Blog posts by Jess McCabe: 2007
31 December 2007
If only instant soup really could end the patriarchy…
Presscue links to a series of Romanian ads for instant soup which I can’t help both loving and hating at the same time: On the one hand, these images rather effectively illuminate the way that sexism operates in the media… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 31 December 2007
29 December 2007
Men want 'lobotomised' women
A woman carries out a speed dating experiment. She goes to one such event as a human rights lawyer, interested in economics, politics and Proust. She strikes out: the men are terrified. She goes to a second night as a… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 29 December 2007
28 December 2007
Riot grrrl film on YouTube
Coilhouse points out that the entire film All Over Me is available on YouTube. In 1997, director Alex Sichel was given a grant to make a film about the riot grrrl music scene. She created the film All Over Me,… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 28 December 2007
Government encouraging boys to play with toy weapons
The government has produced guidance advising nursery schools to let boys play with weapons, because it aids their learning development, reports the Guardian. OK, so there’s a lot to untangle here, but I want to particularly concentrate on the gender… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 28 December 2007
New method could determine time when drinks spiked
A scientist has developed a method which could help police determine when rapists spike drinks, down to a two-hour time frame, reports the BBC. The method obviously relies on the victim managing to keep a sample of the drink that… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 28 December 2007
Careers advisor slams up against sexism in the workplace, etc
I have a love/hate relationship with careers blogger Penelope Trunk, but today I just feel really bad for her. After her popular careers advice column was dropped by Yahoo!, Trunk posted this missive on how to deal with being fired…. Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 28 December 2007
27 December 2007
Benazir Bhutto assassinated in suicide bombing
Former prime minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated, reports the BBC and everyone else. Ms Bhutto had just addressed an election rally in Rawalpindi when she was shot in the neck by a gunman who then set off… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 27 December 2007
26 December 2007
Some Boxing Day reading…
Hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas/day off yesterday. If you’re looking for something to read today, you could do much worse than the latest Carnival of Radical Feminists. As usual with this particular Carnival, there’s lots of thought-provoking stuff, which… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 26 December 2007
23 December 2007
Who to blame for sexist Xmas cards? Feminists, obviously!
Today’s Sun features a column about ridiculing of men in Christmas cards. OK, so I agree with the basic premise of William Coulson’s column. Cards for all sorts of occasional tend to be rife with sexism. A few days ago,… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 23 December 2007
21 December 2007
The rise of the 'bridesman' and 'groomsmaid'
It sometimes takes a story like this one in the New York Daily News, to get your head around just how mired down in conventional gender-role thinking the world really is. Ostensibly a piece about the growing popularity of the… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 21 December 2007
Testosterone causes humour? Oh, please
A Norfolk professor has concluded that women are naturally less funny because of lower testosterone levels. What evidence does he have for this? Women were less likely to make stupid jokes when they saw him ride a unicycle through the… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 21 December 2007
Spice Girls feminism
The concept of ‘Spice Girls feminism’ has been resuscitated recently - perhaps unsurprisingly, given the group’s own reunion. Check out this snippet from the Today programme, split into two sections put together by different journalists. The first section is quite… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 21 December 2007
20 December 2007
Oh so 'funny' satire on what turns girls on
For a minute let’s set aside the rights and wrongs of porn, to consider this hilarious take on what turns girls on. Brought to us by the cretins who thought ‘the internet in book form’ was a good idea, this… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 20 December 2007
19 December 2007
What does the 50th 'anniversary' of the Feminist Carnival mean?
The 50th Carnival of Feminists has been published at Jaded Hippy. As is so often the case, the Carnival is hosted by a blog which is completely new to me. It is also stuffed full of feminist posts, branching out… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 19 December 2007
18 December 2007
'Feminine' road signs banned in Sweden - but are they a good idea anyway?
You know how the green man telling you it’s OK to cross the street seems to be… well… a man? If a human needs to appear in a road sign, it’s more than likely to be a stick figure which… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 18 December 2007
Bunny v Hefner
You can now watch the ‘Bin the Bunny’ trilogy on YouTube!… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 18 December 2007
Saudi rape victim pardoned
The Saudi woman who was sentenced to 200 lashes for the crime of being gang raped has been pardoned by the king, reports AP. Which is brilliant news, of course. However, before we get too excited, the king’s decision has… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 18 December 2007
14 December 2007
'Protecting and maintaining your heterosexual house of cards'
This episode of the video blog Goodie Bag does a great job of sending up the lengths that men go to, in order to demonstrate that they are not gay. (Thanks to Irina from GETV for the link!)… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 14 December 2007
13 December 2007
Men looking for a quick way to demonstrate your feminism? Choose a pink phone
Jeff of the blog Feminist Allies has a very specific suggestion for how men can do a bit of feminist work: embrace pink phones. Here at The F Word, we’ve moaned about the tendency of tech and gadget companies to… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 13 December 2007
'If you're pre-born you're fine, if you're pre-school you're fucked'
George Carlin, a US stand-up comic, skewers the anti-choice crowd: (Thanks Graham!)… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 13 December 2007
10 December 2007
More Joss Whedon
Fans of Joss Whedon rejoice! According to AfterEllen.com, Whedon is working on a comic book follow up to his space Western series Firefly. The comic is scheduled to hit the shelves of comic shops in March 2008, and will be… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 10 December 2007
The failings of the feminist blogosphere
Everyone has failings, and one of the major problems to be seen in the feminist blogosphere has been manifestations of forms of prejudice, such as racism, classism, transphobia and (perhaps to a lesser extent) homophobia. In the first episode of… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 10 December 2007
9 December 2007
When will the "slut" meme die?
Girls are now more interested in appearing sexy than intelligent, argues a new book by Carol Platt Liebau. As reported in the Observer today, the book sets out very sensibly that “popular culture is undermining girls’ sense of worth in… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 9 December 2007
8 December 2007
Latest Feminist Carnival up now!
The 49th ever Carnival of Feminists is up at Days in a wannabe punk’s life. One of our posts is up there, but as usual there’s loads of interesting stuff to read…. Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 8 December 2007
New features! New reviews!
Anorexia may be a very specific medical condition, but, argues Katie Muller, self-hating image-obsession is something most women experience. On the political front, Jessica Metheringham takes apart the way that women are dismissed as depoliticised, floating voters. Crime reporting of… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 8 December 2007
7 December 2007
The 'full-on gender indoctrination mind-control programme'
I generally love ‘overheard’ posts, and this one by PortlyDyke at Shakesville is no exception. Here is the exchange overheard at a Safeway’s supermarket between a mother and her 18 month-old: Mommy: “No, that’s the little girl bear. See her… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 7 December 2007
6 December 2007
Latest fashion in Japan? Fake injuries!
TOKYOMANGO reports that the latest trend among Cosplayers in Japan is to fake injuries, with fake bandages and fake eyepatches. Mainichi news has more analysis of why this trend is popular, ranging from undertones of bondage, to overtones of virginity… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 6 December 2007
F Word shop is Go!
The F Word has launched a shop with Amazon. You can find it here, stocked with lots of lovely feminist potential Christmas pressies. Me and Catherine have had an enormous amount of fun stocking the shelves of our perfect virtual,… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 6 December 2007
Advice on how men can prevent rape, and more…
We all know about the rape epidemic. But what can male readers of this blog, and the men in our lives, do about it? Heather Corinna has a brilliant article on just this subject, up at Scarlateen. Here’s a small… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 6 December 2007
4 December 2007
Round-up!
Is the new Beowulf film sexist? Revena at the Hathor Legacy thinks not, and she has an interesting perspective on why: Don’t get me wrong – the bulk of the characters in the film are pretty damn sexist. There’s much… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 4 December 2007
3 December 2007
Pilot 'cut domestic violence by two thirds'
A scheme which gives victims of domestic violence their own advocate in dealing with police, social services, housing authorities and other services, has cut the incidence of violence by two thirds, reports the Independent. As well as helping women to… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 3 December 2007
2 December 2007
Right-wing press jumps on opportunity to condemn women who have casual/non-vanilla sex
The British student Meredith Kercher was sexually assaulted and murdered while studying in Italy. The story, which is quite sensational, has been avidly reported in the media. Now, I hesitate before posting about this - there can be no doubt… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 2 December 2007
1 December 2007
Latest right-wing conspiracy theory: soya will make your kids gay!
Jim Rutz is so convinced that soya will “feminise” children, and, as he puts it, lead to a reduction in penis size and homosexuality, that he has written a five part column setting out his views. I will sum them… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 1 December 2007
Iran bans word 'women' from TV
Are you a fundamentalist regime, with a poor record on women’s rights? Getting a bad rep in the international community? Perhaps you’re coming under pressure at home, with grass roots activists gathering signatures in an attempt to get discriminatory laws… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 1 December 2007
30 November 2007
Hacking off your daughter's clitoris is not 'cultural heritage'
I generally consider myself in sympathy with ideas about not imposing Western ideas onto the rest of the world. But this blog post on the New York Times is a clear example of the manipulation of the concept of cultural… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 30 November 2007
28 November 2007
Finally! Jurors to hear expert evidence on rape
After going backwards and forwards on this issue, the government finally seems to have decided to use expert witnesses to dispell the rape myths that may influence jurors to let rapists go free, reports ePolitix.com. The Solicitor General, Vera Baird,… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 28 November 2007
The sexual politics of the supermarket
This week’s Cat and Girl strip confronts how snacks get ‘male’ names, while baking products get ‘female’ names. However, the first box is the best bit:… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 28 November 2007
Wonder Woman gets first female writer
Sixty-six years into her reign, Wonder Woman is to get her first regular female writer in the person of Gail Simone, reports Wired. Wonder Woman has become a bit of an icon for feminists, and you can buy a seemingly… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 28 November 2007
27 November 2007
Perfect post-Christmas present for any teenage girls you know…
It’s not coming out in time for Christmas, but that’s no reason not to pre-order Body Drama for your younger sister/cousin/daughter. As reported on Broadsheet, the book by Nancy Redd is a handbook about “boobs, vaginas, and everything in between”…. Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 27 November 2007
Sign petition to stop cervical cancer
From smear tests to the new vaccine against the Human Papillomavirus, there’s plenty of options for reducing the number of women who get cervical cancer - yet 25,000 die every year in Europe every year from the disease. The… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 27 November 2007
The pen holder that you can 'rape'
Sharpening your pencil not misogynist enough for you? Would a rape toy just make your office complete? Why not buy a Lusty Linda pen holder, or stick your lead in this. The second link takes you to a pencil sharpener… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 27 November 2007
26 November 2007
Sick of films that pair ugly men with beautiful women? Don't watch Superbad
Superbad is a teen comedy - and therefore it will probably only make you laugh if you have a fairly high tolerance for pretty juvinile humour. Clearly I fall into that catagory, because there were quite a few moments… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 26 November 2007
Worst tattoo ever?
Generally speaking, I don’t like to criticise specific women for their specific choices. But Cheryl Cole has had “Mrs Cole” tattooed on the back of her neck. For those who don’t follow these things, Cole is in Girls Aloud, and… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 26 November 2007
25 November 2007
Our report on Reclaim the Night 2007
No word yet on how many women took part, [Edit: It was about 1,500 according to the police], but last night’s Reclaim the Night was quite an experience. We were protesting against the epidemic levels of violence against women -… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 25 November 2007
23 November 2007
Reclaim the Night tomorrow!
Another reminder for London readers that tomorrow is Reclaim the Night! Meet at 6pm in Trafalgar Square. Many F Word regulars will be in attendence, including yours truely. So do come and say hi! Edit: Anyone wondering why it’s… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 23 November 2007
Why would women in Britain seek illegal abortions?
Abortion has been legal in the UK for 40 years. So why has the BBC discovered that illegal abortions are still taking place? BBC Radio 5 Live undertook an investigation, after a discussion in a chat room suggested that women… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 23 November 2007
22 November 2007
Literary 'bad sex award' longlist
Jeanette Winterson and Ian McEwan have made it onto this year’s long-list of the Bad Sex award - for most cringe-inducing erotic scene in fiction, reports the Guardian. Descriptions of sex in the novel do have a tendancy to veer… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 22 November 2007
Attacking maternity leave and lesbians - 'Femail' roundup
The Daily Mail’s ‘femail’ section is so offensive, there’s only enough hours in the day to do a round up. Maternity pay, shmay First of all, we have a story arguing that because a minority of women in Sweden are… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 22 November 2007
The Page 3 'role model'
This is a bit of an old link, but a seemingly timeless subject: Jordan: why is she considered a role model?. This time it was the Scotsman asking, and I am quoted in there giving my own view on the… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 22 November 2007
21 November 2007
Right wingers obsess over homosexuality
Remember Conservapedia? If not, you might guess from the name that it is a supposed-alternative to Wikipedia, with a conservative slant. Their page about feminism includes plenty of choice quotes from the likes of Pat Robertson. Crooked Timber took this… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 21 November 2007
GTA for girls?
When I write about games aimed at girls/women, I very rarely suffer any wish to play them. Yet there is something weirdly intriguing about Coolest Girl in the School, dubbed ‘Grand Theft Auto for girls’, even if it does raise… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 21 November 2007
19 November 2007
Will it soon be tougher to get an abortion in Scotland than in England?
This column is by Jacq Kelly, our guest Scottish affairs correspondent. Jacq Kelly is 27, comes from Lochgelly in Fife, and currently lives in Edinburgh. She got involved in politics at the age of 16 and stood for election to… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 19 November 2007
Can beauty contests ever be feminist?
Although the traditional beauty contest is probably never going to be salvaged for feminism, there are any number of alternatives that fall into much more of a grey area - and Miss Landmine Angola 2008 is definitely one of them…. Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 19 November 2007
Snoop from The Wire puts out autobiography
I started watching The Wire because of Felicia “Snoop” Pearson (or more properly, this post about her on AfterEllen). She plays a character of the same name on the show, which is probably some of the best television to come… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 19 November 2007
17 November 2007
The more married women get paid, the less housework they will do
The number of hours a married woman spends with the duster and mop goes down the more she earns, according to research by the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Indeed, every $7,500 a married women makes will shave off an hour… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 17 November 2007
16 November 2007
Frida Kahlo… the moisturiser?
Here’s an good story for a Friday afternoon: a cosmetics firm in the US has launched a range of skin care products inspired by the depressive but brilliant artist Frida Kahlo. They seem to actually have registered Frida Kahlo as… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 16 November 2007
Buffy actor disappoints even more…
So, yesterday we heard saw that Sarah Michelle Gellar posed for Maxim. Today, Feministing brings us yet more depressing news: she has changed her name to Sarah Michelle Prinze as an anniversay present to her husband. USmagazine.com has more: A… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 16 November 2007
Welcome to our new blogger… Carrie Dunn
I am pleased to announce that Carrie Dunn is joining The F Word’s blogging team. Carrie was the writer behind a couple of our recent features - including The media has failed women’s football, about the coverage of the women’s… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 16 November 2007
15 November 2007
Buffy wouldn't have posed for Maxim
I have to admit, my reaction to seeing Sarah Michelle Gellar’s photoshoot for Maxim was almost exactly the same as dorothy snarker from AfterEllen: what would Buffy say? Yes, I know, I know - I am over identifying Gellar with… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 15 November 2007
Ho ho ho story a rotten Christmas chestnut
Dollymix alerts us to a story that has taken Australia by storm: a supplier of Santas apparently instructed its recruits not to say “ho, ho, ho” because it would be offensive to women. Of course, it’s already 15th of November,… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 15 November 2007
Pippi creator's 100th birthday
The creator of Pippi Longstocking would have turned 100 yesterday, reports AFP. Astrid Lindgren’s most famous creation was, according to Wikipedia, “very unconventional, assertive, rich and extraordinarily strong, being able to lift her horse one-handed without difficulty”. The first four… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 15 November 2007
If turning an orangutan into a sex slave is evil, what does it mean to do that to a human?
An organutan has been rescued from a “prostitute village” in Indonesia, according to Vice magazine. The magazine interviewed Michelle Desilets, director of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation - incidental to this particular story, this organisation does some really good work… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 15 November 2007
14 November 2007
UK drops from 9 to 11 in world gender rankings
The UK has dropped two places in the World Economic Forum’s annual rankings on gender equality - although our overall ‘score’ has increased a little bit. Last year, the UK was in ninth place - this year we’re in 11th… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 14 November 2007
Maplin - stereotypes galore for Xmas!
Electronics retailer Maplin is starting early with its sexist Christmas advertising - I spotted this window display in one of its stores in the City yesterday. It’s a bit blurry, unfortunately, but those are video games, toy cars, strobe… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 14 November 2007
13 November 2007
zohra is staying on
This is just a brief service announcement, to let you know that our guest blogger zohra moosa has agreed to stay on as a regular blogger. zohra started blogging for us back in July, and has been responsible for any… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 13 November 2007
New comments!
All the comments sent in during the month of October are now up and ready for your perusal. And boy, did people have a lot to say this month: in particular about Ruth Moss’ feature on the Facebook ban on… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 13 November 2007
12 November 2007
Swedes fight for right to swim topless (…in November?)
Groups of feminists have been swimming topless in pools across Sweden, in wildcat protests against both official policy and social expectation dictating that women must cover up, reports The Local. I know those Swedes are tough, but they must be… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 12 November 2007
Tories set out stall on rape
Cartoon by Jacky Fleming Teach children about consent in schools. Poor money into rape crisis centres. Overhaul sentencing of rapists. David Cameron’s speech today reads like a feminist wish list. Speaking to the Conservative Women’s Organisation in London, Cameron… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 12 November 2007
Making the blog easier for you to use!
Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed some changes here at The F Word’s blog. You told us that it wasn’t easy enough to find the permanent links for blog posts, so we changed it. Each post now has its own page… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 12 November 2007
11 November 2007
Tampax will protect you from sharks!
In the annuals of tampon adverts, this one for Tampax in France and found on AdsoftheWorld.com is, at least, a bit funny. Swimming in shark infested waters is, I suppose, one of those occasions where a super efficient tampon… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 11 November 2007
10 November 2007
Sweden's new female equality ombudsman paid less than male predecessor
Some stories are enough to make you despair of every seeing the pay gap closed shut in this country, and this is one of them. Sweden, one of the most egalitarian places in the world, cut the wages of its… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 10 November 2007
Sexist jokes cause discrimination - study
Researchers have found that exposure to sexist humour makes men who already have sexist tendencies more likely to discriminate, reports Yahoo’s LiveScience.com. The research was carried out by psychologist Thomas Ford and some of his graduate students at Western Carolina… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 10 November 2007
9 November 2007
Mind the Gap is back - and posting about Trinny and Susannah
The brilliant blog Mind the Gap has relaunched, keeping their promise not to be gone for long. Indeed, it’s only a matter of weeks since we were saying a fond farewell to the Cardiff-based group’s old blog. Based on the… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 9 November 2007
Carrie from Sleater Kinney has a blog
Here’s some good news for the legions of Sleater Kinney fans who have been pining since the band went on indefinite hiatus in 2006, Carrie Brownstein, guitarist and sometimes-singer for the late, great SK now has her own music blog… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 9 November 2007
Will Clinton fail at the polls because Americans want their presidents to play football?
Stories about the US presidential elections are coming in to my RSS reader thick and fast, not least from all the US feminist bloggers. But The Guardian adds to the ongoing debate over whether Hilary Clinton could become the first… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 9 November 2007
Answering the question 'can fashion be feminist?'
If only photographer jeroen020 had also taken some close up photos of the clothes on sale at this ‘performance feminism fashion’ clothes shop in a mall in Gwanju, Korea…. Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 9 November 2007
Two feminist carnivals for the price of one!
The 47th Carnival of Feminists is up at Ornamenting Away. Also, the latest carnival of radical feminists is ready to read over at Angry for a Reason. Both look really good, and Louise even gets a mention over at the… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 9 November 2007
8 November 2007
Entry for best poster competition?
(Via Feminist Law Professors, who got it from Social Design Notes. It comes with a colouring book on the inside and is called “CrimethInc Gender Subversion Kit #69-B”.)… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 8 November 2007
6 November 2007
First batch of November features, reviews!
The first batch of features are out of the oven and ready to munch. Or, if you prefer to ignore my over-stretched metaphor, read. First up, Joanna Whitehead considers why it’s not so great for femme lesbians when advertisers exploit… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 6 November 2007
5 November 2007
A new Liberal Conspiracy
This is a brief announcement: I am going to be blogging on feminist issues for Liberal Conspiracy, a new ‘super blog’ of the left. You can read more about the project, set up by Sunny of Pickled Politics, over here… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 5 November 2007
2 November 2007
Damned if you do, doomed if you don't
There is no perfect way for women to act in the workplace, if they wish to get ahead - that is the conclusion Lisa Belkin comes to in this New York Times article on the contradictory research on the issue…. Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 2 November 2007
1 November 2007
Joss Whedon, Faith back with new TV series
Joss Whedon is to film a new TV show with Eliza Dushku (who played Faith on Buffy), according to The Hollywood Reporter. The self-proclaimed feminist who created both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly has nabbed a seven episode commitment… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 1 November 2007
31 October 2007
Calling all pro-feminist/feminist men in London
This Saturday will see the first meeting of a new group set up for pro-feminist/feminist men in the capital. The group’s founder, Jon, says: “The group has no set objectives as such yet but will hopefully be a supportive environment… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 31 October 2007
Deporting rapists doesn't solve anything
A judge has halted the deportation of 20 year-old Mohammed Kendeh, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman in 2003, and has admitted to 11 cases of assault, reports The Metro. Last year, the Home Office tried to deport… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 31 October 2007
30 October 2007
From moist to Shampoo
Personally, I just don’t feel any disgust over the word “moist”. But the news that the word rubs women up the wrong way is all over the blogosphere. Dollymix is running a poll, and Pandagon has a great post summing… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 30 October 2007
Da boch chi, Mind the Gap
Cardiff-based activist group Mind the Gap! has announced that it is shutting down its blog. Winter posted a message today: After 3 years and 575 posts, we have decided that this blog project has run its course. However, it’s not… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 30 October 2007
29 October 2007
Should feminists drop our surnames?
Today’s Guardian carries a very interesting column by Margaret Sandra, who ditched her surname in 1979 as a feminist statement. Of course, the naming conundrum is not new to feminists - if we decide to get married, do we take… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 29 October 2007
28 October 2007
All 12 year-old girls to get cervical cancer jab
From September 2008, all 12 year-old girls in the UK will be inoculated against cervical cancer, in a national vaccination programme set to save the lives of 400 women a year, reports The Guardian. The vaccination has caused controversy, particularly… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 28 October 2007
27 October 2007
Maxim names 'unsexiest' women
We’re used to men’s mags like Maxim coming out with offensive lists of the ‘hottest babes of 2007’, etc. But now that this sort of thing has just become background-level annoying, they decide to go a little bit further with… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 27 October 2007
Getting women to buy insurance…
I’m divided over this ad for life insurance (I think?), which popped up on AdsOfTheWorld.Com recently. It originally appeared on Belgian television, and the basic premise is a good one - that it’s probably not a very good idea to… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 27 October 2007
'Bin the Bunny' t-shirts, DVDs, etc…
The bunny-based protest in London against Playboy, kicked off when the porn emporium opened a store on Oxford Street, is now selling t-shirts, badges and DVDs. Hop on over to their blog to place orders - I’m getting one of… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 27 October 2007
46th Carnival of Feminists up at Cubically Challenged
The latest feminist carnival is up and ready to read, over at Cubically Challenged. How cool is it that there have been 46 of these Carnivals? As usual, there’s enough tasty reading material for a reader to chow down on… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 27 October 2007
24 October 2007
The Taleban would love Bob Jones University
I don’t like to blog stories about Christian fundamentalists in the US. It’s a bit too much like shooting fish in a barrel. But Bob Jones University’s instructions on dress and behaviour for prospective students is so creepy and ridiculous,… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 24 October 2007
At a loose end in our fine capital tonight? How about a WANC
The Women’s Anarchist Nuisance Cafe meets tonight in London to discuss “polyrhythmic living and loving with live music and guest speakers discussing different ways of conducting relationships”. More appealing still, WANC is holding a clothes exchange fundraiser - you bring… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 24 October 2007
23 October 2007
Not exactly reclaim the night…
A Japanese fashion designer has designed a dress which folds out into a vending machine costume. Why, you ask? For women to hide from potential attackers, reports the New York Times. The wearer hides behind the sheet, printed with an… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 23 October 2007
22 October 2007
You don't own me
You know that song “It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to… cry if I want to, cry if I want to…”? Well, Hazel from the fabulous Buffy blog Let’s Fold Scarves has tracked down some footage of… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 22 October 2007
Teachers advised on enforcing the gender divide through reading assignments!
According to the blog Collected Voices, a leading website for UK teachers is peddling a reading list for 14-15 year olds which splits its recommended books into a section for girls and a section for boys. Unfortunately I can’t find… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 22 October 2007
Utilikilt
One of my favourite bloggers, Twisty from I Blame the Patriarchy, has semi-emerged from a posting hiatus to not-quite-blog about the utilikilt. Utilikilts, it amuses me to report, are nothing but skirts. Big whoop, you say? Well, they have giant… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 22 October 2007
Astronaut watch
If the Discovery shuttle launch goes ahead tomorrow, it will be the first time two simultaneous missions have been under the command of female astronauts, reports The Guardian. Retired US Air Force Colonel Pamela Melroy (pictured left), will lead a… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 22 October 2007
20 October 2007
The F Word Podcast - episode two!
UPDATE: You can now subscribe to The F Word podcast and review it on iTunes. Click here to subscribe. Some months ago, we recorded episode one of our brand new podcast. It’s taken us longer than we thought to record… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 20 October 2007
There are more feminists out there than you realise
When people think about or talk about feminists, there is a tendency to look for the big-names. Whether that be Gloria Steinem or Jessica Valenti of Feministing. Feminist celebrities, in other words. But the worst-told story of feminism is just… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 20 October 2007
19 October 2007
We missed love your body day…!
Yesterday was apparently Love Your Body Day. It’s a shame we missed it, but it’s not too late to point you to this presentation by the US feminist group NOW, about the impact of advertising. The whole presentation is really… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 19 October 2007
18 October 2007
More male geniuses?
There are more male geniuses than female geniuses - and more extremely stupid men than stupid women, according to research reported in the Daily Mail. I say reported, but actually I mean: “leapt on with glee by the Daily Mail”…. Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 18 October 2007
17 October 2007
How A Baby Is Made
I feel compelled to draw attention to the illustration used in Abby’s latest post. It is from How A Baby Is Made, a book which unfortunately no longer seems to be available in the UK. The book is aimed at… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 17 October 2007
Rushdie calls on Dutch government to protect Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Readers undoubtedly know all about Ayaan Hirsi Ali - the former Dutch MP and advocate for Muslim women’s rights who was forced to flee from the Netherlands to the US in fear for her life. Undoubtedly, as well, readers will… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 17 October 2007
16 October 2007
Protecting women from discrimination by… banning them from 'unsuitable' jobs!
The Chinese government has passed legislation that sets out which jobs are “unsuitable” for women to perform, reports China Daily. It quotes a “senior labour official” as saying, with a notable lack of irony, that this will be an advancement… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 16 October 2007
15 October 2007
Why wind turbines are feminist
Today is Blog Action Day, which sees tens of thousands of bloggers take a breather from writing purely about, say, vegan recipes, their day-to-day existences, or, um, feminism, to show how environmental issues are relevant to their readerships. Actually, I… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 15 October 2007
12 October 2007
Can 'female' hormones make you wear women's clothes?
A trader at the hedge fund SAC Capital is suing another trader for sexual harassment, reports CNBC. This is a really weird case: the trader alleges that his boss(?) required him to take “female hormones” (we must presume this means… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 12 October 2007
11 October 2007
Eggs=periods
PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals - is such an easy target that we tend to ignore it. But I do get their newsletters in my inbox, and occasionally make the mistake of opening one. This caught… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 11 October 2007
Doris Lessing scores Nobel prize
Doris Lessing has become the 11th woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, reports The Guardian. Announcing the award, the Swedish academy described Lessing as an “epicist of the female experience, who with scepticism, fire and visionary power has… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 11 October 2007
10 October 2007
Italian football club sponsored by 'brothel'
The Italian football team Trento Calcio 1921 has accepted sponsorship from a local brothel, reports Sky and Spiegel International. The team, based in Trento, in northern Italy, has swapped its reputation for a mere €10,000. Sky says: One offer is… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 10 October 2007
Missing the point of a feminist critique of waxing by at least a kilometre (and inventing a 'feminist' critique of tattoos and threesomes that never was)
Today Regina Lynn posts about the non-event that was her decision to quit shaving her legs for a year, and then start again. But she also links to this ridiculous post which purports to puncture the bubble of the “rising… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 10 October 2007
9 October 2007
Jonathon Coe on the forgotten classics of women's literature
Virago Press was set up in 1973 to publish work by female writers. Last Saturday in The Guardian, novelist Jonathan Coe drew a rich history of his own love affair with their line of modern classics, which brought back into… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 9 October 2007
Warner Bros 'will not finance films with female leads'
The film studio Warner Bros has made an unofficial decision not to finance any more films with female leads, according to Cinema Retro. The story comes from Nikke Finke’s blog for LA Weekly, Hollywood Deadline Daily, where she alleges that… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 9 October 2007
8 October 2007
Take action on the pay gap
We all know by now that the gender pay gap is alive and well. It seems like one of those problems it is hard to do anything about, but the Fawcett Society has put together some actions you can… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 8 October 2007
US feds fail to defend Alabama's sex toys
The people of Alabama are no doubt a bit miffed to say the least, as the US Supreme Court has declined to hear a case against the ban on sex toys in their state. As The Decatur Daily reports, the… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 8 October 2007
Black European Women's Congress: five tasks for the EU
Much as we love to do the EU down in this country, it can be quite useful. Especially on issues such as race and gender. Last week saw the first ever Black European Women’s Congress take place in Vienna. This… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 8 October 2007
Airline refuses to deport refugees
Although this isn’t specifically a gender issue, I can’t help but draw attention to this piece of good news reported in The Independent. An airline called XL Airways is refusing to take part in the forced removal of failed asylum… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 8 October 2007
6 October 2007
'Daily feminist activities for boys' (and men)
Are you a man or a boy who would like some instructions on how to make a difference? You could do no better than to check out Laurie Penny’s ‘daily feminist activities for boys’, over at her new blog at… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 6 October 2007
New Features! New Reviews!
Are you based in Edinburgh? If so, get ready to Reclaim the Night on 11 October. Rebecca Heller, who has helped organise the march, explains some of her own conflicts about the concept, and why she thinks it is still… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 6 October 2007
5 October 2007
The Color Purple, the musical?
Via AfterEllen, we learn that Chaka Khan, someone I’ve never heard of, is to appear in a broadway version of the Color Purple by Alice Walker. And by broadway, they mean musical. To which the only answer is, who came… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 5 October 2007
Should Scotland set its own abortion law?
The Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, is calling for the power to legislate on abortion to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament, with the intention of cutting the time-limit on terminations. As a first stage, reports the Scotsman, the Scottish… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 5 October 2007
No before and afters, please…
The blog Elastic Waist is collecting photos which show the “history of our bodies” (via Back in Skinny Jeans). You can see the photos on Flickr. This has the potential to be a really affirming project: We are not interested… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 5 October 2007
3 October 2007
Afghanistan's Next Top Model?
A local Afghan TV station is broadcasting a low-budget version of ‘America’s Next Top Model’, challenging the traditional attitudes that still hold such sway nearly six years after the Taliban was ousted from power. Yahoo! News reports: Four girls in… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 3 October 2007
2 October 2007
'Panic' over missing women hits English countryside
Men living in English villages are in a “panic”, because of the high number of women who are leaving the countryside to live, work and play in big towns and cities, reports The Guardian. A new campaign is aiming to… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 2 October 2007
1 October 2007
Latest Carnival of Radical Feminists out now
Head on over to Laurelin in the Rain to check out the sixth radical feminists’ carnival. As usual, the carnival opens with Laurelin’s description of what radical feminism means to her, before moving swiftly on to the link-fest. One of… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 1 October 2007
28 September 2007
Unique women-only space under threat
Guest post and photo by Laura Kidd The future of the Lambeth Women’s Project is under threat from Lambeth Council, who are currently challenging the use of the building on Stockwell Road. LWP has been offering specialist services to women… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 28 September 2007
Hungarian prostitutes to be given entrepreneur permits
Hungarian prostitutes will be allowed to apply for “entrepreneurial” work permits, reports WayOdd and M&C. Prostitution was already legal in Hungary, making it a target for sex-slave traffickers. I am not one of these people who supports the legalisation of… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 28 September 2007
27 September 2007
Polish women's candidates strip off
A new political party has emerged in Poland, to champion the rights of women, reports the Telegraph. The Women’s Party puts issues like equal pay, public funding for contraception and access to abortion at the centre of its platform. But… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 27 September 2007
Four more days to fill in advertising survey
Have you filled in our survey on whether The F Word blog should open up to advertising? The survey will close at midnight on 30 September, and we will collect the responses, muse over what you have said and make… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 27 September 2007
Is anorexia a feminist issue?
Is anorexia caused, or exacerbated, or linked in any way to images of rail-thin catwalk models, actresses and other women who are held up to us as examples of what it means to be an attractive woman? We’ve considered this… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 27 September 2007
26 September 2007
Feminists fightback (again)
Feminist Fightback is organising a free conference on Saturday 20 October, to take place at the University of East London. With the tagline “we’re still here, we’re still angry, we’re still fighting”, the conference is now in its second year…. Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 26 September 2007
High heels - then and now
Modern Mechanix has dug out a brilliant clipping from a 1957 story printed in an unknown publication, on the ‘benefits’ of high-heel wearing. (Via Jezebel) Back then, Dr Reginald Payne noted that high heels can cause bow legs and knock… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 26 September 2007
More women than men own consoles
More women than men own games consoles such as the PlayStation, Wii and Xbox, according to a survey reported in MediaPost. The website was so surprised at this finding, it couched it in these terms: ARE MALE VIDEO GAME ENTHUSIASTS… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 26 September 2007
Marriages end after seven years?
A Bavarian politician has proposed that marriage should last seven years, after which couples should make an active choice to renew their vows or dissolve their relationship, reports Reuters. Gabriele Pauli is standing for leadership of the Christian Social Union,… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 26 September 2007
25 September 2007
Gender discrimination claims 'overload' employment tribunal
The employment tribunal system is buckling under the pressure of thousands of women who are bringing claims of gender discrimination against their employers, reports The Independent. According to the newspaper, the number of cases heard by the tribunal doubled between… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 25 September 2007
23 September 2007
Annoying word of the day: "tramp stamp"
Jessica Valenti of Feministing posts about a new term in the misogynist lexicon: tramp stamp. This is apparently a term for lower-back tattoos. I have a “tramp stamp”, although it’s not my favourite tattoo and will soon be transformed into… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 23 September 2007
Is porn getting worse?
The question of the day seems to be: is porn getting more violent and more misogynist? First up, Shalom Auslander describes how the porn popular today differs from the stuff that got him hot as a teenager. What happened? He… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 23 September 2007
More feminist plays please
Should theatres put on seasons of work grouped together on the basis that all the plays were written by women? This is the question addressed by the Guardian’s theatre blog. It’s a variation on an old quandary (do bookshelves dedicated… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 23 September 2007
21 September 2007
How's the petition on women's right to drive going, then?
As we blogged last week, a new group has formed to pressure the Saudi government to end the ban on women driving. Now MEMRI carries an extended interview with the leader of this movement, feminist Wajeha Al-Huweidar, about plans for… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 21 September 2007
19 September 2007
Another feminist carnival out now
The 45th Carnival of Feminists is out now, over at Feminist Philosophers. As well as linking one of Samara’s posts, there’s plenty of great reading material, as per usual. I particularly liked this post from redjenny about a co-operative bank… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 19 September 2007
Poland vetoes anti-death penalty day; calls for anti-abortion day instead!
Warsaw has blocked plans for a Europe-wide anti-death penalty day, and instead called for an event to protest abortion and euthanasia, the BBC reports. Anti-death penalty day was meant to occur on 10 October. A conference organised by the EU… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 19 September 2007
18 September 2007
Win pushes women's football into the mainstream?
Could it be that women’s football is becoming a bit mainstream? Maybe this has been going on for ages, but yesterday was the first time I’ve seen a game make it to the evening news. And the commentator was naming… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 18 September 2007
17 September 2007
Tories would implement pay audits?
Tory leader David Cameron has promised to introduce pay audits to reveal wage-based discrimination against women, reports The Guardian. At first glance, this is great news. After all, I’ve been banging on about these audits for ages. The basic idea… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 17 September 2007
Legislation only way for women to win the boardroom?
As zohra blogged last week, the pay gap between men and women is expanding, while only two of the top 100 biggest companies listed in the UK have female bosses. Well, Ethical Investment Research Services has put out a report,… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 17 September 2007
14 September 2007
Saudi women push for end to driving ban
Saudi feminists have set up a new group to pressure the Kingdom into removing the ban on driving for women. The new, and wonderfully-named League of Demanders of Women’s Right to Drive Cars released a petition (which can be read… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 14 September 2007
Why the games industry gets women wrong?
David Gardner from Electronic Arts, the company that brought the world The Sims, among other games, has given a speech pointing out that the industry is failing to get girls and women to play along, reports the BBC. Girl in… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 14 September 2007
12 September 2007
Bolivian women take back cholita
Can clothes be feminist? Bolivian women are giving it a good go, adopting a ‘cholita’ look worn by Aymara Indian women, reports Kansascity.com. The seemingly anachronistic style, cribbed from the closets of La Paz’s Spanish colonizers, is the daily dress… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 12 September 2007
Bin the Bunny
Londoners can’t have failed to notice that Playboy is opening a shop on Oxford Street. According to Design Week, the porn emporium will spread over three floors and sell “men’s and womenswear, jewellery and accessories”. Vile, right? Well, the good… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 12 September 2007
Dodgy abortion survey?
A couple of days ago, the Daily Mail ran a story claiming that “seven out of 10 women want the 24-week upper limit for abortion to be halved”. What’s not clear until you get to paragraph eight, is that the… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 12 September 2007
Gender vs race
zohra has a really interesting article up at Catalyst about the pressures on ethnic minority women to align over race, rather than sex, and some of the implications of that. At an individual level, the decision is pragmatic – based… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 12 September 2007
9 September 2007
Pregnant women to get £120 each; lose jobs
All pregnant women are to receive £120 to spend on fruit and vegetables, reports The Observer. Yet for the 30,000 women who lose their jobs every year when they become pregnant, as the paper also reports, this will surely be… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 9 September 2007
5 September 2007
New Features! New Reviews!
As promised, the second set of features and reviews for September is now up and ready for you to read! First up, Catherine Redfern reviews Impeach My Bush by Peaches. All I can say is this: I downloaded the album… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 5 September 2007
4 September 2007
Knocked Up is sexist tripe - Queenan
I’ve been a Joe Queenan fan since reading If you’re talking to me, your career must be in trouble. But I love him a bit more after reading his column on the misogyny of the film Knocked Up and other… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 4 September 2007
Australian Zoo in most offensive competition ever
If you have heard of Australian men’s magazine Zoo Weekly, it’s probably because they once offered a boob job as a competition prize. Obviously that wasn’t offensive enough, because they have now launched a competition to find “Australia’s sexiest feminist”,… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 4 September 2007
2 September 2007
We want your opinion on advertising
The F Word has always been an ad-free space. But, with the development of BlogHerAds, and other possibilities for feminist-friendly ads, we are considering placing a limited number of ads on the blog, and other potential ways to raise revenue…. Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 2 September 2007
1 September 2007
Exposing dodgy research
You may have read reports about some research purporting to prove that Jessica Alba “has the perfect wiggle”. It was covered in the Telegraph, for example. “A team of Cambridge mathematicians” apparently “found that it is the ratio between hips… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 1 September 2007
Edit the Guardian's women's pages for a week
The Guardian is running a competition to edit the Women section of G2 for a week. The competition celebrates the women’s pages 50ths anniversary, and opened back in July (thanks Dollymix), but there are only a few short weeks to… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 1 September 2007
31 August 2007
New Features! New Reviews!
This month’s update isn’t finished yet, but there’s already plenty of interesting stuff to read. First up, Irina Lester reviews One Hundred Strokes of the Brush Before Bed, by Melissa Panarello. It’s definitely an interesting contrast to last month’s interview… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 31 August 2007
Angela Merkel named most powerful woman in the world; Margaret Beckett falls off list
Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany, is the most powerful woman in the world, according to Forbes magazine. Wu Yi, vice premier of China, came in second, while, interestingly US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dropped from second place to fourth… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 31 August 2007
30 August 2007
Discrimination hits corporations in their wallets; surgically replace your eyelashes!
US firms lose out on $64 billion, or about £32 million, a year from professionals who quit their job when they are discriminated against on the grounds of gender, race and sexuality, reports the Financial Times. The research by the… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 30 August 2007
29 August 2007
Playboy launches social networking site; has a confused boss
Playboy has already expanded its empire from porn to pencil cases, so it should be no surprise that it is responding to the Web 2.0 craze with a social networking site for students. The Chronicle of Higher Education suggests some… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 29 August 2007
Married men do less housework than co-habitees
Married men report doing less housework than live-in boyfriends, regardless of whether or not the couple holds egalitarian values, according to research by George Mason University in the US. The research looked at married and co-habiting heterosexual couples from 28… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 29 August 2007
Cardinal quits human rights champion because it does not support forced pregnancy for rape victims!
We’ve not mentioned it on the blog, I don’t think, but I’m sure readers will be aware that Amnesty International recently changed its policy, to support the right to abortion for cases where a woman has been raped, sexually assaulted,… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 29 August 2007
28 August 2007
Is it better to pee like a man?
AdsoftheWorld.com highlights another interesting ad campaign, this time for a biodegradable thingymagig that allows women to pee standing up. Here’s a description of how the campaign worked in practice, seemingly in Canada: To drive trial where the product was most… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 28 August 2007
Lingerie firm shuns photoshop in favour of real women
OK, it’s hideously expensive, but kudos to Lille Boutique for using non-photoshopped models to advertise their lingerie. The Portland, Oregan boutique sells ‘bralettes’ for $225 each. On sale. But at least if you do pay this much, you have a… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 28 August 2007
27 August 2007
Love your hair as it is - buy our stuff!
Remember the video Dove put out last year, showing the transformation of a real-life model, with blemishes, etc, into the kind of perfect image you see in advertising? Well, they’ve done it again, this time with hair. The video (below)… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 27 August 2007
26 August 2007
A social network for professional women?
Most websites designed “for women” tend to be dire, falling into the trap of assuming that it’s possible to meaningfully target something at half the population, and assuming the way to do that is through shoes, shopping and pink things…. Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 26 August 2007
Trafficked women auctioned in pubs
Trafficked women are being auctioned in Cambridgeshire pubs, before being locked away in brothels, reports the Observer. The discovery was made after police carried out a series of raids on 73 brothels in Cambridgeshire, which resulted in the rescue of… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 26 August 2007
Inside the host clubs of Osaka
The Great Happiness Space is a documentary by Jake Clennell about the hosts of Osaka, who entertain women for money. Not sleep with them for money - although they occasionally do have sex. They are charming, make their customers… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 26 August 2007
PS2 - for panty-sniffers?
As regular readers know, you can always count on Sony to come up with a truly offensive advert for the PlayStation. Well, AdsoftheWorld.com has dug out some more examples in this genre, this time advertising the PS2 with… men sniffing… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 26 August 2007
24 August 2007
Men let off with puny fines after viciously beating wives
A man branded his wife with an iron for not pressing his shirt. He slashed her feet with a knife while she slept, because she had not made his sandwiches. When she “complained”, as the Daily Mail puts it, he… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 24 August 2007