Germaine Greer reminds us again why we hate her - insults Australia's first female PM's 'big bum'
5:44 pm - 03/31/2012Australian opposition leader Tony Abbott backpedalled after derogatory comments about the clothes and appearance of Julia Gillard, the country's first female prime minister.
The furore began when well-known Australian feminist Germaine Greer told ABC television that Gillard wore unflattering jackets and had a "big arse".
"Every time she turns round, you've got that strange horizontal crease, which means they're cut too narrow in the hips," Greer said.
"You've got a big arse, Julia. Just get on with it."
While meeting the public at a community forum on Thursday the issue came up and Abbott responded: "I know, I know, I know. Germaine Greer was right on that subject."
On Friday he said he regretted the remark after it was widely played on television.
"It was an off-the-cuff remark responding to an observation of a member of the public and I shouldn't have said it and I regret it," he said.
Gillard is Australia's first female leader and her boyfriend Tim Mathieson has previously hit out at people "bullying" her.
"Being a woman, I think she's gets targeted quite a bit by the big boys in town," he said at the time.
"Bullying women just doesn't work for me... calling females names does not get you anywhere," he added.
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Every time I hear anything with her name attached, it just seems like she's hating on other women, usually for things like this where the detail in question is pretty much entirely irrelevant to the question of whether or not this other woman is competent at what she's doing. I don't get it.
(As for Tony Abbott...ugh. Just ugh.)
But I do not think that ignoring her body of work so we can slag her for saying stupid things is a good approach either. The Female Eunuch in its time was a groundbreaking book. I don't necessarily agree with it, but I do think it establishes her credentials.
God knows, I'd want my man to back me up like that if I were in her place.
Well done, Tim. You have not disgraced yourself, which in this story seems to be something of a rarity.
Also, TOny Abbott, I am surprised to realise that my previous claims that I could not hate you more were unfounded. I CAN hate you more.
I can't really see a remark about another woman having a big ass as per se misogynistic, though. Catty? Sure. But eh.
Once upon a time, she made important points about women and their perception of self in a world with many artificial limitations usually set by men. Since then, she's made less and less sense and been more and more of an ass. I'm not entirely sure why.
and, what is wrong with a big butt? :|
and, yeah, what is wrong with a big butt?