1. While Michelle Goldberg at The Nation needed more than 10 thousand words to write the ultimate guide to fear of Women of Color and “mean masses” on Twitter, Oates can achieve the same result in 140 characters or less
Shadows gathering at edge of property. Full moon, when ominous threatening twitterers come to life.
— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates)
2. Godwin’s Law? What’s that? Wasn’t Godwin the Earl of Essex? Zoo guards, on the other hand, are as bad as the NAZIS. AS.BAD
Still can’t comprehend why the Danish zoo killed the beautiful young healthy giraffe. Yes, they had “reasons”–so did Nazi doctors.
— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates)
3. Islam is bad and women need to be saved from it. Also, Muslim men are savages.
Where 99.3% of women report having been sexually harassed & rape is epidemic–Egypt–natural to inquire: what’s the predominant religion?
— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates)
If 99.3% of women reported being treated equitably, fairly, generously–it would be natural to ask: what’s the predominant religion?
— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates)
4. It’d be worse if I was racist!
5. She has meaningful Olympics commentary
So glad not to be in Sochi! & I am not even gay, or Russian.
— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates)
6. Woody Allen is just a misunderstood genius… like Nabokov
Though Woody Allen has been much denounced, very likely many of his denouncers greatly admire Nabokov’s “Lolita.” No contradiction?
— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates)
7. And those “piling on Woody Allen are just like a lynching mob”
Very likely studies have been done of the psychology of the lynch mob–probably not original to suggest that it is thrilling to “bond”…
— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates)
Perhaps the object of the lynch mob isn’t important: it’s the passion of righteousness that bonds the mob. Intervene at your own peril.
— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates)
(Oh if you think this is not what white feminists are saying about Allen, check this piece by Susan Moore at The Guardian. After reading Moore’s piece, head off to this gem from Oates about “the court of public opinion”)
8. In “Other cultures” young girls are also courted by older men (notice how the cultural relativism is only deployed in so far as it benefits white supremacy. When it’s about judging Islam, “all those men are savages”; when it’s about defending a child abuser “in other cultures it’s normal”).
Predilection of older–(could be elderly)–men for young girls is not uncommon in all cultures. See Kawabata, “House of Sleeping Beauties.”
— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates)
9. Art, art matters above all ethical issues or even human decency
Woody Allen may have behaved unconscionably as a person/ step-father–but it isn’t clear what this has to do with his often brilliant films.
— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates)
All things being equal, one would prefer to give an award to the “nicer” of two artists. But the quality of the art itself is what matters.
— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates) February 2, 2014
10. When in doubt, side with the victim… except when the perpetrator is a white man you respect. (any similarities with white feminists siding with a white man when he abuses “lesser” women is a mere coincidence)
When in doubt, side with the victim.
— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates) January 28, 2014
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