The Mailer Review/Volume 2, 2008/Norman Mailer: Stupidity Brings Out Violence in Me: Difference between revisions

'''Mailer''': I said it in jest on a show with [[w:Orson Welles|Orson Welles]]. One of the troubles with the media is that they are horrendously humorless. They might as well be human walking computers, because whatever you say, it’s always assumed that you said it in a deadly earnest voice. We were chatting. He said, “Norman, you wrote recently that women are low, sloppy beasts.” This was all pre-[[w:Women's liberation movement|woman’s lib]]. And I said, “The rest of that quote is that they’re goddesses.” What I was trying to get into was the fundamental male viewpoint towards women: on the one hand we see them as goddesses, on the other hand, as low, sloppy beasts. And he said, “Beasts?” I started thinking of a few fights I’d had with the ex-wife and began to laugh. And I said, “Oh come on, Orson, women should be kept in cages.” If I had known what that remark was gonna cost, I’d of really bitten right through my lip before I ever said it. It was a stupid remark in terms of its cost. A moment’s fun which I’m paying for ever since.

'''Grobel''': There’s another remark you made: that it’s very dangerous to stick it up a woman’s ass, it tends to make them more promiscuous.