The Uncensored Household
What does it mean to be a celebrity feminist and do they help or hinder the cause? Can they even call themselves so?
In an article in The Guardian, a journalist forensically analyses the contribution of so-called Hollywood Feministas (my word) and whether they failed. Feminists such as Emma Watson are berated
The last event I attended on the final day of the Edinburgh International Book Festival was an event centred around feminism: In Praise of Pioneering Women by Caroline Criado-Perez. Caroline was catapulted into media attention after she started the campaign to put an inspirational woman on the £5 note. Her campaign led to her being viciously trolled on social media and subsequently the Crown
My sis sent me the link to a news story covering a free app whereby people can start mini campaigns or vent their anger at companies or products that promote or condone sexism and/or misogyny.
I downloaded the app this evening and I like it but I wish it had more functionality. It is quite straightforward to use, users upload images of things they are annoyed with or campaignin against and others users can
Salvatore Ferragamo red patent kitten heels from http://www.selfridges.com
Actress (or actor?) Emma Watson revealed that she only has eight pairs of shoes. I don’t believe her at all, I don’t know ANY woman in my entire extended circle of friends and family even ten times removed who only have eight pairs of shoes.
Her statement led to the inevitable glut of fashion editors declaring the only eight pairs of shoes that any woman may ever need. Some of the lists include Geography teacher (aka Jesus) leather sandals and trainers. I own neither.
Well done to the Everyday Sexism Project – what incredible women they are.
They have won their battle against Facebook for having pages that glorify and poke fun at “hilarious” topics like “Raping Your Girlfriend Just For Fun” and another one that shows women lying in pools of blood “failing to make a sandwich”.
At first, Facebook came back with free speech arguments
At work we are all reading 50 Shades of Feminism – less than £10 and in hardback (unless you prefer Kindle) so get your copy asap, you will love it. I would recommend this book particularly if like me, you have a short commute to work and love to read little bite-size nuggets of delightfully well-written essays.
This book is written by 50 authors, young and old, and from all different backgrounds
Why are younger women so blase about blatant sexism? I despair.
Tulisa has released her album “The Female Boss” – it is bad enough that she can’t sell anything without getting her cleavage out but does her album need to have such a patronising title? Of course, all “regular” bosses are male, yes sir Mr Big Boss Man! Has she never heard of a female boss or is she not sure that she is female and has to remind herself?
Beyonce Beyonce Beyonce, I cringe at her patronising lyrics – fake female empowerment
We have discussed skin bleaching before on this blog with Nice Tan Lines and White Faced Blunder By Body Shop but recently I read about a new product recently launched in India that astonished me no end.
“Clean and Dry Intimate Wash” promises to make the skin around the vagina brighter.
The product is on sale for Rs 90 (about £1) and can be bought online, where a blurb reads: “Life for women will now be fresher, cleaner and more importantly fairer and more intimate”.
It’s International Women’s Day and our first anniversary!!!
So while Polly Tonybee in the Guardian today writes about it being the worst time in recent history for women in England and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown on BBC Radio heralds women, we would like to celebrate womanhood.
It has a been a great year talking to all you Chatterboxes. We have reached 29,709 views and submitted 544 posts covering some amazing subjects from women’s rights to philosophy, family to relationships, politics to literature, style to food.
We thank you all for contributing to our vibrant blog and making The Chatterjis so successful.
We would welcome your thoughts and feedback on our blog and please continue to send us stories for our Daughtergate Diaries.
We are both looking forward to the year ahead and hope to bring your more chattering delights.
Bunty & Bubbly x
The French have addressed feminism calls to abolish the term Mademoiselle from official documents as it is deemed sexist. Prime minister Francois Fillon said the word discriminates against women by asking them to reveal if they are married. He has also banned the phrase ‘nom de jeune fille’ meaning ‘maiden name’ from all paperwork because it is ‘archaic’ and has ‘connotations of virginity’.
It was a major victory for French feminists yesterday when the change was revealed in an official decree to ministries and regional authorities.
What is about South Asians and science fiction? They just don’t get it. I cannot believe that there is anyone alive that doesn’t love Star Wars (Empire Strikes Back is my favourite). How can you possibly not be excited by Captain Picard’s adventures through space on the Enterprise? And don’t get me started about Dune, which I not only loved reading as a child but also loved watching David Lynch’s film adaptation with a young Kyle MacLachlan. Now, we obviously get into more respectable territories
Mary Portas has been engaged in PR damage control today as the newspapers and reader comments pour in criticising Mary for calling female Cabinet Ministers ugly and all female politicians badly dressed. Yes, the same Mary who wants to save women (particularly women over 40) from themselves. Mary even compared British female politicians
I cannot remember the last time that I enjoyed a book so much (or had the time) that I read it in one day. Enter “How to be a Woman” by Caitlin Moran.
Is anyone feeling slightly uncomfortable with some of the coverage of the rape allegation made against IMF Chief, Dominique Strauss-Kahn ?
A lot of the reports, particularly in the French press, relate to his innocence (well, for someone who is nicknamed Hot Rabbit and The Great Seducer, I think we should wait and see what happens).
As International Women’s Week come to an end, a question that we at The Chatterjis are left with, is, what is feminism today?
We are lipstick loving, high heels wearing feminists. We want to wax our bikini lines and wear the trousers. And why can’t we?
The other day, I (Bunty) was asked why I wasn’t wearing a sari
Last weekend after a lovely afternoon shopping and trying on make-up, M and I slumped in Wonderbar in Selfridges for a much needed pick-me-up.
There was an older woman sitting just to my left who kept looking over at us, smiling. The Londoners in us were initially cold and unfriendly but we remembered just in time that we’re Scottish so we started chatting to her and it was lovely.
Isha is in her sixties and from Saudi Arabia.
Last year I happened to click on a programme about feminists on BBC iPlayer and it changed my life! I phoned every woman I knew with a wild sense of enthusiasm and urged them to watch it before it was removed from the website.
The documentary featured interviews with leading feminists from around the world, many of whom were now in their 70s. This was the first time I had heard of Marilyn French, author of The Women’s Room.
The book is semi-autobiographical
I experienced New Delhi’s New Metro on my last trip and it was quite a treat. My journey was from Qutab Minar in South Delhi to Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi and back.
At the station I waited behind the pink tape barrier, beside the pink paint sticker on the ground for the women only carriage. I was disappointed to find the carriage was not pink, wouldn’t that be nice?
Inside, it was a crowded but pleasant journey. It was my journey back that had the action. I was standing near the door, near the security guard (one male or female guard is positioned in every female carriage on every train) when a MAN, yes a MAN, tried to come in to our carriage. Everyone was shocked as this shameless man tried to argue with the guard to come in. He was hounded out and then when the train door shut the security guard said ‘and he claims to be educated!’ my fellow passengers and I all tutted and mumbled. I loved it, would that scene happen anywhere else in the world? God bless Delhi.
Bubbly
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