Much has been said about feminist academic Germaine Greer in the past week and not much of it has been nice. Much of the hysterical criticism stems from Greer’s performance on the ABC’s QandA panel show last week. Comments she made about our PM’s backside and female genital mutilation have been met with SHOCK and HORROR and bandied about in newspaper headlines with great disgust — often taken out of context.
Keeping an open mind, I headed to a Melbourne Writers Festival session last Friday where Greer was to be interviewed by Benjamin Law about her life and passions. I was curious to see for myself. Was this iconic dynamo going to prove her critics right by ranting like a lunatic, or would she shine like the beacon of forward thinking that thousands claim her to be? Is all the brouhaha merely evidence that those in the privileged position of having a public voice can’t help but subscribe to our cultural sport of slashing down tall poppies to a dirt-eating level?
Benjamin Law and Germaine Greer
The interview started with an entertaining account from Greer about how she posed naked, ankles behind ears, for a university-produced magazine Suck. This evoked much laughter from the audience – the woman has a witty and self-deprecating sense of humour.
Then onto more serious matters, where in an erudite and passionate manner, she provided an impressive discourse on a wide range of topics.
Female genital mutilation wasn’t one of them, so I can’t pass judgment about that particular controversy, but if you’ve read that Greer almost condones the practice, you might be best off taking a look at a piece written by academic Dr Camille Nurka, a Lecturer in Gender Studies at the School of Social and Political Science at Melbourne University.
http://theconversation.edu.au/female-genital-cosmetic-surgery-a-labial-obsession-9119
Instead of discrediting Greer with losing the plot, Nurka says Greer talked about the issue with much tact and sensitivity.
But back to the Festival Session. I’m not going to quote Greer at great length — rather, give you in point form six reasons why she won me over on the day.
(1) Greer hasn’t read Fifty Shades of Grey.
‘I’m not interested in 50 Shades of Grey. I’m not interested in fucking, buggery or spanking. Life’s too interesting to go into someone else’s suburban bedroom and start snuffling about. The ground is already so well trodden on all of this. And sado-masochism is something I dread in a way, because I’ve seen what happens in sadistic relationships and it’s horrifying. The fact is they become hooked on basic humiliation and crave it, which to me is horrifying, ghastly.’
(2) She made some excellent points about why our rape laws are archaic and need to be re-written, which would lead to a higher rate of prosecution.
‘There are very few convictions because rape is so hard to prove. … We should abandoncriminal rape and have a single law of sexual assault and then include everything that could possibly happen under that.’
(3) Her views on marriage.
Germaine Greer
Nice article Jennifer. I’m a long-time fangirl of the Greer. Nothing she says shocks me although I *was* disappointed with her QANDA appearance in that she doesn’t ‘t know that emergency contraception is NOT an ‘abortion pill’.
And I’d have to say, you’d be one of the few brave people wanting to have a vino with Germaine. Most people I know say they’d be too intimidated. I’d go for that drink with you both.
BTW that Suck picture is findable on the internet. Brave woman but she was tricked by the other editors, apparently they were all going to have their nude photos published but they pulled theirs out during the editing process and left hers in.
I feel much the same way as you do. I am still a little befuddled by the chest-beating that went on about her QANDA appearance. And yet at the same time, all of that chest-beating felt a little shallow – easy soundbytes.
I mean, it was probably a bit of a stupid statement to make about Julia’s bum, but there is much that she says that I at least respect, if not always agree with. I don’t NEED to 100% agree with her to like her. I actually find it quite disturbing the way she is so routinely cut off at the knees for her opinions. That says more about feminism to me than anything – that a strong woman is STILL STILL STILL seen as a bitch, after all these years.