Camille Paglia Stirs It Up

[Michael Hardner]

Paglia is an intellectual, teacher and general disturber of people.

In this Globe & Mail Interview with Margaret Wente she slams the humanities, and York University in particular.

I'm not that familiar with Canada. But when I was at York University a few years ago, I thought, “Oh my god, they are so shallow. Such a backwater.”

Insulting, but nonetheless an interesting take on things. She seems to be adamantly anti-postmodernism which I never knew about her.

[Pliny]

I haven't heard anything about Camille Paglia for years. I even forget what she is about. I will have to refresh myself on her perspective. Back shortly!

[Pliny]

I like her views on feminism. I don't know how she considers herself a "libertarian democrat". Seems oxymoronic to me, and besides would a libertarian of any stripe have voted for Barack Obama.

I wonder what her take on Barack is today? She seemed to be enthralled with him during the campaign. I guess she is a democrat first.

[M.Dancer]

I thought she died of obscurity...her blatent seLf promotion was getting tiresome and she was put on the ignore list...

[Pliny]

I thought she died of obscurity...her blatent seLf promotion was getting tiresome and she was put on the ignore list...

Hardner's estimation of her as "a general disturber of people" was correct in your case, I guess.

[Michael Hardner]

As a Democrat who tells it like it is and doesn't toe the party line on all matters, I consider her a sister-in-arms.

[bloodyminded]

I thought she was an interesting if slightly overrated polemicist back in the early '90s. This was at the height of the leftish political correctness on campuses, and as a self-described feminist, she had a certain amount of cache when she'd criticize the pc excesses.

However, she long ago passed the point of diminishing returns, as her own hypocrisies are so blatant as to be almost jaw-dropping. For example, she built her entire ex-academic public career on denouncing identity politics of any kind: minorities and women, she would tell us, need to stop being so sensitive about stereotypes and negative portrayals.

Until "The Sopranos" came along, that is.

Suddenly, she's bitching and moaning about negative protrayals of Italian-Americans...not coincidentally, she is an Italian-American herself.

So, black people, Hispanic people, Jews, Asians, women, et al need to buck up, stop whining about prejudice and stereotypes....oh, except for Italian-Americans, the one and only truly oppressed minority, evidently.

Also, she said that it was fine to oppose a war (thanks for the permission, Camille)--but once "boots are on the ground," as the saying goes, it is our patriotic duty to support the war effort.

Which is a profoundly stupid view...and remarkably servile and obedient, for a supposed intellectual maverick.

[Borg]

She is entitled to her opinions

It is telling how some will get wrapped around the axles by anothers opinions

Borg

[bloodyminded]

She is entitled to her opinions

Who said she wasn't? Name one person who has suggested such a thing. Do you suppose that disagreeing with her is an attack on her rights?

It is telling how some will get wrapped around the axles by anothers opinions

Borg

You are, right here, implicitly disagreeing with my opinions. Are you "wrapped around the axles" by it?

Do you ever have criticism about any writers? (Yes...by definition, you do.) Are these examples of your getting "wrapped around the axles?"

[WIP]

I thought she was an interesting if slightly overrated polemicist back in the early '90s. This was at the height of the leftish political correctness on campuses, and as a self-described feminist, she had a certain amount of cache when she'd criticize the pc excesses.

However, she long ago passed the point of diminishing returns, as her own hypocrisies are so blatant as to be almost jaw-dropping. For example, she built her entire ex-academic public career on denouncing identity politics of any kind: minorities and women, she would tell us, need to stop being so sensitive about stereotypes and negative portrayals.

Until "The Sopranos" came along, that is.

Suddenly, she's bitching and moaning about negative protrayals of Italian-Americans...not coincidentally, she is an Italian-American herself.

So, black people, Hispanic people, Jews, Asians, women, et al need to buck up, stop whining about prejudice and stereotypes....oh, except for Italian-Americans, the one and only truly oppressed minority, evidently.

Also, she said that it was fine to oppose a war (thanks for the permission, Camille)--but once "boots are on the ground," as the saying goes, it is our patriotic duty to support the war effort.

Which is a profoundly stupid view...and remarkably servile and obedient, for a supposed intellectual maverick.

I don't know a whole lot about Camille Paglia, except that she gives the appearance of being a shameless self-promoter. Her defense of Sarah Palin in the 2008 election was totally absurd, and likely just designed to get some loving from conservative media.

Most of this article doesn't move me one way or another, since I have no post-secondary education and can't judge her criticisms of higher education and academia. But she's declaring that criticisms by feminists and non-whites of Euro-centric culture and history are attempts to promote mediocrity. WTF! What kind of feminist wants to turn the clock back to a time when women weren't allowed in universities and Europe colonized the world for their resources? It would seem that Camille Paglia believes that whatever the power structure of a society is, it should remain that way. She appears to be a defender of those who already have the power....so I wouldn't be surprised to learn that she is a disciple of Ayn Rand.

Also, what has she got against critical thinking? That's something that should have a greater role in education, not phased out for memorizing facts. A kid can learn all of the geography and historic dates, but without critical thinking skills, be unable to deconstruct bullshit strawman arguments of the type this woman is building up! And then in the next paragraph it all makes sense: "What is this hysteria over drowning polar bears?" So that's why she doesn't want to encourage critical thinking! She would rather defend those who despoil the planet than take an honest look at the evidence for climate changer herself.

[bloodyminded]

I don't know a whole lot about Camille Paglia, except that she gives the appearance of being a shameless self-promoter. Her defense of Sarah Palin in the 2008 election was totally absurd, and likely just designed to get some loving from conservative media.

She also praised Rush Limbaugh, because she thinks he raised the intellectual tenor of political debate.

Most of this article doesn't move me one way or another, since I have no post-secondary education and can't judge her criticisms of higher education and academia.

No, i have no judgement of her statement on matters like these, nor of her work on Art History.

Also, what has she got against critical thinking? That's something that should have a greater role in education, not phased out for memorizing facts. A kid can learn all of the geography and historic dates, but without critical thinking skills, be unable to deconstruct bullshit strawman arguments of the type this woman is building up! And then in the next paragraph it all makes sense: "What is this hysteria over drowning polar bears?" So that's why she doesn't want to encourage critical thinking! She would rather defend those who despoil the planet than take an honest look at the evidence for climate changer herself.

I'm just not convinced she has any real knowledge of many of the things she so likes to talk about--and to castigate everybody for.