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SCUM Manifesto

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The 'SCUM Manifesto' by Valerie Solanas is a radical feminist text that critiques society's treatment of women and calls for the eradication of men. Solanas paints men as oppressive and selfish beings, arguing that women must rise up as the Society for Cutting Up Men (SCUM) to abolish the current social structures and establish a female-dominated society. The manifesto delves into topics such as gender programming, societal oppression, and the need for radical change in the face of male dominance.

Writing/Prose:

The prose combines satire and hyperbole with poetic elements, resulting in a provocative tone that challenges societal norms.

Plot/Storyline:

The work critically examines societal issues stemming from male dominance and presents radical proposals for women's liberation.

Setting:

The setting is 1960s America during a time of social change, envisioning a future that liberates women from male influence.

Pacing:

The text is densely packed with ideas and maintains a quick pacing, making it an accessible and swift read.
In 1968 Jacques Derrida brought out his pathbreaking essay, “The Ends of Man,” and Valerie Solanas began earnestly distributing SCUM Manifesto. In June of that year she gunned down Andy Warhol as he w...

Notes:

Valerie Solanas wrote the SCUM Manifesto in 1967, presenting radical feminist views.
She believed that men are the root of societal problems and advocated for their abolition.
Solanas referred to men as 'walking abortions' and claimed women are biologically superior.
Her manifesto suggests the formation of a group called SCUM, which stands for Society for Cutting Up Men.
She proposed a concept called 'unworking,' where women would get jobs but not actually work until capitalism collapses.
Solanas shot Andy Warhol in 1968, which raised her profile but also led to her institutionalization.
Up Your Ass, another work by Solanas, was written in 1965 but wasn't published until 2014.
The SCUM Manifesto was initially seen as outrageous and violent but later regarded as a significant feminist text.
Solanas's views included extreme criticism of traditional gender roles and a rejection of all sex between men and women.
She saw male control as a form of oppression affecting women's ability to thrive in society.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The book contains high content warnings for themes such as violence, anti-male sentiments, mental health issues, and strong language, which may be disturbing to some readers.

From The Publisher:

Classic radical feminist statement from the woman who shot Andy Warhol

"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."

Outrageous and violent, SCUM Manifesto was widely lambasted when it first appeared in 1968. Valerie Solanas, the woman who shot Andy Warhol, self-published the book just before she became a notorious household name and was confined to a mental institution. But for all its vitriol, it is impossible to dismiss as the mere rantings of a lesbian lunatic. In fact, the work has proved prescient, not only as a radical feminist analysis light years ahead of its time-predicting artificial insemination, ATMs, a feminist uprising against underrepresentation in the arts-but also as a stunning testament to the rage of an abused and destitute woman.

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