What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedSexual Politics
Kate Millett · Book · 2000
If you loved Sexual Politics, start with Basic Instinct (Paul Verhoeven, 1992) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Sexual Politics across media.
If you loved Sexual Politics, you are drawn to works that expose how power dynamics manifest within intimate and social structures.
Films on the same thread
Basic Instinct
Paul Verhoeven · Film · 1992
Shares a thread with Sexual Politics: Power Dynamics.
Like the literary deconstruction in Sexual Politics, this film weaponizes the archetype of the sexually autonomous woman to challenge traditional male control and the inherent moral ambiguity of power.
She's Gotta Have It
Spike Lee · Film · 1986
Explores: Polyamory, Female Sexuality, Sexual Freedom.
This film mirrors the call for sexual agency found in Sexual Politics, depicting a woman who refuses the patriarchal expectation of ownership through her pursuit of polyamorous freedom.
The Devils
Ken Russell · Film · 1971
Explores: Religious Hypocrisy, Mass Hysteria, Political Intrigue.
This historical drama examines the intersection of religion and state control, echoing the analysis in Sexual Politics regarding how institutional power suppresses individual expression and sexual autonomy.
Rosemary's Baby
Roman Polanski · Film · 1968
Explores: Paranoia, Gaslighting, Loss of Control.
This story explores the loss of bodily autonomy and the gaslighting of women, themes that resonate with the systemic societal control documented throughout Kate Millett’s Sexual Politics.
Series on the same thread
Sex and the City
Darren Star · Series · 1998
Explores: Female Friendship, Dating in the City, Single Life.
While lighter in tone, this series captures the lived reality of women navigating societal expectations, a practical evolution of the gender-based discourse pioneered in Sexual Politics.
Mrs. America
Dahvi Waller · Series · 2020
Shares a thread with Sexual Politics: Second-wave feminism.
This drama provides the perfect historical companion to Sexual Politics, chronicling the actual political battles over the Equal Rights Amendment that defined the era of second-wave feminism.
Sex Education
Laurie Nunn · Series · 2019
Explores: Sexual Awakening, Teenage Angst, Social Awkwardness.
By normalizing open conversations about desire, this show addresses the same sexual liberation and education gaps that Kate Millett identified as critical to dismantling patriarchal norms in Sexual Politics.
Prime Suspect
Lynda La Plante · Series · 1991
Shares a thread with Sexual Politics: Gender Inequality.
This series portrays the grueling reality of workplace discrimination, directly reflecting the power dynamics and inequality that Sexual Politics identifies as pervasive in male-dominated professional environments.
Podcasts on the same thread
Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
Podcast
Shares a thread with Sexual Politics: gender studies.
This podcast digs into the social history of sexuality, offering the same critical lens on cultural taboos and power structures that you encountered while reading Sexual Politics.
Maintenance Phase
Aubrey Gordon & Michael Hobbes · Podcast · 2026
Explores: scientific literacy, consumer protection, critical thinking.
Just as Sexual Politics critiques the societal narratives surrounding gender, this podcast applies that same critical rigor to debunking the wellness industry and its manipulative cultural influence.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Sexual Politics considered a historical text?
Yes, Sexual Politics is both a historical exploration and a significant artifact of history itself. Published in 1970, it documented societal inequities and became a foundational document that fueled the second wave of feminism, effectively shaping the cultural landscape of the generation that followed its initial release.
What was the initial reception to Sexual Politics?
When it was first published in 1970, Sexual Politics was both praised and denounced. The work documented the inequities found within revered literature and art, challenging a complacent society. Its provocative nature gave voice to the anger of a generation and solidified its role in the feminist movement.
Did Sexual Politics impact the feminist movement?
Sexual Politics is widely recognized as a groundbreaking book that fueled the second wave of feminism. By exposing inequities hidden within established works of art and literature, the book provided a voice for the frustrations of a generation and became a pivotal moment in the history of the movement.
What does Sexual Politics focus on?
Sexual Politics focuses on documenting the inequities present in a complacent and unrepentant society. The book achieves this by examining revered works of literature and art, ultimately serving as a catalyst for the second wave of feminism and expressing the collective anger of the generation during which it appeared.