[From the Duke University Press Catalog:]
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"Weaving commentary from academia with
testimony from such sources as Salt N Pepa and sex worker Annie Sprinkle, Buszek's authorial debut shows how the evolution of the pin-up
is inextricably
tied to the feminist movement, for better and worse, providing formal and (as
she demonstrates) well-deserved appreciation to an art form that's rarely given
much respect. [...]
Drawing on a large body of research and commentary, Buszek smartly focuses on individual contributions and landmarks rather than
sweeping claims.
An academic, Buszek isn't afraid to dig deep into her subject,
but she tempers her treatise with healthy doses of wit, grace and rhythm, and
rarely falters." |
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"The pin-up as
feminist 'equipment for living?' This is a provocative argument, one that Buszek
makes decisively in eight chapters traversing the related histories of
American
theater, illustration, film culture, fanzines, and feminist art practice. [...]
This eloquent, erudite surprise of a book should be required reading for
scholars of gender, sexuality, U.S. history, visual and material culture, and
art history." |
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"One brand of
contemporary feminism casts women as eternal victims: all sex is rape,
apparently, and all representations of female sexuality are merely for the
delectation of men. Pin-up Grrrls challenges this one-dimensional
view [...]. Maria Elena Buszek's enthusiasm for her subject is
obvious...it's a book by a young woman discovering herself and her powers,
something of a kindred spirit to the pin-ups she studies." |
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"Pin-Up Grrrls
is an exhaustive chronicle of the pin-up from its stage, street, and screen
origins to the postmodern feminist pin-up, and its storied relationship to
feminism in the United States.
This book is essential reading for anyone
interested in feminism, history, art history, feminist art, histories of
sexuality." |
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"The social climate we
live in today has witnessed the commodification of sex escalate to
never-before-seen level of frenzy. In this light, Pin-Up Grrrls is a
breath of crisp, fresh air. [...]
Don’t let the title fool you; the density and
subject matter of this book are not for the faint of heart. If you’re looking
for a few dirty pictures, grab a Maxim at the gas station.
If, however,
you’re looking for an insightful and thorough exploration of a popular sexual
phenomenon researched and written by a smart woman and focused through a
feminist lens,
this book just might be your wet dream come true." |
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"Buszek's appealing
work charts the converging historical, visual, and theoretical paths of the
feminist movement and the pinup from the 19th century to the present,
offering a
feminist interpretation of the pinup attuned to the kaleidoscopic nature of
feminist engagement with issues of sexuality...[and providing]
nuanced readings
of pinups that bolster her claim for their significance as complex signifiers of
feminist consciousness." |
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"With great
historical consciousness and painstaking research--and without falling back on
tired old stereotypes of pro- or antiporn feminists--Buszek stakes a thoroughly
convincing claim that feminism is a political movement that has always
championed women's sexual agency and
that is sure to appeal to grrrls and womyn
alike." |
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"Buszek’s
ease at negotiating the debates around power, sexuality, and
feminism in the realms of pop culture, political analysis, and high
art makes Pin-up Grrrls a compelling read. [...]
With a wealth of historical detail and a persuasive argument for the
pin-up’s feminist potential, Pin-up Grrrls is a timely
engagement with the enigmatic appeal
of these iconic images of femininity, feminism, and power." |
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