Unscrewed

Narrating her own work, Jaclyn Friedman delivers an emotionally charged performance that explores contemporary sexual politics-- specifically how "fauxpowerment" undermines female sexual power and what can be done to combat its pervasiveness. The author reveals that sexual expression is complicated and often comes at a high cost for women and girls. Consider the common practice of slut-shaming in which women and girls are judged harshly--and exclusively--for perceived deviations from expectations around their sexuality, including simply their appearance. Friedman's compelling examples and well-researched arguments are persuasive. However, her delivery is characterized by upspeak that is distracting and a timbre that is unpleasant. Some listeners may find that the uneven narration overshadows the provocative message, which would be truly unfortunate. A.S. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine