BillJune 26, 2009 13:36 EST

Camille Paglia is SO out of touch with the modern Gay man.

I really wish she would stop discussing us, as any of us who are under 35 could attest to the fact that she stills seems to see Gay men as they were in the 60's and 70's. (You know, the OLDEN days...) ; )

We HAVE evolved, while it appears that Camille Paglia has not. Gay men under 35 could care less about 'the camp' she says Gay men "have always taken very seriously." Maybe that was true 30-40 years ago, Camille. But today's Gay man is very, very different.

Camille might take the time to get to know a Gay man under 35. She may be surprised to find out that a lot has changed. A lot, it appears, except Camille Paglia.

AnonymousJune 26, 2009 15:19 EST

I get real sick of the 'deep-seated narcissism' of the baby-boomer generation. I also laughed hysterically when you used Camille Paglia and humility in the same sentence.

AnonymousJune 27, 2009 13:50 EST

Bill, did you read the whole paragraph?
Paglia goes on to point out the very thing you accuse her of not pointing out: the fact that most younger gay men aren't especially interested in camp. They may not be interested in it, but it's a viewpoint that has irrevocably infiltrated queer and straight culture, and acted as bridge between the two. It's here to stay. Feminist fridge magnets are camp. Austin Powers is camp. Once you've seen the world enriched through camp goggles, it's pretty much impossible to go back to the way you saw it before. Nb. It's camp with no article, not "the camp."

TimJune 27, 2009 15:24 EST

I saw Camille's ROM appearance and loved it, even if it was a little long (chalk my fidgeting up to the uncomfortable chairs, more than anything else).

If Paglia wants to do something about the decline in arts education, I really hope she puts her many talents to use and does some kind of documentary series. THere is a real hunger out there for real learning and she is well-placed to educate a lot of people. Even if it's just a website with a bunch of videos. I'll take anything.

Great interview too! Thanks guys.

Deasil WiddershinsJuly 05, 2009 08:56 EST

Culture today is just "more cowbell". Gay today is decorating and giving others dressing advice. Art today is 2 min youtube videos and 1 liners in emails. And when we think we're serious, we turn it into a pseudo sports competition. Yup, the baby boomers just keep whining their way through (emphasis here on the "baby" part of the name), pretending they're into something profound, on the road to ruining not 1 but 2 centuries. I wonder where real art and real people might actually be anymore?

DJ YoungJuly 08, 2009 15:08 EST

Just to take issue with her take on Twitter as leading to the end of long form, considered writing - I have to disagree. Twitter is simply a gateway that writers and others use to bring attention elsewhere. 140 characters or less is useful if you want to make a quick, snarky comment, but I'd never post a review or an essay like that. In fact, my most recent review is over 3000 words long and I frequently read other bloggers and reviewers and writers who use Twitter in the same way.

I do believe there is still a vast and unblinking army of writers out there who will never allow the fractured language of social networking to consume traditional discourse - this would truly mean an end to culture. Media tools are just that - tools, for the toolbox, not the arsenal.

SimoneAugust 07, 2009 12:34 EST

I think arts have moved towards different locii: multimedia, gaming, anime/manga and fanworks. At least that's what I see with the young people at the local middle and senior high schools. There is a lot of influence from Japan, Korea, India and China, and it seems to be very vibrant. Beyond that, art seems to be celebrated at venues like Burning Man or other community festivals. There is a component to it which is tied in with 'spontaneous' happenings, group or community centred activities as opposed to individual works, ephemerality (which is as much a socio-political statement as it is artistic), and technology.