Here, @NellieBowles writes a superb profile of Jordan Peterson: nyti.ms/2k4Hya2 There’s the stuff he says to her that is obviously headline-generating, such as this soulless and (in his case, ideologically hypocritical) “enforced monogamy” stuff 1/x 
But what also stands out here, and in his book, is his idea that mythological and religious tales are reflections of objective facts; that chaos is often presented in mythology as female because women are, in objective fact, associated with chaos. 2/x
This is an incredibly naive and sophomoric way of understanding mythology. They're stories and imagery, so they do a lot of things: They're how society talks to itself, makes sense of things, and forges and enforces ideas of how things ought to be. 3/x
This latter point is -- forging and enforcing the way things ought to be -- he's either willfully ignoring, or worse, simply doesn't understand. Myths describe chaos as female not just because it's "how things are" but because it's an assertion of "how things ought to be". 4/x
Part of Peterson's deep allure is that sprinkling references to ancient myths, legends and religious texts can make a completely banal and even wrong/stupid point sound deep and wise. I know; I've *done this myself*, heh. Alas. 5/x
I studied mythology in Northrop Frye's wonderful class "The Mythological Framework of Western Civilization" back in 1989. It got me super interested in stuff. But Frye understood this stuff was culture and literature, not revealed biological facts. 6/x
It occurs to me that part of Peterson's deep appeal is that a) the religious and classical mythological stuff is genuinely interesting and affecting, but b) it's one that a lot of public intellectuals don't much talk about anymore. 7/x
So the kids who flock to Peterson are getting this biblical / ancient greek / mesopotamian stuff for the first time, from him. They find it thrilling and interesting, as they should! But they're getting a *wretched* version of it. 8/x
I wish that, outside each of Peterson's talks, there was someone handing out copies of Mary Beard's "Women & Power" -- she's an insanely witty, erudite classicist who deeply respects the ancient works, and understands how they were also part of social control. 8/x
Another excellent example of someone using the classics and mythology to help us understand modern life -- but without falling into these sophomoric, Bio 101 ideas -- is Bryan Doerries with @TheaterofWar. Outstanding stuff! 9/x
So the upshot is, Peterson's naive wielding of mythology really depresses me. I want those who argue with his idiotic views to grasp and wield and delight in that literary tradition too, so he's not left alone to own and deform it. 10/10
