Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Empire of Orgasm:
No comment so I don’t get banned.
Quick synopsis:
The story of the sex cult, OneTaste and its founder Nicole Daedone.
Fact for Non-History People:
OneTaste peaked with $10 million in revenue in 2017. At least, that’s what was reported.
Fact for History Nerds:
An annual membership with OneTaste at one point cost $60,000.
My Take on Empire of Orgasm:
Meet the new cult — same as the old cult. It seems that while cults find new ways to sell their wares, or should I say control, they inevitably end the same way. Namely, every cult eventually becomes a sex cult. OneTaste skipped the beginning and intermediate steps by going directly to sex cult, so they get points of some type for innovation.
Ellen Huet tells the story of OneTaste in her exquisitely reported Empire of Orgasm. (Obviously, additional points for the titillating title.) For those unaware of OneTaste, it was founded by a sociopath named Nicole Daedone. Daedone stole the methods of older cults and added a feminist twist. Namely, many introductions to the organization involved full frontal nudity and sexual contact in front of a room full of attendees. Before you think maybe this is just a women trying to win in a man’s world, let me assure you that she could be just as despicable as any man. She could, and she did.
Huet writes the type of book I love from a journalist. There are no long diatribes about what Huet thinks. Instead, she did the legwork of talking to everyone who would make themselves available. She tells both sides of the story and is willing to place the responsibility on the reader to decide what is harmless, harmful, and downright sadistic. This is a wonderfully built narrative which makes me want to read anything Huet puts out. There will be plenty of books, documentaries, and podcasts which will only tell you the dirty details. Huet tells you the whole story. That’s my favorite.
(This book was provided as a review copy by NetGalley and FSG Books.)
Verdict:
Titillating. Buy it here!
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