This week I was reminded by @ruthiebroome about one of the bestselling books on women’s liberation – “The Female Eunuch” written by Germaine Greer (1970). I read this text in 2018 and clearly remember Greer’s aggressive tone, wittiness throughout and her belief that “women have been sold shit”. The underlying message of the book provokes women to break free from sterile roles, to become architects of their own life and to reframe their cultural, social and political positioning.
As a fan of her work, I watched a recent documentary, “Germaine Bloody Greer”, that offered insight into the life of the author before and after the publication of the book. It was interesting to learn more about her art work that has been framed by her earlier writing. For instance, the short film, “Darling, Do You Love Me?” created and performed by Greer, suggests the relationship between a man and a woman is never secure because of the emotional exhibitionism that is attached to women. Greer’s horrific singing and annoyance throughout clearly showcased the female as demanding attention from the man, until he dies in her strangling hands.
In addition to viewing the short film above, the documentary allowed me to think a little bit deeper about femininity and its links to capitalism and the objectification of women. At this point, I will utilise Butler’s (1990) distinction between sex and gender to clarify my thoughts. Male and female refers to biological sex of the person, whilst gender refers to femininity and masculinity, both of which are performative and are built on social conditioning.
From this, I am in some agreement with Greer’s controversial views on transgender women because it reinforces a ubiquitous need for femininity. We are being sold “woman” that is artificial for both female sexed women and transgender women. I won’t pretend to know much about the psychology or motivation behind men who transition into women, but I can certainly ask what constitutes womanhood? If the current societal expectations of women in relation to feminine gender are what make a woman, then we have got it all wrong. The feminine merchandise that we all buy into is temporary. It is a fleeting representation of woman. What happens when the makeup comes off and we return to our normal height because we have removed our high heeled shoes? Can a woman exist without femininity? If we conform to today’s expected stereotypical roles, then what happens to the woman beneath the “performer”?
What do you think?
I’ll be back next week with more to share, but in the meantime, you can see my daily updates by following me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook
Rowena x