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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Julie Burchill - Radcliffe and Watson as Goneril and Regan to JK Rowling's Lear ...

49 replies

JFDIYOLO · 17/04/2024 13:14

Love this article by Julie in the Spectator

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/jk-rowling-and-the-cass-report-reckoning/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3VvJYQd2vwgO9mAurMSE0BZjxIMxWQU8mcLWYYDpUyEQec3S6KinnU66w_aem_ATs81FV-gaKZmtlbXykM39GcxSBlP4P6bBxbd3K870CCnkpp6tLvtwfR_T6KIJQjHjv6O2rXnTT2apWy3hX9ikxP

JK Rowling and the Cass report reckoning

Boyish girls, climb the nearest tree and give a Tarzan whoop of victory – girly boys, fashion a floral crown and caper copiously. Thanks to the Cass Report, failing to follow sexist stereotypes (which decree that girls play with dolls and boys play wit...

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/jk-rowling-and-the-cass-report-reckoning?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3VvJYQd2vwgO9mAurMSE0BZjxIMxWQU8mcLWYYDpUyEQec3S6KinnU66w_aem_ATs81FV-gaKZmtlbXykM39GcxSBlP4P6bBxbd3K870CCnkpp6tLvtwfR_T6KIJQjHjv6O2rXnTT2apWy3hX9ikxP

OP posts:
UtopiaPlanitia · 17/04/2024 13:23

Burchill has a good grasp of the facts and a wonderful turn of phrase 😊

CocoapuffPuff · 17/04/2024 13:33

I just snorted tea through my nose at the India Willoby comment.....

Katkins17 · 17/04/2024 13:38

Amazingly written !

GeorgeOrwellsTurningGrave · 17/04/2024 13:40

I really enjoyed that

Beowulfa · 17/04/2024 13:41

That first paragraph is magnificent.

BionicBadger · 17/04/2024 13:44

A brilliant barn stormer of an article.

Dumbledoreslemonsherbets · 17/04/2024 13:52

She is such a great writer. She gets to the heart of it all here, just brilliant.

Runor · 17/04/2024 13:53

Amusing article. You have to notice a degree of missing self-awareness that Burchill should decry the politics of envy while also using Radcliffe & Watson’s private education as a stick to beat them.

(Also, what’s the thing about climate change - does Burchill not follow the science?!)

JKR, as ever, gracefully occupies the moral high ground

Blackcats7 · 17/04/2024 14:03

Loved that! Thanks for posting it.
I always thought rupert grint was the only reasonable actor amongst the harry potter trio. I don’t think he has attacked JKR to my knowledge?

Blackcats7 · 17/04/2024 14:05

Scrub that, just googled and he did but not as nastily or vehemently.

AccidentallyWesAnderson · 17/04/2024 14:09

Oooft what an article. Bravo Julie.

Northernnature · 17/04/2024 14:11

Runor · 17/04/2024 13:53

Amusing article. You have to notice a degree of missing self-awareness that Burchill should decry the politics of envy while also using Radcliffe & Watson’s private education as a stick to beat them.

(Also, what’s the thing about climate change - does Burchill not follow the science?!)

JKR, as ever, gracefully occupies the moral high ground

Shes not envious but has said many times that working class people like her could never het into high level journalism now as she did at 17 in the seventies as its all about nepotism and being able to work for free as only wealthy people can. Similar for acting. Also if covid taught us anything there is no "the science" plenty of climate scientists disagree that we can do anything about climate change which has always happened and plenty of scientists are making a fortune from it so not impartial and plenty of people like me think net zero will bankrupt the country whilst making no difference to the climate. But good article from Julie who I agree with 99% of the time.

FlakyPoet · 17/04/2024 14:12

She pulls no punches! It’s very a gratifying read.

duc748 · 17/04/2024 14:15

Runor · 17/04/2024 13:53

Amusing article. You have to notice a degree of missing self-awareness that Burchill should decry the politics of envy while also using Radcliffe & Watson’s private education as a stick to beat them.

(Also, what’s the thing about climate change - does Burchill not follow the science?!)

JKR, as ever, gracefully occupies the moral high ground

Indeed. Almost like JB doesn't recognise herself! This piece chimes with others I've read recently (the Unherd thread about example Global Disinformation Unit, for example), where is seems to me than in the rush to decry the 'Western left-liberal consensus', which is apparently the cause of all our ills these days, it's somehow being presented that Brexit was somehow a good thing, or, and the very list, that it's arrival 'served people right'. Likewise 'uncontrolled immigration'. I hold no rosy view about the EU, but I am in no doubt that Brexit did not and has not benefitted this country at all, and is very much to be regretted. Likewise Trump, where the tone seems to be "Look what you've gone and done, you liberal lefties: you opened the way for Trump; it's no more than you deserve". JB's attempt to represent a turning point or change in JKR's views don't really stack up.

Hisandherslop · 17/04/2024 14:22

Every time I read Julie Burchill I’m kind of relieved I don’t know her in real-life - because I’d hate to get on the wrong side of her! Her writing is brutal and eviscerating but very, very funny.

IcakethereforeIam · 17/04/2024 14:29

I love the article she did on Billy Bragg.

Abhannmor · 17/04/2024 15:11

Ha very good. Though JK hasn't gone into terminal decline like poor King Lear !

Abhannmor · 17/04/2024 15:13

Hisandherslop · 17/04/2024 14:22

Every time I read Julie Burchill I’m kind of relieved I don’t know her in real-life - because I’d hate to get on the wrong side of her! Her writing is brutal and eviscerating but very, very funny.

I used to find her a bit intimidating. Until I heard her on the radio. Quite a squeaky voice. But I still wouldn't cross her !

Abhannmor · 17/04/2024 15:18

Runor · 17/04/2024 13:53

Amusing article. You have to notice a degree of missing self-awareness that Burchill should decry the politics of envy while also using Radcliffe & Watson’s private education as a stick to beat them.

(Also, what’s the thing about climate change - does Burchill not follow the science?!)

JKR, as ever, gracefully occupies the moral high ground

Well Julie has a brilliant turn of phrase. But I imagine she has her own science. Just as she has her own socialism. Which tends to be whatever JB believes in at any given moment. But she is far from alone in that.

RandySavage · 17/04/2024 15:40

I occasionally saw Burchill around town when I lived in Brighton, but I was never confident enough to approach and tell her how much I love her work.

Julie, just in case you happen to be reading, I love your work.

viques · 17/04/2024 15:41

CocoapuffPuff · 17/04/2024 13:33

I just snorted tea through my nose at the India Willoby comment.....

Me too, though I did get the feeling that there was a pregnant Burchill pause in the sentence ending “ the space between IW’s ……………. ears”.

She also forgot to mention the Grint, which is understandable since he hasn’t been seen on many Hollywood red carpets recently, but Roops is as guilty as the other ingrates for making nasty comments and snipes from behind the safety of his JKR enabled bank balance.

Unfortunately I think the wait for apologies will be a long one. They just don’t get it and probably haven’t got the smarts to work it out.

PhuckyNell · 17/04/2024 15:43

👏

REP22 · 17/04/2024 16:04

Excellent article, really well-written. I don't always agree with JB, but I agreed with every word of this (apart from the climate change reference). What JKR has had to endure is horrible. I was in online discussions with colleagues in the USA recently and a couple of innocuous Harry Potter references turned very quickly into strongly-worded sanctimonious responses from them about how these references were now "deeply problematic" and "inappropriate for use", given "all that JKR has said".

I lump them in with the idiots who play "real world quidditch" and hyperventilated about changing the name of their 'sport' because of its association with JKR. Fools.

Thanks for sharing it.

Runor · 17/04/2024 16:15

Northernnature · 17/04/2024 14:11

Shes not envious but has said many times that working class people like her could never het into high level journalism now as she did at 17 in the seventies as its all about nepotism and being able to work for free as only wealthy people can. Similar for acting. Also if covid taught us anything there is no "the science" plenty of climate scientists disagree that we can do anything about climate change which has always happened and plenty of scientists are making a fortune from it so not impartial and plenty of people like me think net zero will bankrupt the country whilst making no difference to the climate. But good article from Julie who I agree with 99% of the time.

Yes, climate has always varied, but never so quickly. There are no serious climate scientists who are publishing work disagreeing that climate change is happening, and is driven by human activity increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Overall, the cost to stop causing the problem will be much lower than the cost of dealing with the effects. Northernnature if you disagree with any of this I would love to see your evidence.

Sorry for the de-rail. Hate climate change disinformation!

FrancescaContini · 17/04/2024 16:16

Thank you for linking to this: it was a very welcome blast of fresh air after reading about the “gender expression fund” available to students at Cambridge. I’d like to read what Julie or JK would write about that.