02/28/2026
VALERIE SOLANAS: Hrm . . .
'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 eliminate the male s*x.
SCUM Manifesto is a self-published misandrist manifesto by Valerie Solanas, an American radical feminist and attempted murderer.[1][2] Published in 1967, it argues that men have ruined the world, and that it is up to women to fix it. To achieve this goal, it suggests the formation of SCUM, an organization dedicated to overthrowing society and genocide of the male s*x. While it has sometimes been described as a satire or parody,[3][4] Solanas herself denied that the work was "a put on" and insisted that her intent was "dead serious".[5]
The term SCUM appeared on the cover of the first edition from Olympia Press, as "S.C.U.M." and was said to stand for "Society for Cutting Up Men".[6] Solanas objected, insisting that it was not an acronym, although the expanded term appeared in a Village Voice ad she had written in 1967.[7]
The SCUM Manifesto was little-known until Solanas attempted to murder the artist Andy Warhol in 1968, which brought significant public attention to the SCUM Manifesto and Solanas herself.[8][9]
