Butts: A Backsotry

I just finished Heather Radke’s book *Butts: A Backsotry*. I heard about the book through an episode of Radiolab about a Horse vs. Human foot race. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into – and when I got into it, I had no idea where it was going. As a whole, the book is really interesting. It’s all about women’s butts in terms of some physiology, but mostly cultural perspectives. The book doesn’t mention men’s butts at all (and there’s no reason it should). (I’m a straight man in my late 30s) I never think about my own backside, and rarely consider other men’s butts – unless there’s something exceptionally attention-grabbing about it. But, I definitely know women’s butts play a huge role in my attraction preferences. I never put much thought into it though – we like what we like, right? But there’s a lot to unpack there, I realized, in the preferences, the attraction, and the focus on women’s butts. From the book I get the impression that women have a way different relationship with their bottoms (and bodies in general). I never considered butt size/shape to be associated with race, but I’ve learned there are a lot of racial connotations regarding butt size/shape that are rooted in the ugly history of slavery and eugenics.

Anyway, there’s a section of the book where the author seems to go into writing from the perspective of a black woman, but I’m 99.9% sure she isn’t a black woman. Maybe I’m misinterpreting, I don’t know. It’s still interesting but there’s a tone of personal offense in the writing about white women appropriating black culture (twerking, for example). It’s a very personal book, though. Radke writes a lot about her experiences and body image.

I didn’t know I’d be reading a book about feminism, race, and culture… but that’s what it is. I learned some things and I enjoyed a fresh perspective – and some new perspectives on things I never even considered!

by aChunkyChungus