Camille Paglia: Emma Sulkowicz's Feminism Is About 'Perpetually Lugging Around Bad Memories'

The noted cultural critic vents.

The always provocative Camille Paglia recently sat down with Salon, and among other things she explained why she thinks Bill Clinton has a lot in common with Bill Cosby—and it's not just that their names are so similar. She explains:

So I say there is a big parallel between Bill Cosby and Bill Clinton–aside from their initials!  Young feminists need to understand that this abusive behavior by powerful men signifies their sense that female power is much bigger than they are!  These two people, Clinton and Cosby, are emotionally infantile–they're engaged in a war with female power.

She also described the Emma Sulkowicz rape story (read our coverage here) as a case of "mattress feminism:"

Perpetually lugging around your bad memories–never evolving or moving on!  It's like a parody of the worst aspects of that kind of grievance-oriented feminism. I called my feminism "Amazon feminism" or "street-smart feminism," where you remain vigilant, learn how to defend yourself, and take responsibility for the choices you make.  If something bad happens, you learn from it.  You become stronger and move on. But hauling a mattress around on campus?

For more punchy Paglia quotes, watch Nick Gillespie's recent interview with the noted cultural critic, which includes her epic takedown of Hillary Clinton. Original writeup is below.

For a full transcript, go here.