Men to Avoid in Art and Life

Product Information

The content of the book is hit-or-miss, though there are some clever pairings made between the gorgeous artwork and comments that I've sure most women have heard from some men before. My one criticism for this book is it focus purely on white women. White feminism has long excluded people of color and I would love to see a future edition that recognizes and includes their stories. This hilarious book perfectly captures those relatable moments when a man explains to a woman a subject about which he knows considerably less than she does.

On a serious note, it may offer some hints about gender representation in classical works of art, but first thing first let´s have some healthy laugh. HILARIOUS AND UNIQUE: The classical paintings paired with laugh-out-loud modern captions make for a distinctively clever and playful wall calendar. I cringed and laughed my way through this book in the best way possible. I have never related to women in fine art more and therefore had an unstoppable urge to share some of the content with friends. One could argue that making jokes of misogyny is potentially problematic, but Tersigni skillfully avoids that trap by simply roasting the very misogynistic subjects. Some of the things they say are: I also noticed that in many of the paintings that you chose the titles describe an important couple, but the author just wrote the man’s name and referred to the woman as “his wife”. And that still happens in the articles of the press and many other cases. So, do women have names?A very delicate act of ego-balancing from Men to Avoid in Art and Life by Nicole Tersigni(all images courtesy Chronicle Books) Men to Avoid in Art and Life pairs classical fine art with modern captions that epitomize the spirit of mansplaining. H: I think there’s a lot of power in books and media accounts like yours —and another of my favorites, Awards for Good Boys— that manage to wrap feminist theory and everyday lived experience into funny and relatable content. Can you identify aspects of the present moment that have made space for this kind of social critique to get the reception it deserves? I promised examples and, hopefully, better late than never. Not being able to show the captions on the painting the way Tersigni has is less than ideal -- but so am I ;) You mixed two of the things that connect people the most: art and laughter! So, what joke from your book makes you laugh the most?

As a professional working woman and an educated individual, this book hit home on so many levels. In some cases it was funny - some quotes I have heard word by word not just once. In others, it made me angry and honestly a bit hopeless. At the same time, the (probably mostly millennial) readers get a rare chance to admire classical art, which they can later identify through a handy index at the end of the book. However, I wish there was a bit more art history content to keep the reader involved such as intriguing facts about the artists - better yet, some absurd facts about the artists to keep up with the satirical theme. Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Nicole Tersigni: I think so! Obviously, men explaining things we already know to us is not a new phenomenon. As the song goes, it’s a tale as old as time. (This is the second time I’ve mentioned Beauty and the Beastin an interview, I promise I watch other movies!) We’re just very tired and we have been for a long time.

How to Deal with “Not All Men”

When men are told that women actually don't want to hear from them on every little thing, they tend to respond with horror, as if this is some new thing. ButTersigni's book offers a funny, but honest truth: we haveneverwanted to hear from you. We've been getting trolled for ages, and now we have more power to speak against it-and we have the likes of Tersigni to archive this frustration. I want to pass this book out like postcards whenever a man thinks he's the first to 'Well, actually' me." In what seems like a casual tone, this book raises up important aspects of the every day reality of women. The absolute amazement when a male doctor in ER tells you that you are being dramatic right before you pass out from pain because you have endometriosis. The confusion of being a professional woman who is either too pretty to be taken serious or too cold to be liked. The despair of being passionate about a topic but having that passion be perceived as being bossy and ultimately alienating. The book is divided into chapters named after certain (not all) types of men: the Mansplainer, the Concern Troll, the Comedian, the Sexpert, the Patronizer. The comedian Jen Kirkman says in the foreword: “If you’re a dude, you may be tensing up right now and wanting to put this book down and tweet at Nicole, ‘Not all men mansplain!’ But then you’d be the guy who is mansplaining to a woman who ostensibly knows men, is related to men, has worked with men, is friends with men, that not all men are bad.” Images from Men to Avoid in Art and Life by Nicole Tersigni. Photograph: Provided by Chronicle Books