Our Bodies, Ourselves Turns 40, But Its Audience Has Some Growing up to Do

The Washington Post | October 6, 2011

Sure, “Our Bodies, Ourselves” still has the ability to shock and awe, albeit not for the reasons that you’d think. It is a tangible reminder of the beauty and complexity of the female body and the amazing things it can do. It also stands in stark contrast to the larger culture, which has nipped, tucked, Photoshopped and hypersexualized women’s bodies to the point where the female form has become virtually unrecognizable. The set of drawings titled “The Vulva” on Page 5 made my eyes widen, not because I was shocked to see illustrations of external female reproductive organs, but because they were the first portrayals I’d seen in years that weren’t sexual in nature.

Read the full story: Our Bodies, Ourselves turns 40, But Its Audience Has Some Growing up to Do by Anna Holmes