This book is based off of social media memes pairing famous works of art with snarky social commentary. Specifically, the author looks at scenarios where men talk down to women by mansplaining, patronizing, or just generally dehumanizing and delegitimizing women's experiences. That sounds depressing, but this lands in the 'funny-so-we-don't-cry' end of the pool, with the author's comedic background making it humorous while being relatable.

There's not much more to say about this title. It's a slim volume and since it's just captions and images, it reads very quickly. The backmatter lists all the works of art, their artists, and where you might find them (e.g., the Metropolitain Museum of Art). The foreword by comedian Jen Kirkman very succinctly explains the reasoning behind the book for anyone still not getting it:

"If you're a dude, you may be tensing up right now and wanting to put this book down and tweet at Nicole, 'Not all men mansplain!' But then you'd be the guy who is mansplaining to a woman who ostensibly knows men, is related to men, has worked with men, is friends with men, that not all men are bad. She's probably come to this conclusion on her very own, and she trusted you to understand that she meant this 'type' of man -- one who still hasn't shaken off the subtle vice grip that the patriarchy has on his brain."

For myself, this was not a book I'd consider worth purchasing as I read it quickly and have no need to re-visit it. However, it is definitely worth reading if you can borrow a copy from a family member, friend, or local library. ( )

Disappointing. While some comments match what is going on in the paintings, most felt squeezed in. I was hoping for more reading into the paintings rather than repeating obnoxious tweets. ( )

A collection of fine art with patriarchal captions. It's pretty funny, but the best part is now I will never not see the exasperated looks on those women's faces. ( )

A fun little book. Fine art paintings that have been turned into meme's and captioned. This is an enjoyable book that puts words to the faces and the expressions from paintings. If you have ever imagined what what the subjects of a painting might be saying, this is the book for you. ( )

I found Men to Avoid in Art and Life by Nicole Tersigni to be both spot on and also a bit disappointing. Sounds odd, I know, but such is life.

I think one of the disconnects for me was the number of times when the comments simply didn't match the period of the painting. I don't expect something that might have actually been said in, say 1750, but some comments just seemed so out of context that the sarcasm, which needs to rely on some element of reality, is dulled. The same comments over more contemporary images, even ones from the early 1900s, would have hit home more readily.

The comments themselves were absolutely accurate and are the things we used to discuss in Women's Studies classes I took and taught. These are not really exaggerated very much for comic effect. Men, we really do make these types of foolish comments based on amazingly selfish assumptions about how things work.

Basically, I found the more effective ones, for me, were the ones where the comments could fit the situation portrayed. But what amounts to office-based misogyny presented in a clearly social setting just missed the mark for me. That said, on rereading and just looking at the comments and the facial expressions while bracketing the rest of the scene it was much better.

I recommend this because I think my personal issues with it are more about what does and doesn't bother me with humor in general, while others will have different ideas about what works for them. Like I said, the comments and the situations, very broadly speaking, are far more accurate than I wish they were. This is definitely one where we are laughing at not with the men, justifiably so.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )