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Camille Paglia & homeschool moms


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http://www.salon.com/2012/10/10/camille_paglias_glittering_images/ If you don't know who Camille Paglia is, be prepared! She will make your head spin because she is so totally original that you can't put her in a box. Just when you think she thinks like you do, she'll poke a hole in your favorite sacred cow. She defies all her labels. She is a dedicated feminist who is disgusted with some trends in feminism. She is an ardent liberal Democrat who listens to talk radio and can see some good in the right wing of the Republican party and can critique the left. I do not agree with her a lot of the time, but I respect her honesty and consistency and originality of thought.

 

I believe she is an art or art history teacher at Columbia. She is coming out with a new art book and says one of her target audiences is homeschool moms and indicates her respect for us! The book sounds interesting. The link is to a long interview in Salon where her columns have been missing for several months as she's been busy with other things. There are just a couple mentions of homeschooling in a long interview with her that you might find interesting or infuriating. I just thought her perception about homeschool mothers was interesting. It's surprising, but then again not surprising, when you kind of know what kind of person she is.

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I had not thought of her in years. I remember a 60 Minutes (?) segment with her years ago when she was taking on feminists and challenging the "no means no" theory. Her take at the time was that when we, as women, say "no" to sex, we don't *necessarily* mean no. Sometimes we mean "maybe". Sometimes we mean "convince me." Sometimes we mean "I want to but I have been taught I should be saying no.........."

 

She left an impression. I just skimmed her Wiki. Wow.

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I've read some of her articles. I find she is challenging. I usually don't like her 'tone' and often I don't like her opinions. She is original. I think it is good to have original ideas. I think most people would have a difficult time agreeing with all of her opinions. I'm not sure I would want her on my side or supporting a cause that I supported. Occasionally I wonder if she doesn't take controversial positions just to get attention. So generally I have mixed feelings about her. I'm sure the new book will be interesting.

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I had not thought of her in years. I remember a 60 Minutes (?) segment with her years ago when she was taking on feminists and challenging the "no means no" theory. Her take at the time was that when we, as women, say "no" to sex, we don't *necessarily* mean no. Sometimes we mean "maybe". Sometimes we mean "convince me." Sometimes we mean "I want to but I have been taught I should be saying no.........."

 

She left an impression. I just skimmed her Wiki. Wow.

 

I've never read her wiki, only her columns, which make me think. Off to read it.

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I've always admired Camille Paglia for her fearlessness. She says in her article, "One of my target audiences is home-schooling moms — whose powerful voices I heard calling into conservative talk radio at the dawn of the Tea Party. They are formidable and capable personalities whom feminism has foolishly ignored."

 

I don't agree at all that feminism has ignored home schooling moms, but probably what she means is that well-known mouthpieces for the feminist movement have ignored us. That's not the same at all.

 

But the point I think she's making is that she recognizes that homeschooling parents are a much more important voice on the national stage than one might think reading the paper or watching CNN. And I think she is absolutely right. We aren't a public voice, but our influence is strong and growing.

 

Think of all the recent changes that are happening in high school education-I credit pressure produced by homeschoolers, and their departure from the public schools. My old high school allows students to do online classes for subjects not offered in their classrooms and to take CC classes as dual enrollment. I think that is because of homeschoolers.

 

I am looking forward to reading her book!

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I find her work in art history interesting. Obviously I don't agree with her on everything because the only person who could agree with Camille Paglia on everything is Camille Paglia. She is certainly original and not a derivative or orthodox to any one ideology thinker, lol.

 

Her longstanding virtrol against Naomi Wolf is amusing and while I am hardly a fan of Wolf's anecdote-as-scholarly book style, I do think she undermines her professionalism with her derisive comments extending into Naomi Wolf's sex life. I find it ironic that as a pro-sex, pro-porn etc feminist she is anti 50 year old mothers talking about their sex lives. She is clearly only anti Naomi Wolf talking about anything. :lol:

 

Her classic self promotion shines through in this interview. Had the president listened to her, he would sail to reelection. Had feminists listened to her..., had the media listened to her after 9-11..., had Colin Powell listened to her... As usual we would all be better off if only we all listened to her, right? She is an admirable person but is perhaps most admired by herself.

Edited by kijipt
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I caught on to her well after the NAMBLA stuff. While I'm willing to read many views opposite to my own and find her original and intriguing, and though I disagree with her strongly on some of her opinions on sexuality, that is like YIKES. Out of the ball park. I had no idea.

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