English Version | Books, movies and music you cannot miss: The Body Issue

Books, movies, and songs all about that analyze the complexities of our bodies.

The body in books

There’s still a lot to learn about the body, specifically about the female body. These books are a great help. 

MONA KUHN: WORKS, by Mona Kuhn, Rebecca Morse, Simon Baker, Elizabeth Avedon, Chris Littlewood, and Darius Himes

It's the first retrospective, in book form, of one of the most respected photographers of our day. Kuhn, a Brazilian woman of German descent, has a career that expands over twenty years, and the underlying theme of her path has always been “humanity’s desire for spiritual connection and solidarity.” Praised for her intimate proximity with the target of her lens, her approach gives her photos a sense of deep intimacy, she’s one of the artists that most accurately represents the canon for the nude in contemporary art. Mona Kuhn: Works is an analysis of Kuhn’s aesthetic and work, an essential book to further understand the role of the body in modern photography.

ROAR!: A COLLECTION OF MIGHTY WOMEN, by Ashley Longshore

Ashley Longshore’s pop illustrations are the perfect vehicle to devour a set of profiles of inspiring women. Between these mighty women are names like Marie Curie, Maya Angelou, Peggy Guggenheim, Michelle Obama, Cleópatra, Rosa Parks, Frida Kahlo, Josephine Baker, and Amanda Gorman. The careful description of each and every one of these women justifies their presence in this book of icons - which, even though has an innocent look, might very much be an easy and fun way to educate children, not only about these women but also about concepts like feminism and empowerment. 

DAVID LYNCH: DIGITAL NUDES, by David Lynch

The second part of the Lynchian saga is dedicated to the artist’s exploration of the female body, Digital Nudes gathers a series of original digital pictures that go hand in hand with the previous Nudes. Kaleidoscopic visions of legs, arms, or undefined curves, portraits in chiaroscuro, photographs of lacquered nails and lips… David Lynch examines the female nude as one of the art’s biggest themes, in many ways transforming his particular vision into a hymn to femininity and an invite to creative freedom. 

CURVOLOGY: THE ORIGINS AND POWER OF FEMALE BODY SHAPE, by David Bainbridge

Few things are as tempting as a woman’s curves. And, even so, humans are the only mammals on Earth whose females have a curvy body. Why is that? David Bainbridge, a researcher, uses his scientific know-how to unveil this mystery, as well as explore the social and psychological consequences of our curves and fat. Mixing evolutionary biology, cultural observation, and modern psychology, this book intends to be a summary of the history and “ramifications” (a term used very lightly) of the female body, providing a convincing collection of facts, as well as an astoundingly fascinating perspective on the evolution of the female body shape and its repercussions - for women and society. 

The body in the cinema

The anatomy of a body that creates life, a drag body, a body that is unrecognizable in its own reflection, an overly objectified body. Coming to one of your screens soon.

The body is to cinema like love is to music, probably due to the infinite creative possibilities that surround our corporeality. From horror to light comedies, these movies are an insightful way to understand how our bodies influence our lives. If you’re looking for movies that highlight the complexities of having what some might identify as an “undesirable” body, there are some classic movies you+re bound to fall in love too. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) is the obvious choice in this genre, but, if you’re already tired of rewatching it, might we suggest Dumpling (2018), an updated version of the same concept. The movie explores the tension between the imperfect reality of the human body and the distorted standard of the beauty pageant world, all through the lens of a mother-daughter relationship. Real Women Have Curves (2006) deepens the consequences that this relationship has on the body and self-esteem of a teenage girl. The movie is a masterpiece in dissecting the expectations that surround the female body. If you want to move to happier neighborhoods we suggest Hairspray (2007) that describes, in a rather musical manner, the adventures of Tracy Turnblad as she navigates the 60s, her body, and having John Travolta in drag for a mom. But if it's drag you want, the list extends way beyond Travolta. The performance of hyper-femininity by (in the majority) men is a great pretext to reflect on the canon of the perfect female body. To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995) has a comedic point of view, some might say a heteronormative one. Even though it might not be up to code with today’s standards, it’s your one chance of seeing Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipes in drag. Of the same genre, we strongly recommend The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), an Australian cult comedy that follows the hilarious journey of a group of drag queens as they travel across Australia, a rather disco music heavy journey one might note. If you crave something a bit rawer, Paris is Burning (1990) is unbeatable: it’s a documentary that follows fifteen drag queens throughout the 80s, revealing the cultural depth of the world of drag, as well as the heartache of living as an extremely oppressed individual. And since fluidity is the topic of conversation we can’t miss out on the opportunity of mentioning the classic genre of the body switch. The genre is almost as old as Hollywood is. Let’s take as an example Turnabout (1940), which details the story of a couple that, upon making a wish to a statue of Buda, switch bodies with each other to strengthen their marriage. It's a rather innocent movie, unlike Goodbye Charlie (1964), a movie about the reincarnation of a man that died by the hand of his sexual adventures. But this sort of premise isn’t exclusive of romantic connections and sexual plots, family drama is caught in the crossfire too. Freaky Friday (2003) is a remake of a movie with the same name from 1976. In this version, the cast is made up of the creme de la creme of Y2K royalty: Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. Let us consider the impact our body has in this world. Movies like Downsizing (2017) analyze how, by reducing our bodies, we can quite literally reduce our environmental footprint. The movie is basically an intellectualized version of Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989), a classic that entered an entire generation’s lexicon, and became a successful trilogy. There’s a whole other world when bodies are mentioned in the context of the cinema, one that capitalizes off the discomfort we might feel in relation to it, to this genre we call body horror. Teeth (2007) fits perfectly in this description, its premise is in fact slightly frightening: a vagina with teeth, The movie is however rather comical - and an excellent feminist commentary on the sexist perceptions that surround puberty. The movie Titane (2007) has a more unsettling approach, it's a hallucinating journey that blurs the lines between machine and human. The movie is directed by Julia Docournau and won the Palme d'Or in 2021, making the director the second woman to ever win this award. The female body specifically is the subject of a lot of cinematic attention, but movies like Promising Young Woman (2020) or Gone Girl (2014), subvert this attention, using it as fuel to its proverbial fire. The first explores the long-lasting effects of sexual trauma through the lens of a woman that, like so many others, is blamed for a crime she’s the victim of. The second one narrates the radicalization of a woman that has lived under sexist ideals her whole life. Both are written by women, proving the latent necessity of more women in the industry, not just in front of the camera, but more importantly, behind it. If you seek to deepen your knowledge of women-made cinema we recommend Nomadland (2020), Lady Bird (2017), and Cleo From 5 to 7 (1962). 

The body in music 

Songs, where men sing about women, are like water droplets in the sea. But, fortunately, there are more and more women singing about their own bodies.

My whole childhood, like so many others, was spent listening to men singing about women. From 50 Cent’s Candy Shop to Da Weasel’s Dialetos de Ternura, the female was always perceived through the masculine. I confess that I hadn’t given it too much thought, not until I heard the recent outrage against artists like Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. By taking control of their sexual narrative, these women make songs that are extremely explicit from their own point of view. The controversies that surround these themes base themselves on arguments that these are somehow “degrading” for women. But I wonder where this anger was when I, at ten years old, was singing “Shawty lick me like a lollipop” as if it were a nursery rhyme? The problem doesn’t reside in seeing women as sexual beings, the issue only arises when women describe themselves the same way men have done for centuries. Luckily art progresses regardless of its critics and, more and more, if you listen to a song about a woman’s body, she’s the one that is actually singing it. The long-standing tradition of sexual objectification is as old as time itself, but in the modern music scene, we usually associate it with the Dirty Blues. A genre is a form of Blues that focuses on the more, let’s say, inappropriate aspects of life, like sex or drugs. It Ain’t the Meat it’s the Motion, dos The Swallows is a perfect example of this musical genre. It was considered one of the most explicit songs of its time, 1951, and the lyrics focus, not only on the male prowess but also on the concern the singer has to find the “perfect” woman: not too skinny, not too small. the original songs by The Swallows are a small window to the sexuality of this time, particularly the male point of view, with lyrics like “no meat, nor bones, she’s just skin.”Let us travel through musical genres and other decades until we reach the 80s, when AC/DC opens us a door into a whole new to… characterize (?) women. In Shook Me All Night Long, the Australian band describes a night well spent living exciting sexual adventures. This is also the start of a dreadful trend, one that obsesses over, as Brian Johnson sings it, “keep the engine clean.” Even if it's a musical symbol of the sexist paradigm, the song is (unfortunately?) still one of the best rock songs ever written. This brings us to a valid reminder, the quality of the songs being discussed is not called into question, regardless of their lyrics, the facts remain, most of us know these songs by heart. Having that said, it's time we dive into a crucial point in modern pop culture: Baby Got Back. The absolute classic by Sir Mix-A-Lot is one of the most open displays of women’s objectification - reducing them, literally, to their proportion between their butt and waist. The 90s classic is almost annoying since, regardless of how we feel about the lyrics, we can’t sing it. John Mayer might not be the most obvious choice to prove our argument, but if we think about the artist’s public persona we might listen to his songs in a different way. Your Body is a Wonderland, for example, is not much more than Mayer, a man, discussing a women’s body, endlessly repeating how the object of his desire is “his”, a possessive rectification that, dare we say, is very creepy. Creepy is also the first adjective that comes to mind when we think of Blurred Lines, probably one of the most controversial songs of all time - and maybe for that same reason, one of the most popular as well. Legal indictments and VMA performances aside, the song narrates a truly scary notion, that by getting lost in its infectious rhythm, goes by undetected. Between problematic, non-consensual, strides (“I know you want it”) Robin Thicke promotes the idea that, despite the woman’s desire, the man should assume control. Bootylicious is the antithesis of all the songs we just mentioned. A song sang by women about the myriad of ways in which their bodies are amazing, regardless of the criticisms these might get. The inspiration for this Destiny’s Child song actually came from the constant scrutiny and objectification their bodies were subject to while in the public eye. Bootylicious was body positive before body positive was even a thing. Let us switch our attention to the rapper Khia, her song My Neck, My Back is basically the female equivalent of  50 Cent’s Candy Shop, a crystal clear demonstration of sexuality. The beauty of this rap is its fearless demonstration of feminine control over the sexual perspective. Freed from the confinement that is the male gaze, the rapper clearly instructs to what she wants during sex, an innovative point of view after decades of listening to the same phallic point of view. It’s by way of Khia that we get to the powerhouse that is Lizzo. No current artist is claiming the narrative surrounding her body quite like the American singer. From her early successes, which focused on the edification of women’s self-esteem, to her most recent hit songs, that center around the celebration of sexuality, few artists are brave enough to praise (their own) femininity quite like Lizzo. The singer reaches her zenith in Juice, a song where the Detroit native wholeheartedly pays tribute to herself. “I’m not a snack, I’m the whole damn meal”, sings Lizzo over an intoxicating beat. The singer is one of the leading voices in a movement that announces a whole new narrative, one that defends that women, not only have a right to their own sexuality and confidence but that these are theirs to express if they choose to. Thie climax of this growing movement has to be WAP (or Wet Ass Pussy, for the less sensitive). The song from Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion is a three-minute and eight seconds conglomerate of the most powerful expression of female sexuality. With a tiny bit of masculine objectification along the way (sorry not sorry), WAP’s indecency is its most refreshing aspect. Ironically, the reaction it got when it was released proves the point the song is making. Plenty of men, from politicians to priests, condoned the open sexualization of women, without ever considering that this criticism was only being made because it was two black women singing about their own bodies.  

Originally published in The Body Issue, from Vogue Portugal, published march 2022.Full credits and article on the print issue.