Intense and Unconventional Wish of Myriam Bahaffou
Title: EroPolitics: Desire, Revolution, and Radical Change, by Myriam Bahaffou
Ready to dive into a provocative, thought-provoking read? Welcome to Myriam Bahaffou's groundbreaking essay, EroPolitics. Recognized for its tireless exploration of politics, ecology, and desire, this book sheds light on the power dynamics that control our world and offers an alternative: a movement for change rooted in collective, decolonial, antisexist, and queer desire.
From the socialist utopias to the famous sexual revolution of the 1960s, Bahaffou acknowledges the historical significance of desire as a catalyst for emancipation. However, she argues in her new work that we've been stuck in a routine, failing to envision desire as a gateway to pleasure in all its dimensions. She posits, "There's nothing emancipatory about the relentless promotion of 'adult' or sexual desire."
Bahaffou opens by dismantling the current neoliberalism's "quasi-exclusive capture of desire," making eroticism a driving force of "patriarchal and colonial capitalism." By organizing desire around consumption, we've reduced it to a 'conquered desire,' losing sight of a more vibrant, transformative reality. Enter: EroPolitics.
Blending academic analysis, militant perspectives, and experiential narratives, EroPolitics paints a picture of possibility, from celebrating life and establishing micropolitical cultures to recognizing what overflows and exceeds us—our "perversions." Whether studying practices of fasting, dance, rehabilitating marginalized bodies, or dissecting feminist hyperfemininity, Bahaffou advocates for a rebellious, deviant form of desire.
A cornerstone of her argument lies in dissident practices like ecosexuality and BDSM. Conceiving of nature as a lover or beloved, ecosexuality challenges traditional relationships with the environment, while BDSM (bondage, domination, sadomasochism) offers windows into power dynamics within desire itself. Regardless of implementation, EroPolitics embodies "the ethical pursuit of what sustains and increases our power to be alive."
The Underlying Message
EroPolitics offers a radical reimagining of desire—not as individualistic or commodified, but as a collective force for change. Rooted in ecofeminist and queer theory, this shift centers reciprocity, care, and interdependence, departing from exploitative logics tied to domination and consumerism.
The work demands that we question traditional sexuality, which reinforces human exceptionalism and binary gender roles, instead embracing fluidity and kinship with non-human entities. Bahaffou also ties sexual freedom to land sovereignty and anti-colonial resistance, urging us to reconsider our relationship with the earth and each other.
In a world where neoliberal and patriarchal models of sexuality prioritize control and extraction, EroPolitics invites us to envision a life-affirming future driven by liberation, interconnectedness, and the pursuit of collective empowerment. Prepare to question, challenge, and ultimately revolutionize your understanding of desire in this captivating, inspiring read. ✨🌳
- EroPolitics, by Myriam Bahaffou, champions a collective force for change, where desire is no longer individualistic or commodified, but a tool for revolution.
- Rooted in ecofeminist and queer theory, EroPolitics calls for a shift in perspective, embracing reciprocity, care, and interdependence instead of exploitative logics.
- The book interrogates the traditional models of sexuality, challenging human exceptionalism and the reinforcing of binary gender roles in favor of fluidity and kinship with non-human entities.
- EroPolitics argues for the revolution of our understanding of desire by tying sexual freedom to land sovereignty and anti-colonial resistance, urging us to reconsider our relationship with the earth and each other.
- Eroticism, as a driving force of patriarchal and colonial capitalism, is dismantled in the book, with Bahaffou positing that we've reduced desire to a 'conquered desire' by organizing it around consumption.
- Bahaffou's work advocates for a rebellious, deviant form of desire, exploring practices such as ecosexuality and BDSM to challenge traditional relationships with the environment and understand power dynamics within desire itself.
- In the world of EroPolitics, a life-affirming future is driven by liberation, interconnectedness, and the pursuit of collective empowerment, prioritizing pleasure in all its dimensions over the relentless promotion of 'adult' or sexual desire.
- The book serves as a gateway to diverse realms of thought, including health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, mental-health, mens-health, womens-health, lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, books, and entertainment—all filtered through the lens of revolutionary desire.
- A captivating, inspiring read, EroPolitics invites us to participate in a provocative, thought-provoking conversation about politics, ecology, desire, and the means to bring about much-needed change in our world.
