History is how we have learnt to think about ourselves. It's not as though the Greeks and Romans are static entities out there to be discovered and translated. We make them speak, we talk to them, and they inform what we say.
Mary BeardRead
A lot of sexism is just very silly... and the best response is laughter and ridicule.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Sexism often stems from irrationality and can be effectively countered with humor.
Mary Beard's quote highlights the absurdity of sexism, suggesting that much of it is rooted in silliness and irrational thoughts. By responding with laughter and ridicule, we not only undermine the seriousness of sexist attitudes but also foster a culture where such behaviors are less tolerated and more openly challenged.
Themes
SexismHumorLaughterRidiculeAbsurdity
In practice
Example use cases
In a presentation about gender equality, you could use this quote to emphasize the importance of using humor to combat sexist remarks.
More from Mary Beard
All quotes →I don't think that we are completely dominated by what we have inherited from the past, but it is the case that as far back as you can go - just to Homer, but also to the literature of Rome, the literature of the Middle Ages and Renaissance - what you will find is that women's voices are not taken seriously.
Mary BeardRead
What politicians do is they never get the rhetoric wrong, and the price they pay is they don't speak the truth as they see it. Now, I will speak truth as I see it, and sometimes I don't get the rhetoric right. I think that's a fair trade-off.
Mary BeardRead
I'd quite like to be in Caligula's court - living in the back room somewhere and just being able to observe.
Mary BeardRead
Whatever you say about popular culture, people like people who know things, who are experts, and it doesn't particularly matter what they look like.
Mary BeardRead
There is no way, absolutely no way, that I would want people to stop reading the 'Odyssey.' But I want them to read it with their eyes open. To notice it and then to think what it says about us.
Mary BeardRead
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