Jayb,

Perhaps some people "are" better than the common swill : )

Yes Poirot, some are.

There are state, national & world champions, superior surgeons, architects & welders.

Then there are those who allocate themselves this superiority. Many of these are found in academia, where mutual admiration is essential to maintain the illusion.

There are one hit wonders in popular music, & in authors, & Greer fits this category quite well. Not perfectly however, as the best thing about her hit was merely the title, it was all down hill after that.

I'm absolutely delighted Germaine is growing old eccentrically. It's always been seen as a British thing, and I wonder if she'd been influenced by spending so long in England. But the world is richer for eccentrics like Germaine.

But don't be fooled by the superficial mad eccentric/celebrity persona you see in the media. Some years ago I went to a talk by Germaine at rural writer's festival. There was big audience - many no doubt there just because of her notoriety. We were treated (and it was a treat) to a fascinating and entertaining, but deeply serious and professional, insight into Shakespeare. It's probably the most memorable talk I've ever heard on literature.

In a way Germaine has several parallel lives - young author of one of the 20th century's pivotal books (everything you do afterwards will be compared with it, usually negatively), a serious academic scholar, and a mad media-boosted (created?) eccentric. Re the latter, just maybe she's having a lend of us all?

Germaine Greer All Washed Up?

Really? Says who?

I certainly hope not and frankly I can't imagine it ever happening.
She's too feisty. I know she's different things to different people.
But to me - she's absolutely remarkable. I too have been privileged to hear her speak (also on literature) and found her to be extremely entertaining. Perhaps not as entertaining as Peter Ustinov - but close.

Anyway, a few generations ago, Germaine Greer wondered about women:
"What will you do?" She convinced many women that they win by giving
themselves permission to eat, to be sexual, to age, to wear overalls, to do whatever they choose in following, or ignoring their own aesthetic. All washed up? Never.

Lexi

Germaine appeared in a brief cameo role with the Little Britain boys in their new comedy show "Come Fly With Me" last night.

Washed up? Only to those who:

See GG as a 2 dimensional figure

and

never liked her and never will.

Pelican

Your post summarises Germaine very well.

The only thing that Germaine Greer achieved was to make a many females feel inadequate. Sure, she fought for equal pay for males/females doing the same type of work, but for the rest she has almost destroyed the gender differences.
If you are a female, there is no way you can become a male (with the exception of those who rightly undergo transgender surgery.) Females are built differently, think differently and behave differently, and there is nothing (short of a miracle) which can change that. Many years ago I worked in a day care centre, working with 0 - 2 year olds. Those children who were ably developed enough would separate, the boys ran straight to the trucks and cars, blocks etc., and the girls made a beeline to the dolls, dress up clothes and pretend tea-sets.
Our family Doctor once told us that even with a baby wearing a nappy could he pick up a child and know straight away the sex of the child.
Males and Females are genetically programmed for their lives. For example, women being the nurturers and men being the hunter gatherers.
I am a modern thinking female, but there is, and always will be a gender difference, and each one can never be the same as the other.
There are things that both sexes are programmed to accomplish.
One thing that really breaks my heart, is the amount of females who are willing to leave their children in day-care on a full time basis.
There is no substitute for a mother, even the father doesn't have the same nurturing instinct. As with everything, there are extenuating circumstances. I feel very sad for Germaine Greer. She got many things wrong, and the young ones are paying the price.