rights
or anyone simply looking for an enjoyable book to read,
this is a must!

Customer Rating: 

As a (middle-aged) male reader, I found this collection to be quite amazing. It seems that all contributors are equally committed to crafting clean, succinct essays with an engaging, yet erudite style. I can actually state that every piece was worth reading. Entertaining, instructive, even delightfully casual, at times, these are short, but thorough, and always interesting.