Blog posts from May 2008
Pretty vacant in pink
By Helen G | 31 May 2008, 19:36
Goin’ ridin’ on the freeway of loveIn my pink cadillac Carrie recently made a technology-related post (link here) which captured my geeky attention. She was looking to buy a new USB memory stick and her search turned up, amongst other…
Right wing in panic as former Republican congressman joins firm with standard diversity clause
By Jess McCabe | 31 May 2008, 17:15
A man named Dennis Hastert has joined a major law firm called Dickstein Shapiro. Why is this news? Because Hastert is the former speaker of the house for the Republicans in the House of Representatives, and Dickstein Shapiro has a…
Must read
By Jess McCabe | 31 May 2008, 16:53
Heather Corinna of the excellent Scarleteen has been writing for a while now over at her own blog about her experiences working at a clinic which offers abortions. This latest entry is a must read, as she describes an abusive…
Deodorant firm worries about future men
By Jess McCabe | 30 May 2008, 16:00
Following on from Clare’s post about men revelling in a nostalgic brand of misogyny and homophobia, check out this report on how men will live in a world of “women ever more in the driving seat” - except not literally,…
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Retrosexual this…
By Guest Blogger | 30 May 2008, 14:48
Remember this quiz providing men with a helpful guide to satisfying the gender police? Now the Daily Mail has dug up a modern version - and some people clearly wish they were back in 1954. Clare Laxton has more in…
PETA strikes again… this time in Birmingham
By Jess McCabe | 30 May 2008, 12:34
A PETA protester has been “threatened with arrest” in Birmingham, reports the local newspaper. Although the Post’s report is all about the arrest, they’ve inadvertantly highlighted yet another gaspingly offensive campaign from the animal rights group, let’s take a look…
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Misunderstanding the problem of child abuse
By Louise Livesey | 30 May 2008, 08:55
On BBC Breakfast news some parents are complaining about a booklet produced by the NSPCC designed to inform children about how to report abuse. The booklet, which adopts a youth magazine/comic book format, covers all forms of abuse but it’s…
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Not for Sale
By Catherine Redfern | 29 May 2008, 17:47
[Edited to link to a better version on the European Women’s Lobby site. Thanks Anji - Catherine] At Ladyfest London I watched a very powerful and moving anti-prostitution documentary called “Not For Sale”, by Marie Vermeiren. The film is available…
Fundraiser for FAF and Girls Rock UK - 7 June
By Jess McCabe | 29 May 2008, 17:32
Music, poetry and a general good time over at the Lambeth Young Women’s Project, London, on Saturday 7 June, 8-12pm. All genders welcome….
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(Don’t) show us yer tits
By Helen G | 29 May 2008, 13:41
Renegade Evolution has an interesting post (link here) about that very gendered thing, the bra. Or, to be specific, one particular aspect of it: the lining. It seems that Playtex has introduced an additional little piece of foam lining in…
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How to choose your PC peripherals
By Carrie Dunn | 29 May 2008, 13:01
I need a new flash drive to store my research on. So I go to Play.com, and see this utter piece of genius. Yes, it’s a PINK flash drive. So who is it for? Why, for the ladies, of course….
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Rounding up - from mechanics to Twin Peaks
By Jess McCabe | 28 May 2008, 23:24
Why don’t more young women take up “trades”, asks Kate at Salon, noting the example of high-earning women mechanics, plumbers, etc. I love hearing this, both because I hate snobbery and because I believe totally in doing what you’re good…
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Hands up if you’ve experienced street harassment.
By Laura Woodhouse | 28 May 2008, 16:34
Cath Elliott has written an excellent piece on street harassment over at The Guardian’s Comment is Free, and once again the comments section has filled up with comments from arrogant little pricks whose thoughts on the matter can be summed…
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Belated Thanks to Hoyden About Town
By Holly Combe | 28 May 2008, 15:55
You may recall that, just before the New Year, Hoyden About Town were taking nominations for their selection of memorable posts from 07. Well, last week, the results were announced and I was really happy to find that my post…
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Having your cake and eating it
By Samara Ginsberg | 28 May 2008, 13:39
EDIT: Believe it or not, I was a fully-fledged anorexic by the age of 12, so it’s not as if I’m a stranger to eating disorders! I had an utterly horrific childhood, which I won’t go into here, but let’s…
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When is a safe space a safe space?
By Anne Onne | 27 May 2008, 23:56
I was reading over the comments on the Jeremy Clarkson post by Kate Smurthwaite, and it got me thinking - particularly Rhona’s* comment. She said of female commenters (which I can assume included me): “I also think it’s somewhat inappropriate…
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Telegraph gives the BNP blogs
By Jess McCabe | 27 May 2008, 23:38
The Telegraph newspaper is hosting a blog by Richard Barnbrook, councillor for the fascist BNP, we learn from Sunny at Liberal Conspiracy. I wish this was a joke. Check out the headline for his second post: “Blame the immigrants”. And…
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South Asian book covers ‘coded female’?
By Jess McCabe | 27 May 2008, 18:01
Is the cover art on some fiction, specifically that written by Desi authors, “coded female”, Ultrabrown asks? It’s not clear how much of this is that South Asian culture is seen as feminine in America, and how much is generic…
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Message in a bottle
By Helen G | 27 May 2008, 08:28
The other morning, I got off the Tube near where I work, as usual, walked round the corner from the platform and just stopped in my tracks in front of this poster (click thumbnail to embiggen). The caption reads:…
Women in Black - Egypt
By Jess McCabe | 26 May 2008, 14:59
The BBC is running a series on Muslim women called ‘Women in Black’. My Private Casbah has some excerpts that made it onto YouTube, but readers in the UK can watch the latest episode on iPlayer. Set in Egypt, the…
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Sexism sells
By Jess McCabe | 26 May 2008, 14:31
(Via WIMN’s Voices)…
I HATE Jeremy Clarkson
By Kate Smurthwaite | 26 May 2008, 02:07
There are some things that just need saying. I HATE Jeremy Clarkson. Phew, now I’ve said it. Maybe it seems harsh of me to single him out from a number of car show presenters and general public personalities. I feel…
Early Monday morning round up…
By Jess McCabe | 26 May 2008, 00:15
18-year-old Mildred Beaubrun was shot after rebuffing “banter” - Essential Presence has more. Manjula Sood has become lord mayor of Leicester; the first time a south Asian woman has held the post in any UK city, according to Khaleej Times…
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‘Is she on a jihad mission?’
By Jess McCabe | 25 May 2008, 23:47
The above question was asked by a Newsarama reporter interviewing Paul Cornell - a writer for Marvel comic books - about a new British Asian character in the superhero title Captain Britain and MI:13. See a screen-capture of the full…
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An open letter to the Rt Rev Kieran Conry
By Lynne Miles | 25 May 2008, 21:57
Dear Rev Conry, You were quoted in the Daily Mail today, on the subject of the adoption agencies from which the Catholic Church is withdrawing funding. I understand that the future of those agencies is extremely uncertain as a result….
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GHD: Dark or Pure?
By Laura Woodhouse | 25 May 2008, 17:22
Is it just me, or is the new GHD hairstyler advert which pops up every time I log out of my yahoo account a little, well, dodgy (aside from your bog standard women’s sexualised bodies being used to sell stuff…
Calm down dear, it’s only a movie
By Helen G | 25 May 2008, 10:44
Inevitably there are loads of reviews of the new Indiana Jones movie doing the rounds at the moment (IMDB link here, may contain spoilers) - and many of them seem intent on slamming it for its over-reliance on CGI effects…
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Dollhouse trailer!
By Jess McCabe | 24 May 2008, 10:09
Check this out: the first trailer for Joss Whedon’s new show Dollhouse! The plot: Eliza Dushku (who played Faith in Buffy & Angel) plays an “active” by the name of Echo - an agent who has her memory repeatedly wiped…
Is Anyone Else Uncomfortable About This?
By Kate Smurthwaite | 23 May 2008, 16:17
This post starts with a massive disclaimer. My show at the Brighton Fringe Festival ran 6 days in a dusty (but charming) 40-seater theatre at £7 a ticket. This group are doing two shows a day for a full month…
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On viability, and why it shouldn’t matter
By Anne Onne | 22 May 2008, 21:44
I’m entirely new to blogging*, and it’s very possible that this is too controversial a topic to be handled by a mere beginner, and that I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. I certainly hope that other feminists more…
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Your mom had groupies…
By Jess McCabe | 22 May 2008, 21:24
Wondering what this is about? Well, Michelle Schwartz has started a delicious subvertising project, in reaction to a series of ads for Canadian Club Whisky. The whisky campaign is called “Damn Right Your Dad Drank It”, and show a…
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March on the Daily Mail offices, anyone?!
By Laura Woodhouse | 22 May 2008, 20:51
Commenter Northern Jess informs us that fans of the band My Chemical Romance are planning to march on the Daily Mail offices on May 31st in protest at the portrayal of the band as a “suicide cult” responsible the death…
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Introducing our new guest blogger… Anne Onne
By Jess McCabe | 22 May 2008, 18:11
Regular readers will no-doubt recognise Anne Onne’s name, from her thoughtful, articulate and prolific participation in our comments section. We’re really thrilled that Anne has agreed to guest blog for The F-Word for the next month. Keep an eye out…
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Thursday round up…
By Jess McCabe | 22 May 2008, 15:54
Parents in New York are protesting sex education classes that refer to masturbation as pleasurable, notes Feministing: “How dare an educator tell the truth about sexuality! Where’s the shaming and misinformation about how sex is dirty, wrong and bad?!” The…
Alert for Feminist Gamers
By Holly Combe | 22 May 2008, 15:15
The online gaming magazine Thirteen 1 has launched a campaign against the bad press received by the gaming industry for its alleged negative influence on young people (scroll through to page 15 in the issue above). Now, despite not being…
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When the Personal is Sometimes Political: Abortion on Demand
By Holly Combe | 21 May 2008, 17:10
I’ve been thinking about Zohra’s entry on the personal not always being political in the abortion debate but wanted to make sure we won the battle to retain the 24 week limit before I voiced my thoughts about it,…
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How did your MP vote? Breaking down the numbers
By Jess McCabe | 21 May 2008, 14:40
As Laura pointed out earlier today, we’ve won this latest battle on choice, but this is no time to rest on our laurels. We were on the defensive - and the one amendment which could have shifted the ground in…
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Beyond Masculinity: Essays by Queer Men on Gender and Politics
By Jess McCabe | 21 May 2008, 12:30
Check out this excellent-looking anthology of 20 essays on masculinity. I haven’t had time to give the collection a proper read, but it looks excellent - and you can read it online, download it as a PDF or MP3, or…
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What next for choice?
By Laura Woodhouse | 21 May 2008, 11:51
Last night was a great victory for choice, but it was only one of many battles that need to be fought and won to ensure UK women have a genuine right to choose. Ready? 1) We need to continue to…
Thank a second wave (old) feminist if…
By Helen G | 21 May 2008, 10:24
Daisy has posted what I think is a rather wonderful piece on her blog, and when I finally get to be Empress of the Universe (next week sometime, if my plans for world domination succeed!) - it will be emblazoned…
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Too right, Harriet
By Jess McCabe | 21 May 2008, 10:12
Government should not be in the business of promoting marriage, or particular types of family, Harriet Harman has very sensibly said in a report by the think-tank Civitas. Of course, the right wing press are busy spinning this as a…
Fucking yes!
By Laura Woodhouse | 20 May 2008, 23:04
MPs have just voted against reducing the abortion time limit to 20 weeks by 332 votes to 190. They have also rejected plans to include consideration for the supposed need for a father when allowing women access to IVF treatment….
Protesting for women’s right to choose
By Jess McCabe | 20 May 2008, 21:03
Just a quick post to the photos from this evening’s protest to protect women’s access to abortion up to 24 weeks. See them all on Flickr….
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Anyone else feeling physically sick?
By Laura Woodhouse | 20 May 2008, 14:40
After watching Nadine Dorries and her fundamentalist Christian lawyer sidekick Andrea Williams on Dispatches last night, I am feeling absolutely sick to my stomach about the potential for anti-abortion amendments to be passed today. From the programme it looked like…
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Without fathers
By Jess McCabe | 20 May 2008, 11:53
Really good little set of interviews in today’s Guardian, with lesbian couples and single mums raising kids without fathers. As well as clamping down on women’s right to abortion, amendments before the Commons today could see restrictions placed on the…
Iain Duncan-Smith on how to misuse research evidence
By Louise Livesey | 20 May 2008, 10:49
The HFEA continues to provoke debate. But on this morning’s Today programme Iain Duncan-Smith (former Conservative leader) gave us an object-lesson in misusing evidence grossly. His argument was that there was “overwhelming evidence” that children need fathers (I’ll talk about…
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Emergency protest to defend 24-week limit TONIGHT
By Jess McCabe | 20 May 2008, 10:14
Just a quick reminder to London-based readers: Get yourself down to Westminster from 5.30pm today, for the emergency protest outside Parliament, as MPs vote on crucial amendments to the Human Embryology and Fertilisation Bill which could curtail women’s right to…
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New feature: Are women and girls vulnerable?
By Jess McCabe | 19 May 2008, 22:58
Violent men do not attack girls or women because they are ‘vulnerable’, argues Jennifer Drew, and it deflects attention from the perpetrators to pretend otherwise There is a buzzword circulating the legal, media and societal systems, and it is being…
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More on Ladyfest
By Guest Blogger | 19 May 2008, 15:23
Ladyfest may be over, but the ringing in our ears continues here at The F-Word. In a guest post, Col Cruise reports back on the ‘Ladies and the Trans’ workshop The idea for a ‘Ladies and the Trans’ forum at…
Where are women in the abortion debate?
By Laura Woodhouse | 19 May 2008, 12:41
The Guardian’s Kira Cochrane reports today on the no doubt delightful experience that was interviewing anti-abortion MP Nadine Dorries, who has been spearheading the move to reduce the abortion time limit. She highlights Dorries’ complete contempt for women who need…
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‘Bring on the Bond girls?’
By Jess McCabe | 18 May 2008, 21:33
So, I am not a massive fan of the James Bond franchise. I understand this is not exactly a popular position, even with feminists. But, what can I say - we didn’t watch Bond films in my house growing up,…
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Carol Ann Duffy’s “unconventional lifestyle”, by the Observer
By Jess McCabe | 18 May 2008, 20:04
So, Carol Ann Duffy’s “unconventional lifestyle” impeded her chances of becoming the first female Poet Laureate, according to The Observer. By “unconventional lifestyle”, they mean she is a lesbian. And no, they weren’t quoting anyone, that’s their description. Yes, I…
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Pritt Stick “4 girls”…
By Jess McCabe | 18 May 2008, 12:42
This pink Pritt Stick “4 girls” was spotted in Tesco by a member of our Facebook group. Alexandra says: As a primary school teacher, don’t even get me started on the incorrect use of ‘4’, let alone the gendered…
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Article on the Details of the Stop The Strip Pub Hearing
By Kate Smurthwaite | 16 May 2008, 22:47
I wrote an article today that’s up on BBC London. Mostly of interest to those who (a) want to know how a local town hall licensing committee hearing works or (b) just want to gloat about we-won, we-won, no strip…
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Hey Barack, Sweetie…
By Kate Smurthwaite | 16 May 2008, 16:02
I guess it won’t have passed you all by that US presidential hopeful Barack Obama took the unwise PR decision to fob off a female reporter with the phrase “Hold on one second, sweetie”. The reaction has been unsurprising -…
A tribute to Pauline Campbell
By Guest Blogger | 16 May 2008, 12:16
Pauline Campbell was found dead by her daughter’s grave yesterday. Since spent the last five years campaiging on the deaths of women in prison, after her own 18-year-old daughter died of an overdose at Styal prison. In this guest post,…
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Do men need to hear domestic violence message from other men?
By Jess McCabe | 16 May 2008, 10:29
New York has rethought its campaign to end domestic violence, passing the microphone from women to men, according to NYC24. The poster showed a woman wearing a hospital gown and a bruise on her back. The bruise had a statistic…
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International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO)
By Helen G | 16 May 2008, 08:06
Tomorrow, Saturday 17th May, marks the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO). This particular date was chosen because it marks the day in 1990 when the World Health Organisation (WHO) removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. If only homophobia…
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Calling All Blogstresses!
By Kate Smurthwaite | 15 May 2008, 22:59
Following a brief e-mail conversation between myself and the wildly talented Anji Capes of Shut Up, Sit Down fame, a new email group has been formed for UK-based feminist bloggers. We hope to use it to share tips, swap links,…
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Failed by the justice system - turn to YouTube?
By Jess McCabe | 15 May 2008, 22:26
This is worrying, but not surprising. Think Girl calls attention to a video posted on YouTube - and picked up by CNN - of a sobbing 16-year-old Florida girl saying she has been drugged and raped, and the prosecutor’s office…
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Sign petition demanding 24-hour helpline for victims of rape and sexual assault
By Jess McCabe | 15 May 2008, 22:03
A petition has been set up calling for a 24-hour helpline for victims of rape and sexual assault - you can sign it here. If they get 200 signatures, the PM apparently has to respond - perhaps he has a…
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California court lifts same-sex marriage ban
By Jess McCabe | 15 May 2008, 19:41
Great news - California’s supreme court has lifted a ban on same-sex marriage, reports the BBC. The ban was approved by voters in 2000 but challenged by gay rights activists and the city of San Francisco. California’s legislature has twice…
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Harnessing the power of the sun/catastrophic climate change/women’s bodies to advertise bras?
By Jess McCabe | 15 May 2008, 17:51
Bra-maker Triumph International is “demonstrating” the solar-powered bra. By “demonstrating”, of course I mean “shamelessly hopping on the green bandwagon for PR, because bras are worn under clothing and therefore not actually good collectors of sunlight” - as Treehugger and,…
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If you hate Sex and the City…
By Catherine Redfern | 15 May 2008, 16:45
…and you think it’s all about consumerism and shopping… then the lyrics of the film’s theme song “Labels or Love” by Fergie won’t do much to change your mind. May I present the full hideousness for your delectation: (lyrics copied…
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Futher on HFEA
By Louise Livesey | 15 May 2008, 13:36
Further to this there are a number of amendments to the Act being proposed lowering the time limit for terminations (with hat-tip to Left Women’s Network. These are (Proposer: Amendment): Edward Leigh MP ‘In section 1(1)(a) of the Abortion Act…
When the personal isn’t political: abortion as taboo
By zohra moosa | 14 May 2008, 23:37
Access to abortion in the UK is not as good as it should be. In less than a week, MPs will be voting on whether to make the situation worse by reducing the time limit. Kit Roskelly has dissected the…
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Jewish women must beware trouser-wearing!
By Jess McCabe | 14 May 2008, 22:55
Fellow Jewish* women reading this will be interested to note that a male rabbi has decided we are not meant to wear trousers - even when we’re all alone in the dark. I am not kidding. I learned of Rabbi…
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Shake Girl
By Jess McCabe | 14 May 2008, 22:41
Fifteen students and two professors at Stanford have produced an excellent graphic novel, which tells the story of a teenage Cambodian girl working at a stall selling shakes, and how she ends up getting doused in acid. The storytelling could…
Live Blogging: The One Show’s take on SATC
By Catherine Redfern | 14 May 2008, 19:14
Grrr! BBC’s The One Show has just “celebrated” the new Sex and the City film by having a gob-smacking montage of sexist comments about women and men. First they interviewed seemingly all the sexists on the streets of London, who…
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Another reason to emigrate to Spain
By Laura Woodhouse | 14 May 2008, 18:24
I’m doing some research for my Spanish oral exam tomorrow, and was pleasantly astounded to come across the headline ‘Man condemned to 27 years imprisonment for locking his wife and children in apartment for two days’. The man locked them…
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Amity responds on birth rape
By Guest Blogger | 14 May 2008, 16:34
Amity Reed has written a response to comments on her birth rape feature for The F-Word, made by an NHS doctor blogging under the name ‘Dr Crippen’. You may want to read this post for background Having just emerged from…
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I don’t know whether to laugh or cry…
By Louise Livesey | 14 May 2008, 13:11
This is the Marital Rating Scale developed in the 1930s to assess wives. Basically it’s a series of merits and demerits based on assumed gender traits (including that women should be subservient to men). Whats galling, and takes this…
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Jack Straw’s just noticed….
By Louise Livesey | 14 May 2008, 09:23
I’ve heard of oblivious but Jack Straw has seemingly only just noticed that our judges are overwhelming white and male. Now he claims he wants to do something about it. Perhaps that will take less time than the 20 years…
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Doctor blogger exploits stories of birth rape and assault, ridicules victims
By Jess McCabe | 13 May 2008, 21:20
When we published Amity Reed’s feature on birth rape, we knew it would be controversial. Amity wrote about the women who go into hospital to give birth, and leave having been violated. She said: Women are slapped, told to shut…
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Racist hate in Russia
By Sokari Ekine | 13 May 2008, 11:39
Just over two years ago a friend of mine Kayode Ogundamisi wrote a piece “Are you a Black man? Don’t go to Russia” in which is spoke of the racism experienced by African students in Russia….. It is a shame…
Caliente Cab settles
By Jess McCabe | 13 May 2008, 10:45
Do you remember the case of Khadijah Farmer, who was thrown out of the women’s loos in a New York restaurant by a bouncer who thought she was a man - even after producing ID showing she is a woman?…
This poster is meant to stop trafficking
By Jess McCabe | 12 May 2008, 23:58
Via feminocracy, this poster is meant to address the issue of women being trafficked into Austria and Switzerland, in response, at least possibly, to demand created by hosting Euro 08. A laudable aim, of course, but this slightly coy, ‘sexy’-type…
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New feature: The Oxbridge sex workers
By Jess McCabe | 12 May 2008, 17:51
Laurie Penny considers why so many Oxbridge students are going into prostitution and stripping, and the impact the media coverage of their stories has on women in less privileged positions Teacups are tinkling in outrage as an army of Oxbridge-educated…
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Alcohol FOR GIRLS
By Carrie Dunn | 12 May 2008, 14:02
Occasionally - and you may find this difficult to believe - I find myself in a local hostelry, at the bar, seeking some form of refreshing beverage. This was the case last week, when I was in a pub in…
Ladyfest London photos; thoughts
By Jess McCabe | 11 May 2008, 23:40
So, Ladyfest London is officially over. For readers who couldn’t make it, you can see the photos I took over on Flickr. Looking back at the weekend, I am left feeling like the workshops I attended, the music I heard,…
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New feature: A slice-by-slice attack on women’s right to choose
By Jess McCabe | 11 May 2008, 22:22
The campaign to ban women from terminating pregnancies after 20 weeks is only the beginning, says Kit Roskelly In a matter of days, the House of Commons will vote on whether to slash the current time limit on abortions from…
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Mad as hell
By Helen G | 11 May 2008, 21:38
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is an American handbook that lists different categories of mental disorders and the criteria for diagnosing them, and is widely used by mental health professionals worldwide, including "clinicians and researchers as…
Sexist culture drives women out of science
By Helen G | 11 May 2008, 11:17
As something of a geek, I’m a little perturbed to read this piece in the The Sunday Times, Sexist culture drives women out of science. The gist of it is that "[a] time warp of 1970s sexist attitudes is driving…
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Black / Women of Colour Bisexual Group
By Catherine Redfern | 11 May 2008, 10:21
At Ladyfest London’s Race and Activism workshop, I met Jacqueline Applebee, a writer who is looking to set up a group for black / women of colour bisexual women and their friends/allies. If you’re interested, email her at contact@writing-in-shadows.co.uk….
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Word of the week: liminal
By Helen G | 11 May 2008, 09:20
"Liminal": according to Ask Oxford (the online Compact OED), it means either relating to a transitional or initial stage or at a boundary or threshold, but I really like William Gibson’s explanation, referring to ‘liminal spaces’ he says: "They’re not…
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Helen joining as regular blogger
By Jess McCabe | 10 May 2008, 20:41
This is a quick note to say that Helen’s two month guest blog spot is up - but I’m glad to announce she is going to be joining The F-Word as a regular contributor! Read Helen’s posts so far here….
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24 reasons for 24 weeks
By Laura Woodhouse | 10 May 2008, 14:28
Penny Red and Jess [ed: credit where credit’s due, I had some minimal input, along with others, but Laurie compiled this herself!], have put together 24 reasons for 24 weeks in response to anti-choice MP Nadine Dorries’ campaign 20 reasons…
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1970s feminisms, feminisms now
By Louise Livesey | 10 May 2008, 08:34
I’m liking this short article on why feminism needs to still exist from Pasadena Weekly (of all places)!…
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Tourist Guide for Woman-Watchers
By Holly Combe | 9 May 2008, 23:00
A speech writer for Bernard Kouchner (France’s Foreign Minister) has written a book advising on the best places in Paris to look at beautiful women. According to Pierre Louis Colin, people go to Paris to see the city’s magnificent…
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Friday round up….
By Jess McCabe | 9 May 2008, 17:08
Dollymix blogger Natalie Lue did an interview with the Daily Mail’s ‘Femail’ section, only to be misrepresented, misquoted and stuffed into a piece about women taking revenge on their exes online - despite being assured otherwise. As well as the…
Sexual assault at British Embassy in Iraq
By Jess McCabe | 9 May 2008, 11:06
Iraqi staff working at the British Embassy in Baghdad say that allegations of sexual harassment were brushed under the carpet, reports The Times. I wish I could say this was unbelievable or surprising: The middle-aged cleaner told The Times that…
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New feature: Sexuality and sainthood
By Jess McCabe | 9 May 2008, 10:36
Cranach painted Venus to titillate Luther’s contemporaries and chaste virgins aimed at keeping women in check, argues Itala Atteih As soon as I had heard that a poster of Lucas Cranach the Elder’s ‘Venus’ was initially banned from display in…
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Those Dove ads were retouched after all…
By Jess McCabe | 9 May 2008, 10:23
Do you remember the Dove campaign for ‘Real Beauty’? It divided feminist opinion and caused all manner of controversy. But we now learn the photos were substanatially retouched. (Oh the irony.) In an interview in The New Yorker, Photoshop guru…
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Emergency protest: MPs vote on abortion time limit
By Laura Woodhouse | 8 May 2008, 21:37
MPs will be voting on whether to lower the abortion time limit from 24 to 20 weeks on May 20th. Abortion Rights is organising an emergency protest outside parliament: Tuesday 20 May, 5.30pm Outside Parliament - details to be confirmed…
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For Your Listening Pleasure
By Kate Smurthwaite | 8 May 2008, 18:05
Blogstress Smurthwaite (that’s me) will be appearing as part of a panel to discuss the week’s news tomorrow on the institution that is Women’s Hour on BBC Radio 4. Please tune in at 11am, or failing that try the “listen…
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More summery reflections: the boob taboo.
By Laura Woodhouse | 8 May 2008, 16:44
So I haven’t worn a bra for about 18 months now: I’ve never needed one for support and just got out of the habit while in Paris. This was when I decided to stop shaving, so I thought I’d get…
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Women “putting themselves in danger” to sell homes
By Louise Livesey | 8 May 2008, 10:37
Shelia’s Wheels, that doyenne of spangly dresses and hairy blokes in drag, has done a survey which found that whilst 55% of women wouldn’t invite a man back to their home* on a first date, 82% would let a male…
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Ed Balls thinks schools intimidate fathers because they’re too female dominated….
By Louise Livesey | 8 May 2008, 10:29
Maybe what he should be arguing for is for more men to take responsibility for involvement in their children’s education and in the low paid, low value world of primary education. Instead he says primary schools (for which read women…
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And while we’re on the topic….
By Louise Livesey | 8 May 2008, 09:35
there comes news of this case from the US in which a woman fought off a sexual assault assailant, only to be punished by a crowd of laughing men with a second sexual assault. Melissa Bruen was walking home during…
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More on Fritzl
By Louise Livesey | 8 May 2008, 09:20
(Dear regular readers, we turned off comments on this and the previous post because of the numbers of comments just generally discussing the case not from a feminist perspective - there are mainstream news blog boards for that. So sorry…
New feature: Hip hop ladies
By Jess McCabe | 7 May 2008, 23:35
Beyond the mainstream of ‘gangster pop’, Nino argues hip hop can be - and is - feminist A so-called ‘feminist’ group from a student union attached to my local university ripped their own eyelashes out recently, to the delight of…
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New review: He’s a stud, she’s a slut?
By Jess McCabe | 7 May 2008, 22:41
Men get angry; women get PMS. Single men are bachelors; single women are spinsters. Jess McCabe wonders how Jessica Valenti limited herself to 49 examples of the double standard When sceptics claim that feminism has done its job and it’s…
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New feature: F.A.T.
By Jess McCabe | 7 May 2008, 21:53
Girls and women need to give themselves a break from the endless preoccupation with fat, argues Katie Muller Why are so many women ashamed and repulsed by the fact they take up space? Oh to be smaller and slighter, to…
Summer is finally here!
By Samara Ginsberg | 7 May 2008, 14:02
The sun is out, the birds are singing and London seems a much happier place. For the benefit of our international readers, Britain is currently enjoying a break from the positively crapulent weather we’ve been having lately. The sun is…
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Victory!
By Kate Smurthwaite | 7 May 2008, 12:05
Last night a number of F-Word writers and readers were in attendance to see Hackney Council refuse to give Satchmo’s a license to become a Sex Encounters Establishment (strip club). Thank you and well done to everyone who wrote…
Ladyfest London lead up
By Guest Blogger | 7 May 2008, 10:21
Jessica Bateman explains why she got involved in Ladyfest London, in this guest post I first found out about the plans for another Ladyfest London when I stumbled across the MySpace profile during some absent-mindedly browsing of the internet. I’d…
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Iron Man, Firefly and different layers of feminist analysis of pop culture
By Jess McCabe | 6 May 2008, 15:52
[Update: WOC PhD has posted a much more thorough expose of the problems with Iron Man, which is definitely worth checking out!] I’ve been interested by the different reactions to the film Iron Man this weekend in the feminist blogosphere….
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Last Call For Stop The Strip Pub
By Kate Smurthwaite | 6 May 2008, 15:51
The hearing for this is tonight, 7pm at Hackney Town Hall, Mare Street, E8 1EA. You will not be allowed to speak at the hearing unless you lodged an objection earlier. However you are still welcome to attend and your…
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Schools and Relationships
By Kate Smurthwaite | 6 May 2008, 14:57
The NSPCC, and I’m sure not going to make myself popular arguing with a group as respected as them, are saying that schools should teach more about relationships in sex education. This comes in response to data from Childline…
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Beached Whale
By Kate Smurthwaite | 6 May 2008, 13:10
Talksport DJ James Whale has been sacked from his job for telling his listeners to vote for Boris Johnson. Apparently this constitutes a breach of the impartiality laws, who knew!? Now I had the joy of working with Mr…
Obama is a radical feminist (according to men’s rights activists, anyway…)
By Jess McCabe | 6 May 2008, 11:30
The US election process is continuing on its long and merry way, and I have thus far resisted the urge to go into all the endless back and forth over the fortunes of each candidate. However, I couldn’t let pass…
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New poster to tackle prostitution
By Louise Livesey | 6 May 2008, 10:22
Perhaps not the most direct or effective method but the British government has launched it’s new campaign to inform men using women engaged in prostitution that they may be breaking the law. So there we have it. The poster, which…
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Anyone seeking better children’s books
By Louise Livesey | 6 May 2008, 10:01
Should really go to Letterbox Library which has all sorts of amazing books including themes of refugees and asylum, disability and illess, anti-slave narratives, fostering and adoption and peace and conflict. Also does teachers packs for various keystages. Marvellous!…
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Jezebel coup on airbrushing
By Louise Livesey | 6 May 2008, 09:30
Jezebel has paid an inordinate sum of money to bring us this example of the cynical digital manipulation of women’s bodies. It’s a photo of Faith Hill, on the right as it appeared on the cover of Redbook and on…
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What men want: a tall woman with dementia
By Carrie Dunn | 6 May 2008, 08:34
I don’t even know where to begin with this piece from the Metro, purportedly in the ‘Science and Discovery’ section. It’s reporting on new research indicating that tall women are less likely to develop dementia, with every extra inch of…
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Italian mayoral candidate wants women to wear satellite trackers in case they’re raped
By Jess McCabe | 5 May 2008, 23:55
As the results of the London mayoral election sink in, Rome is still in the throes of election fever, and one candidate to run the city is proposing to outfit women with satellite tracking devices. In the event they are…
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Possession of extreme porn to be made illegal this week.
By Laura Woodhouse | 5 May 2008, 01:47
The BBC reports that the bill outlawing the possession of “extreme pornography” becomes law this week. The law forms part of a new Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill, and defines extreme pornographic images as those which include any of the…
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New feature: Stripping the illusion…
By Jess McCabe | 4 May 2008, 22:52
Lap-dancing clubs are licensed in the same way as coffee shops. Anji Capes reports on the launch of a campaign to change all that Last month I had the pleasure of participating in the launch of Stripping The Illusion, the…
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Elections: There is blog life outside London….
By Barbara Felix | 3 May 2008, 21:22
As a kind of follow up to the ‘The End Of The World Has Arrived, And Its Name Is Boris’ type blogs above, would just like to point out to any non British residents reading that Thursday was also polling…
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“Are you a breast or a leg man?” - some thoughts on feminism and vegetarianism
By Jess McCabe | 3 May 2008, 21:17
“Meat Market”, Oil on canvas. Artist: Megan VanGroll It isn’t an unusual story: feminist/woman produces significant work. World tunes in for five minutes. Theory is forgotten, and next generation has to learn it all over again. However, I think…
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Report on women’s rights in Saudi Arabia
By Barbara Felix | 3 May 2008, 18:18
Over on the Economist there’s a piece concerning a recent report on women’s rights in Saudi Arabia. I shan’t attempt to summarise it here, but it’s summed up well by the following comment: “As the report points out, half the…
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Light Relief In Our Hour Of Darkness
By Kate Smurthwaite | 3 May 2008, 17:50
I guess many of you are feeling as miserable as I am about the prospect of four years of Boris Johnson running London. Very few of you though have the privilege of a Facebook account stacked with friends from the…
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Register your disapproval here
By Jess McCabe | 3 May 2008, 00:41
Well, London. What can I say? You elected Boris Johnson. Or, at least, some of you did. I just heard Polly Toynbee on the news saying that Boris will not be a catastrophe, because he won’t get around to doing…
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Letting The Perfect Be The Enemy Of The Good
By Kate Smurthwaite | 2 May 2008, 20:15
Might I start by advising any readers who “couldn’t be bothered to vote” that they would do well to avoid me for the next few days… But what makes me the angriest (I think, it’s so hard to chose) is…
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Back To The Blog
By Kate Smurthwaite | 2 May 2008, 20:03
A very quick post to say that I’m back as this month’s guest blogger. I had a great time guest blogging last May so figured we’d make it a tradition. If you’re not familiar with my blogging you can see…
Further to the Johnny Vegas story
By Louise Livesey | 2 May 2008, 18:08
It has been pointed out on another feminist forum that the way to really hurt these sorts of men is in their pockets. Vegas is the voice of PG Tips at the moment. Here is their contact page to complain…
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Ladyfest London lead up
By Guest Blogger | 2 May 2008, 10:08
As Ladyfest London approaches, one of the organisers - Kate, of Dandizette - reflects on how Ladyfests provide both links to a history of feminist festival organising and a clean slate Ladyfest has become like an international travelling carnival of…
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23rd May - benefit to support Million Women Rise
By Jess McCabe | 1 May 2008, 18:22
Remember Million Women Rise? Well, yes, you probably do as it was less than two months ago. But organising a massive march on the capital takes time, and the women behind the project are already gearing up for next year….
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Women in prison
By Jess McCabe | 1 May 2008, 17:59
I’m just at the beginning of reading 13 Women: Parables from Prison, based on interviews with, as the title suggests, 13 women in the US prison system, which I picked up here. I’m too close to the beginning to offer…
Vote!
By zohra moosa | 1 May 2008, 12:24
Local elections have arrived! 2008 marks the 90th and 80th anniversaries of the two franchise acts that gave women the right to vote in Britain - a right that some women sacrificed their lives for and many women still…
How, in the name of all things just, is this not a criminal act?
By Louise Livesey | 1 May 2008, 11:37
EDIT: Johnny Vegas has now apparently started legal proceedings over the article by the Guardian, one assumes for defamation but that’s not clear at this point. He’s appointed a firm with a history of pursuing cases against internet publishers (Schillings)….
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Response to Khalid Diab
By Louise Livesey | 1 May 2008, 11:06
I Blame the Patriarchy has written a response to Khalid Diab’s call for men to be accepted as full feminists. This guy, writing at the Guardian, is under the impression that, not only is feminism about “equality,” but that he…
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Ladyfest lead up
By Guest Blogger | 1 May 2008, 10:22
Ladyfest London is nearly upon us. Here, Polly Cassidy, one of the organisers, guest-posts her pre-festival reflections There’s just over a week before Ladyfest London 2008 launches. I have been involved with organising the festival, which showcases women’s/feminist/queer creativity, for…
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