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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:
ALittleBitofVitriol · 13/05/2018 03:14

Writersblock2
Thank you for posting that video. I've just listened to the whole thing while doing the dishes. My first foray into Greer and shit, she's a smart woman. I am seriously surprised by and interested in her thoughts on some topics which I thought we would never see common ground on, but which I had recently been thinking about as a reaching out between conservative and radfem women. So it was a really pleasant surprise to hear her speak in a similar vein to what I had been pondering. Wow. Thanks again.

DancelikeEmmaGoldman · 13/05/2018 03:46

I pulled out my copy of Sex and Destiny and thought this paragraph from the opening "Warning", is as good a summation of Greer's approach as anything. Forgive the image, I didn't have time to type out the quote.

I hadn't read GG for a while, and I'd forgotten how compulsively readable she is. Her scholarship informs her writing like a buttress holding up a cathedral roof, but her style is so direct and vigorous.

Germaine Greer Fan Club
OnTheList · 13/05/2018 13:03

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.

Because admiring someone means we must agree with every single one of her views? Hmm

I don't think there is a person on this earth that I agree with on every single topic.

theaveragewife · 15/05/2018 08:01

I love Germaine Greer and so pleased to see her on tv this morning being treated with respect. Also looking forward to Woman’s hour today - thought this thread could use a bump to discuss.

Elementtree · 15/05/2018 08:28

I love Germaine Greer. I found a battered copy of the Female Eunuch on my mother's bookshelf when I was 16.

I didn't understand some of it, didn't agree with some of it and still, I had the sense that, for the first time, I was being spoken to and not around. It was the important heads up of what was coming as I moved towards an adult world and made sense of what went before. It was the starting point of thinking what was happening around me and how that related to my sex.

Though my mother insists she has never owned or read a copy of the Female Eunuch and says that Greer is evil. Confused Grin

Original poster
DJLippy · 15/05/2018 10:28

Anyone listening?

OP posts:
QuarksandLeptons · 15/05/2018 10:45

Yup, love her. So lucid, so clear

Picassospaintbrush · 15/05/2018 12:29

The toilet statements GG made on the gender debate were a lot more subtle than for and against. She doesn't speak in soundbites so will always get misrepresented if you try to do that. She contextualised it by her cultural background as Australian. She was also exasperated that the conversation is always dragged on to toilets.

I think she did well on the debate, again, she is very precise with words, the quote was read out of context. She challenged the presentation of it as a "you" statement, when it was a general statement about SRS not changing sex which is a matter of fact. This was a bit too subtle a distinction for the presenter. Professors are very precise with words. She did repeat it quite happily when pressed, SRS doesn't change sex. Berkdorf can't hold a candle to her.

She was interesting this morning on menopause, I am going to buy her new book.

Picassospaintbrush · 15/05/2018 12:32

I learned everything I know about contraception from Germaine Greer in Sex and Destiny.

She is the same age as my mum, if only my mum had been able to pursue a career like hers. If only all women her age had been able to.

Vicky1990 · 15/05/2018 13:42

Just heardJG talking on woman's hour, she managed to find a problem with The comedy program on TV Mrs Browns Boys, I think she could find fault anywhere a man is involved, very sad really.

Merrylegs · 15/05/2018 13:59

^^ Well, tbf she also laid into Acorn Antiques. Her WIDER point was that humour at the expense of older people - eg dementia, sight loss, oesteperosis, isn't very funny. And that society is far more sympathetic to older men. 'We like older men'. But older women are derided. And the butt of jokes.

Original poster
DJLippy · 15/05/2018 15:15

This woman is a bitter twisted old hag

That was you Vicky right? No wonder you love Mrs Brown's boys.

OP posts:
Picassospaintbrush · 15/05/2018 15:19

I also find the humour in Mrs Browns Boys incomprehensible. Does that make me sad?

Picassospaintbrush · 15/05/2018 15:21

Blimey. The vitriol for women who dare to not show reverence for everything a man does is massive!

Merrylegs · 15/05/2018 15:35

'bitter twisted old hag'. You are very kind, Vicky to perfectly illustrate Germaine's point. Glad to have you in the fan club.

Mamaryllis · 15/05/2018 15:51

Oh Vicks, bless. You are trying SO hard. It’s almost embarrassing to watch. Yeah but no but.
Mrs Browns Boys is just puerile.

R0wantrees · 15/05/2018 15:54

thread also here about Germaine Greer:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3249171-Germaine-Greer-on-Sky-News-now

NKFell · 15/05/2018 16:03

Just wanted to say, I LOVE Germaine Greer and I'm very jealous of all who have met her!

TinklyLittleLaugh · 15/05/2018 16:08

Vick illustrates an important point though. Many not very bright young people seem to equate feminism with hating men.

Picassospaintbrush · 15/05/2018 16:12

Wow, I've just seen she is live at Winchester on June 3rd. I'm going to buy a box ( 4 seats) anyone want to come with me?
@Erishkigal

Picassospaintbrush · 15/05/2018 16:15

Feminism has always been derided as hating men.

Merrylegs · 15/05/2018 16:26

www.list.co.uk/event/880480-town-bloody-hall-12a*/ this looks good.

Original poster
DJLippy · 15/05/2018 16:36

I wouldn't mind Mrs Brown's Boy's but it betrays the first rule of parody. You have to actually be funny.

OP posts:
dianebrewster · 15/05/2018 21:20

I loathe Mrs Browns boys, don't find it remotely funny. But then I loathed Dick Emmery too. Loved Dame Edna OTOH. It's not the issue of parody - it's whether it's done with distain for the person being parodied.

theaveragewife · 15/05/2018 21:40

here is the whole Kay Burley interview. Very good and agree with a lot, I feel lucky to have read her books early on enough in my married life to make changes Grin

I don’t agree that all women should point out their abusers to stop another woman suffering. Having been through a horrific abusive relationship in my early 20s I know I would have been either vilified by a sociopath or killed had I done so, it’s just not that easy. The idea of having an anonymous forum with behaviours of abusive men for Uni students is still a good one though.

All in all - glad she’s back. If only to promote her book.