Camille Paglia | Free Women, Free Men: Sex, Gender, Feminism Analysis

Political correctness and post-structuralism have negatively impacted academia and culture, leading to a decline in education and arts, and the need for a return to traditional values and a broader perspective on history and culture 

Questions to inspire discussion 

• What is the impact of political correctness on art and culture?

  —The resurgence of political correctness has led to a decline in free speech and thought in art and culture, negatively impacting academia and the arts.

• How has post-structuralism affected academia?

  —Post-structuralism has destroyed the humanities and young women academics' voices, leading to a decline in the quality of scholarship and education.

• What is the speaker's view on the influence of French Theory in academia?

  —The speaker criticizes the influence of French Theory, describing it as pretentious and a waste of time, and argues for a return to traditional values and a broader perspective on history and culture.

• What is the impact of post-structuralist thinking in the humanities?

  —Post-structuralist thinking has led to a lack of appreciation for the arts, psychology, and history in literary criticism, negatively affecting the quality of scholarship and education.

• What is the speaker's stance on gender studies and gender assignment?

  —The speaker expresses skepticism about the current trend of using hormones and sex surgery to address gender assignment, warning about irreversible consequences and the impact on young people's brain and neural chemistry.

Key Insights

• 📚 Post-structuralism has destroyed the humanities, leading to a generation of young scholars being affected.
• 🌍 The West should not repeat the mistake of the Roman Empire by becoming too comfortable and tolerant without a passionate belief at its core.
• 🍸 The shift from conversation in bars to hooking up on Tinder is a cultural disaster for young people.
• 🚪 Camille Paglia expresses concern about the irreversible consequences of sex change surgery and hormone therapy on young people's brains and neural chemistry.

#Relationships #Sociology #Transactivism #Feminism #Gender 

Clips 

• 00:00 📚 Camille Paglia discusses her new book "Free Women, Free Men" and the impact of political correctness on free speech and thought in art and culture, highlighting her warnings about the growth of a bureaucratic class on college campuses and the loss of power by faculty.
  • Camille Paglia discusses her new book "Free Women, Free Men: Sex, Gender, Feminism" and her extensive background in academia and writing.
  • The speaker discusses the resurgence of political correctness and the impact it has on free speech and thought in art and culture.
  • Camille Paglia eagerly anticipated the release of her third essay collection, only to find that it was not what she expected.
  • The publisher compiled Camille Paglia's essays on sex, gender, and feminism, highlighting her prophetic warnings about the growth of a bureaucratic class on college campuses and the loss of power by faculty.
  • Leftist movements have been taken over by bourgeois careerists who use leftism as a badge, and the speaker knows this from personal experience in the late 1960s.
  • The speaker discusses their experience in graduate school and the influence of radical writers, as well as the introduction of French Theory at Yale.
• 08:10 📚 Post-structuralism has negatively impacted academia, leading to elitism, stifled voices, and a decline in the quality of education and arts.
  • Post-structuralism is elitist and not leftist, as demonstrated by Judith Butler's practice of it, despite presenting herself as a leftist.
  • Camille Paglia discusses her experiences with Judith Butler and the influence of post-structuralism in academia.
  • Post-structuralism has destroyed the humanities and young women academics' voices, leading to a generation of scholars being affected.
  • Men in the teaching profession have to conform to certain ideologies in order to secure job opportunities, and the speaker criticizes the academic world for publishing books filled with jargon and praises a book about dominatrixes that was not widely distributed.
  • The speaker criticizes post-structuralist theory and its influence on undergraduate and graduate education, describing it as pretentious and a waste of time.
  • Parents are spending a lot of money to send their kids to Ivy League schools, but the arts are suffering and even popular arts are now boring and poorly produced.
• 14:42 🎤 The decline in quality of scholarship in universities, art history, and public schools is leading to a lack of historical perspective and cultural education.
  • The speaker discusses the failure of both the left and the right to address the problems of post-structuralism in universities, leading to a decline in the quality of scholarship.
  • The speaker discusses the decline in the quality of scholarship in art history from the late 19th century to the present, noting a shift from lucid prose and broad vision to a narrow focus and lack of quality in recent works.
  • Art history has abandoned the traditional survey courses, leading to students lacking historical perspective and focusing only on the present.
  • The speaker discusses the cycle of rising and falling empires, the lack of historical education in public schools, and the need for a more realistic approach to teaching history.
  • The speaker compares the quality of education in American public schools to European schools and finds that the general cultural education in Europe puts the United States to shame.
  • Camille Paglia shares a story about teaching a song lyric course and realizing that her students did not recognize the name "Moses" in a spiritual song.
• 23:44 🔑 Secular humanism has failed, teaching religion is essential for world understanding, and the 21 law has led to dangerous drinking culture on college campuses.
  • Secular humanism has failed, as the lack of exposure to historical horrors and disasters in public schools has led to a generation unable to tolerate anything.
  • Teaching religion and understanding the religious background of different cultures is essential for true world understanding and would prevent chaos and confusion about belief systems like Islam.
  • The speaker warns against the dangers of a tolerant and comfortable society without a passionate belief system, using the example of the Roman Empire and the rise of Christianity.
  • The speaker discusses the negative cultural effects of the 21 law in the US, arguing that it has led to unsophisticated and dangerous drinking culture on college campuses.
  • Young people should avoid relying on drugs and alcohol to cope with life's challenges, and instead embrace the traditional and moderate use of alcohol for relaxation.
  • The speaker prefers smaller six ounce glasses for beer over larger mugs because they keep the beer cold and frothy.
• 33:35 🔍 Young people are missing out on adult culture due to technology, post-structuralism is criticized for its influence on gender studies, and the speaker advocates for libertarianism and drug legalization.
  • Young people today are missing out on the valuable experience of learning about adult culture and having meaningful conversations in adult environments due to the reliance on technology for social interaction and dating.
  • Existentialism, post-structuralism, and the influence of French theorists on American academia are discussed, with a focus on the campaign against their influence.
  • The idea is that gender studies and college campuses are influenced by the post-structuralist idea that gender is defined by language and societal pressures, rather than biological factors.
  • The speaker criticizes the epidemic of post-structuralist thinking in the humanities, which has led to a lack of appreciation for the arts, psychology, and history in literary criticism.
  • Post-structuralism is only effective in narrative and novel, but not in poetry, artwork, or art schools, and is compulsory in American academia.
  • The speaker believes in libertarianism and argues for the legalization of marijuana and all drugs, but expresses concerns about its impact on cognitive function and public safety.
• 42:22 🎙 Camille Paglia discusses the lack of originality in Foucault's ideas, the influence of the New Age movement, the importance of cultural and metaphysical creativity, and the need for young people to study global history.
  • Camille Paglia discusses her admiration for Foucault's analysis of institutions, but points out that his ideas were not original and were already explored by Emile Durkheim and Erving Goffman.
  • Foucault's ideas were not original and were borrowed from other sources, making him a fraud in the eyes of the speaker.
  • The speaker discusses the influence of the New Age movement and the importance of practices like yoga and astrology, while also expressing a desire to embrace the term "New Age" and a skepticism towards the idea of making America great again.
  • The speaker believes that young people are focusing on technological advancements rather than cultural and metaphysical creativity, and that contemporary art is overpriced and derivative, with the true art being found in constantly changing technology.
  • Young people are missing out on exposure to art and world history, geography, cultures, and traditions, and teachers should focus on presenting the past to them.
  • The speaker is passionate about studying the vanished tribes that preceded European contact in Pennsylvania and believes that a comprehensive understanding of global history is necessary for young people to live in a global culture.
• 50:58 🎙️ Camille Paglia discusses concerns about the irreversible consequences of hormone and sex surgery, skepticism about pharmaceuticals, and the reductive nature of gender identity.
  • The speaker discusses their identification as a non-gendered entity and their understanding of sex crime and the dangers women face.
  • The speaker expresses concern about the current trend of using hormones and sex surgery to address gender assignment, warning about the irreversible consequences and the impact on young people's brain and neural chemistry.
  • The speaker expresses skepticism about pharmaceuticals and believes in individual freedom to make choices about one's own body, while also expressing concern about the lack of caution from liberals regarding this trend.
  • A concerned gay activist is encountering problems with young women who are undergoing drastic changes to their anatomy without considering the consequences.
  • The speaker discusses the historical tradition of sexually fluid shamans and expresses concern about the current trend of anger and control in attempts to change pronouns.
  • The speaker expresses concern about the reductive nature of gender identity and describes their own experience with transgender identity.
• 57:22 👩‍🦰 I don't fit into traditional gender categories and that's beneficial for my work.

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