The multi-media presentation centers on six queens from Ancient Egypt, each of who rose to the top power positions in ancient Egypt.
IN PERSON
What:When women ruled the world
WhereThe Royal Theatre
When: Today, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $39.50 at rmts.bc.ca or by phone at 250-386-6121.
Kara Cooney, a UCLA professor covers a lot of ground in her National Geographic Live! presentation, When women ruled the WorldFrom the agricultural revolution to hunter–gatherer culture.
The popular Discovery Channel host said she eventually gets around to the topic of Egypt, on which she is an authority, “just when people are elbowing the person beside them, saying ‘You said there was going to be Egypt!’ ”
The best-selling author knows that her expertise is what people come for and this is what led her to eight memorable appearances at The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
Cooney uses Ancient Egypt within the context of National Geographic Live! Talk as a spoonful sugar to help the medicine sink. Cooney wants to talk about the bigger picture at the Royal Theatre tonight.
“We all agree that society is changing drastically and we all agree that society right now is pretty crappy,” she said from Los Angeles, where she is based.
“We only change when we have to. It happens very quickly when people have to make changes. And it is going to happen in way that we don’t necessarily expect.”
She is a UCLA professor of Egyptian art, architecture, and a former student. The World was Ruled by WomenHer 2018 book of that name was based on her many excavations and archaeological digs in Egypt. The multi-media presentation centers on six queens from Ancient Egypt, each of which rose to the top power positions in ancient Egypt.
There’s a thread that connects all six that will not be spoiled here, but Cooney will deliver it tonight. Women in power in Ancient Egypt should be used as a cautionary tale in today’s world, Cooney said, as it ended quickly and horribly for the aforementioned six — five of whom were pharaohs at one point.
“There’s all kinds of ways of seeing this as highly problematic,” she said.
“When you are dealing with that many women, it’s just patterns and how they connect. But when we get to the end, it’s about how female power can save the world.”
Cooney promises that the presentation will be lively and informative, despite its dark tone. She’s a terrific interview, so all signs point to humour playing a big part in her presentation. She doesn’t use notes, which means her talk is different every time. Cooney said she will add relatable analogies, depending on what’s trending in the world.
Cooney stated that Egypt, with all its glamour and Elizabeth Taylor-star vehicles, is still mysterious. Cooney said that the power of kings and Pharaohs was intoxicating and their wealth was alluring. She said that these are the key characteristics of almost every man today in power. “We are obsessed with making that power and wealth God-given,” she said.
“It’s a very American thing, and a very British Imperial thing, to think that we are leaders because the gods have chosen us. It’s very Calvinist, in a way.”
Cooney stated that she knows what men are thinking before they arrive so she can provide an answer. “I’m not man-hating. I’m pro human. This patriarchal bullshit ain’t bullshit. There’s got to be a stopping point for this unsustainable smash-and-grab. War is one thing. Cutting down forests and seeing lumber as a commodity is another.
“These women were used as pawns and placeholders. They could do the job. They were intelligent. Can we do this again? Yes, but we have to change the system or nothing will change.”
