Controversial feminist Germaine Greer claimed on Thursday night 'little girls learn to flirt with their fathers' - and sending in British ground forces to Libya raises a risk of 'them raping in their turn' in an outrageous appearance on the BBC.
Her shocking comments were made on the Corporation's flagship Question Time programme where the panel was asked to discuss issues including the sexualisation of children and the conflict in the Middle East.
Ms Greer's responses caused anger within the audience, with catcalls of 'absolute rubbish' greeting her comments on British troops, while one questioner said her remarks on a child's goodnight kiss was 'an awful thing to say'.
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| Germaine Greer, appearing on Question Time last night, infuriated viewers with her controversial opinions |
At one point the assembled panel were asked a question about the report for the Government by Mothers' Union chief executive Reg Bailey on the sexualisation of children.
It was then that the outspoken academic told the audience in Norwich how children badgered their mothers for clothes which made them look older and for more Barbie dolls: 'There's always been this sinister culture that has gone along and it has always been sexual.
'The Barbie doll herself is a fetish, she's descended from a sex toy.
'Little girls learn to flirt with their fathers ... you know, "kiss daddy goodnight" and all this sort of business and you wonder whether what's happening in marketing is responsible or whether it is actually causing it.'
A father in the audience looked appalled by her comment. 'Who's going to teach my children to flirt with me? That is an awful thing to say.'
And when host David Dimbleby said her comments may offend many viewers, she further defended her position: 'It is encouraging girls to be coy and manipulative in the way they approach other people, and that is something that enters right into the culture.'
Mail on Sunday columnist Peter Hitchens, who was also a panellist, said her comments showed 'how sick we are as a society that people introduce sex into a goodnight kiss from a father to a daughter. It is unbelievable'.
And on sending ground troops into Libya - and the allegations that Gaddafi's troops had been ordered to rape as a weapon of war - she said: 'Rape is always present where we have slaughter.
'You don't have to have government fiat [order] to do it.
'One of the interesting things you might ask if we send in ground troops: how will we be sure they don't do a bit of raping in their turn?'
No stranger to controversy, earlier this month she claimed dogs should be killed to protect Britain's bluebells, while late last year she sparked another row by suggesting rape victims should name and shame their attackers online instead of reporting the sex crime to the police.
Her appearance prompted an instant response on Twitter and internet message boards, with one writer querying whether she had been 'on the pop' prior to filming.
A message on Twitter apparently from Channel Four journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy said: 'I'm all for a lively debate but you can book one too many from bonkers island sometimes #bbcqt enuf. To bed.'
Heat magazine's Boyd Hilton commented: 'Think it might be a while before Germaine gets invited back...'
Another wrote: 'She must of offended every dad watching.'
Other online forums were equally appalled at the comments, with Newkidontheblok writing on Digital Spy: 'I couldn't believe what I was hearing but was glad to hear the sharp intake of breath from the audience!!'
Fellow writer 0rch1deam added: 'The woman is a freak, I am astounded and furious at what she said there!'
© Daily Mail, London |
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