Reid, Ellen

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Mean Girl: Ayn Rand and the Culture of Greed – Book ReviewLSE Research Online URL for this paper: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/103828/Version: Published VersionOnline resource:Reid, Ellen (2020) Mean Girl: Ayn Rand and the Culture of Greed – Book Review. LSE Business Review (12 Jan 2020), pp. 1-3. Blog Entry. lseresearchonline@lse.ac.ukhttps://eprints.lse.ac.uk/ ReuseItems deposited in LSE Research Online are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved unless indicated otherwise. They may be downloaded and/or printed for private study, or other acts as permitted by national copyright laws. The publisher or other rights holders may allow further reproduction and re-use of the full text version. This is indicated by the licence information on the LSE Research Online record for the item.Mean	Girl:	Ayn	Rand	and	the	Culture	of	Greed	–	BookReviewMean	Girl:	Ayn	Rand	and	the	Culture	of	Greed.	Lisa	Duggan.	University	of	California	Press.	2019.In	1905,	Alissa	Zinovievna	Rosenbaum	was	born	into	a	middle-class	Jewish	family	inSt.	Petersburg,	Russia.	While	Rosenbaum	lived	a	relatively	comfortable	life	financiallyuntil	her	teens,	it	is	important	to	acknowledge	that	she	grew	up	in	what	Anne	C.	Hellerhas	described	as	‘the	most	anti-Semitic	and	politically	divided	nation	on	the	EuropeanContinent’.	Alissa’s	father’s	position	as	a	pharmacist,	and	his	use	of	variants	of	hisname,	enabled	the	Rosenbaums	to	have	greater	freedoms	than	many	other	Jewishpeople	living	in	Russia	under	the	Tsar,	where	the	threat	of	pogroms	was	constantlypresent.	Despite	the	fear	of	violence,	arrest	and/or	exile	for	the	Jewish	community	atthe	time,	her	father’s	career	as	a	pharmacist	grew	from	strength	to	strength,	allowingthe	Rosenbaums	to	become	part	of	the	Jewish	bourgeoisie.However,	in	1917,	when	the	Bolshevik	revolution	began,	the	Rosenbaum	familybusiness	was	seized	by	the	newly	established	socialist	government.	Rosenbaum’sfamily	fled	to	Crimea	to	escape	the	poverty	of	St.	Petersburg,	and	their	financialstability	and	social	capital	was	never	retrieved.	This	uprooting	and	loss	that	the	youngAlissa	experienced	affected	her	greatly,	and	she	held	this	sense	of	dispossessionwith	her	throughout	her	life.	Her	upbringing	had	hitherto	shielded	her	from	theexperiences	of	poverty	that	had	motivated	the	working	class	to	rise	up	against	Tsar	Nicholas	II	–	for	the	youngRosenbaum,	the	Bolshevik	revolution	was	a	gross	display	of	‘theft,	bullying,	and	the	exercise	of	illegitimate	powerby	people	who	did	not	deserve	it’	(Duggan,	18).	Her	obsession	with	Hollywood	cinema	and	her	disillusionment	withthe	loss	of	financial	and	social	capital	led	Rosenbaum	to	move	to	the	United	States	in	1926.	It	is	here	that	sheformally	changed	her	name	to	Ayn	Rand,	and	it	is	in	the	United	States	that	she	would	become	the	infamous	literary,cultural	and	political	icon	that	has	come	to	define	our	contemporary	culture	of	greed.There	are	few	authors	better	equipped	to	write	Mean	Girl,	this	new	thesis	on	Rand,	than	Lisa	Duggan.	With	Duggana	self-proclaimed	‘pinko	commie	queer’,	prospective	readers	may	assume	that	Mean	Girl	will	be	a	scathing	critiquefrom	cover	to	cover.	However,	the	‘weird	obsession’	Duggan	has	garnered	for	Rand	over	a	ten-year	period	(91)	hasresulted	in	a	book	that	gives	readers	a	deep,	insightful	and	nuanced	look	at	the	life,	philosophies	and	worlds	thatRand	inhabited	and	created.LSE Business Review: Mean Girl: Ayn Rand and the Culture of Greed – Book Review Page 1 of 3		Date originally posted: 2020-01-12Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/2020/01/12/mean-girl-ayn-rand-and-the-culture-of-greed-book-review/Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/The	blending	together	of	distrust	of	the	working	class,	ambivalence	towards	the	Jewish	community	and	erasure	ofthe	possibility	of	an	agentic,	female	subjectivity	marked	Rand’s	fictional	and	political	writings.	In	this	short	text,Duggan	illustrates	how	Rand’s	philosophical	and	literary	works	gave	way	to	a	new	world	order	based	on	‘ethicalegoism’,	rampant	individualism	and	a	surge	in	capitalistic	endeavours	that	put	profit	before	people,	public	servicesand	the	environment.	Throughout	Mean	Girl,	Duggan	illuminates	the	seductive	qualities	of	Rand’s	writing	andhighlights	how	her	ambivalences	enamoured	the	most	power-hungry	and	privileged,	arming	them	with	a	newhypocritical	language	that	has	seemingly	stunned	the	masses	into	believing	that	surrendering	solidarity	will	solve	allof	society’s	problems.Running	parallel	to	her	narration	of	Rand’s	life,	Duggan	subtly	links	Rand’s	politics	and	positionality	to	the	ethicsand	ethos	of	modern	Western	society	(particularly	in	the	United	States)	where	the	‘Season	of	Mean	is	truly	upon	us’(xiii).		Duggan	highlights	how	the	power	imbalances	and	problematic	representations	of	gender,	race	and	ethnicityin	Rand’s	fictional	works	–	which	typically	place	white,	male,	imperialist	‘heroes’	at	the	forefront	–	have	beenreproduced,	institutionalised	and	legitimised	in	our	modern	world.	This	text	is	particularly	prescient	in	a	time	whenright-wing	populism	is	gaining	traction,	allowing	those	in	power	to	be	utterly	unapologetic	about	the	cruelty	theyproduce	–	be	it	through	law,	policy	and/or	the	tolerance	of	hate	speech,	amongst	other	issues.Duggan	opens	Mean	Girl	by	introducing	readers	to	the	slew	of	contemporary	fans	of	Rand	–	including	PresidentDonald	Trump	as	well	as	technology	venture	capitalists	like	Uber	co-founder,	Travis	Kalanik,	associated	with	acompany	that	stands	accused	of	exploitation.	Most	notably,	the	common	strand	that	connects	Rand’s	fans	togetheris	that	they	are	largely	cisgender,	heterosexual	white	men	who	have	swathes	of	privilege	–	yet	this	privilege	is	rarelyacknowledged,	creating	a	false	idea	that	the	contemporary	world	operates	under	a	fair	and	just	meritocracy.	This	isparticularly	interesting	to	consider	as	Rand	has	been	described	as	having	‘a	particular	genius’	which	allowed	her	tomould	the	most	privileged	of	characters	into	the	most	oppressed,	legitimising	those	at	the	top	as	the	only	vehiclesof	progression	for	society.	At	their	core,	Rand’s	ideologies	purport	that	being	selfish	and	greedy	are	not	onlydesirable	qualities,	but	necessary	in	order	to	succeed.While	many	of	us	may	have	knowledge	of	Rand	as	a	literary	icon	who	authored	novels	including	The	Fountainhead(1943)	and	Atlas	Shrugged	(1957),	Duggan’s	text	also	provides	a	deep	dive	into	her	political	musings	andphilosophical	writings.	Rand	developed	a	philosophical	movement	known	as	‘Objectivism’	in	the	early	1950s.	TheObjectivist	Collective	asserted	the	need	to	be	selfish,	promoted	individualism	and	argued	that	the	ideal	political-economic	system	for	a	successful	world	was	laissez-faire	capitalism	(10).	At	its	peak,	Objectivism	had	a	3,500strong	following	across	the	United	States	in	1967	(67),	yet	many	contemporary	cultural	commentatorsacknowledged	the	almost	cult-like	behaviour	of	its	followers.	One	requirement	of	becoming	a	student	of	Objectivismat	the	Nathaniel	Braden	Institute	was	to	swear	that	‘Ayn	Rand	is	the	greatest	human	being	who	has	ever	lived’(Braden	in	Duggan,	68).	While	the	Objectivist	Collective	disbanded	in	the	late	1960s,	Rand’s	philosophicalmovement	lives	on	through	the	Ayn	Rand	Institute,	which	purports	that	Objectivism	is	‘a	philosophy	for	living	onearth’.Using	her	signature	wit,	Duggan	eloquently	yet	accessibly	charts	how	Rand’s	fiction	is	viewed	as	the	‘gateway	drug’to	right-wing	politics.	Yet,	interestingly	enough,	Duggan	also	highlights	how	her	work	has	been	co-opted	by	someleftist	groups.	As	a	researcher	interested	in	queer	studies	and	queer	theory	(of	which	Duggan	can	be	considered	agiant),	for	me	one	of	the	most	striking	revelations	provided	in	Mean	Girl	is	the	coveting	of	Rand	by	queer	groupsoffering	queer	readings	of	her	work.	While	Rand	is	widely	known	as	being	homophobic	(ii),	there	has	beensignificant	investment	in	her	political	and	philosophical	writings	by	queer	readers	of	her	fiction,	who	are	ofteninterested	in	the	homoeroticism	and	polyamorous	portrayals	within	her	work	first	and	foremost.	However,	thisinterest	in	Rand	on	the	part	of	LGBTI+/queer	people	highlights	how	pervasive	her	influence	is	–	regardless	of	hertrue	politics	and	ethics,	readers	often	see	some	sort	of	value	and	merit	in	her	work,	which	is	reminiscent	of	howpeople	can	fall	into	the	trap	of	neoliberalism.	The	illusion	of	the	‘good’	life,	an	alternative	world	in	which	life	is	worthliving,	is	central	to	Rand’s	writings	as	with	neoliberalism.	The	catch	is,	however,	that	only	those	who	are	the	mostrelentless	with	their	privilege	and/or	greed	get	to	achieve	such	a	life.LSE Business Review: Mean Girl: Ayn Rand and the Culture of Greed – Book Review Page 2 of 3		Date originally posted: 2020-01-12Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/2020/01/12/mean-girl-ayn-rand-and-the-culture-of-greed-book-review/Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/Duggan’s	book	helps	readers	to	be	alert	to	Rand’s	true	intentions	–	to	instil	egoism	in	her	readers,	and	to	promote	acold,	harsh,	unregulated	capitalism	in	the	name	of	individual	freedom	and	technological	and	social	progression.	In	asimilar	vein,	‘soft’	neoliberals	have	captured	the	hearts	and	minds	of	many	(Western)	societies	and	their	politicalspheres	due	to	their	invisible	cruel	intents.	For	example,	in	true	Mean	Girls	fashion,	we	end	up	trying	to	follow	in	thefootsteps	of	the	cruellest	of	humankind,	just	like	the	‘beta’	women	in	Mean	Girls	follow	Regina	George.	Rand’s	workhas	lulled	admirers	into	believing	that	we	are	means	to	ends	in	ourselves,	and	that	the	individual	should	be	heldabove	all	else.Duggan’s	skills	as	a	cultural	historian	and	her	sharp-witted	socio-political	commentary	fuse	seamlessly	together	inthis	short	yet	fascinating	book	that	is	a	necessary	read	for	students	of	culture	and	politics,	but	also	activists	andorganisers	who	feel	the	deep	disillusionment	of	what	seems	like	a	never-ending	neoliberal	era.	Mean	Girl	is	also	anessential	text	for	anyone	interested	in	the	insidious	shift	towards	neoliberalism,	and	how	the	spectre	of	Rand	hasshaped	the	political	landscape,	inhabited	morality	and	made	ethical	egoism	and	rampant	individualism	a	newcultural	creed.	This	book	is	incredibly	prescient	at	a	time	when	we	are	on	the	verge	of	environmental	collapse,when	we	are	bearing	witness	to	a	new	rise	of	right-wing	populism	and	when	solidarity	has	become	a	word	withoutany	weight.	For	Duggan,	this	is	not	just	a	book	about	Rand.	It	is	a	call	for	revolution	against	the	grain	of	the	cis-heteropatriarchal,	white	supremacist	societies	we	live	in.	Duggan	urges	readers	to	‘expose	the	cruelty	at	the	heartof	neoliberalism,	and	build	on	the	social	solidarity	[Rand]	worked	so	hard	to	discredit’	(90).	As	Duggan	writes,	wemust	reject	Ayn	Rand	and	all	her	acolytes	–	because,	after	all,	they	reject	us.	♣♣♣This	blog	post	appeared	originally	on	LSE	Review	of	Books.The	post	gives	the	views	of	its	author(s),	not	the	position	of	LSE	Business	Review	or	the	London	School	ofEconomics	and	Political	Science.Featured	image	credit:	david_jones	CC	BY	2.0When	you	leave	a	comment,	you’re	agreeing	to	our	Comment	PolicyEllen	Reid	is	a	graduate	of	the	University	of	Limerick	and	University	College	Cork.	She	is	currently	a	second	yearPhD	student	and	Departmental	Research	Fellow	at	the	Department	of	Sociology,	University	of	Limerick.	Her	PhDresearch	is	an	investigation	of	the	impacts	and	mechanisms	of	bisexual	erasure	during	the	Republic	of	Ireland’smarriage	equality	referendum	in	2015.	Her	research	interests	are	predominantly	in	the	area	of	gender	studies,sexuality	studies,	social	movements	and	queer	perspectives	on	popular	culture.	LSE Business Review: Mean Girl: Ayn Rand and the Culture of Greed – Book Review Page 3 of 3		Date originally posted: 2020-01-12Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/2020/01/12/mean-girl-ayn-rand-and-the-culture-of-greed-book-review/Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/

Mean Girl: Ayn Rand and the Culture of Greed – Book Review

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Mean Girl: Ayn Rand and the Culture of Greed – Book Review

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