Feminism
The Guardian are getting their feministy knickers in a twist. Again. This time they're having a pop at Rebekah Wade for choosing to take her husband's name when she got married. She's Rebekah Brooks now, but according to Michele Hanson, she's "letting down thousands of women". Er, why exactly? What's wrong with taking your husband's name when you get married?
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Feminism
There are few things that I like better in life than going to the pub with my friends and drinking whiskey whilst putting the world to rights. Indeed, I think the right to go to the pub is one of those things which should be enshrined in every country's constitution.
It appears I'm not alone in this either. In one of those news stories which makes me proud to be a woman, Indians are sending packages of pink underwear to a right wing group who believe that it is "not acceptable" for women to go drinking in bars.
Last month, the Sri Ram Sena (Army of Lord Ram) group attacked women in Magalore in Southern India who they saw out drinking, and who they deemed to be acting disgracefully. The attack was filmed, was filmed and then broadcast on national television, showing men chasing and beating up panicking women. Some of the women, who tripped and fell, were kicked viciously by the men. Because, you know, beating the living shit out a woman daring to express her individuality by living her life the way she chooses to is a really good way to win people over to your cause.
The group are also planning to protest against Valentines Day this Saturday, believing that a harmless commercial celebration of hearts and flowers will slowly erode away moral dignity and the fabric of society.
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Celebrities
Beth Ditto is my kind of lady. In fact, I think it's safe to say that I may even have a bit of a girly-crush on her. She's cute, clever, isn't afraid to speak her mind, and has opened the world's eyes to the fact that "curvy women" (of which, I am one) can be both beautiful AND fashionable.
So, perhaps unsurprisingly, I'm rather elated by the news that she's going to be designing a clothes range for high street clothing chain Evans.
According to Handbag.com, the range is due to hit stores this July, and will be featuring graphic dresses, oversized knitwear and a selection of hot accessories, all reflecting Ditto's inimitable signature style.
Add this to the fact that rumours are currently flying around the fashion world that Beth will be doing a repeat of her naked NME cover for the launch issue of Katie Grand's new magazine Love next month, and it seems she's one in-demand lady.
I do have just one minor gripe about this, though. As excited as I am about all of this (mainly because it means I might be able to get something over my breasts in the next few months which doesn't resemble a sack), why do larger ladies get a (for want of a better term) "larger" lady to design for them, whilst slim ladies get a slim lady to design for them? Want an example-look at the collections Lily Allen has done for New Look, , and the ever-popular line of clothing that Kate Moss has designed for Topshop. Why does it always feel that if you're looking for something both functional and fashionable on the High Street designed by someone you admire, you have to be built a certain way?
Great as it is that Beth is designing for Evans, it feels a bit like a token gesture. Retail magnates, if you're reading, I don't want to scare you or anything but, you know, just for once, can't us size 16 women have an international supermodel of Kate Moss's ilk designing clothes for us too?
Feminism
On the eve of arguably the most significant inauguration of our times, I am eating granola and leafing through my RSS. Plus ca change, no? Picked up in various blog posts, the cover of Ms. Magazine caught my eye somewhat. I'm delighted, amused, bemused and instantly cynical, all at once.
Of course there's been an intense reaction. Remember that the first Ms. Cover was a provocative cartoon: 'Wonder Woman for President'. There are easy conclusions to draw here as to what this image says about progress. Response-wise there's an identifiable split between the 'Christmas, Thanksgiving and Hannukkah all at once' school of O-bots (see the video below) who are lapping it up, and the, as usual, more than slightly self-contradictory feminist Right, who are principally tearing up the former for being 'floosies.' Very constructive. I do agree that the souvenir poster edition doesn't quite sit right, unless its some kind of incredibly 'knowing' parody, in which case I'm not sure if subscribers are the butt of the joke. Still, the real significance here is in the way women have thus far related to this man - who has himself been dissected and sexualised by popular media. (That's a mammoth sea change in itself, perhaps a discussion for another post) More analysis after the jump..
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Why I love...
I think Belle de Jour is great. And not just because she included a dedication to me in a book (although that kind of thing does warm the cockles of a girl's heart).
She's funny, literary, independent, intrepid. She's also kinda cheeky - she clearly appreciates and exploits the value of titillation, and isn't afraid of courting controversy.
Long ago, before the TV series, before the book deal and before even the Guardian weblog award, BdJ and I were blogging contemporaries. So I've been reading her for almost five years. And the more I read her, the more I like her.
And I liked her quite a lot in the first place. If you'll follow me over the jump I'll tell you why.
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Female Icons
'Scuse me, lady. Do you gots a blog? Could you spare some time on Tuesday 24th March to publish a blog post about a techie chick you admire?
Ada Lovelace Day is an international day of blogging to celebrate women excelling in technology.
The initiative, set up by Suw Charman-Anderson, blogger and social software consultant, is urging 1,000 bloggers to pledge to post.
So far 556 bloggers have signed up.
"Women's contributions often go unacknowledged, their innovations seldom mentioned, their faces rarely recognised. We want you to tell the world about these unsung heroines."
There's more about why this is happening and who Ada Lovelace was over the jump.
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In The News...
IS ANGELINA A FRIDGE RAIDER? Yells The Sun.
The answer is quite clearly no.
Angelina Jolie and a bunch of other celebrities have been plumped up via PhotoShop on worth1000.com.
The Sun's picked the best for their gallery - including this doctored Amy Winehouse shot - and some of them are really quite convincing (some aren't, of course).
Now, is it just that the aspect ratio on my eyes has gone a bit wiggy, or do Gisele and Claudia Schiffer actually look quite nice?
More news over the jump...
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Women's "Ishoos"
Private sector companies may have to publish details of any gender gaps in their pay grades, the Guardian reports.
The government's equality office is attempting to address the gender pay discrepancy with a bill due to be published early this year.
Currently only public sector companies have to 'fess up to gender pay inequalities. And private sector business leaders are not happy.
"The Confederation of British Industry complained that forcing companies to produce "meaningless statistics" would do little to tackle the underlying causes of inequality, while the Federation of Small Businesses said the response was "over-prescriptive".
More over the jump...
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Feminism
Recently I've been hearing a lot of women say, "I'm not a feminist. I'm an egalitarian."
I used to say that, too.
I wasn't always a feminist. I would have been - it's just that I couldn't stand women.
I was one of those girls whose close friends are all male.
"Women are too capricious," I'd say (only if asked, and only if asked by a woman with short nails - I had a sense of self-preservation, after all). "They're too competitive, too shrill."
In my defence, that had been my experience to date.
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Women in Music
There's no denying it, all-girl bands get a bad rap. I'm not talking about female vocal groups - for want of a better term to distinguish between girls singing in harmony and women wielding instruments - but bonafide bands. It's not a common sight, is it?
"Addicted To Love" is partly to blame - that unmentionable Robert Palmer video where clueless models stare vacantly ahead as they wiggle along to the beat, confused by the wooden thing on a strap they find hanging round their necks. In my line of work I have come across a few stage directors who want to recreate that look for pop shows. "Guys, I've got a great idea - let's get a bunch of girls in to be the backing band, it'll be soooo "Addicted To Love" - brilliant!" Ick.
Read on after the jump - I'm just getting started and there are videos to watch!
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The Guardian are getting their feministy knickers in a twist. Again. This time they're having a pop at Rebekah Wade for choosing to take her husband's name when she got married. She's Rebekah Brooks now, but according to Michele Hanson, she's "letting down thousands of women". Er, why exactly? What's wrong with taking your husband's name when you get married?
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