SCUM Manifesto
From Open Encyclopedia
Image:ValerieSolanasSCUMCover.gifThe SCUM Manifesto (Society for Cutting Up Men) is a misandrous tract written in 1968 by Valerie Solanas - a prostitute, pan-handler, and psychology graduate. She was later convicted for the attempted murder of Andy Warhol.
The manifesto is a vitriolic and obscenity-laden assault on men. In it, Solanas discusses how a revolution could be brought about to implement a communistic society populated only by women, and why this should be done. The SCUM Manifesto is a political manifesto that challenges misogyny and patriarchy and promotes hatred of men.
Later in life, after serving her prison sentence, Solanas tried to distance herself somewhat from the book, claiming that the manifesto was not to be taken seriously. However, at her arraignment for the Warhol shootings, she told the crowd of reporters and police: "Read my manifesto and it will tell you who I am." [1]
Sisterhood Is Powerful edited by Robin Morgan included excerpts of the SCUM Manifesto.
Contents |
Quotes from the SCUM manifesto
Solanas argued throughout the entire book for the elimination of males:
- 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
Solanas also argues that men are inherently inferior to women:
- Retaining the male has not even the dubious purpose of reproduction. The male is a biological accident: the y(male) gene is an incomplete x(female) gene, that is, has an incomplete set of chromosomes. In other words, the male is an incomplete female, a walking abortion, aborted at the gene stage. To be male is to be deficient, emotionally limited; maleness is a deficiency disease and males are emotional cripples.
She points out the similarities between capitalist and communist societies both entrenched in patriarchy:
- A true community consists of individuals - not mere species members, not couples - respecting each other's individuality and privacy, at the same time interacting with each other mentally and emotionally - free spirits in free relation to each other and co-operating with each other to achieve common ends. Traditionalists say the basic unit of "society" is the family; "hippies" say the tribe; no-one says the individual.
She describes in dramatic terms her vision of the coming revolution:
- SCUM will keep on destroying, looting, fucking-up and killing until the money-work system no longer exists and automation is completely instituted or until enough women co-operate with SCUM to make violence unnecessary to achieve these goals.
- The sick, irrational men, those who attempt to defend themselves against their disgustingness, when they see SCUM barrelling down on them, will cling in terror to Big Mama with her Big Bouncy Boobies, but Boobies won't protect them against SCUM; Big Mama will be clinging to Big Daddy, who will be in the corner shitting in his forceful, dynamic pants. Men who are rational, however, won't kick or struggle or raise a distressing fuss, but will just sit back, relax, enjoy the show and ride the waves to their demise.
(Some quotes are from the 1983 reprint, published by the Matriarchy Study Group)
Film adaptation
- Scum Manifesto is also a 1976 movie written by Valerie Solanas and directed by Carole Roussopoulos and Delphine Seyrig
Warhol
Warhol later satirized the whole event in a subsequent movie, "Women In Revolt", calling a group similar to Solanas' S.C.U.M. , 'P.I.G.' (Politically Involved Girlies).
