In
1991, with BACKLASH, Susan Faludi wrote a book that was nothing
less than a landmark, exploring the sociopolitical and economic
ravages against women in American society. Now, in STIFFED, she
turns a bright and respectful eye to the crisis of men at the
beginning of the new millennium. STIFFED is a remarkable
achievement and an eye-opening revelation for fans of Faludi's
important feminist work.I
have to admit that I approached the book with low expectations ---
after all, as a feminist, I am committed to the rights of women in
a world where men still run most of this nation's conglomerate
companies and dominate all of the state and federal legislatures.
Men still earn more than women; but Faludi looks at the majority of
men who have little economic power, little or no public influence,
and nothing but falsely constructed images of the successful
American man of the past to try to live up to. These fault lines
are ripping apart the seams of the American myth, and Faludi spares
no details in looking at how destructive they are.At
the "bitter heart" of this crisis, she finds an overwhelming sense
of paternal abandonment. Her conclusion that men and women have an
opportunity to move beyond an adversarial relationship to create
change together is almost an obvious one --- but a truly important
one, nonetheless. From football to the corporate boardroom, she
takes down the reigning mythologies of our vast social landscape
and turns over the earth to find black loam that can, hopefully, be
planted to grow a new era of understanding for all
people.