My Body
Emily Ratajkowski's deeply honest and personal exploration of what it means to be a woman today - THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
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4.5 • 64 Ratings
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- £5.49
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- £5.49
Publisher Description
*THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*
A deeply honest investigation of what it means to be a woman and a commodity from Emily Ratajkowski, the archetypal, multi-hyphenate celebrity of our time.
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'Dazzling' - Observer
'Excellent [...] Ratajkowski writes with curiosity, intellect and acute awareness' - Harper's Bazaar
'Superb [...] it feels revolutionary' - Telegraph
'I admire and envy her artistry' - Guardian
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Emily Ratajkowski is an acclaimed model and actress, an engaged political progressive, a formidable entrepreneur, a global social media phenomenon, and now, a writer. Rocketing to world fame at age twenty-one, Ratajkowski sparked both praise and furor with the provocative display of her body as an unapologetic statement of feminist empowerment. The subsequent evolution in her thinking about our culture's commodification of women is the subject of this book.
My Body is a profoundly personal exploration of feminism, sexuality, and power, of men's treatment of women and women's rationalizations for accepting that treatment. These essays chronicle moments from Ratajkowski's life while investigating the culture's fetishization of girls and female beauty, its obsession with and contempt for women's sexuality, the perverse dynamics of the fashion and film industries, and the grey area between consent and abuse.
Nuanced, unflinching, and incisive, My Body marks the debut of a fierce writer brimming with courage and intelligence.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Model and actress Ratajkowski debuts with an intimate and accomplished essay collection that tackles big questions about internalized misogyny, the male gaze, female empowerment, and the commodification of sexuality. She describes her "defensiveness and defiance" when questioned whether dancing naked in the 2013 music video for Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" was "anti-feminist," and admits that her viewpoint on being a "so-called sex symbol" has changed in the ensuing years. Ratajkowski calls out men who have simultaneously taken advantage of and dismissed her, including Thicke, who grabbed her breasts without permission during the filming of the music video, and photographer Jonathan Leder, whom she accuses of sexually violating her during a photo shoot and then releasing a book of explicit images without her approval. Throughout, Ratajkowski reflects on her craving for men's validation "even when it came wrapped in disrespect," and examines the limits of succeeding "as a thing to be looked at." She also recounts an early sexual experience that she later realized qualified as stalking and rape, and documents her struggles to deal with her mother's serious health problems. Enriched by Ratajkowski's insider perspective on the modeling industry and her willingness to wrestle with the power of the male gaze rather than outright rejecting it, this is an astute and rewarding mix of the personal and the political.
Customer Reviews
Loved the book
I read several books a month, but there aren’t many, especially non-fiction, that I get absorbed in completely. Emily offers a fresh and personal look into women’s objectification, internalised misogyny and what it feels like to be pretty for the consumption of powerful men. Thank you for this important work.