Another week, another offensive remark from Germaine Greer. Not content with waging a decades-long war against transgender women, the controversial 78-year-old writer has taken aim at Harvey Weinstein's victims and the #MeToo movement, and virtually no one is in the least bit surprised.
Speaking at Australia House in London, where she was receiving the accolade of Australian of the Year (okay, then), she said the women who had spoken out against Weinstein had "spread [their] legs" for him and that it was "too late... to start whingeing."
"If you spread your legs because he said 'be nice to me and I'll give you a job in a movie' then I'm afraid that's tantamount to consent, and it's too late now to start whingeing about that," the Female Eunuch author said, before going on to attack #MeToo and Woody Allen's adopted daughter (and accuser) Dylan Farrow.
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"I want, I've always wanted, to see women react [to sexual harassment] immediately," Greer said, adding that "in the old days," women would "slap down" predatory men. "I want women to react here and now. I want the woman on a train who feels a man's hand where it shouldn't be… to be able to say quite clearly, 'Stop'," she continued, although she did acknowledge that Weinstein's power could have made it more difficult.
On the topic of Dylan Farrow's allegations against Woody Allen, Greer's views were also as out-of-touch as you'd expect. "It was 20 years ago, so you want [Woody Allen] to stop making movies now?" she said, adding: "It might be a good idea because he's probably no good any more."
While her comments sparked outrage and angered many people, very few were surprised, with a huge number of social media users effectively letting out an audible sigh.
At this point, being surprised at Germaine Greer saying something unpleasant that belittles or denigrates vulnerable people is like being surprised to see a bear shitting in the woods.
— David Jane (@DvdJnStndn) January 23, 2018
Germaine Greer being nasty about other women? Well I never....
— suzanne moore (@suzanne_moore) January 23, 2018
Germaine Greer has been total trash for literally decades but it's cool you're starting to catch on I guess
— --- (@esme_newman) January 23, 2018
I mean, Germaine Greer has been throwing other women under the bus for years now so today isn't really a surprise.
— Penny HEUmer (@socialsoprano) January 23, 2018
Can Germaine Greer just leave?
— Holly Rose Swinyard (@lilistprince) January 23, 2018
This hostility towards #Metoo from Germaine Greer is so unsurprising - it's not even disappointing, anymore, not coming from her.
— Caspar Salmon (@CasparSalmon) January 23, 2018
Oh, Germaine Greer. Do shut up.
— Alice Banks (@AliceBanks_) January 23, 2018
Sometimes, just sometimes, it's not even worth getting riled up.
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