Hurricane Camille

You'll find an interesting article by one Sarah Ruden at National Review Online about scholar, writer, and social critic Camille Paglia.  If you haven't heard of Ms. Paglia, she's one of these public intellectuals who, in her case, made a public name for herself chiefly as a self-described "anti-feminist feminist".  And it's true, the professional feminists despise her.  She also has an antic quality about her that, if you see her on TV, you'll not forget.  If she was anything like that as an adolescent, she was the very picture of someone suffering with ADD, or ADHD, or whatever it is they call hyperactive children these days.

She's also sex-obsessed, about which Ms. Ruden has much to say that is less than affirming.  On that subject, I think she's correct in her critique.  Still, Paglia remains an interesting figure to me and to many other conservatives as well.  How so?

Part of it is no doubt because she regularly, and adroitly, skewers much of what describes contemporary liberalism and feminism.  You know, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.  But I think it's more than just that.

What makes Camille Paglia attractive, if I may use that word, is that she resolutely refuses to play the victim.  Moreover, if there is any one thing about contemporary liberalism and feminism that she detests, it is precisely that defining characteristic and the bullying strategy that descends from it.

For that contribution alone, I'll forgive her a few sins and more.