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"Moist Gusset"
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“The Voice-Over”
Light a vanilla scented Yankee Candle, run yourself a bubble bath, and grab a bottle of wine, because love is in the air. Better grab some tissues while you’re at it too, and prepare yourself to be caught in a bad romance - told through the eyes of our main character (who just so happens to be a woman), but believe it or not – this novella was written by… a man (Matt Shaw). Wait, why are you crying? What’s the matter? Who hurt you? How do you have such a “Moist Gusset”?! I’M NOT YELLING, YOU’RE YELLING! Where are you going?
Light a vanilla scented Yankee Candle, run yourself a bubble bath, and grab a bottle of wine, because love is in the air. Better grab some tissues while you’re at it too, and prepare yourself to be caught in a bad romance - told through the eyes of our main character (who just so happens to be a woman), but believe it or not – this novella was written by… a man (Matt Shaw). Wait, why are you crying? What’s the matter? Who hurt you? How do you have such a “Moist Gusset”?! I’M NOT YELLING, YOU’RE YELLING! Where are you going?
Readability
“Moist Gusset” is a satirical romance that delivers a pretty good bang for the buck, through ample use of hyperbole and cliché delivered in humorous fashion (albeit in deliberately poor taste as well). The story is written in first person from the point of view of the main character, Beverly, as she laments upon issues with her libido, friendships, dating, and other venereal matters – all while dreaming of one day meeting her Mr.Right.
Based upon the clearly expressed authorial intent from the book’s blurb and introduction, I can’t help but imagine that this story was the product of an impassioned one-night stand the author had with his keyboard – tapping that thing as if it came from Tinder. As expected, there’s a consistent use of crude language throughout the story, but to my surprise – Shaw never got overly graphic with the imagery. There are some explicit descriptions of sexual acts, but they’re brief and weren’t written as though that was what the author wanted to focus on.
The story is what I would consider a well-paced “quickie”. Every chapter is concise and appears to have been written with a clear purpose in mind. The sensational premise behind “Moist Gusset” grabbed my attention with both hands and generously stroked my curiosity. Strap in for a story that’s sleazy (but fun), and provides surprises along the way, as it comes sliding in sideways until finally reaching its disturbingly irreverent climax.
Creativity
I certainly wouldn’t feel comfortable saying Matt Shaw’s “Moist Gusset” is a work of art, but satire as a genre is considered an art form in its own right. Without any of the social context to frame the satire, this novella is essentially schlock, especially in terms of story (and would probably be saturating a seedy slush pile somewhere instead of selling on the indie market). Without context, the satirical meaning of this work is literally lost and what you’re left with is trashy foolishness. However, there were some moments in which I could glean subtle hints of clever wit hiding amidst the rubbish.
One example that stuck with me is when the main character was fantasizing about what kind of physical features her future husband would have. The list was easy enough to gloss over without so much as giving it a second thought, yet much to my amusement, I couldn’t help but recognize some similarities between the author and this alleged “perfect specimen” that Beverly has “dreamed and creamed over so often”.
The effectiveness of any satire is directly linked to the level of resonance the reader has with whatever it’s saying in relation to the social, political, or cultural faux pas the work aims to satirize. Imagine you’re attending a stand-up comedy show, and during the routine you overhear someone next to you say, “It’s funny because it’s true!” Although satire is considered a form of comedy, it’s not just about making fun of something. Satire is a specific kind of comedy that also tries to make some sort of relevant point about something, as well.
Delivery
At the peak of our so-called Information Age, where virtually any basic bitch with a little makeup and an internet connection can amass a following of simple-minded sycophants, piss poor opinions are often lauded by the lowest common denominator simply upon face value alone. The world-wide web has been reduced to spectacle via social media apps, and the platforms they provide have become the recreation parks where flocks of phony golden geese are rewarded for laying their rotten eggs into your daily feed. This creates a culture that incentivizes talentless hacks to create rage-bait or clickbait content for the sake of courting attention at all costs (including any semblance of dignity that may or may not have existed beforehand). More often than not, self-proclaimed “influencers” end up making a better living (by behaving like automatons for corporations/technocrats) than some of the most disciplined artists alive today. I must have missed the memo that explains how “selling out” is now considered the contemporary means of “keeping it real”.
“Moist Gusset” is Matt Shaw’s satirical response to the smug and self-righteous social media personalities that like to cry wolf whenever it’s clever, cunning, or convenient for patronizing an audience and garnering additional ad revenue from sponsors. Needless to say, the context from which this work arose struck a chord with me. The relations between content-creators and authors are a bit more complex than that of the average consumer, because sometimes a content-creator could actually have a larger “fan-base” than that of an artist. Does that mean I believe this book was nothing more than one author’s elaborately (yet petty) attempt to troll someone from the internet that they disagreed with?
At first glance, the story appears to be lowbrow (exploitive even), and make no mistake about it, that is the driving force that creates “Moist Gusset”. Aside from that unrestrained French kiss (which I think was hyperbole meant to poke fun at the obsessive nature of stereotypical “besties”), and perhaps that one part that takes place inside the bathroom stall, much of what happens throughout this novella is quite convincing (as sad as it is to say). Granted, the story is narrated from the point of view of an extremely solipsistic character, but the author did a good job of making sure she wasn’t absolved of her reckless abandon. The protagonist ends up having to cope with a really serious consequence that comes courtesy of her promiscuous behavior, and as a result her character shows signs of humanity that was not evident at the start:
“I’d also felt plenty of shame before now too – not just for what I carried in my blood now but for how I had lived my life leading up to this point.”
Although the story ends with raunchy/dark humor, the implication is that Beverly’s character becomes slightly more mindful of her actions moving forward. However, there was never any mention of her using birth control...
“Moist Gusset” is a satirical romance that delivers a pretty good bang for the buck, through ample use of hyperbole and cliché delivered in humorous fashion (albeit in deliberately poor taste as well). The story is written in first person from the point of view of the main character, Beverly, as she laments upon issues with her libido, friendships, dating, and other venereal matters – all while dreaming of one day meeting her Mr.Right.
Based upon the clearly expressed authorial intent from the book’s blurb and introduction, I can’t help but imagine that this story was the product of an impassioned one-night stand the author had with his keyboard – tapping that thing as if it came from Tinder. As expected, there’s a consistent use of crude language throughout the story, but to my surprise – Shaw never got overly graphic with the imagery. There are some explicit descriptions of sexual acts, but they’re brief and weren’t written as though that was what the author wanted to focus on.
The story is what I would consider a well-paced “quickie”. Every chapter is concise and appears to have been written with a clear purpose in mind. The sensational premise behind “Moist Gusset” grabbed my attention with both hands and generously stroked my curiosity. Strap in for a story that’s sleazy (but fun), and provides surprises along the way, as it comes sliding in sideways until finally reaching its disturbingly irreverent climax.
Creativity
I certainly wouldn’t feel comfortable saying Matt Shaw’s “Moist Gusset” is a work of art, but satire as a genre is considered an art form in its own right. Without any of the social context to frame the satire, this novella is essentially schlock, especially in terms of story (and would probably be saturating a seedy slush pile somewhere instead of selling on the indie market). Without context, the satirical meaning of this work is literally lost and what you’re left with is trashy foolishness. However, there were some moments in which I could glean subtle hints of clever wit hiding amidst the rubbish.
One example that stuck with me is when the main character was fantasizing about what kind of physical features her future husband would have. The list was easy enough to gloss over without so much as giving it a second thought, yet much to my amusement, I couldn’t help but recognize some similarities between the author and this alleged “perfect specimen” that Beverly has “dreamed and creamed over so often”.
The effectiveness of any satire is directly linked to the level of resonance the reader has with whatever it’s saying in relation to the social, political, or cultural faux pas the work aims to satirize. Imagine you’re attending a stand-up comedy show, and during the routine you overhear someone next to you say, “It’s funny because it’s true!” Although satire is considered a form of comedy, it’s not just about making fun of something. Satire is a specific kind of comedy that also tries to make some sort of relevant point about something, as well.
Delivery
At the peak of our so-called Information Age, where virtually any basic bitch with a little makeup and an internet connection can amass a following of simple-minded sycophants, piss poor opinions are often lauded by the lowest common denominator simply upon face value alone. The world-wide web has been reduced to spectacle via social media apps, and the platforms they provide have become the recreation parks where flocks of phony golden geese are rewarded for laying their rotten eggs into your daily feed. This creates a culture that incentivizes talentless hacks to create rage-bait or clickbait content for the sake of courting attention at all costs (including any semblance of dignity that may or may not have existed beforehand). More often than not, self-proclaimed “influencers” end up making a better living (by behaving like automatons for corporations/technocrats) than some of the most disciplined artists alive today. I must have missed the memo that explains how “selling out” is now considered the contemporary means of “keeping it real”.
“Moist Gusset” is Matt Shaw’s satirical response to the smug and self-righteous social media personalities that like to cry wolf whenever it’s clever, cunning, or convenient for patronizing an audience and garnering additional ad revenue from sponsors. Needless to say, the context from which this work arose struck a chord with me. The relations between content-creators and authors are a bit more complex than that of the average consumer, because sometimes a content-creator could actually have a larger “fan-base” than that of an artist. Does that mean I believe this book was nothing more than one author’s elaborately (yet petty) attempt to troll someone from the internet that they disagreed with?
At first glance, the story appears to be lowbrow (exploitive even), and make no mistake about it, that is the driving force that creates “Moist Gusset”. Aside from that unrestrained French kiss (which I think was hyperbole meant to poke fun at the obsessive nature of stereotypical “besties”), and perhaps that one part that takes place inside the bathroom stall, much of what happens throughout this novella is quite convincing (as sad as it is to say). Granted, the story is narrated from the point of view of an extremely solipsistic character, but the author did a good job of making sure she wasn’t absolved of her reckless abandon. The protagonist ends up having to cope with a really serious consequence that comes courtesy of her promiscuous behavior, and as a result her character shows signs of humanity that was not evident at the start:
“I’d also felt plenty of shame before now too – not just for what I carried in my blood now but for how I had lived my life leading up to this point.”
Although the story ends with raunchy/dark humor, the implication is that Beverly’s character becomes slightly more mindful of her actions moving forward. However, there was never any mention of her using birth control...
#LFLR Indie Rating: 6.5/10
“Moist Gusset” is Matt Shaw’s response to unjust criticism of male authors, but I think this work goes beyond the basis of sending a message about freedom of speech. Every now and then there will be a popular “content creator” that will clash with an indie artist/author. How should an author (who may be less popular than the content creator) navigate this post-postmodern cultural phenomenon? Satire seems to have served a significant purpose in this regard. I, for one, pity the fool that chooses to use their social media “influence” to belligerently spout their self-righteous moral indignation towards artists, only to end up being humiliated by one that literally chooses their words for a living. Matt Shaw is an award winning author with over two hundred published works, and he has also directed/produced two feature length indie films.
“Moist Gusset” is Matt Shaw’s response to unjust criticism of male authors, but I think this work goes beyond the basis of sending a message about freedom of speech. Every now and then there will be a popular “content creator” that will clash with an indie artist/author. How should an author (who may be less popular than the content creator) navigate this post-postmodern cultural phenomenon? Satire seems to have served a significant purpose in this regard. I, for one, pity the fool that chooses to use their social media “influence” to belligerently spout their self-righteous moral indignation towards artists, only to end up being humiliated by one that literally chooses their words for a living. Matt Shaw is an award winning author with over two hundred published works, and he has also directed/produced two feature length indie films.
THIS BREAKDOWN IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE #LFLR NETWORK.
