GftNC, if you are saying that older men regularly slept with teenagers back then, I literally have no knowledge of that ever happening in the circles I grew up in. And I think that's perfectly compatible with your experience, since you seemingly grew up in a very different environment.
If you are saying that the representation of this power dynamic in the culture industry was more supportive and permissive then, you won't get any argument from me.
3 weeks ago
Chomsky being constitutional incapable of admitting he is/was in error.
Another common affliction, lol. Especially among 50+ men or so it seems.
many or most would see nothing remotely reprehensible about adult men sleeping with teenage girls ... If this does not apply to the right-on (as we used to say) men of ObWi, so much the more impressive.
I haven't seen anyone even remotely doing such things in the 70s. It may be an "elite" thing which kind of proves the point we're making here. (we were pretty normal).
And should anyone approach my daughter someday in this way I will not hesitate to show him what's what.
3 weeks ago
Foucault, for all his manifest monstrosity, made important contributions to philosophy.
Are we talking about the gay leather, hardcore S/M Foucault - which is fine by me as long as consenting adults are concerned. Or the Foucault who according to several accounts of the time had sexually abused children in Tunisia (in a not uncommon post-imperial twist)? Which is of course not.
I'm afraid your argument that his contributions to philosophy - which I do recognise - might somehow be used as a counterweight in the moral calculus is at the heart of the problem currently being unravelled in France:
E.g., a figure like Matzneff would openly write about his pedophilia and be published for decades by Gallimard, the most prestitigous publishing house in France, his career supported by major writers and intellectuals. In the middle of this clip he is shown sitting in Bernard Pivot's "Apostrophes" - the major intellectual talk show of the time - talking about illegal acts with children and hiding behind the "art excuse". Everyone laughs it off and the one brave writer who challenges him was later vilified in the press.
There are numerous other examples where pedophilia and sexual abuse has either been legitimized altogether - ranging from Sartre/Beavouir et. al. in 1977 to Finkielkraut just recently- or artistic and intellectual achievement has been used to excuse or cover it up, e.g. Polanski, Haenel/Ruggia, Depardieu, Doillon etc.
As you can see, I am quite into French intellectual and cultural output, in fact it is one of my passions - but I am increasingly questioning much of the culture and society that it rests upon. I realise that all of this is catnip to the right who wants to roll-back the achievements of '68 and of course hates people they consider deviant, but still we have to face up to some uncomfortable truths.
3 weeks ago
I have to say that I am still shocked by the continuous revelations emerging from the Epstein files. It's almost as if we are ruled by an at best amoral, unaccountable elite not governed by any law. Call me crazy, but I had a bit more faith in our leadership before, though I think the whole thing started with Bush I.
As a sidenote: interesting and shocking what has been revealed in France since MeToo. The sense of entitlement and the sheer depravity of anyone from Foucault to Duhamel is just astounding.
GftNC, if you are saying that older men regularly slept with teenagers back then, I literally have no knowledge of that ever happening in the circles I grew up in. And I think that's perfectly compatible with your experience, since you seemingly grew up in a very different environment.
If you are saying that the representation of this power dynamic in the culture industry was more supportive and permissive then, you won't get any argument from me.
Chomsky being constitutional incapable of admitting he is/was in error.
Another common affliction, lol. Especially among 50+ men or so it seems.
many or most would see nothing remotely reprehensible about adult men sleeping with teenage girls ... If this does not apply to the right-on (as we used to say) men of ObWi, so much the more impressive.
I haven't seen anyone even remotely doing such things in the 70s. It may be an "elite" thing which kind of proves the point we're making here. (we were pretty normal).
And should anyone approach my daughter someday in this way I will not hesitate to show him what's what.
Foucault, for all his manifest monstrosity, made important contributions to philosophy.
Are we talking about the gay leather, hardcore S/M Foucault - which is fine by me as long as consenting adults are concerned. Or the Foucault who according to several accounts of the time had sexually abused children in Tunisia (in a not uncommon post-imperial twist)? Which is of course not.
I'm afraid your argument that his contributions to philosophy - which I do recognise - might somehow be used as a counterweight in the moral calculus is at the heart of the problem currently being unravelled in France:
E.g., a figure like Matzneff would openly write about his pedophilia and be published for decades by Gallimard, the most prestitigous publishing house in France, his career supported by major writers and intellectuals. In the middle of this clip he is shown sitting in Bernard Pivot's "Apostrophes" - the major intellectual talk show of the time - talking about illegal acts with children and hiding behind the "art excuse". Everyone laughs it off and the one brave writer who challenges him was later vilified in the press.
There are numerous other examples where pedophilia and sexual abuse has either been legitimized altogether - ranging from Sartre/Beavouir et. al. in 1977 to Finkielkraut just recently- or artistic and intellectual achievement has been used to excuse or cover it up, e.g. Polanski, Haenel/Ruggia, Depardieu, Doillon etc.
As you can see, I am quite into French intellectual and cultural output, in fact it is one of my passions - but I am increasingly questioning much of the culture and society that it rests upon. I realise that all of this is catnip to the right who wants to roll-back the achievements of '68 and of course hates people they consider deviant, but still we have to face up to some uncomfortable truths.
I have to say that I am still shocked by the continuous revelations emerging from the Epstein files. It's almost as if we are ruled by an at best amoral, unaccountable elite not governed by any law. Call me crazy, but I had a bit more faith in our leadership before, though I think the whole thing started with Bush I.
As a sidenote: interesting and shocking what has been revealed in France since MeToo. The sense of entitlement and the sheer depravity of anyone from Foucault to Duhamel is just astounding.