Feminists in History · 04. May 2020

Transcript by Gabrielle Dubois of a 1975 television interview #6 Question: You mentioned the letters and responses to The Second Sex. When it first came out, even if it wasn’t seen as a militant work, it was an intellectual scandal for a lot of people. How was The Second Sex received? Simone de Beauvoir: In France, the backbiting went wild. Many men were extremely outraged. Even men whom I thought were left wing, liberal, egalitarian, were upset by this book. Question: Because it challenged...

Feminists in History · 02. May 2020

A 1975 French television interview, transcript by Gabrielle Dubois #5 Question: You say it’s not productive, but many women listening to us believe that raising their children, succeeding in that very difficult task of preparing the next generation to do their best ― it’s basically women who do this job ― and other little things like creating a nice home and family environment, that all of that doesn’t count… Simone de Beauvoir: I didn’t say it didn’t count, I said it is not...

Feminists in History · 30. April 2020

A 1975 French television interview, transcript by Gabrielle Dubois #4 Question: Can you give us an example of the child’s age and the kind of treatment you’re talking about? Simone de Beauvoir: Elena Belotti is a paediatrician and she knows a lot about this issue. Her book shows that even when breastfeeding, mothers treat girls differently. A certain aggressiveness in the way a little boy suckles is encouraged much more than a little girl. When the little boy gets older and start making...

Feminists in History · 25. April 2020

Simone de Beauvoir, Transcript by Gabrielle Dubois of a 1975 television interview #2 Copyright © Gabrielle Dubois