4.5 stars, only because some of the movies and literature are contemporary and I save my 5 stars for books that are timeless. Gay is intelligent, accessible and one of the best feminist culture critics I've read. I've seen this book compared to Unspeakable Things: Sex, Lies and Revolution which really doesn't hold a candle to it...Gay is so much more aware of the intersections of class and race than Penny is. Definitely recommended.