Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

Germaine Greer Fan Club

157 replies

DJLippy · 09/05/2018 12:16

Is anyone else annoyed with Germaine Greers banishment to the naughty corner? She's a living icon and she's just not appreciated properly. It's a real shame the way she is no-platformed and vilified - just because she says women don't have penis'.

I wanted to share some Germaine Greer links that I love. I'm a massive fan and I'm pretty sure a lot of you guys are as well. If you could share your own links, messages, thoughts that would be awesome.

The Female Eunuch
seminariolecturasfeministas.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/germaine-greer-the-female-eunuch.pdf

The War if the Sexes. 1993 Panel show with Caitlin Moran, Janet Street Porter & Suzanne Moore. This explains the backlash...

+Germaine Greer on Newsnight re transwomen*
www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=403&v=7B8Q6D4a6TM

Has the #MeToo movement gone too far? With Sophie Walker & Melanie Phillips

OP posts:
ToeToToe · 11/05/2018 22:52

I think it was a case of "oh fgs, the whole of womanhood is at stake here - don't ask me about toilets. Make them all unisex for all I care"

I think C4 misled her on what she there to talk about - she thought was invited on to talk about The Whole Woman - and was then subjected to Cathy Newman's gibbering.

Original poster
DJLippy · 11/05/2018 22:59

@Vicky1990 Yes that's exactly what she was saying. She thinks the English obsession with sex segregated bathrooms is bizarre. GG says so much I don't agree with but she's so smart and thoughtful I always listen. You should check out some of the videos Vicky. You really need to hear her speak to get her true genius. I can highly recommend the first video I posted for some 1993 style girl power style feminism if you want an intro

OP posts:
2rebecca · 11/05/2018 23:25

It's easier to be dismissive of sex segregated bathrooms when you've stopped menstruating though. Periods seem a distant thing to me and I only stopped a few years ago. I'm sure by the time you're 80 you've forgotten a lot of the mess and hassle of them with your mind thinking of other stuff.
She probably thinks we shouldn't be embarrassed or ashamed about menstruating and if we rinsed out mooncups in front of men we'd be less self conscious and hung up, and would have a point.

Original poster
DJLippy · 11/05/2018 23:39

Our shame stops us speaking about our bodies and what a toll being a woman takes. Because we don't speak about all our troubles we don't get any rewards from society. Because our bodies are shameful we keep quiet about crippling endometriosis (even to our doctors). We keep quiet about the way childbirth has destroyed our bodies. We keep quite about the menopause. Men only have one puberty but we have so many more traumatic bodily processes that we just don't have any cultural recognition of.

Do you think if men gave birth they'd ever stop showing each other the caesarian scars - playing one upmanship on how torn their vaginas got? Do you think they'd have to work through the menopause? You think they wouldn't all be getting drunk and then daring each other to drink their menses?

That's why I love GG. She talks about all these things so direct - so sternly.

BTW who posted that clip of young GG? Gin I love her even more....

OP posts:
R0wantrees · 11/05/2018 23:50

Completely agree DJLippy though would add, some of us carry radical hysterectomy scars and with them a reminder that because of medical necessity we missed motherhood and hit a surgical menopause which set us apart at that point in our lives from our friends (& sometimes also our hopes). Still uniquely female experiences though...

LassWiADelicateAir · 12/05/2018 00:00

She probably thinks we shouldn't be embarrassed or ashamed about menstruating and if we rinsed out mooncups in front of men we'd be less self conscious and hung up, and would have a point

I think exactly the same. Other than Kat Banyard's Pimp State I haven't read a single feminist book of theory in my whole life and I won't be starting now.

If feminism leads to or fails to prevent so many of you talking about the shame attached to your female bodies it sounds a miserable failure.

LassWiADelicateAir · 12/05/2018 00:06

Or rather fails to prevent so many of you holding on to this idea of shame.

ToeToToe · 12/05/2018 00:09

Well I don't feel any particular shame over my female body - but that doesn't mean I want to do away with my privacy either. Because - quite simply men are obsessed with women's bodies. Even from young boyhood - never mind porn - they will sneak the M&S lingerie catalogue away to get a glimpse.

So a wish for privacy and dignity - not shame.

LightofaSilveryMoon · 12/05/2018 00:20

Women generally say No to free-for-all toilets.

No.

There, I've said it.

Vicky1990 · 12/05/2018 00:21

There is a thread now on MN regarding unisex toilets and how most people do not like or want them, doesn't make Germaine Greer look very popular if she thinks they are a good thing.
She is way out of touch with reality on many subjects, this is one of them.

ToeToToe · 12/05/2018 00:24

I really don't think she thinks they're a good thing, VIcky. I think she doesn't think it's that important.

She's been doing this for 50+ years. She's on a different plane to the rest of us. Don't get hung up on it.

You can disagree with admirable people on certain points. It's called debate. An exchange of views. A difference of opinion. The danger comes when masked men are shutting down that debate.

R0wantrees · 12/05/2018 00:31

Vicky1990
Germaine Greer's point was likely more about her regard for what she sees as the peculiarly English fetishisation of toilets / urination etc. The greatest shame is that in this particular context her nuanced and deeply considered views are being limited to the characters of a tweet...

Original poster
DJLippy · 12/05/2018 00:57

@R0wantrees Flowers
I myself have never given birth, or gone through the menopause. I was a 'libfem' a few months ago (even though I didn't know what that was, I just thought - feminism is feminism) Being told biology doesn't matter has opened my eyes to the missing link in my feminism. Reading Greer was like reading Jesus. I still think that I can talk about these processes - even though I might not have experienced them - we all can. Women who have had severe gynecological problems - extra Flowers. Men's bodies don't do all these traumatic things to them do they?

OP posts:
R0wantrees · 12/05/2018 01:16

Blimey... double flowers (not necessary but thank you). I hadn't heard the lecture Germaine Greer gave at the library before that writersblock2 linked too in this thread but it drew together so many strands in my life and I'm deeply grateful both to Germaine greer and also Writersblock2 for linking it.
In the middle of the video, she says something along the lines of, 'I don't tell anyone what to do, I encourage them to think.' I believe that this is what is so desperately needed now.

Original poster
DJLippy · 12/05/2018 01:51

'I don't tell anyone what to do, I encourage them to think.'
This is not a feminist issue. This is a people issue. (Sorry if I sound like bellend Trudeau but sometimes sex is irrelevant)

OP posts:
R0wantrees · 12/05/2018 01:55

Absolutely! Smile

DancelikeEmmaGoldman · 12/05/2018 06:56

That was a fabulous video ToeToToe. It's instructive to see just how offensive men were willing to be, when talking to women in those days. The man at the end was being so offensive and GG basically said, "I see you, you muppet" and put him right in his place. She was so fierce and intelligent and take-no-prisoners, I just wanted to stand up and cheer.

Moritz · 12/05/2018 07:05

I heard so much crap about her. When i actually read her work and seen her interviews i thought why are they bashing her? I think its important not to bully or silence views just because we disagree and that goes for both sides of the trans debate. The channel 4 genderquack show with kathy newman was such a mess....

InfiniteSheldon · 12/05/2018 07:18

Another huge GG fan here

dianebrewster · 12/05/2018 07:53

I went to see her talk in Brighton last year - took one of my DDs who was very impressed. We had to walk the gauntlet of TAs (she was talking about ecology FFS). GG is amazing Smile

Onemorning · 12/05/2018 09:53

I saw her speak last year and asked a question. She's amazing.

Vicky1990 · 12/05/2018 22:59

I have watched the vidios at the top of this thread and have come to the conclusion that Germaine Greer is a very disturbed woman.
She clearly hates men and try's to get other women to do the same, I have yet to see her discuss her warped views with a man, or men, to get there opinions on her rants.
I don't know if she is married or has children but my guess is not, I think this is the cause of her bitternes as she has missed out on family life.

ToeToToe · 12/05/2018 23:09

Vicky, I apologise, but I AS'd you.

You're someone who posts on Mumsnet "There's a Woman's Hour on R4, but not a Men's hour".

You are not on this thread, in good faith, to discuss Germaine Greer. You just want to rubbish her. I engaged with you in good faith last night - I see now that was a mistake.

ToeToToe · 12/05/2018 23:10

Actually, I don't apologise - the AS function is an excellent way for women here to assess the people they are engaging with.

Original poster
DJLippy · 12/05/2018 23:51

@Vicky1990 I have come to the conclusion that you're a man. You haven't even watched the videos - bye bye beta man.

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread