Melanie Phillips...

[OrderOrder75]

Does she have any fans on here? I’m a great admirer of her.

Well, I've only read a few of her columns so only have limited knowledge of her views but I've disagreed with all the ones I've read so far so, no, I wouldn't describe myself as a great admirer. And you appear to be a brand new poster. Hmmm.

Her book about prizes was interesting but she wrote that back in the 1990s so I expect she has other more recent views now.

I read her columns, usually find I disagree with her conclusions (and indeed often her starting places) - but they are interesting, and it's good to have one's own viewpoints challenged by reading a variety of views.

Not a fan myself but she does try to have a debate and build an argument. She once did a good programme on Radio 4 about benefits and admitted to being wrong

What is it in particular you admire about her, Order?

She spent years pushing the line that MMR causes autism. She is the reason the batshit claims got traction. Children died as a result.

One of the opinions she came out with that sticks in my mind is when she said was that unmarried couples shouldn't be allowed to adopt children. At that time myself and partner (not married at the time) had just found out we couldn't have children and was looking into adopting. It hurt us greatly.

We got married a few years ago (having been together 21 years) so I suppose Melanie Phillips would now approve of us adopting children even though we're both in our 50s.

So sorry, no, not a fan.

She took on Dawn Butler MP (Shadow MInister for Women and Equalities) on Politics Live about transgender equality

(6 minutes)

She was ace and Dawn Butler looked out of her depth

Is there a feminist angle with regard to Phillips that you wanted to discuss, OP?

This board is Feminism Chat. That doesn't mean talking about random women. That means discussing issues of interest to feminists.

Can’t stand the woman

Is there a feminist angle with regard to Phillips

You mean apart from debating with Dawn Butler about transgender equality - and winning hands down - and being a prominent gender critic?

She us good in that video. I couldn't watch DB for too long. Too dim, too woke, too much laced koolaid.

She's somewhat like an unfunny version of Rod Liddell, isn't she?
Except she's more anti-feminist.

LangCleg

In one way it is a very feminist angle, and also "random" women can be feminist in ideas without signing up to any group etc..

The point about Melanie Phillips is that she started out as quite actively feminist (I think she may have been a contributor to early Spare Ribs) but at some point she became very anti.

I haven't followed her career closely and usually find her on comment programmes coming over as smug and complacent. And I suspect, a bit like men on the left who then veer right, is giving a platform by the media for that reason only.

Maybe she just didn't like collective working and was more interested in promoting herself (what used to be called bourgeois individualism) ie an early forerunner of media feminism which has a parallel parasitic exsistence to actual feminism. A smokescreen that allows the patriarchy to obscure the reality and angry women!

A sort of Phyllis Chesler of the UK.

www.melaniephillips.com/tag/feminism/

I'm old enough to remember when she wrote for the Guardian. Since leaving, she has become steadily more and more right-wing. She also comes across, in my view, as incredibly unpleasant. Her main plus points are a) she is married to Joshua Rozenberg, who I like and b) she wrote this very good article on the transing of children: www.spectator.co.uk/2016/01/its-dangerous-and-wrong-to-tell-all-children-theyre-gender-fluid/

I also remember her when she was on the left. I disliked her intensely when she switched allegiance but now - as I grow more and more tired of left wing authoritarianism - I find myself wondering whether she might have had a point. I've not seen or heard anything she's said recently but I'm certainly inclined to give her a second reading.

as I grow more and more tired of left wing authoritarianism
Yes, like other previously Liberal/Left journalists, (Liddle, Hitchens for example), who now seem to be wholeheartedly right wing (though I doubt they would agree that they are), is it them who have changed or is it the (il)Liberal Left?

I think the authoritarianism was always there but, to my everlasting chagrin, it didn't really bother me till I personally knocked up against it

She was ace and Dawn Butler looked out of her depth

Dawn Butler would be out of her depth discussing this with my ten year old.