From Amy Lynn

Re: Sick of Celebrity: I absolutely agree with you on the mirage of hollywood that is personified by the illusion of perfection. Perfection is only supported by the assistants that are paid to be at these celebrities beckon call. Another that really atonishes me is that some celebrities are really lying about their weight. I have many friends that are 5'4" or 5'5" and look like they weigh less some celebrities. Some of these celebrities claim they weigh 110 lbs. Give me a break. Most women will lie about age and weight at some point.

From Sophia

Re: Contraception and Control: Teenage Rights: although your points are true i disagree with some parts i think u should have some privacy but not too much of it . iam 12 and doing a speaking and listening test on this matter so am just practising out so do not hesitate to email me with your opinion to help me with my english scores.

From Judy Stephenson

Children, chilcare, families.... I'm sure there are a few feminists out there who are involved in the above. As they will know, the ideal of "equality" takes the hardest hit when you realise that chilcare in this country is not tax deductable... and that you need to be earning a very large salary indeed to be able to even start to juggle career, interests, and family - as opposed to drop out of one altogether. Or that the job of looking after children, as mother or carer is the most despised in our culture, of such low value.

These are the day to day realities of gender inequality. The ones that mean real loss, heartache and sacrifice for ordinary women. Borne out of a system that pays lipservice to equality, but would rather you were at home, unpaid with the kids, but does nothing to prepare or educate you for that shocking eventuality.

The great 20th century feminists went there. And were at their most radical, and their most pragmatic and emotional when they did. Yet, on the subject, here strangely silent... Is this a lifestage thing? Seen to be a tax or finacial thing? Just not PC because it implies we've copped off with a bloke anyway? I like your site. I'm just interested as to why the lack of content on the above?

From OH BUGGER, STUART AGAIN

FOUND THIS SITE BY MISTAKE, hence drunken capitals, but made me think about things I usually avoid thinking about drunk, high or sober. Will be coming back when the latter.

From Sarah Bee

Re: Men Are Back: But Where Did They Go? Hi, wanted to say thanks to Sheryl Plant for mentioning my Friday Thing piece about the 'men are back' Peugeot ad - she went into it in more depth than I was able to and put it better than I could! It's interesting for me being the only female writer at TFT - when I'm not writing about specific female issues I find readers who write in often just default to 'male mode' and assume I'm one of the men. I don't think they even think about it, actually, it's just like the neutral gear, especially where satire is concerned - and I suppose given that there are more male writers, it's just more likely that any given piece was written by a man.

We did discuss introducing bylines for individual articles (we don't have them either in the full newsletter or on the site, which shows about a third of the content each week). I was one of the ones who resisted, because ashamed as I am to say it, I enjoy the freedom of being able to write without any gender assumptions, which is quite a rare thing although of course part of me feels this is a cop-out on my part. But then I don't want to make absolutely everything I write about being female - I want my views to be taken as views full stop, not 'the female view' in every case. It's almost a taste, for me, of what things might be like if we really did have equality. Still, I'm told that I 'write like a boy' - it's a bit like putting on doublet and hose to get a job at court to support my ailing father, or something. What is 'writing like a boy', anyway? Just an absence of girliness? It's not much of a compliment to me, but then it passes for one in a boys' club.

I have mixed feelings about it, to say the least. On the one hand I feel like I'm getting one over on people, but then if no one knows it, maybe I'm not. At least there's bound to be an article in all this! Anyway - great site, keep it up.

From Jenny

Re. Men Are Back: But Where Did They Go? by Sheryl Plant: Thank you for your interesting article , I have wondered about these ads and it was very useful to see them deconstructed. I have forwarded your article to other women.

From Pam

What the person who wrote the Men Are Back article failed to mention was the blatant backlash phenomena so overwhelmingly shown in those 2 ads. Note the Peguot ad where, when the song starts up singing 'what a man!', they happen to show PREGNANT women with the penis symbol - the car - threading it's way confidently thru the 'sea' of heavily pregnant bodies.

From Laura Knight

I was thrilled to find the Men Are Back: But Where Did They Go? article on this site - I am writing a dissertation on the construction of gender stereotypes through music in advertsing, and I'm actually looking at the "Men are back" ad. The article reitterates alot of my thoughts and ideas, and also gave me some new ones. I found it really interesting. Small observation though - I've watched the ad alot and the blonde with a curious smile is actually a brunette! In fact there are generally more brunettes than blondes in the ad which makes me wonder whether men are prefering brunette to the blonde bimbo look?! Many thanks.

From Paul Brown

There is a very definite connection between two things that have had coverage in the f word recently. The twisted sexual confusion of our popular culture, as described by Ariel Levy in her book Female Chauvinist Pigs, and the infamous rape case in LA involving an unconscious 16 year-old girl being gang raped and tortured by three teenage boys. Much was made of the fact that the girl had supposedly claimed she wanted to be a porn star, as well as trivialities such as her dress, alleged promiscuity, and the fact that she apparently shaved her pubic hair. I think that the mentality of the boys involved is indicative of what is wrong with popular culture's attitude towards sex, where we have a craze for revealing clothing (for women); the notion that pornography is postmodern and liberating; music video's and the like promoting the pimp/ho aesthetic (no surprise that the film of the attack had a hip hop soundtrack); and yet at the same time the dominant culture of the day is as prudish and conservative as it's always been.

I am not blaming MTV, Playboy and gangsta for the assault - I blame the perpetrators entirely - but there is a very definite connection between a popular culture that tells girls to walk around scantily clad, playing dumb and being sexually passive, while telling boys that Playboy and porn are cool, and the fact that these young men appeared to have no notion of how serious what they had done was. The misogyny of these boys, and their friends who watched the tapes, including young women who apparently sympathised with the perpetrators, is indicative of the culture we are surrounded by.

When I recently attempted to criticse Britain's hopelessly low rate of conviction for rapists on a nominally progressive website, I was shouted down by nearly all other posters, who thought that I wanted to lock all men up (despite the fact that I am one myself), and was told that women should take cabs home instead of going home with men they don't want to have sex with. Even the acquital of the security guard who raped an unconscious student in the hallway of her student halls was defended. I get the feeling that we have barely moved beyond the 1950's in our attitudes towards sex and gender. As the character Kim asks in Sugar Rush, "Why is everybody so fucked up about sex?"

From Lisa

I would like to commend Rachel Bell on her article Challenging the Sex Sells Cliche. I recently made a complaint to an Advertising Standards Board regarding a TV comercial that I felt objectified women. My complaint was dismissed and I was told the ad was only "tongue in cheek humour." Reading this article has reasured me that I am seeing these images as they really are - that is, degrading, dangerous and irresponsible, and not being "overly sensitive." Thanks!

From Emily

I just read Rachel Bell's Challenging the Sex Sells Cliche article, which summed up the obvious inequality women are still facing in our misogynistic media culture, and the blatant, creepy way that objectification of women is shoved in our faces without consent. I remember one day, quite a few years ago, my younger brother and I were at the newsagent with our parents. My brother (who was about 4 at the time) was reprimanded by the lady running the shop because he had picked up a so-called 'lad mag', and was busy staring at a picture of some half-naked woman. But how was he to know that he wasn't supposed to be looking at it? The magazine was within his reach, and like all curious young children, he picked it up. It disgusts me that we allow children to be exposed to this kind of sexist crap and then expect them to know right from wrong without explanation. It certainly is a damaging way of introducing female sexuality to new generations, and I often feel like nobody really gives a damn. I am glad to have found this website, as I now realise there are people out there who feel the same way as me. If only we had similar positive action here in Western Australia...

From A Male

I'm a male, and wholly agree with Rachel's basic points, esp regarding the garbage mags aimed at men [Challenging the Sex Sells Cliche]. I was 'trained' when a young student, by the ardent feminists who were my girlfriend, and my fellow-students, to readjust my attitudes towards women. I'm not perfect, but owe a real debt to them, as they helped me to undermine and kick out the prior conditioning I'd had up until that point.

In today's Guardian (23/3/06) we have an ex-journalist from the garbage Sun newspaper (Kate Taylor) deprecating Rachel's viewpoint, and I wholly disagree with Taylor's take on things. Whatever else, for as long as men are seeing women and girls as merely 'vessels for their lust' then things are not going to be good, either for girls and women, or the men themselves, nor for society as a whole. And I am appalled at how things have slipped ever downwards in the media, from the days when Claire Short (or Dawn Primarolo was it?) complained about how the media were sexually selling women's bodies all over the media?

All the trashy publications on sale, and on view, (TV and Internet) nowadays just compound the view that women are here just for men's pleasure. This is a totally crap thing to be propounding and affects (and *infects*!!) so much of our culture. I'm no prude, or religious fanatic, but really resent what is going on. And I am heartened by Rachel's viewpoint being expressed in yr mag, as I think such a resurgent feminist stand is long overdue.

I personally will carry on doing what I can to try to get blokes to change their daft heads in their attitudes towards womenfolk, and I hope you women reading this will likewise carry on helping to get things, (read: *men*!) into some better shape, or our societies will be suffering very ill effects for many generations to come. Thankyou.

From Ariane S

Re: Challenging the Sex Sells Cliche: I live in the U.S. and there is so much filth here too. I am so disgusted every time I go to the supermarket or turn on the t.v. Women are gross as far as I'm concerned. I don't know why they allow themselves to be torn down the way they are. Pornography should not be sold at all but if anywhere not in the check out lane of a supermarket right at your childs level. I'm am a 24 year old mom of 3 and don't want my children growing up thinking this is a normal way of life. There are decent women out there who don't deserve to be treated or looked at as a sex object. I am extremely happy to hear there are others out there trying to clean up this world. God bless your good work.

From Sniff

Rachel Bell's Challenging the Sex Sells Cliche was an excellent article. I get so fed up of the porn = sex charade, that porn is some normal and natural expression of male sexuality, becuase "men and women are different"! Porn = the production and consumption of inequality and it's all about backlash against what feminism has achieved. It's about manhood being threatened and on the offensive, retreating to the realms of sexuality and defending itself there. It's about desperate attempts to make "manhood" real. And as Rachel points out, it's no different than racism. Would the sale of "Klu Klux Klan weekly" be permitted, depicting pictures of abused "niggers" with the justification that those niggers chose to pose for the magazine and were getting paid? Hmmm... I fail to see any difference. Freedom of speach, my arse!

On another issue, it saddens me so much that articles such as Sheryl Plant's "Deconstructing masculinity" have to be written this far on within feminism. The entire feminist focus should be on deconstructing masculinity! If masculinity did not exist, we would not need feminism in the first place. The whole gender issue revolves around this, and (most) feminists waste their time by focusing on anything else. I've been pushing this logic for the last 15 years, but am still regularly dismayed to meet feminists to whom this is only a peripheral.

Femininity exists to shore up masculinity, and until we recognise that manhood is not the norm to which everyone should aspire in order to achieve equality, we are doomed. Well done to Sheryl for aticulating this, and for mentioning my hero Jackson Katz. My favourite feminist writers are (nearly) all male: Jackson Katz, John Stoltenberg, Michael Flood, Michael Kimmel. Do read their stuff and shift your feminist focus to the big, underlying issue. We have to tackle the cause, not just the symptoms.

From Lucy

Deconstructing Masculinity: hurrah, great article. I totally agree - especially the part about the media making out binge-drinking women are the scourge of society. I've worked in several London bars and it's very rarely the women who start the fights or vandalism.

From Matt

Sheryl Plant's aritcle Deconstructing Masculinity raises important points about the glorification of violence in male cultural circles. But by using terms such as 'deconstruction' and by referring to men's 'constraining little gender box' she perhaps misses an important point. Masculinity is not absolutely reducible to transient cultural forces. It holds characteristics that are the products of tens of thousands of years of evolution, beginning perhaps with the role of the hunter-gatherer. I feel it is maybe naive, then, to implore men to simply step out of this 'gender box', which to some significant extent is to ask men to rebel against some of their most primal and genetically inalienable instincts.

From Skye Parker

Re: Deconstructing Masculinity: I could not agree more. I think its terribly unfair for those men in our society who don't feel they have to live up to a superficial concept of maaculinity. Your srticle has helped me with some research i'm doing at the moment on society's views on stereotypes etc. can it be argued then, that the men we see as 'feminine' aren't actually feminine at all? but just NOt stereotypes of what society think 'real' men are?

Re: Ordinary Ads, Everyday Images: I found your article really insightful and interesting. Now that I've read it i feel a lot more aware of media stereotypes that surround me and everyone else. I worry though that there aren't enough people who are aware of this. And is it a good thing or a bad thing to have these kinds of stereotypes? I'm hoping to use this article to help towards my research for a college assignment.

From Abby

Re: Ordinary Ads, Everyday Images: Thankyou for the very interesting advertising article. It has reminded me to think critically and deconstruct the texts of adverts I see when I commute in London every day, and hopefully will help me to comment critically about the adverts with my young son and daughter. Especially interesting was the comment that all Asian women are portrayed as "geishas". This has given me a lot to think about so thankyou!

From Toby Clarke

Ordinary Ads, Everyday Images: This is very very funny and I have indeed tried to be an alien looking at what I would think of men and women If I were an alien. As well I have tried hard to not look at bill boards etc but it can be quite dangerous walking around with you eyes closed. Thanks a lot for that experiment too. As a man I am regullaly upset at what I can't be. I seem to contiunally find myself trying to act out a role that is alien and my emotions just seem to get the better of me. I am however looking forward to going on Holiday were thier are no men around but on second thoughts I also like my male friends.

Advertisments aims are quite obvious. To sell products using women as sex objects and as such seeing no problem with the objectification of women. I might even go round my self tring to be a cup or something perhaps a pen or a door.

Just thought that you might be interested in the complaint below. I am a man but still hate the promotion of these gender stereotypes which I think denies so many men of so much of themselves. It is a comment on some of your stuff on gender stereotypes to and I would be gratfull for any feedback.

Dear ASA,
I am making a complaint about the use of children to sell products and particularly in this case of two children used to sell cars. The advertisement features two children taking on the roles of adults and acting out these roles for the purpose of selling cars.

It is my opinion that putting two male children in these stereotypes fosters a particular culture, specifically a patriarchal culture, were viewers are taught to value stereotypes of power. In addition to this the promotion of children in adult roles were children are taught to take on roles of masculinity, for the purpose of increased consumption, is not a healthy way to learn. When a powerful industry pushes boys into roles that they wish for them to take on it denies proper development and the promotion of choice in what roles children wish to take. In particular in reduces young adults the ability to value self determination. I would like these advertisements to stop that the use of children used for advertising to stop and that gender roles are not pushed on viewers for the purpose of consumption.

From Sarah

There is no groom - I found this article great, I am glad I'm not the only one finding it difficult to try and explain to friends and family why I'm doing things the way I am, why I refuse to change my name or be given away. And why my fiance would never have dreamed of asking my father's permission. We are getting married in 3 months, and have opted for a register office wedding, followed by a humanist service that we are writing ourselves. I am struggling a bit to find something to replace the "you may now kiss the bride" part, as obviously I do not want this!! Any suggestions gratefully received. I too, am not having the big white dress, and would turn up in my jeans, if I thought my fiance's gran would not faint away!!

From Crickett Hoffman

Re: He's Just Not That Into You: Oh you so don't get it. I was a real man chaser. Not necessarily to get married but to have someone around. (Did the married thing...not my cup of tea.) Still, I had some pretty poisonous relationships and it seemed I was exhausting myself running down men. It actually made me physically ill. I took He's Just Not That Into You to heart and voila! I've got everything from 18 to 80 interested. Face it girls, men can smell a woman on the hunt and they run. But be unavailable...and it's like when your female dog goes into heat. Everything shows up on the doorstep. Now, for me, it's just a case of pick and choose. The surfer? The artist? That older gentleman I met at the museum? The barely legal young thing that chased me down in the mall? (I'm probably older than his mother.) My disinterestedness is sexy. He's Just Not That Into You says relax, enjoy life...and stop fretting about where he is...or isn't. If he isn't paying close attention to you then go ahead, move on to the next interesting thing that catches your attention...man or adventure. Stop putting your life on hold for him. And if that ain't empowering...well, then I question YOUR motives.

From Siobhan Fogarty

In response to the article "Pretending That Men Aren't Grown-Ups," I have several concerns. First of all, rape *is* a fact of life, and pretending that it isn't is sheer fantasy. Of course, in an ideal society, rape would not occur. Neither would assault, robbery, or even violence in general. However, people can be nasty, violent, cruel, selfish and the rest. Accepting this and dealing with it is not succumbing to the powers of patriarchy, it is simple common sense.

No one in their right minds would suggest that women should take responsibility for being raped - that would imply omnipotence. Rape victims do not have the power over their attackers to prevent rape from happening. However, taking responsibility for one's own actions is only sensible - indeed essential, as we assert our rights. Of course we have the right to remain unmolested - or at least, we should have. But where is the shame in reducing the risk to one's person? Given the choice between upholding my principles and walking down a darkened alley, head up and proud, or listening to the voice inside that says "May we should take another way round" and remaining unassaulted, I know which one I'd choose. Why should I be ashamed of my fear?

I *am* afraid of being raped, and it's that precise fear that means I don't behave in a way that is likely to mean that I will get raped. I'm sure that many women will accuse me of suggesting that a women wearing a mini-skirt is 'asking for it.' Nothing could be further from the truth. No woman deserves to be raped. No woman should take the blame for an act of violence committed against her person. But she can and should take responsibility for her own actions and behaviour, and it is a fact that engaging in certain behaviours will make you more vulnerable. Why is there a problem in admitting this?

I love women. My mother is a woman, my sister is a woman, my best friend is a woman, and the person I love most in the whole world (myself!) is a woman. I have, therefore, a vested interest in making sure that women are not put in unneccessary danger. And if this means retaining a vestige of control over my actions, rather than putting my safety wholesale into someone else's hands by putting myself out of action, then I don't see a problem with that. In fact, I am actually offended by the author's assertation that "The message to women here seems to be: 'you are weak, so take good care to protect yourself, because it will be all your fault if someone stronger than you assaults you. You can't trust that men will control themselves.' " It's not chauvinist ideology to claim that women are, on the whole, not as strong as men. It's fact. And it's not chauvinist ideology, either, to suggest that a woman takes care of herself because she can't always trust the people around. Unfortunately, that's just common sense, something which seems to be lacking in this article. I would suggest that encouraging women to think of themselves only as victims is entirely counter-productive. By acknowledging that there may be something we can do to reduce our chances of being assaulted, we take responsibility for ourselves and our choices, and we all know that there's no shame in that.

From Erica Wexler

Check out the video for I'M SO SICK OF MODELS! on IFILM.com. The search/submit is "so sick of models!" The videos great .It really empowers women and dismantles the myth of the"model." Your readers will love it.

From Stave Mason

Re: Hairy Women: Sad Sad Sad ! To think in this day and age you so called femenists have to bring into youre agenda female bodily hair to help raise the awareness to your cause. Sad Sad Sad ! There are men out there who love women in any form guise,style,I.Q., colour of hair, eyes, cufflinks or matching wraparound. Sad Sad Sad !!!!!!!!!!!

From Colette

Re: Why it's time for the battle of the sexes to end: A very inspiring objective and diplomatic argument.

From E

'Men in Feminism'. I'm male, and agree with you Lizzie, we men really REALLY need to change our heads in our attitudes towards women, or it corrupts the whole of society for many generations to come. Keep up the good work, dear soul!

From Charles

King Arthur: I'm sure you've been told already but Lancelot was not Orlando Bloom (not even in the picture, ) it was Ioan Gryffud.

From Noel Eyres

Hi , I am a 59 yr old male . Experience of 3 women in my life , Sheltered perhaps !. I agree with Irma's comments [Why Irma Kurtz is Wrong About Rape] . Considering the present and proposed laws I am concerned . If a woman is raped there should be just punishments ,considering what women have to endure if they appear in court . Perhaps women should take some of the blame for the latter though , because so many cases have found to be a waste of time , ie;- they were lying . Because of this the courts have to be so thorough .

From Rosa

Lament for Sisterhood: This is a very inspiring article, and although it was dealing with something negative (women being women's worst enemy), it had a very positive ending!

From Lizzie

I have recently been rather annoyed by the BBC one radio show I sent a complaint regarding the song played on there called 'beep' by the pussycat dolls it's atrocious. One of the lines of the song being i know you've got a brain but i'm looking at your beep beep but I have been completely dismissed what can i do to get the point across this song encourages particularly young girls and young boys to view themselves/ or someone else as nothing but a sex object at five o clock in the evening! I am angry that the BBC don't seem to care that they are promoting this degradation of women could you give me any advice on how to take this further!

From Lizzie Ward

Re: Under the Knife: I would just like to say that I have been studying Gender and Society at University (in my last year of Sociology at York) and I am presently doing an assessment essay on Harmful Cultural Practices (versus empowerment). Your article was extremely interesting - especially since I am interested in the cosmetic surgery industry as a growing 'norm' in our society. Most people often dismiss cosmetic surgery as a 'choice' that women make and therefore it is not harmful. I find it shocking that the cosmetic surgery has now expanded it's repertoire to labiaplasty, hymen 'restoral' and vaginoplasty. Isn't this remininescent of cliterodectomy in the Victoria age?? I would say that women engaging in cosmetic surgery are not 'cultural dopes' but the pressures or unhappiness leading them to surgery are usually patriarchal ones embedded in the cultural norms of our society. Thanks for writing something so relevant and interesting!

From Kelly

Re: Teenagers and Cosmetic Surgery: I think this article raises some issues which are really valid. As part of my exam work I wish to argue against plastic surgery as a form of altering our appearance. For one thing, it really isn't necessary and having a 'quick fix' does not ultimately deal with issues of confidence or self-esteem; underneath you are still the same and if you cannot accept that, then altering the outside will never have the miracle effect wished for. But more to the point, why should we feel as though we need to conform to some ridiculous image of being the perfect woman? It's not realistic and is unattainable and surely only the superficial would agree that plastic surgery is way to create happiness.

From Rebecca

Thank goodness!! Finally, a place where we can discuss feminist matters without the disaproving looks and eye - rolling smirks of friends and acquaintences!! (or is that just in my experience?). "Whose Slut?" caused me to roll my own eyes, as well as the odd raised eyebrow and the emmition of slightly pissed off "hmph's". I'm sick and tired of hearing how we should or shouldn't be, how we should or shouldn't dress, etc etc etc!! Enough already! Why can't I simply be me without men and women alike making some rash assumptions about what I'm trying to gain from doing so?

I am a young woman working in the Prison Service - a very male orientated environment. Every moment I spend walking around the prison, working with prisoners, or indeed dealing with colleages, is spent constantly and obsessively keeping my behaviour in check. Don't touch my hair, smile too invitingly, move the hips too much when I walk, for if you do these things, not only are you seen as unprofessional but also as WANTING the attention.

I have found that the most effective way to get on in the "boys club" that is my career, is to attempt to strip myself of all things feminine. I wear minimal make-up, never have a neckline lower than my collarbone, hair neatly tied back ... Needless to say that I am labelled as either a lesbian or frigid and cold. I am neither of these things. I am a woman who likes going out to a bar and having a few drinks and a chat with my friends without having to slap away the errant hands of strange men and having to pretend not to feel highly uncomfortable and, dare I say, threatened by the blatant and leering stares of males. Is the author of this article telling me that I should welcome this attention and be glad of it because it is what makes me a woman? Not bloody likely!

Working in an environment like I do(with Male Juveniles and Young Offenders) being young and attractive is nothing but a hindrance. Example: just 2 weeks ago I had to go to a Governer's review concerning a 16 year old boy who over the course of two days made lewd, disrespectful and disgusting comments to me about how, where and when he wanted to "fuck" me. At this review meeting I was asked to explain what had happened so a decision on punishment could be made. Imagine my horror and disbelief when the panel of governers (all male by the way) asked me what I had been wearing when this took place.

I was sexualised and objectified tht day, not only by the little runt who made the comments, but also by my colleages and bosses. My point is, telling women to enjoy being sexualised is dangerous. How many times is a woman raped and blamed due to the outfit she was wearing at the time? You tell women to dress provocatively and flaunt what men want left right and centre and all you're doing is giving me the excuse to abuse and insult and disrespect. It saddens me that I go to work everyday and deal with male children and young men who think it's perfectly acceptable to shout insults at the females that are supposed to be their authority figures. We have a big enough problem with women being treated like shit just becasue they lack a penis ... we don't need to add to it by accepting it as something we deserve.

From Esther

I am writing in response to an article written by Ilona Jasiewicz called Re-classifying Rape. I am a survivor of rape and I agree with this article. The justice system downplays this crime so often. Sometimes, they don't even seem to care about the victim. I agree, rape laws need to be changed.

From Sarah New

In response to comments on my article Feminism and popular culture, I appreciate the feedback I received, but disagree with the comment that I did not research law statistics enough. I wrote about these subjects in my A-level law exam and received an A grade (only 17 f people in England got an A-grade the year I took my exam). However, law becomes outdated very quickly and the situation may have changed since I wrote the article. Regarding the comment that I was too bogged-down in the Yorkie advertising, I basically wanted to incorporate as many subject areas i could, such as law, personal experience, T.V., advertising, e.t.c. Moreover, if the Yorkie was a white bar with "It's not for *******", and "not available in black" printed on it etc then it would be banned (and rightly so). Also, I see it as part of the new trend in sexism that is ingrained in every day life.

From Amanda

Re: Not For Girls: the Yorkie adverts: I think this article is totally right. I mean men do always think it's their world and that THEY are stronger but they aren't always! I think that it is a very sexist slogan and that it should be banned, women are always judged about being weak and innocent but we're not! This is a wonderful article and that it should be pubicised.

From Dan Portillo

Re: Hollywood Women: I hate to say it, but the fact that you think progress was being made from the early 40s ("Maltese Falcon") to the early 50s ("All About Eve") with regards to the portrayal of women shows your simple lack of knowledge about films in this era. If anything, the roles of women were being diminished by the early 50s. The power of women in Hollywood was at its peak from the early 30s, with films like "Miracle Woman" to the early 40s, with ""Lady Eve," largely thanks to the charisma of Barbara Stanwyck. By the early 50s, women started to become more objectified with the likes of Marilyn Monroe and the leggy Cyd Charisse. Even Barbara Stanwyck's roles were dminishing by the 50s, as she began to play tough, but limited, parts as more motherly characters. By 1993, women had films like "Rising Sun," and the dignity of women on screen was offically sapped. If you don't believe me, look at Adam Sandler's latest film.

From Joanne

Body Language Speaks Volumes: Just to say it was a thought provoking read and I happened upon it accidentially. I was looking up body language to work with some young people on assertiveness, this offers a new slant on the subject. I will enlighten them with some of this information (slightly more diluted!.) Thank you.

From Steve

If there was a structured organization that was a mens version of femanism, lets call it mascanism, there would be a huge public out-cry and all hell would break loose. Anyone with anything to do with it would be called shovenist bastards and the list would go on. I don't see why females can get away with it. The majority of femanists have never lived in a society without equal oppertunities, they should therefor have nothing to rebbel against, any more than men. so whats the go? whats going on? can't you all just get off your high horses and learn to live with the population as a whole, including men. In this day and age, we now have a lot bigger issues to put our energy towards, you sholdn't feel the need to keep femanism alive, it's no longer relevant to society. Get out and enjoi the world that woman before you worked so hard to make.

From HP

Re: Maxine Carr and Other 'Evil' Women. I could never see why there was such hatred of Myra Hindley over and above that for Ian Brady save that she forebore to have a mental breakdown and, in fact, made more of her life in prison than he did. Unlike Carr, about whom I know nothing, Myra was, in fact, guilty of murder. However, I could never see the point of keeping her locked up for the rest of her life when she was obviously no longer a danger to herself or anyone else. But, being a woman, I suppose society had to vent its spleen on such an 'unmotherly', 'unnatural' phenomenon, even at vast expense to the public purse.

In a similar context, read, "She Must Have Known" by Brian Masters, who, in essence, says that, whether guilty or innocent, the legality of Rosemary West's trial was a farce. But, again, being a woman she, too, has had be demonized over and above Fred who, I suppose, at least had the decency to hang himself.

How would society manage, I ask myself - before nipping off to add gin to the baby's milk - without all these appalling women to blame over and above their male counterparts?

From Tatty

Great site! Enjoy it very much. Two notes: Pink's video - I don't understand the offensiveness bit regarding the toothbrush scene. I had (and sometimes still have) problems with an eating disorder and don't find this scene offensive whatsoever. Taking oneself (and the rest of society and its so-called role-models) too seriously is what contributes, in my opinion, to such disorders. The pay gap issue - do I really want to be 'exploited' rather than 'underexploited'????? So the pay gap has to be closed because women want to be equally exploited for the sake of the UK economy? Well, that's really nice of us. I don't want to be exploited at all, if I could help it. And I even would go so far as to say that I don't want men to be exploited either. I think we still need the critique of Captialism. Or do we really think that overall equality, respect etc will fall into place once we earn the same amount of banknotes?

From Jules

I thought I was mistaken when I saw an article from the billion-dollar porn industry profiteer-apologists $pread Magazine spoken of at your blog as if it were a feminist source of information. If you had quoted Playboy or Hustler I could not have been more affronted. It is in no way pro-woman for a few extraordinarily privileged employees of a global sex trade to explicitly urge other women to become prostitutes, to normalize prostitution as 'women's work', and to speak glowing defenses of pornographers and pimps while shredding any feminist woman, like Levy, who details the physical, mental, and social harms of accepting men's right to prostitutes.

I hope never to see $pread Magazine referenced as a feminist text at your website again, just as I hope you would not consider Playboy, Hustler, Penthouse or other lad mags worthy sources of feminist dialogue since $pread shares the same agenda with other pro-sex industry publications: increased acceptance of prostitution and pornography as beneficial for poor women and necessary by all men. That's not feminist by any stretch of the imagination.

From Naomi

i am writing a rewiew of my own at the moment on the incredibles for gcse coursework and while everyone is trying to promote the film, i take your views. i would just like to say thanks for inspiring me to make a individual review and i just hope it has the same effect yours does and gets a good mark.

From Lorna Gregory

I enjoyed your '25 Burning Questions men are too embarrassed to ask' article. I don't think anything you said was negated by the article being written by a woman and I'm not surprised it's written by a woman [see previous comments received]. Men bashing of this sort seems very popular at the moment. Both sexes propergated damaging gender stereotypes. Articles of this sort 'Men:we can't help being a bit crap but you find it endearing.' are incredibly harmful, particularly for young men. Many of my male friend think of being male as a bad thing exacty because of these negative stereotypes, this is very sad. Thanks for writting the article. Keep up the good work!

From Natalie Zemmel

I agree with everything written about Grazia magazine and thoroughly enjoyed reading the article. Although Grazia does promote the stereotypical female "danger" areas like dieting, fashion, gossip - it does do so with a sense of humour and irony lacking elsewhere in the women's press.

From Laura

Re: Model Behaviour: I understand what you are saying about this programme but these girls choose to enter a show like this. Choosing to go in to the world of modelling means you certainly will be judges on your appearance, it's what earns you the money. I bet there wouldn't have been such a lengthy article published on the horrid comments passed on peoples singing voices on Pop Idol. It's exactly the same situation, they're just putting themselves up for being judged on something else. Like when you go to a job interview, your skills and experience are judged and evaluated in order to see if your good for the job. Model's skills are in their looks, so obviously this is what people will judge about them when seeing if they'll front a successful campaign.

From Emerald Dunne

Laura Woodhouse - I enjoyed your article on Sin City very much, and I have to say that the film struck me as being very much as you described it. As soon as I saw the billboards and beer mats that you described I knew it was going to be a T&A bonanza with a few black eyes (female) thrown in for extra titilation, all neatly packaged as 'coooooool'.

Sin City was voted the most popular by patrons of my local (arthouse) cinema this year, the Ritzy in Brixton. Most of the cinema's customers seem to be your common-or-garden left-of-centre Guardian readers, so perhaps they saw some kind of intellectual irony in it. After all, this is what life on the wrong side of the tracks is life, isn't it? This cinema - which is one my favourite things where I live, by the way - wouldn't think twice about showing a film that denigrated black people and was labelled 'a cool film'. Neither would Brixtonians flock to see it! Last year Ritzy customers' favourite film was 'Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter', a film about Buddhist monks. Who knows what the semi-detatched of SW2 will favour next year...

To Rachel Eastwell - Rachel, what can I say about your article [Every Girl Wants a Stalker] apart from it's brilliant? And here was I being told I was 'desperate, needy and clinging' - not to mention a slapper and probably a stalker! - because I ask men out. Like you I cannot fathom why a woman would not let a man she likes know she is interested, and asking him if he fancies meeting up for a drink is much better than doing one of those confounded hairflicks and hoping he'll 'get the message'. I figure that he can only say no, which is something men have to hear day-in day-out. And, being a grown woman, I don't harrass the man if he's not interested, as much as I may want him to say yes.

And I've always thought it was the done thing to ask a guy you like out and have been encouraged to do so by my father. His opinion is cool; although men are usually the pursuers, thank God the rules do break down and what have you got to lose? After all, what's the point in looking back and wondering what might have been?

I can think of two times in the recent past where I've asked men out or let them know I'm interested. In the first case I got talking to an Italian lawyer on holiday. We got on so well that I asked him if he fancied meeting up for a coffee later. Hmmm... well, another Italian friend (male!) half-condemned me, saying that I would have made the man feel unmasculine - but it turned out to be not the case, and two years on this lawyer fellow is still in contact with me. In the other case I asked a Brit man out and the result wasn't so positive; truth to tell he's a bit of a playboy and probably a man who pursues. Strangely enough, initially he'd been interested, so who knows what happened there - but I haven't stopped making the first move!

Ditto the good point you made about backing off when someone's not interested. One of the main reasons I ask men out is because I absolutely ABHOR being asked myself, simply because it always seems to be by men whom I'm not interested in and who get irrate when I graciously say no. I feel that I can handle rejection a lot better than they can, hence I'd rather be the rejectee. Well, you've touched on something I feel strongly about, so thank you for that. And I agree - Bridget Jones is a total arse!

From William

I am responding to : Every Girl Wants a Stalker Every Girl Wants a Stalker. I was looking for a film about a female stalker of which i had forgotten the name and due to the similar words used in the search i came across said article. As a man, notably a shy man, i found the article interesting and moreover, truthful. Admittdly i am not the greatest fan of feminism but i do however find the sentiment in the article true.

From Neil

I read Rachel Bell's article ("Subvert the dominant Pimpiarchy"). She seems to have been sold a dummy by Sam Deleany. The use of the verb "pimp" in "Pimp my ride" refers to making something more appealing. Not to make it look like a pimp or something belonging to a pimp. Hip-hop language evolves very fast, the nature of the language is quick. I've heard people refer to soemthing as "pimped" up. The meaning here being that the object was looking its best.

From Fiona Bourke

re: Subvert the dominant Pimpiarchy. . I'm a linguistic student and after 3 years of researching and discussing the idea of damaging discourses, have been going half crazy feeling like I was the only person who recognised the sickeningly unthinking use of 'pimp', particularly by those who should know better (other linguistic students for instance, who apparantly have been on a different course to me...). Thank you so much for quieting the screaming in my head.

From Kiki

Review of Hardcore: After seeing this documentary last week, i walked around with it in my head. I never ever knew that this is the way to go in the pornindustry. It made me sick, angry, sad but I can understand how the sick minds among us (men) can be totally arroused by this. The poor girl was manipulated into this. First of all the meeting without clothes, it is a total uneven situation there, you're vulnerable as it is. She repeatedly said she was terrified of him and that only seemed to please him. The way he asked her to hold up her hand, sprayed some lubricant in it, asked her to bend over and fuck her... Amazing. The way he acted like a father (obviously knowing these girls can have big father issues) upstairs and then turned against her... My thoughts exactly... what if the crew weren't there. Would she be abused (more then already)? Would he MADE her do everything he wanted from her?

I started surfing the internet, looking up this mr hardcore (who looks like a dumb hillbilly in his cowboyhead). As I got to his site I couldn't help but being curious. it is awful, it is plain abuse and people pay for it... LEGALLY. How can we stop this???!!! Isn't it possible for pornstars to get their free castrated bodyguards (like you get ajourned an attorney, when you win the att gets a percentage). It gave me sleepless nights. Amnesty International, what are you going to do about it? (excuse my english i'm dutch.)