Resources to Help You Experience More Pleasure

So many people struggle to allow themselves to experience pleasure and to accept and take joy in their bodies. Here is a list of books, movies, tv shows, and blogs that explore why pleasure is important and how to access more of it, and depict people of all different races, ages, religions, genders, body types, and more experiencing pleasure.

My Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor - This “manifesto of self love” is a book about finding acceptance and joy in your body. Writer and activist Taylor examines how capitalism, racism, fat phobia, sexism and more play into body shame, and how to challenge the unrealistic ideals of what a body “should” look like.

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande -This movie depicts an older widow who seeks out a male sex worker in order to access pleasure during sex, something that she never experienced during her marriage. This movie explores her relationship with sex, patriarchy, aging and her body.

Shrill - Set in Portland, this show is about a woman in a larger body. The show follows her through dating, friendships, and work experiences, and examines the way that being in a larger body impacts these experiences. Based on the book by Lindy West.

All Fours by Miranda July - In this book, a woman who is going through perimenopause and a mid-life crisis takes a road trip and ends up in a motel not far from her hometown, where she has an affair. As she recons with her aging and changing body, she finds that she can experience sex and pleasure in new and exciting ways.  

Sex Education - TV Show - When the teenage son of a sex therapist becomes a sex therapist at his school to his peers, he learns about all sorts of sexual and bodily issues such as sexual pain, erectile dysfunction, sexual anxiety, gender dysmorphia, and more. The show depicts people of many races, genders, ages, religions and body sizes navigating the challenges and joys of sex. 

Poor Things - This movie is about an infant, Bella, who is placed into the body of a woman by a mad scientist. In it, Bella grows up without the influence of societal expectations and that shame that can accompany our perception of sex and bodies. Through out the movie, Bella allows herself to experience pleasure through food, sex, adventures and more.

Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown - This book takes a theoretical look into why people deny themselves pleasure (due to capitalism, racism, and more) and the various ways that people can challenge these ideals and access pleasure. She makes the argument that all people deserve pleasure, and rather than being selfish or bad, accessing pleasure can be a form of liberation and activism. 

Insecure - This creative and engaging show portrays a young woman as she journeys towards letting go of insecurities and accepting herself. With an all black cast, the show follows the challenges and joys that she faces as she navigates love, sex, friendship, work, and more. 

Snack Time - In this Substack blog, Arielle Elovic writes about her relationship with food and her body. Her illustrations make her writing feel fun, whimsical and accessible while also providing a deep dive into her mind and her struggles with self acceptance.