Manhood: The Bare Reality

Product Information

Her latest book is A State of Fear: how the UK government weaponised fear during the Covid-19 pandemic.

From smooth Barbie dolls to internet porn, girls and women grow up with a very narrow view of what they should look like, even though in reality there is an enormous range. It isn’t the beautifully composed, gorgeously lit portraits that tell us about men, although there is that. Here are (British) men from all walks of life, all ages, photographed from mid-ribcage to mid-thigh, full-frontal, unaroused. From veteran to vicar, from porn addict to prostate cancer survivor, men from all walks of life share honest reflections about their bodies, sexuality, relationships, fatherhood, work and health. This is crucial to our development of sexual selfesteem, particularly in the digital era of pornography, dating and hookup apps.I was surprised to find a good number criticizing pornography and its effects both on themselves and young people learning about sexuality.

From veteran to vicar, from porn addict to prostate cancer survivor, men from all walks of life share honest reflections about their bodies, sexuality, relationships, fatherhood, work and health in this pioneering and unique book. But for men the critical eye is turned inward: after all, we so rarely get to see penises outside of porn and antiquity. I found it really hard to find somebody who’d been to prison who wanted to take part, I found it really hard to find a vicar who’d agree to take part, and sometimes it took a while to find certain types of people.This book is a sequel of sorts to The Bare Reality, the original book in the series where 100 women had their breasts photographed and shared what it meant to them to be a woman. Breasts are just a body part but at the same time they embody all of these ideas about womanhood, motherhood and sexuality. Through eight chapters in three thematic sections, personal sociology is illustrated by the author’s reflections on activities from his own life that expand these particular experiences into broader sociological concepts.

I have certainly seen 100 penises before but I have never known men to talk about themselves like this except to trusted sexual partners. As this is a driving force and predominant theme behind the mission of ABSOT, these lines aren’t new information. Sex and gender are delicate and nuanced issues for all of us and can be intimidating topics to teach.The vulva is like a landscape and we generally only know one route through it – that route is sexual and pornographic. Taking an approach that celebrates the individual identity of all learners, and underpinned by an awareness of the complexity of language around these topics, this book offers a careful evaluation of the 2020 Relationship and Sex Education policy for schools in England, and how schools can offer intelligent, socially responsible, sex education that goes beyond simply meeting statutory requirements.

Dodsworth’s previous book, Bare Reality, a Kickstarter hit that documented 100 women and their breasts, touched on some of the same issues of insecurity and feeling judged.But on another level, the photographs are beautiful and mesmerising visual signposts through the politics of power, shame, identity, sexuality and inequality that inform our sexed experience of the world as women. Since my experiences with testicular cancer, many of my conversations with my friends have delved into more serious topics, including taking care of their health and taking a real look at the future.