Is feminism only for the elitists, somewhat suggested by Camille Paglia?

Question

Read this article about Camille's thoughts on the subject:

http://dim.com/~randl/camille.htm

I can relate to Camille's thoughts on this subject. Hey, we are both natives to Upstate NY, from the working class, and attended SUNY Binghamton for our undergrad degrees.

But anyway, what do you think about feminism and social-economic classism?

Additional Details

Devil Advocette...did you read the article, or are you just blinded by your own ideology? Fair enough, don't you think?

Devil...fair enough...I do have a passion for Camille and can relate to her other than for the facts I mentioned previously.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

There is such a wealth of information and ideas there, but here's one of my favorites:

"If middle class feminists think they conduct their love lives perfectly rationally, without any instinctual influences from biology, they are imbeciles. "

Of course, you know that I am a fan of Ms. Paglia. I do think that closing off the discussion of feminism to the typical modern woman - not the typical white, upper-middle-class woman - is taking a bad turn for feminism.

I do think that a major problem with the current philosophies is elitism. If the majority of women think a certain way - well, they either are not very bright or have been brainwashed. This is the principle at work when someone sadly comments that poor Granny "was not allowed to be more than a mother". Bull crap. MY Granny's sister was the most educated one of the siblings (boys and girls both), and became a nurse. Women were not simply too dumb to know better than to be full-time moms. Poor women, like my Grandma, ached for it whenever necessity required working for pay.

I loved the part about PC advocates thinking of themselves as radicals. I think of them as fascists, personally. It's refreshing to hear someone else echo that idea.

Like I said, there's so mush good info in that link, it's hard to know where to start. But yes, I agree. Feminism has become a mini-religion of a few upper middle class white girls. The sad part is when they pity free-thinking, rational poor women for being "unenlightened", and then wonder why those same women don't embrace the label!

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Glad you found the article informative, and I liked the insights you provided.

Answer 2

Lots of valid points. Apparently beeing whimpy is alright if you call yourself a feminist. And cowardly. And prejudiced.

As for the exact wording of your question, strangely if you look at the elitists, the bankers, people on the line of the bushes and chenneys, no the elite doesnt take its own poison, the men cather to make the family stronger and more powerfull and the women tend to the babies.

Answer 3

Camille is a rage-fueled harpy. I would listen to what she says with a big fat grain of salt.

It's obvious to me that she hates women, including herself, and shrugs off rape, as if men have no self-control and we'd better get used to it. USED TO IT?? Men have a lot of self-control; they become presidents, CEOs, firefighters, soldiers, astronauts, whatever they want. That takes a lot of self-control. So they can't control their basest urges and just go into their bedrooms with a girlie magazine - instead they have to rape a woman? Gimme a break.

Feminism is for women, period.

Answer 4

Yeah, that article lost me at "Camille Paglia Says it best"

I couldn't help but laugh

EDIT: Clearly I didn't as indicated by my response, perhaps you would have seen that were you not blinded by your own narcissism

Answer 5

honestly, camille paglia sounds a lot like an anti-feminist to me. "cock-teasing?" give me a break. is she actually making excuses for rape? she sounds angry and ridiculous and completely insensible. i come from a "lower-class" background myself, and i agree with nothing she says.

to answer your question, feminism is for anyone who believes in equality of the genders.

Answer 6

i would have to say that despite her amazing affinity for rhetoric i am not convinced. show me the science. lets see how many waitresses teachers and yes debutantes are in the ranks. she may opine all she wishes but that won't make it so.

Answer 7

I read the article to respond to this, and I don't think Paglia is saying that feminism if for the elite at all.

She is saying that it is easy to convince well (and over) privileged upper class educated women of the ideals of feminism than many of the people it would help most.

I agree with her, the same argument is true politically, it is the poverty stricken working classes who vote for the parties of the right time and time again who would be most helped by the ideals of the left - redistribution of wealth.

Read redistribution of power in Paglia's argument and gender for wealth and it is the same thing.

I agree with most of the rest of what she has to say too.

Answer 8

I bet Camille Paglia never had to wait an extra 20 seconds to get coffee. She does not understand how hard women have it.