Sex Object
Sex Object: A Memoir is a 2016 memoir and the sixth book written by Jessica Valenti. Valenti shares personal stories recounting her childhood and adolescence regarding her treatment as a sex object and the pernicious influence of sexism in her daily encounters. She paints an image of an adult whose identity has been shaped by these experiences. Valenti argues that most women face a similar reality of being shaped by—and making everyday decisions to minimize—male aggressions and sexual assault. Valenti was able to use Sex Object: A Memoir as a platform to focus on sharing experiences with readers, helping them understand how prevalent sexism is for young girls and women, and shedding light on the sheer size of this cultural problem. Publication history Valenti published Sex Object on June 1, 2016 with Dey Street. Valenti selected the title despite fear of backlash, some of which came to fruition with the book's publication. Speaking to Emma Gray at HuffPost, Valenti said: "People say, 'Oh you’re too ugly to call yourself a sex object' — as if calling yourself an object is a compliment, which completely misses the point. But I decided that I can’t let harassers determine the content of the