When we think of Doctor Germaine Greer, some of us think first of that iconic cover of her 1970 book “The Female Eunuch“. It was a tear-away!
This diva of feminism remains in the business of “…shaking up a complacent establishment, using elemental shock tactics” to the present day. She once wrote that “Frightening females is fun” [The Age]. In her student days at Cambridge, she warmed to this notion by declaring that there would be “…no liberation for women, no matter how highly educated, as long as we are required to cram our breasts into bras constructed like mini-Vesuviuses, two stitched white cantilevered cones which bear no resemblance to the female anatomy.” While her notoriety did not lead to wholesale burning of bras, her writings and utterances did provide a platform for widespread discussion of women’s issues. Such discussions were commonplace in school staff-rooms and may have led to more outspokenness about the place of women in an educational setting.
Whatever, G.G. remains controversial.
She once stated that Australians possess a suburban mediocrity and that Australia was a “…sports-obsessed wasteland, devoid of cerebral stimulation.” The P.M. and others did not agree with her.
When Steve Irwin was killed, she commented that “…the animal world has finally taken its revenge on Steve Irwin”, many Australian citizens did not agree with her.
When she described Princess Diane as a “devious moron”, a “desperate woman seeking applause” and “disturbingly neurotic and guileless”, many world citizens did not agree with her.
When she published a book “The Beautiful Boy“, which contained many photographs of adolescent boys, she was called a pederast, but she said that “… a woman of taste is a pederast – boys rather than men.” It is unsure how many agreed with her.
Her penchant for directness was reminiscent of Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrows’ famed exchanges; as well as the contests between Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
Although acclaimed as an ardent feminist, she was once married for three weeks, during which time she claimed to have been unfaithful seven times.
It is small wonder that Ray Kelley commented upon her influence on the agenda of every-day school discussions.
G.G.,Ph.D.
[Tune: "There is a Tavern in the Town"]
One day a woman came to town [came to town],
Her friendly bosom sagging down [sagging down],
And since that time I’ve done the same as she
And never ever felt so free.
Fare thee well to bra and corset,
Do not lace it, do not force it,
With a liberated body you’re a liberal soul;
Pneumatic bliss shall never stop [never stop],
So let the flag of freedom flop [freedom flop]!
Roll on, thou deep and dark blue Ocean, roll,
Like thee, I do not want control!
That lady doctor told it plain [told it plain] -
Her words were pointed and germane [and germane];
I cheered and cheered with quite unholy glee
Her monosyllability!
Yes, it’s time for Anglo-Saxon,
Ringing clear as any klaxon,
Since the prissy little miss became a modern Ms;
From now I’ll say just what I mean [what I mean] -
To make it heard I’ll be obscene [be obscene];
I’ll tell it, spell it, yell it like it is
As frank as Mia, Dick and Liz!
And in the classroom I’m no squib [I'm no squib] ;
I run a lab in Women’s Lib. [Women's Lib.];
I’ve got the boys of Grades One, Two and Three
Quite hooked on Basic Cookery!
Though it makes old Adam peevy
Things are looking up now, Evie,
You have come a long way, baby, since the world began!
Adieu to kitchen, kids and kirk [kids and kirk] -
That’s not the way we women work [women work];
We’ll keep on trying everything we can
Till we achieve the Pregnant Man!
