Douglas Murray on JKR

[lucymaudmonty]

As someone who has long thought of myself as a left leaning feminist I am surprised by how much I increasingly agree with every word Douglas Murray writes.

Here is on JKR


unherd.com/2020/06/why-j-k-rowling-had-to-be-denounced/

[Notahandmaid]

I saw this earlier and found myself agreeing with it all.

Him and Piers Morgan now.

What’s happening to me?

[Justhadathought]

The one thing I do disagree with him on, is that this issue of suggesting anyone who says they identify as a woman makes them a woman, is a very small and inconsequential issue. It isn't.

[Justhadathought]

The one thing I do disagree with him on, is that this issue of suggesting anyone who says they identify as a woman makes them a woman, is a very small and inconsequential issue. It isn't

"This is because on that issue of minimal importance but maximal rage"

[CourtneyLurve]

That is a cracker of an article and a very good starter piece to send to anyone who doesn't understand what is currently going on.

[BovaryX]

Douglas Murray is a voice of reason and sanity in the current febrile environment. He has a piece in the Spectator which is a strong defense of classic Liberal values. This part made me laugh:

Next up was Eddie Redmayne, who played some less-memorable character in the interminable Fantastical Beasts movies, also based on Rowling’s work. Perhaps Redmayne felt especially compelled to speak up because he had previously pretended to be a trans person onscreen in The Danish Girl. A movie from just five years ago that would undoubtedly now lead to questions about why a cis male should presume to approximate the feelings of a trans person by playing one on screen

[WeetabixBananaHipsterFFS]

I’m still discomfited by Douglas Murray’s thoughts on the supposed ‘power’ possessed by young, attractive women.

But I daresay women’s issues aren’t of much interest to a priority for him, except where there’s some crossover.

[MockersGuidedByTheScience]

And where our heroes "Speak Out" against the Wicked Witch and her "Controversial Views," the Witch "Tries to explain herself."

edition.cnn.com/2020/06/10/entertainment/jk-rowling/index.html

[ThinEndoftheWedge]

Weetabix

• I agree. DM has been good on a number issues - but yes - this notion that young women have such power -I certainly didn’t- and the poor successful manager forced to give up everything for a quick shag.
  

No mention of how come the higher up the pole - the fewer women there are. Such power.

No mention of the huge percentage of managers/employers who won’t employ women of such an age - despite the law- in case she goes off to have a baby. Such power.

[Deltoids1]

“This is because on that issue of minimal importance but maximal rage”

Great article apart from this. Only a man could say this because it’s not his existence being discussed. But yes, Douglas Murray has been great on this issue.

[OvaHere]

@Deltoids1

“This is because on that issue of minimal importance but maximal rage”

Great article apart from this. Only a man could say this because it’s not his existence being discussed. But yes, Douglas Murray has been great on this issue.

Yes those were my thoughts but disagree it's of minimal importance, to him perhaps but not to women.

[ThinEndoftheWedge]

Deltoid - I read that to mean the trans issue relates to a relatively few individuals who have been afforded extraordinary over reach, not that the impact of trans issues on everyone else was minimal. I think he’s been clear that he doesn’t think that - re the impact on children.

[wrongsideofhistorymyarse]

Great article.

[CuriousaboutSamphire]

This is because on that issue of minimal importance but maximal rage Oh! like Ova I read that as the few howling at the many!

[Deanetta]

This bit stuck out at me:

They had spoken up — as reporter after reporter put it – against Rowling’s ‘controversial’ views. It is a very interesting thing this modern use of the word ‘controversial’, often and indeed usually put in front of a person who holds views which are in absolutely no way controversial.

I am so glad someone has said it. The BBC headline on Radio 4 the other morning, without going into any detail, said 'Rowling's controversial tweet'. It's such a charged word without anyone realising it. Controversial seems to be taken as 'outrageous', 'going against the widely held public opinion'. JKR's stance is not controversial at all.. but we have a world (including me) that's too scared to say it openly.

Argh I am all angry again and not getting on with my work!!

[BovaryX]

Deltoid - I read that to mean the trans issue relates to a relatively few individuals who have been afforded extraordinary over reach, not that the impact of trans issues on everyone else was minimal

I agree with that. In The Madness of Crowds, he analyses the damaging impact this is having on young people who are encouraged to embark on hormone treatment and surgery. He is scathing about the impact on freedom of speech and thought. I heard an interview with him during the Mermaids cookie incident and his anger was audible. He states that trans rights are in conflict with women's rights and gay rights. His chapter on trans is really interesting. He is zero time for cancel culture and #no debate, which leads to the absurdity of a feminist like Germaine Greer being cancelled at Cardiff University because of failing to embrace the new orthodoxy, who was supposed to give a lecture on Women and Power: The Lessons of the 20th century.

Greer's views on trans were, they said, 'problematic.' She had demonstrated 'time and time again her misogynistic views towards trans women. Only years earlier it would have been deemed the height of insanity to dismiss Greer as a misogynist The Madness of Crowds.

[BovaryX]

There should be a quotation mark after 'trans women.' He is quoting the petitioners who wanted Germaine Greer cancelled.

[YgritteSnow]

I'm finding myself agreeing with a great deal of what Douglas Murray says these days.

[BovaryX]

Deanetta
That is an excellent point. It's very worrying. It is part of the redefinition of words. It's increasingly an environment in which discussion itself is not possible.

They had spoken up — as reporter after reporter put it – against Rowling’s ‘controversial’ views. It is a very interesting thing this modern use of the word ‘controversial’, often and indeed usually put in front of a person who holds views which are in absolutely no way controversial

[CuriousaboutSamphire]

This may be the moment I take the leap and actually answer some of the more ridiculous fb posts.

Head above parapet... and just assume I'm not important enough for it to affect my business.

[ARoombaOfOnesOwn]

I am surprised by how much I increasingly agree with every word Douglas Murray writes.

Me too.

[1000umbrellas]

I am surprised by how much I increasingly agree with every word Douglas Murray writes.

Me too.

Perhaps because the entire chapter on trans rights in the Madness of Crowds is cribbed directly from FWR? Hello Douglas! [waves]

[twoHopes]

Douglas Murray is one of the people willing to say that the emperor has no clothes on when it comes to the trans stuff. That's because he's already sufficiently "anti-woke" that he loses nothing by saying it.

But he is no ally to feminists. He is the equivalent of American right-wing Christians who want to stop transing children. He's saying all the right things for all the wrong reasons. As PP have mentioned - his beliefs about feminism are incredibly damaging.

The fact that he thinks young, beautiful women are the "most powerful people in the world" because they can sleep their way into a job says it all.

[Coconutmeg]

Since his take down of Julian Assange I do notice he speaks lots of sense and am looking forward to getting round to reading his Madness of Crowds.

[Rocaille]

I’m still discomfited by Douglas Murray’s thoughts on the supposed ‘power’ possessed by young, attractive women.

Yes, I didn't enjoy the bit of 'Madness of Crowds' in which Murray discusses at length the unlikely phenomenon of women buying artificial camel toes and rubber nipples to insert in their underwear for the titillation of males.

This is hardly typical behaviour: in fact I'd be very surprised if the target marget for these products is XX women.

[ZuttZeVootEeeVro]

He is the equivalent of American right-wing Christians who want to stop transing children. He's saying all the right things for all the wrong reasons.

I don't know the motivation behind right wing Christians in the states, but from everything he says, I do believe Murray is against childhood transition because of the damage it can do to children and the high number of gay children involved.

His views on the power of young women, however...