Friday 20 May 2011

Once in a Blue Moon a woman decides for herself.

I know that this 'news' story has been and gone but I found this cartoon a while ago that I wanted to put up here and then I lost it... and seeing as I've just found it again I thought I might as well blog it now. It's a bit blurry because I stretched it here - I hope you can still read the words.

Nigella Lawson recently wore a 'burquini' on a beach in Australia and caused uproar in the national tabloids. The Daily Mail declared that she looked 'utterly daft' and Judith Woods for the Telegraph went so far as to say that Nigella had 'betrayed her own brand' by choosing to cover up on the beach, thereby apparently negating all she's ever said about liking her body, enjoying food and celebrating curves. People have very quickly refuted the fact that she might have covered up to protect her skin - despite the fact that Nigella's mother, sister and late husband all died of varying forms of cancer, and Nigella is a supporter of the Lavender Trust which helps women with breast cancer. It's also worth remembering that Nigella has pale skin and she was on a beach in Australia which sits right below the biggest hole in the O-Zone layer... But the reason she decided to wear burquini really is irrelevant. This a clear case of "damned if you do, damned if you don't" - had pictures been published of Nigella in a string bikini alongside her slender friend, the tabloids would have been out with their red-pens and "Circles of Shame" to highlight her cellulite, her tummy rolls, her fat thighs... and would have gleefully declared that they were right all along: you can eat all the Nigella's Chocolate Fudge Cake you want... but don't dare go out in public afterwards and show yourself to be anything less than picture perfect! Woods asks: "does [Nigella] not give a damn at all? Does she give a damn just too darned much? Is she hiding her thighs or concealing an ill-judged tattoo?"

and seems to be outraged by both the idea that Nigella might be so ashamed of her body that she chooses to cover up in a burquini (though she decrees that a tankini or a kaftan would have been fine), and by the idea the idea that Nigella really might not give a damn - about being photographed , about what people would think, about how she would look, or how people would analyse her choice. In Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism and the Future, Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards argued that

'feminism isn't about what choice you make, but the freedom to make that choice.' I think the real reason there was so much made of Nigella's burquini is that so many people just couldn't understand how she'd been able to make that choice in the first place, and ignore the 'choice' presented to us the media and beauty industry: look good, lose weight, remove all your body hair or accept the ridicule that will be poured on you as punishment for not achieving this Feminine Ideal. If you wear a bikini and are less than body perfect then you will be scorned and abused for it, but don't worry! If you lose the weight, shave your legs, and have your boobs lifted you'll be rewarded with glowing accolades of your 'hard work' and dedication.

Nigella has looked at these options and said No, thanks to both - and then gone for a third option which she decided on herself. This, naturally, outrages the people who make the rules and the only form of revenge seems to be public scorn and tabloid fury.

Luckily, Nigella really doesn't seem to give a damn.

Clara xx

Clara xx

Monday 16 May 2011

The Truth Behind The Fantasy Of Porn

There's a group on Facebook called Scottish Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation that often put up interesting links and articles.
One that I saw today is a video by a woman called Shelley Lubbin who used to work in the porn industry in California, and who went on to set up Pink Cross Foundation which pledges to 'heal lives from porn.'
This is the video below, of a speech given by Ms Lubbin at U.S.A. Capitol Hill. Some of the facts and statistics are unsurprising - prevalent sexual disease infection, drug addiction, physical and emotional abuse - but it makes for interesting listening.
Unfortunately, blogger wouldn't upload the video to this post, but follow this direct link to see it:
You can also visit the Pink Cross Foundation website for more information, blogs, videos and statistics.

Clara xx

Sunday 1 May 2011

Equal Opportunities

Just a quick note on a story that caught my eye:
Professor Helen Atkinson has become the first woman to be made president of the Engineering Professors Council, since it was set up 50 years ago. It seems hopefully that Professor Atkinson will encourage more young women to go into the field of engineering, and will champion the need for more flexible working hours and a woman-mother-child accepting policy.
I don't know much about engineering, but I do know that the first woman president in an organisation's 50-year history is cause for celebration! A woman-success story always brightens my afternoon!
For the full story, and more details, follow this link.
Clara x

"Gentlemen's Club"

Spearmint Rhino, the strip-club chain, is planning on re-opening a 'venue' in Glasgow city Centre. According to The Glasweigan newspaper, they plan to buy out an existing strip club and transform it into one of their own, with only the 'highest standards.' Glasgow City Council supposedly take a hard line on lap dancing clubs, and is of the view that, "lap dancing is a form of sexual exploitation which degrades women and encourages their objectification by men." Despite this, a spokesperson for the Glasgow Licensing Board says an application by Spearmint Rhino to open a new strip-club will be 'judged on its own merits,' and thus will not be automatically opposed. I don't know when the planned opening for the strip club is, and hopefully it will be opposed by the Council, as to allow this chain to re-open one of their clubs would be a big step backwards. If I find out any more about this, I'll post it here. In the meantime, I guess writing a few letters to the Council and registering your feelings about strip clubs in Glasgow won't do any harm.
Clara x
The Glasweigan article available here.

Girls Gone Wild

I thought I'd try and get a few more blog posts up and running seeing as it's been a while since anything was published, so I thought I'd stick up a few shorter posts linking into other things you might have heard about.
Number 1 on the list for today is the news that the US TV show Girls Gone Wild is planning its first UK tour and will be aired on Sky. If you're unfamiliar with the concept of the show, this is it in a nutshell: a camera crew go round clubs and bars and, in exchange for free GGW t-shirts, caps, nipple tassels and 30 seconds of dubious glory, they persuade women to flash, dance, strip, kiss each other, and fake sex acts. From what I understand, GGW is huge in the US and women need little persuasion to showcase their skills for the cameras.
If you think you can stomach it, you can see an average clip here.
According to the Scottish Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation, GGW will be undertaking its first UK in May 2011.
There is a campaign running to stop the UK tour from being allowed - if you follow this link you can download a standard letter and send it onto your MPs, Councils, Sky TV and anyone else you think is appropriate. Hopefully it's not too late to stop this women-hating trash 'entertainment' from being giving air time in the UK.
Spread the word!
Clara x

Calm Down, Dear

If you haven't heard by now that David Cameron told Labour front-bencher Angela Eagle to 'calm down, dear,' when she argued with him in the House of Commons...well, you must have been living under a rock. Follow the link to see it now.
Mr Cameron has eleceted not to apologise for his comment, and his Tory buddies think it was a joke, and he was 'mocking a popular TV advert.' Presumably the peeving Michael Winner adverts, which are condescending enough on their own. The jeers and sneers from the rest of the Conservatives just add to the overall feeling of derision. Interesting to note, though, if you watch a video of it, that you can see Ed Miliband having a good chuckle, whilst Nick Clegg sits next to Cameron without cracking a smile, looking distinctly uncomfortable. They're talking about this on the Wright Stuff just now, and the overall feeling seems to be that Cameron was offensive, condescending, and patronising. Natalie Pinkham pointed out that UK Parliament is hardly a women-friendly place anyway, with women being seriously outnumbered in the Commons, and under-represented in the Cabinet. Having ridiculous remarks like this being fired at you across the House of Commons is another way of undermining women's authority, and, consequently implying that they have no business being there.
Ms Eagle herself had this to say: "[Cameron has] done it before in the House of Commons, especially when he's been on the back foot... when you are the prime minister, that kind of behaviour to women members of the Commons isn't exactly what you'd like to see, is it?...It's kind of par for the course for me. I expect him to do that. I've seen him do it before."

The fact that this behaviour from Cameron is not new and, in fact, seems to be quite common practice surely shows that this was not some pop culture reference/joke but in fact just another women-bashing remark founded on deep-rooted sexism. As Harriet Harman said:

"Women in Britain in the 21st century do not expect to be told to 'calm down dear' by their Prime Minister."
Ms Harman is one of the few women MPs who really stands up for, and champions, women's rights and equality. Thus her ridiculous epithet, Harriet Har-person - nothing more than a way of undermining her and everything she stands for every time her very name is mentioned. Politics in this country has a long, long way to go before we reach any kind of real equality and respect. So if this story made you mad, or even uncomfortable- - get out there on 5th May and show it in your vote!