She's so full of shit. She loved being interviewed by this guy, she loved his questions and she loved her rudeness. She was famous among her friiends for pushing working people around. He should have told her he was a wealthy heir with some time on his hands and was looking for a little diversion from the boredom of his wrap around penthouse on 5th Ave overlooking Central Park. She would have sat upright and jumped to answer anything he wanted to know.
One thing that bothers me about Paglia (of whom I am a sometimes fan) is that she is always frenetically trying to fit everything into some semiotic structure, often of a literary metaphorical nature. What I can appreciate about Sontag is that she no longer feels comfortable with that brand of intellectualism, or so it appears in this particular interview. Very Derrida-esque of her.
I also have many interests and most of them have to do with history, cultural history, social history, etc. I'm fascinated by the "internalisation process" in the study of history, how the mind develops a detailed picture of a historical situation. At first you look at the body of data in a rigidly objective way, but then the mind begins to take it in, to internalise it, and it all begins to live in the mind, until suddenly it is like a familiar room you have visited many times.
As someone who is a writer and journalist himself, i can sort of understand where Sontag is coming from in terms of irrelevant and pointless questions. that said, there are millions of creative people in this world who are grasping at straws to get their name in the publishing world and true talent and still make little headway. The point is, inane questions or not, someone is taking time to interview you and see your viewpoint, so loose the 'tude and be goddamn grateful.
You can tell she's lying about never having heard of Paglia because of her answer to the follow-up question, "Does pop culture interest you?" Answer: "I don't think in those terms." She doesn't want to talk about pop culture because she knows that it is Paglia's forte.
Of course the writers she admired also happened to be her own friends (i.e. Hardwick, Barthelme, Pinckney). I do love this woman deeply... I just read S. Nunez's "Sempre Sontag" and loved her all the more! Paglia was right about her, as in one of the other ways to adore Sontag was for her "public theater." I couldn't agree more. (See Paglia's "Vamps & Tramps" included therein a memoir of her encounter Sontag. Not superior to Nunez's, but will get you writhing on the floor with laughter!)
She is so bloody bitchy and nasty in this interview, such a mean, mean Yenta and yet you wind up liking her throughout. I admire how the interviewer remained thoroughly unruffled. Susan must have been having a bad day.
Sontag is one of the greatest bitches of all time. She sees exactly where its going here - I notice he is not capable of asking her about her work. But she is being very disingenuous to even agree to be interviewed.
wonder why she's so defensive...she's projecting her insecurities onto the poor interviewer...and yes she ought to be aware of who Camille Paglia is...how insular! clearly that's why she's got her back up!
xeroxes!
enhausmann 2 weeks ago
She's so full of shit. She loved being interviewed by this guy, she loved his questions and she loved her rudeness. She was famous among her friiends for pushing working people around. He should have told her he was a wealthy heir with some time on his hands and was looking for a little diversion from the boredom of his wrap around penthouse on 5th Ave overlooking Central Park. She would have sat upright and jumped to answer anything he wanted to know.
rscmrsmd 2 weeks ago
She's insufferable.
happylilsunbeam 3 weeks ago
rude
knightschwartz 1 month ago
"the white race is the cancer of human history" -Susan Sontag
knightschwartz 1 month ago
man, this must be old1 What is Entertainment weekly doing talking about a serious writer?!
ccipollini1984 1 month ago
One thing that bothers me about Paglia (of whom I am a sometimes fan) is that she is always frenetically trying to fit everything into some semiotic structure, often of a literary metaphorical nature. What I can appreciate about Sontag is that she no longer feels comfortable with that brand of intellectualism, or so it appears in this particular interview. Very Derrida-esque of her.
greatsea 2 months ago
I also have many interests and most of them have to do with history, cultural history, social history, etc. I'm fascinated by the "internalisation process" in the study of history, how the mind develops a detailed picture of a historical situation. At first you look at the body of data in a rigidly objective way, but then the mind begins to take it in, to internalise it, and it all begins to live in the mind, until suddenly it is like a familiar room you have visited many times.
diffnature 2 months ago
As someone who is a writer and journalist himself, i can sort of understand where Sontag is coming from in terms of irrelevant and pointless questions. that said, there are millions of creative people in this world who are grasping at straws to get their name in the publishing world and true talent and still make little headway. The point is, inane questions or not, someone is taking time to interview you and see your viewpoint, so loose the 'tude and be goddamn grateful.
ccipollini1984 2 months ago
Are we not speaking english..
Yaaxhe 3 months ago
What a salty old bird.
SoFunnyYouExplode 3 months ago
What a pathetic woman.
SoFunnyYouExplode 3 months ago
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ccipollini1984 3 months ago
Comment removed
kaleidoscopegang 5 months ago
You can tell she's lying about never having heard of Paglia because of her answer to the follow-up question, "Does pop culture interest you?" Answer: "I don't think in those terms." She doesn't want to talk about pop culture because she knows that it is Paglia's forte.
iamasickman 5 months ago
Of course the writers she admired also happened to be her own friends (i.e. Hardwick, Barthelme, Pinckney). I do love this woman deeply... I just read S. Nunez's "Sempre Sontag" and loved her all the more! Paglia was right about her, as in one of the other ways to adore Sontag was for her "public theater." I couldn't agree more. (See Paglia's "Vamps & Tramps" included therein a memoir of her encounter Sontag. Not superior to Nunez's, but will get you writhing on the floor with laughter!)
Rhopoe 5 months ago
She is so bloody bitchy and nasty in this interview, such a mean, mean Yenta and yet you wind up liking her throughout. I admire how the interviewer remained thoroughly unruffled. Susan must have been having a bad day.
MyBetty111 5 months ago
God almighty what an arrogant narcissus Susan Sontag is. She was right about one thing, though. She knows Jack Shit about anything.
tomcat39843 6 months ago
I admire her patience with this interviewer. I would have gone ballistic.
lilygalore 6 months ago
Sontag is one of the greatest bitches of all time. She sees exactly where its going here - I notice he is not capable of asking her about her work. But she is being very disingenuous to even agree to be interviewed.
logotrix 6 months ago 4
she's waaaaaaaaaaaay to smart for most of these idiots.
logotrix 6 months ago 2
"I'm not a pundit... I don't have soundbites... I don't think that way... No, I don't and I've said it in countless interviews..."
Fascinating interview fail.
JoanWasQuizzical1 6 months ago
Sontag's kind of...a bitch. But I like her. I could listen to her not answer questions all the livelong day.
CastleRockFan 6 months ago 3
Did anybody ever put a tack on this woman's throne? She needed it.
sfca925 7 months ago
SHE is just nasty!!! the interviewer should have simply asked, "tell me what to ask you, then!"
cirosuperiore 7 months ago
wonder why she's so defensive...she's projecting her insecurities onto the poor interviewer...and yes she ought to be aware of who Camille Paglia is...how insular! clearly that's why she's got her back up!
coolieduppy 8 months ago
@coolieduppy she is not defensive, she just makes a point. and why should she supposed to know each and every mayfly?
lilygalore 6 months ago 2
"And you know I don't. I've said it in countless interviews."
LOL.
costernocht 8 months ago 3
She was a bit grouchy here.
TheSonjaxfactor 8 months ago
Who is Camille Paglia? I have never heard of Camille Paglia either......
mitsolas 8 months ago 3
That was the spikiest, most bad-ass interview I've ever seen. Bravo.
DomesticGhost 9 months ago
Susan is not suffering this fool interviewer lightly. Too bad he didn't come with the kind of questions that would have befitted her fine intellect.
ohthelovelypoems 9 months ago
*it's the Volcano LOVER. Whoever uploaded this sounds about as well informed as the interviewer in this video.
edgegreed 10 months ago 4
@edgegreed That's because I don't give a shit
wgbhstocksales 9 months ago 4
@wgbhstocksales
clearly
ccipollini1984 2 months ago