“A book that hails gendercide constantly. When men like Harvey Weinstein and Roman Polinski are lauded and defended by Hollywood lovies despite it being widely known they are sexual predators, the Manifesto gives us the opportunity to laugh out loud at the bravery, resilience, and sheer madness that comes with finally giving up and allowing our anger to spew out into the world.Īs one reader put it: “Regardless of whether or not Solanas believed everything she wrote, the Manifesto is an interesting reversal of exactly the kind of shit men have been saying about women for fucking ever.” When a president of the US was elected after his bragging about grabbing women’s “pussies” and forcing his mouth on hers was broadcast to the world, I am inclined to think it was because of, not in spite of showing himself up as the misogynistic jerk he is. In today’s climate of Trumpism and the #MeToo movement, man-hating should be seen as a proud, feminist response. Women have been under siege for centuries, and resistance feels exhilarating, whether in the form of waving placards, or reading radical statements about feminist fight-back. Blaming men for the ills of the world is underrated. What I love about this book is how it promotes straightforward man-hating. “Life in this society being, at best, an utter bore and no aspect of society being at all relevant to women, there remains to civic-minded, responsible, thrill-seeking females only to overthrow the government, eliminate the money system, institute complete automation, and DESTROY THE MALE SEX”. The first line, which somewhat grabbed my attention when I was given a copy of my 21st birthday, reads: Solanas died in 1988 of pneumonia.īut about the book. She was imprisoned for three years, and spent time in a psychiatric locked ward. The book was made famous when, a year after publication, Solanas shot Andy Warhol, having become paranoid about him stealing her creative ideas. Written in 1967, Solanas, a radical feminist, argues that men have ruined the world and that women have to fix it. That is why I am taking SCUM Manifesto, by Valerie Solanas, on holiday this year. What to take on holiday to read? I don’t like anything too serious or weighty when I am lying on a sunbed, but a relaxing time off is a perfect time to reread favourites or catch up on classics.

Scum manifesto