I wonder if a scholar, writer or journalist, no matter how willing, can ever run away from cultural stereotypes and become truly objective. Can we. But that'd be another debate.

The topic of Robespierre and sex-or-lack-thereof is both interesting and annoying, when used as an argument pro the "cold bastard" image. If he were, sorry to put it a bit vulgar, chasing everything female (or male, or both), it would also be probably used by his opponents as an argumant for the image mentioned. All is good to support the images people have in their heads.