ThinkProgress has a great video regarding the recent rise in popularity for Atlas Shrugged and Ayn Rand’s philosophy:
I think my favorite thing about the Tea Partiers gushing and worshiping at the altar of Ayn Rand is the way her philosophy completely and utterly contradicts the philosophy of the conservative movement’s other favorite poster child, Jesus Christ. You know, the guy they’re always invoking whenever they want to blame progressives and liberals for the downfall of our country?
South Park nicely sums it up for us:
Having said all this, I have to make a confession:
I read The Fountainhead. And I liked it.
I find Rand’s belief in selfishness and the idea that very few people in this world “deserve love” to be utterly abhorrent and disgusting. And the story is clearly problematic from a feminist angle, considering the romance between Howard Roark and Dominique Francon begins with him raping her. But I have to admit that I liked all of the architecture talk and description of buildings, and the idea of an artist and creator striking out to create for himself, rather than selling out his style to conform to what others wanted or what was socially “acceptable,” was very appealing to the writer in me.
In short, I wish The Fountainhead hadn’t been written by Ayn Rand.
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Hee, I did read The Fountainhead and did mostly like it, but what’s funny to me is also read Atlas Shrugged and I can’t remember a thing about it. It felt like it was the exact same book as TF (only longer and more boring), and that exposed what a one trick pony she was at least in creative literary terms.
While I reject her philosophy entirely, I was extremely frustrated when I read it in HS because I kept trying to poke holes in her arguments, but it all flowed so logically from her flawed and repugnant premise!
I do wonder how Objectivism and something like the Tiger Mother fit together though. If Amy Chua is a Rand fan, I would bet she isn’t even though her child rearing reflects much of what Rand valued: pure achievement as primary purpose and worth.
While I reject her philosophy entirely, I was extremely frustrated when I read it in HS because I kept trying to poke holes in her arguments, but it all flowed so logically from her flawed and repugnant premise!
Well, one thing Rand has over the Tea Partiers today is CONSISTENCY. Her philosophy is garbage but at least she stood by it!
I still have Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother on my bookshelf and it’s next on my to-read list. That’s a fascinating parallel you’ve presented.