Penis Envy and Other Bad Feelings: The Emotional Costs of Everyday Life

Mari Ruti combines theoretical reflection, cultural critique, feminist politics, and personal experience to analyze the prevalence of bad feelings in contemporary everyday life. She focuses on the emphasis on good performance, high productivity, constant self-improvement, and relentless cheerfulness that characterizes present-day Western society, revealing the treacherousness of our fantasies of the good life. Ruti's book is a trenchant critique of contemporary gender relations, mobilizing Michel Foucault's concept of biopolitics, Jacques Lacans account of desire, and Lauren Berlants notion of cruel optimism to analyze the rationalization of intimacy, the persistence of gender stereotypes, and the pornification of heterosexual culture. She shines a spotlight on the depression, anxiety, frustration, and disenchantment that frequently lie beneath our society's sugarcoated mythologies of self-fulfillment, romantic satisfaction, and professional success.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 02 August 2021
Publisher: Columbia University Press

Mari Ruti is a scholar who delves into the realm of contemporary everyday life, combining theoretical reflection, cultural critique, feminist politics, and personal experience to analyze the prevalence of negative emotions. Ruti's work begins with a playful engagement with Sigmund Freud's concept of penis envy, which serves as a springboard for her autotheoretical commentary. Her analysis expands to encompass a broader consideration of neoliberal pragmatism, emphasizing the emphasis on good performance, high productivity, constant self-improvement, and relentless cheerfulness that characterizes present-day Western society. Through her insightful analysis, Ruti unveils the treacherousness of our fantasies of the good life, particularly the notion that our efforts will eventually be rewarded—that things will eventually get better. This demystification of false hope sheds light on the often-unbearable present that we tolerate due to misplaced expectations.

Penis Envy and Other Bad Feelings is a rigorous and lucidly written book that offers a trenchant critique of contemporary gender relations. Ruti challenges the notion that we live in a postfeminist world, where gender inequalities have been transcended. Instead, she argues that neoliberal heteropatriarchy has evolved in subtle and stealthy ways, making it all the more insidious. Ruti employs a range of theoretical frameworks, including Michel Foucault's concept of biopolitics, Jacques Lacan's account of desire, and Lauren Berlant's notion of cruel optimism, to analyze the rationalization of intimacy, the persistence of gender stereotypes, and the pornification of heterosexual culture. By highlighting the depression, anxiety, frustration, and disenchantment that often lie beneath our society's sugarcoated mythologies of self-fulfillment, romantic satisfaction, and professional success, Ruti speaks to a wide audience concerned about the emotional costs of the pressure-cooker ethos of our age.

Through her work, Ruti encourages us to critically examine the societal pressures that contribute to these negative feelings and to explore alternative ways of living and being that prioritize emotional well-being and social justice. She advocates for a more nuanced understanding of gender roles, the recognition of diverse sexual orientations and identities, and the dismantling of oppressive systems of power. Ruti's book is a valuable contribution to the field of gender studies and social criticism, offering a fresh perspective on the emotional toll of contemporary life and offering practical solutions for building a more compassionate and equitable society.

Weight: 348g
Dimension: 132 x 209 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231186698