The Disappearance of Shere Hite, premiering at Sundance Festival 2023, charts authors Shere Hite’s rise to fame and backlash. Through interviews, old clips, pictures, and Dakota Johnson’s narration of Shere Hite’s writing, the film paints a picture of a writer during a time that resembles our present time. It’s a tragic truth that history repeats, but it repeats because the same people retain enough power. Directed by Nicole Newnham, The Disappearance of Shere Hite paints a vivid picture of a pioneer in women’s sexuality, her struggles, and her ultimate disappearance from the U.S., as well as literary discussions here.
The Disappearance of Shere Hite Says The Quiet Part Out Loud
If you’ve never heard of Shere Hite, you’re not alone. I heard of books such as The Feminine Mystique before I read them, but I do not recall hearing Shere Hite’s name or any mention of her books, which began with The Hite Report. In the 70s, Shere sent out an anonymous questionnaire for women to answer about sexuality. What shocked and angered many is Hite’s book based on this questionnaire challenged the consensus that women achieved orgasms through intercourse.
It’s unsurprising for women nowadays that men twist discussions around lack of orgasm through intercourse to mean men are useless. Rather than thinking of new ways to approach sex so each partner reaches orgasm, an achievable goal, let’s talk about how a book about women’s sexuality made men feel. The Hite Report made men feel like something was wrong with their performance. They do not see the irony; women hear that all the time when they cannot orgasm during intercourse. Still, the backlash increases when Hite’s follow-up book, The Hite Report on Male Sexuality.
Discourse That Is Anything But
The various interviews Shere Hite had show an escalation over time. Both men’s anger and Shere’s frustration and hurt. Interviews only work when two parties come to the table in good faith to discuss. But as time moved on, that was not the case for Hite. Instead of considering, the goal was to silence her or provoke her to have an emotional outburst. Both are patriarchal tactics. They know too many still associate emotions with women and weakness by default.
Footage of parties, attendees, and photos paints a picture of a woman who sees beyond her limited experiences. The Disappearance of Shere Hite depicts a woman who wanted people to understand themselves and others. She tried changing the dynamic of how people engage and received scorn. A mainstream media outlet challenged her study based on a phone survey. This shows how media aids and abets the patriarchy going so far as to dismantle and erase an opportunity for dialogue. Though Hite explains few will give an honest answer about sexuality on the phone, they act like she’s grasping at straws.
Now We Know Her Name
The amount of hate she received must’ve been terrifying. When one of the reporters invites her to talk about her work only to tell her a smarmy driver who accused her of attacking him is present, you want to scream. Few of us have been in that precise situation, but the attempts to gaslight her for being angry when they invited her under false pretenses make you curse them all. Shere Hite wound up leaving the U.S. entirely because, after all of that, no one would publish any of her books. Films allow us to learn about erased history through a cinematic experience. Dakota Johnson’s soft voice strengthens the fragility, strength and strife.
Erasing history continues now, with the Florida Department of Education banning college courses on AP African American History. The Disappearance of Shere Hite is an informative and frustrating film as it’s not about a mysterious vanishing. It’s about an orchestrated patriarchal machine that is media and publishing to erase a voice that challenged their own. Over and over again, the same people call the shots and dismantle or circumvent any new freedoms. Shere Hite is no longer here, but her work still is, as are countless others whose names disappeared on a sexist whim.
Excellent review on “The Disappearance of Shere Hite” and how the wheel of power breaks down anything that doesn’t fall into line of what the patriarchal sets forth.