Tersigni pairs contemporary captions with classical paintings partly to reinforce the point that these same misogynistic issues have existed for centuries, and partly because the older the image, the more likely it is to be in the public domain. Is this art criticism? “Life criticism, maybe,” suggests Tersigni, with a laugh. We've been over this a million times: You can't get pregnant if you're on top. It's called gravity" This hilarious book perfectly captures those relatable moments when a man explains to a woman a subject about which he knows considerably less than she does. In the thread, Tersigni had taken classic works of Western art from the last six centuries and captioned them with imagined conversation between the paintings’ subjects. Specifically, she crafted dialogue with men in the paintings offering unsolicited, unwelcome, and generally unwanted opinions to women. (“You would be so much prettier if you smiled.”) The entire comedic genius of it all came from the poker-faced mansplaining of Tersigni’s captions — the annoying ridiculousness of “Let me explain your lived experience to you.” (He says: “Now, when you’re riding a horse, you need to make sure that you keep a good grip on the reins.” She thinks: “These are my horses.”)

I'd tell you how great this book is, but I don't know if you'd get it. Like, maybe you'd *understand* it, but on a fundamental level? No. Maybe show this to your girlfriend or your mom. She might be able to help with the pictures. It's just - you look way too handsome to comprehend the layers in here. What? That's a compliment! Where are you going?'...Bitingly funny, heartbreakingly relatable, Nicole's take on the painted weary gives new meaning to 'art criticism.' I never wanted it to end." At the same time, the (probably mostly millennial) readers get a rare chance to admire classical art, which they can later identify through a handy index at the end of the book. However, I wish there was a bit more art history content to keep the reader involved such as intriguing facts about the artists - better yet, some absurd facts about the artists to keep up with the satirical theme.BASED ON THE SUCCESSFUL BRAND: Men to Avoid in Art and Life was featured in the New York Times, BBC Radio, and more, resonating with women globally. Whether you're a fan of Tersigni or missed out on the widely popular 2023 calendar, the Men to Avoid in Art and Life wall calendar for 2024 is the gut-wrenching laugh you need.

H: As a comedy writer, I’m sure you cannot relate to being in a professional milieu largely dominated by men needing to explain things to you (especially what’s funny), right? The content of the book is hit-or-miss, though there are some clever pairings made between the gorgeous artwork and comments that I've sure most women have heard from some men before. NT:Oh man, I love Awards for Good Boys! Shelby is so funny and clever. And her art and jokes are always spot-on! I cringed and laughed my way through this book in the best way possible. I have never related to women in fine art more and therefore had an unstoppable urge to share some of the content with friends. One could argue that making jokes of misogyny is potentially problematic, but Tersigni skillfully avoids that trap by simply roasting the very misogynistic subjects. Some of the things they say are: That being said, this book is clearly not for everyone. Buy it for yourself or your feminist friends, but avoid sharing it with generally conservative people.However, we cannot as women say that there is a wrong way to feminism, that can only make suffer the movement. That is to say, yes, this work would have been better if it had been also painted by women, when talking about women, but this is also a beautiful endeavor that is talking about our issues already, and it deserves it's credit for that. HILARIOUS AND UNIQUE: The classical paintings paired with laugh-out-loud modern captions make for a distinctively clever and playful wall calendar.