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Anti-masturbation Christine O'Donnell critiques J.R.R. Tolkien
By Ray RahmanSeptember 16th, 2010, 11:30 amComments (12)
Though Christine O'Donnell has been a lightning rod in the political world for barely a day, she's long been a controversial figure in another, even nerdier realm -- that of J.R.R. Tolkien. Yes, the winner of Tuesday's GOP Senate primary in Delaware was also a "winner" in LOTR circles. A 2003 C-SPAN video reveals O'Donnell -- then the communications director at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute -- leading a "discussion on the depiction of women in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy."
You see Tolkien's wisdom applied to just about everything: Tolkien and communism, Tolkien and industrialization. ... I even found a book on Tolkien and sexual fetishes.
I don't doubt her. She then goes on to describe the ties between Middle Earth and second-wave feminism:
It's so surprising, then, especially in today's hyper-sensitive, post-Gloria Steinem world, that there's suck a lack of commentary on Tolkien and women. ... [Tolkien] strikes a very good balance between men and women and the extreme attitudes of femininity.
She then calls Arwen of The Lord of the Rings the "epitome of femininity," before continuing:
On one hand, there's the attitude that's normally on the conservative side -- as a conservative woman, I feel I can say this -- that stifles women. There's almost the stereotypical attitude of: to be a true woman, you have to stay at home.
She then takes gives her analysis a personal touch:
I've actually had people say to me, "Why do you choose a career over marriage?" Honestly, I've had only a few significant relationships and they've broken up with me. And one of the things I've been told is, "If you weren't so strong, you'd be married by now." So there's the one stereotypical attitude and then there's the extreme that says I don't need to be married. ... And what Tolkien shows, he strikes a very delicate balance between the two.
You can read Christine O'Donell's Tolkien conference paper, "The Women of Middle Earth," here, watch a video of her Lord of the Rings presentation of the same title here, and masturbate over it anywhere.
Commentarium (12 Comments)
Or... Maybe she'd be married if she wasn't... hmmm... so fucking crazy?? Just askin'....
I do believe that she walks around with Ben-wa balls inserted. And if they're the vibrating type, the setting is on high.
The lack of strong female characters in LOTR, or anything else about the book, is hardly news; it was first published in way back in 19554-55. Maybe Ms. O'Donnell keeps getting dumped not because she's strong, but because she's a jerk? Post-Steinem feminism allows women that freedom. Just sayin'.
Her sister is a lesbian.
i think it,s a great job
I wonder if Tina Fey is working in her O'Donnell impression - I have a feeling this one is going to be another comedic gold mine
I think most feminist would say a women should explore her own body. If you don't know how to please yourself, how do you expect a man to get you off. She's probably so frigid ice cubes fly out of her ass while she's having sex,
With great repression comes great freaky sex.
...and there are alot of powerful and strong character's in LOTR. Eowyn rode into battle dressed in man's armour and killed the Witch King, for example. Ok showing my geek now, but just sayin'
I didn't watch/read the whole thing, but the pull quotes make it seem like she is NOT saying there are no strong female characters in Tolkein's writing. Rather the opposite.
Agreed... even just from the quotes on this page, it looks like she's saying Tolkein struck a good balance between stereotypical portrayals of women and rather forward-thinking ones, as opposed to only having one or the other. "[Tolkien] strikes a very good balance between men and women and the extreme attitudes of femininity. "
This gal is definitely a nut job.....much of what Steinem said made sense, but none of this ladies thinking does.