Butts: A Backstory
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- Create Date：2023-01-22 06:52:10
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Heather Radke
- ISBN：1982135484
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Summary
*ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF FALL: Esquire， Time， LitHub， The Every Girl， BookPage*
“Lively and thorough， Butts is the best kind of nonfiction—the kind that forces you to see something ordinary through completely new eyes。” —Esquire， Best Books of 2022 So Far
“One of the year’s most ingenious and eye-opening cultural studies。” —Publishers Weekly， Best Books of 2022
Whether we love them or hate them， think they’re sexy， think they’re strange， consider them too big， too small， or anywhere in between， humans have a complicated relationship with butts。 It is a body part unique to humans， critical to our evolution and survival， and yet it has come to signify so much more: sex， desire， comedy， shame。 A woman’s butt， in particular， is forever being assessed， criticized， and objectified， from anxious self-examinations trying on jeans in department store dressing rooms to enduring crass remarks while walking down a street or high school hallways。 But why？ In Butts: A Backstory， reporter， essayist， and RadioLab contributing editor Heather Radke is determined to find out。
Spanning nearly two centuries， this “whip-smart” （Publishers Weekly， starred review） cultural history takes us from the performance halls of 19th-century London to the aerobics studios of the 1980s， the music video set of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” and the mountains of Arizona， where every year humans and horses race in a feat of gluteal endurance。 Along the way， she meets evolutionary biologists who study how butts first developed; models whose measurements have defined jean sizing for millions of women; and the fitness gurus who created fads like “Buns of Steel。” She also examines the central importance of race through figures like Sarah Bartmann， once known as the “Venus Hottentot，” Josephine Baker， Jennifer Lopez， and other women of color whose butts have been idolized， envied， and despised。
Part deep dive reportage， part personal journey， part cabinet of curiosities， Butts is an entertaining， illuminating， and thoughtful examination of why certain silhouettes come in and out of fashion—and how larger ideas about race， control， liberation， and power affect our most private feelings about ourselves and others。
“Lively and thorough， Butts is the best kind of nonfiction—the kind that forces you to see something ordinary through completely new eyes。” —Esquire， Best Books of 2022 So Far
“One of the year’s most ingenious and eye-opening cultural studies。” —Publishers Weekly， Best Books of 2022
Whether we love them or hate them， think they’re sexy， think they’re strange， consider them too big， too small， or anywhere in between， humans have a complicated relationship with butts。 It is a body part unique to humans， critical to our evolution and survival， and yet it has come to signify so much more: sex， desire， comedy， shame。 A woman’s butt， in particular， is forever being assessed， criticized， and objectified， from anxious self-examinations trying on jeans in department store dressing rooms to enduring crass remarks while walking down a street or high school hallways。 But why？ In Butts: A Backstory， reporter， essayist， and RadioLab contributing editor Heather Radke is determined to find out。
Spanning nearly two centuries， this “whip-smart” （Publishers Weekly， starred review） cultural history takes us from the performance halls of 19th-century London to the aerobics studios of the 1980s， the music video set of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” and the mountains of Arizona， where every year humans and horses race in a feat of gluteal endurance。 Along the way， she meets evolutionary biologists who study how butts first developed; models whose measurements have defined jean sizing for millions of women; and the fitness gurus who created fads like “Buns of Steel。” She also examines the central importance of race through figures like Sarah Bartmann， once known as the “Venus Hottentot，” Josephine Baker， Jennifer Lopez， and other women of color whose butts have been idolized， envied， and despised。
Part deep dive reportage， part personal journey， part cabinet of curiosities， Butts is an entertaining， illuminating， and thoughtful examination of why certain silhouettes come in and out of fashion—and how larger ideas about race， control， liberation， and power affect our most private feelings about ourselves and others。
Reviews
Jamie Dacyczyn
，
3。5 stars， rounded down after mentally comparing it to some other microhistories that I've read。 This was generally interesting and definitely informative。I think the cheeky cover made me think this was going to be a more humorous look at the history of butts （think Mary Roach， but more cultural instead of science）。 However， this was mostly a social sciences book about race。 While there was a chapter about possible evolutionary explanations for why humans have such pronounced butts， and some rem 3。5 stars， rounded down after mentally comparing it to some other microhistories that I've read。 This was generally interesting and definitely informative。I think the cheeky cover made me think this was going to be a more humorous look at the history of butts （think Mary Roach， but more cultural instead of science）。 However， this was mostly a social sciences book about race。 While there was a chapter about possible evolutionary explanations for why humans have such pronounced butts， and some reminiscing by the author about her own complicated relationship with her butt， this was probably 75% about racial elements around butts。 Specifically， how the white gaze has been historically fascinated （good or bad） with Black butts。 The book's descriptions does mention race briefly， but didn't really indicate that this is a book is primarily about racism。 That's fine， because we can always learn more about the ways racial bias has permeated so many facets of society， but it's not quite what I was expecting from this book。One thing this book did spark in me was a LOT of Google image searching and YouTube watching。 I've never before watched the music videos for "Baby Got Back" or "Bootylicious"， nor seen a complete workout from Jane Fonda or the Buns of Steel phenomenon。 I've only seen headshots of Josephine Baker， but now I've seen her dancing （and was interested then recognize a brief nod to her in the "Baby Got Back" video）。 I've seen passing images of the "Hottentot Venus" but now I know her （westernized） name was Sarah Baartman， and that she had been essentially taxidermized upon her death to be put on display。 So， if nothing else， this book sparked a lot of curiosity to see what specifically the author was referencing。Not my favorite microhistory book， but a decent enough look into the cultural fascination around butts。 。。。more
Kristin Schmidt
，
This book was fascinating and entertaining。 Like all good non fiction it shows how interwoven history and trends are with what we think about our bodies。
Samantha
，
I liked most of it。 See my progress review for more detailed info。
Marygrace Depp
，
2。5⭐️
Carlie Goss
，
This was an enlightening look into popular culture and its impact on representations and attitudes throughout history。 While it focuses primarily on the butt， it's also a fascinating and well-researched dive into cultural heritage and appropriation; gender roles and stereotypes， that also promotes body positivity and gives readers permission to love themselves regardless of how well they fit into a pair of jeans。 This was an enlightening look into popular culture and its impact on representations and attitudes throughout history。 While it focuses primarily on the butt， it's also a fascinating and well-researched dive into cultural heritage and appropriation; gender roles and stereotypes， that also promotes body positivity and gives readers permission to love themselves regardless of how well they fit into a pair of jeans。 。。。more
Elizabeth Mellen
，
Thanks to Netgalley and Avid Reader Press for the ARC of this！ I borrowed the audio from my library and switched between the formats。 This was humorous and full of information with a lovely conversational tone that made it easy to read。 I don’t know that I’ve ever thought so much about butts， so it definitely made me think。 Overall I enjoyed reading this。
Jhuma Khan
，
2。5/5Before I write this review， it should be noted， that the target audience for this book were women。 I was not the ideal reader for this book。 My review represents my personal experience with it， and is in no way indicative of how you may feel about it。I thought it would be an interesting read。 And it was， but for only the first half of it， which consisted mostly of the early history and trends related to the butt。The second half， I thought， was a hot mess， it consisted of early 2000s and 201 2。5/5Before I write this review， it should be noted， that the target audience for this book were women。 I was not the ideal reader for this book。 My review represents my personal experience with it， and is in no way indicative of how you may feel about it。I thought it would be an interesting read。 And it was， but for only the first half of it， which consisted mostly of the early history and trends related to the butt。The second half， I thought， was a hot mess， it consisted of early 2000s and 2010s pop culture， sometimes the author would even recite and try to explain the lyrics of "Baby's Got Back" and "Bootylicious"。 The second half， consisted of a lot of sub-topics （some that didn't even have any connection to butts， as far as I could tell） that seemed to vary in its contents and yet sound similar to each。 The repetitive comparison of Sarah Baartman to pop culture figures like Jennifer Lopez or Miley Cyrus was difficult to read， because the author was trying to make the same point again and again。 Once would have been enough。 The second half， made me feel like the author was trying too hard to fill up the pages， and the result was not appealing to me。 This book is a book about butts。 And like butts， it had two halves。 One half was interesting。 The other was disappointing。 。。。more
Sarah Winstanley
，
Truly I bought this book because I loved the cover。 The peach is sensual af。I appreciated the way it explored the history of bodies with a lens on how anti-black racism shapes what is trendy or acceptable for femme bodies。 I found it really interesting and loved the way Radke brought in pop culture in really compelling ways。 I am still thinking about an example she used exploring how Miley Cyrus and other young white stars appropriated blackness as part of their processes of transitioning from c Truly I bought this book because I loved the cover。 The peach is sensual af。I appreciated the way it explored the history of bodies with a lens on how anti-black racism shapes what is trendy or acceptable for femme bodies。 I found it really interesting and loved the way Radke brought in pop culture in really compelling ways。 I am still thinking about an example she used exploring how Miley Cyrus and other young white stars appropriated blackness as part of their processes of transitioning from childhood innocence to womanhood。 Would recommend to read and to keep on your coffee table as a convo starter。 。。。more
ymreads
，
4。75。A very interesting read about butt， provided me some rich history of why we are so obsessed with butt， and what might be some reasons behind all of this butt obsession。 My only issue is about the pacing。 The first 30% is great， in fact， while I was reading the story， I was very intrigued by how the narrator tells the story， how the author introduce the dry history content to the reader。 But， the pacing lost me in the middle part， I found the storytelling was repetitive。 But， I also enjoyed 4。75。A very interesting read about butt， provided me some rich history of why we are so obsessed with butt， and what might be some reasons behind all of this butt obsession。 My only issue is about the pacing。 The first 30% is great， in fact， while I was reading the story， I was very intrigued by how the narrator tells the story， how the author introduce the dry history content to the reader。 But， the pacing lost me in the middle part， I found the storytelling was repetitive。 But， I also enjoyed the conclusion/ending。 Overall， great book and had a fun time！ 。。。more
Carl
，
This book is mainly a gimmick。 It’s pretty thin on content。 DNF
Kathy M。
，
3。5 stars。 The first 170 pages of this book and historical references presented were both fascinating and engaging。 It is interesting to learn about the social influences that determine acceptable form and fashion。
Ava Goepfert
，
I enjoyed some chapters， but some felt like a stretch and needed some stronger sourcing。 But hey， for a book about butts it was interesting enough to finish。
Lisa
，
Although nothing surprises me in this piece， it was validating to read about what my thoughts about butts were spot on。 Understanding where dysfunction about our bodies in a woman’s mind was fascinating to put together。 I was also not surprised， but had not put together the negative connotation of women of color and their bodies in the eyes of the white， male-centric world in which we still mostly live。 Things， there are a-changing but the speed at which they change seems to be dawdling along at Although nothing surprises me in this piece， it was validating to read about what my thoughts about butts were spot on。 Understanding where dysfunction about our bodies in a woman’s mind was fascinating to put together。 I was also not surprised， but had not put together the negative connotation of women of color and their bodies in the eyes of the white， male-centric world in which we still mostly live。 Things， there are a-changing but the speed at which they change seems to be dawdling along at a vey unhurried pace。 。。。more
Lisa
，
3。75 rounded up
Samantha
，
3。5 rounded up to 4 because my only real criticism is that I wanted more about the history。 It felt as if everything was touched on very lightly but nothing delved into deeply enough。 But super interesting， and perfect balance of research and personal anecdotes。
Aubrey Byron
，
I picked this up expecting a fun cultural commentary （which it becomes in the latter half）， and was pleasantly surprised to find instead a well-researched academic examination of popular beauty standards， fashion and body type as they relate to race throughout history。
KJK
，
this book was quick and interesting。 i think it suffered a little from not knowing what it wanted to be， and not sinking its' teeth into analysis as much as it could， but otherwise， it was a good read。 this book was quick and interesting。 i think it suffered a little from not knowing what it wanted to be， and not sinking its' teeth into analysis as much as it could， but otherwise， it was a good read。 。。。more
Mai Awawdeh
，
I came across this book while browsing Audible for my next read。 The title caught my attention， but what truly drew me in was the author's examination of the anxieties and concerns we have about our bodies and appearances。 The writer's conclusion， which delves into how these anxieties are rooted in factors such as race and gender， struck a chord with me。As someone who has experienced similat anxieties and issues with body image with underlying cultural， gender， and religious factors， I believe i I came across this book while browsing Audible for my next read。 The title caught my attention， but what truly drew me in was the author's examination of the anxieties and concerns we have about our bodies and appearances。 The writer's conclusion， which delves into how these anxieties are rooted in factors such as race and gender， struck a chord with me。As someone who has experienced similat anxieties and issues with body image with underlying cultural， gender， and religious factors， I believe it is important to understand the origins of these anxieties in order to have a more positive relationship with our bodies and to pass on a more neutral view to future generations。 。。。more
Craig Amason
，
If there were ever a prime example of how we should not judge a book by its cover， this one probably takes first prize。 The image of the peach with the well defined seam and plump cheeks is highly suggestive of the book's subject and would perhaps imply that this will be a light-weight， humorous look at the human derrière。 Nothing could be further from the truth。 For the most part， Radke bypasses the punch lines and easy laughs， instead taking a serious look at the cultural and biological obsess If there were ever a prime example of how we should not judge a book by its cover， this one probably takes first prize。 The image of the peach with the well defined seam and plump cheeks is highly suggestive of the book's subject and would perhaps imply that this will be a light-weight， humorous look at the human derrière。 Nothing could be further from the truth。 For the most part， Radke bypasses the punch lines and easy laughs， instead taking a serious look at the cultural and biological obsession with rear ends。 As such， her book turns out to be a balanced combination of sociology and psychology with an in depth examination of popular culture over the past two hundred years， all surrounding the fascination with the buttocks， and mostly the ones belonging to women。 Along the way， the author discusses gender roles， stereotypes， body shaming， and many other topics associated with this part of the female anatomy。Radke has done her homework， demonstrated for instance in the sections of the book where she explores the history of fashion and clothing for women， especially during the 19th century。 It's quite fascinating。 Yes， she spends a whole lot of time on female celebrities whose butts have gotten a bunch of attention， such as Jennifer Lopez and and Kim Kardashian; however， Radke's treatment here is certainly not sensational or superficial。 She gives her readers a deeper understanding of such starlets in the context of her subject。This is another one of those books I think a lot of people need to read， most especially adult heterosexual men - it would be wasted on many young guys who aren't mature enough to take Radke and her study seriously， which is how it should be approached。 。。。more
MK LaFs
，
Loved the cover but thought fearing the black body covered this a lot better
Şeyma
，
Sadly there isn’t enough substance to justify the length of this book。 It was quite repetitive and boring for the most part especially the second half in which the author just started to list off major incidents from pop culture。 Yes， I do know who J-Lo is and how everyone was obssessed with her butt and yes I know all about Miley twerking on stage at the VMAs， I’ve literally been exposed to that clip a million times。 I think this would’ve made a great video essay on Youtube。（by someone like Min Sadly there isn’t enough substance to justify the length of this book。 It was quite repetitive and boring for the most part especially the second half in which the author just started to list off major incidents from pop culture。 Yes， I do know who J-Lo is and how everyone was obssessed with her butt and yes I know all about Miley twerking on stage at the VMAs， I’ve literally been exposed to that clip a million times。 I think this would’ve made a great video essay on Youtube。（by someone like Mina Le perhaps？） This just didn’t need to be a book。 Not much meat， lots of padding。 This is what I came for = 🍑 This is what I got instead = 🥞 。。。more
Regina Kazanjian
，
Really thought I would like it more！ Hits all my favorite topics: the dark history of “race science” and the American eugenics movement， fashion， and current events/culture。 First half was great。 I’m already quite familiar with the history of Sara Baartman， but Radke’s telling was quite good。 It’s the second half where it kind of fell apart for me。 Mostly the chapter on Kim。 Radke does not get—and didn’t seem much troubled to get—Armenian identity and Armenian bodies。 （Not saying Kim does， but t Really thought I would like it more！ Hits all my favorite topics: the dark history of “race science” and the American eugenics movement， fashion， and current events/culture。 First half was great。 I’m already quite familiar with the history of Sara Baartman， but Radke’s telling was quite good。 It’s the second half where it kind of fell apart for me。 Mostly the chapter on Kim。 Radke does not get—and didn’t seem much troubled to get—Armenian identity and Armenian bodies。 （Not saying Kim does， but that doesn’t mean that it’s not present as a driver in our cultural narrative。 And it’s another discussion for another time。） Around that chapter in the book was also when we spiraled far deeper into memoir land。 Less interesting to me than the first half of the book。 。。。more
Andrea Patrick
，
I listened to the audiobook because that's what my library had， and I'm curious about what kinds of illustrations are in the print/digital version。 The author discusses the history of how the butt， especially the female butt， has been regarded in western culture。 I admit to pulling up online videos of some pop-culture moments she referenced。 The most eye-opening part of this book， for me， what learning about how clothing sizes are created。 No pants fit my butt because no pants fit ANY woman's bu I listened to the audiobook because that's what my library had， and I'm curious about what kinds of illustrations are in the print/digital version。 The author discusses the history of how the butt， especially the female butt， has been regarded in western culture。 I admit to pulling up online videos of some pop-culture moments she referenced。 The most eye-opening part of this book， for me， what learning about how clothing sizes are created。 No pants fit my butt because no pants fit ANY woman's butt。 They just don't。 Ladies， it's not that your butt is too big or too small or too full or the "right" proportion for the rest of you。 It's that the human body -- and especially this particular part of a woman's body -- has so much variation that clothing manufacturers don't actually even try to fit their wares to your butt。 There are god-knows-how-many sizes to describe bras and every woman I've ever met has complained about those not fitting。 How can you expect pants to accommodate the myriad shapes of our lovely butts？ So thank you， Heather Radke， for this particular section of your book。 It shifted my thinking， and I realized that we all should celebrate the variation of the human body。 I will never again think， "my body is too [whatever] for this garment"。 Instead， I will think， "this garment does not flatter my lovely， beautiful， awesome self。" 。。。more
Erin
，
3。5⭐️
Jeff Mauch
，
January 2023 Book Club Selection。 I've always enjoyed nonfiction books that take a single subject and explore it's history to further depths than one would have simply from common knowledge。 I've read books on salt， grapes， apples， the funeral industry， and even individual junk foods。 I like when an author really digs into a subject that you wouldn't normally give a second glance because there's usually far more there then you'd expect。 This book explores butts not from a "how does it work？" app January 2023 Book Club Selection。 I've always enjoyed nonfiction books that take a single subject and explore it's history to further depths than one would have simply from common knowledge。 I've read books on salt， grapes， apples， the funeral industry， and even individual junk foods。 I like when an author really digs into a subject that you wouldn't normally give a second glance because there's usually far more there then you'd expect。 This book explores butts not from a "how does it work？" approach but more from a how are they perceived and accepted or not in pulp culture angle。 It's a look at how societal views have changed and why they evolved spanning from the age of imperialism and empire building in Africa up to modern day。 It's no surprise that the female ideal has changed drastically in that time frame， that much is obvious， but the reasons and theories behind those changes are at times quite interesting and surprising。 While I can't say I enjoyed every bit of this book as there were definitely a chapter or two that I found to be dragging， overall it was an informative look at a subject I'd not have explored otherwise。 3/5 。。。more
Victoria Robertson
，
So interesting。 A must read。
Kathie
，
Heather Radke has written a book about butts – aka bottom， derriere， backside， booty， fanny， tush。 She specifically is referring to women’s butts with the goal of shedding light on the sociocultural implications of how society has viewed butts over history。 She begins by examining the physiology and evolution of the human buttocks， then moves to examining the complex layers of meaning that have been attached to this part of woman’s anatomy。 Her earliest example， with the story of Sarah Baartman， Heather Radke has written a book about butts – aka bottom， derriere， backside， booty， fanny， tush。 She specifically is referring to women’s butts with the goal of shedding light on the sociocultural implications of how society has viewed butts over history。 She begins by examining the physiology and evolution of the human buttocks， then moves to examining the complex layers of meaning that have been attached to this part of woman’s anatomy。 Her earliest example， with the story of Sarah Baartman， discusses the connection to eugenics and white supremacy。 Later examples， such as Josephine Baker， up to Jennifer Lopez， Kim Kardashian， Miley Cyrus and Big Freedia， look at the inherent racism and sexism of the way butts are perceived in the culture。 In more modern times， she explores the connection of butts to women’s body image， and how society’s view of what is the “perfect body” contributes to body shaming and body dysmorphia。 The book rather belaboured its points at times and wandering sideways into the broader topics of fashion and body image， but overall is a very interesting， intelligent book。 。。。more
E。 Crawford
，
Great cover， great topic， but can't recommend this book -- it's more opinion than research。 I had no idea I was signing up for reading about Kim K。 & Miley C。 and would have thrown the book across the room when I got to those sections had I not been listening to an audiobook。Appreciate the section on "Venus Hottentot" Sarah Baartman。 There is some significant history here along with so much confusion and contradiction -- for example， why would a book very much about body acceptance pretend that Great cover， great topic， but can't recommend this book -- it's more opinion than research。 I had no idea I was signing up for reading about Kim K。 & Miley C。 and would have thrown the book across the room when I got to those sections had I not been listening to an audiobook。Appreciate the section on "Venus Hottentot" Sarah Baartman。 There is some significant history here along with so much confusion and contradiction -- for example， why would a book very much about body acceptance pretend that the anus is not part of the ass？ And we dance endlessly around the topic of anal sex， like the white mainstream culture that the book endlessly derides。 Very confusing！ 。。。more
Suzanne
，
Based on the cover I was hoping for an amusing story about birds with interesting facts and history。 Instead I got another white girl complaining about cultural appropriation and projecting her opinions on to everyone and everything she could find that could loosely relate to butts。 Not worth the read
Leanna
，
What a fun book！ The author’s argument is that attitudes about the butt （historically and more currently） reveal attitudes about race， gender， culture， and more。 Butt as document！ Butt as text！ Highly entertaining and very informative。 🍑🍑🍑
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Butts: A Backstory
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Butts: A Backstory&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Butts: A Backstory&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0