Dressed for success … WHAT?!

Just a quickie reaction to a piece in tody’s Times. Really you need to read it to believe it so here’s a link.

Fran Halsall is a brilliant and talented swimmer and one of our hopes for the 2012 Olympics. here’s the list of her achievements so far quoted from the Times:

“She won four medals at the 2008 World Short Course Championships in Manchester, including bronze in the 4 x 100 metres freestyle and silver in the 100 metres freestyle. At the Olympics in Beijing, she swam a British record of 53.81sec that helped the British quartet to set a new national record of 3min 38.18sec in the 4 x 100 metres freestyle. She also won silver in the 100 metres freestyle at the 2009 World Championships in Rome in August.”

But guess what? This is only the second best thing about her – or the most interesting anyway – because first we have to listen to the ‘journalist’ drooling all over her and telling us how the first and most important thing about her is that she’s “beautiful”. And she’s dressed in “killer heels”. He’s practically having orgasms over her and he apologises to his ‘lovely’ girlfriend in the same over excited breath.

I don’t even know where to begin really. But clearly it’s her looks which have got her everywhere and indeed helped her get the coverage in the paper under the headline “Dressed for success”. Nothing to do with pure hard work and determination; grit and strength; dedication, blood, sweat and tears? NO. It’s the killer heels and the “blonde hair flowing about her shoulders like a river of gold”.

I feel sick. Sick that this kind of journalism is still ok. I’m too annoyed to go on but I encourage us all to complain and to comment on the piece. Please. Because god help any athlete who isn’t good looking enough to appeal to the men who write about them.

 

I’d rather be pole-dancing

Gymbox: ‘I’d rather be pole-dancing’? You have to be joking? Right???

I saw representatives of this high street gym handing out leaflets in Leicester Square this afternoon, dressed in bright neon yellow jackets, and on the back printed their slogan: ‘I’d rather be pole-dancing’.  So, when I got home I checked out the site and here is what I found:

Pole-Dancing
Want the body of a stripper and any man in town? Then this is the class for you.

Forget ballet, tap and modern, the coolest way to get in the best shape of your life is on a shiny silver pole. How you explain that to your mother however is an entirely different matter. Oh, and here’s why you shouldn’t try it at home.

Yet another example of the mainstreaming of porn culture. It’s too late, and I’ve had too long a day, to go into the vileness of this. Add it to Marge Simpson getting ‘bunnied’ (see previous blog), playboy snowboards, ironic tops for babies with nipple tassles on and any number of other examples of the sexing up of our popular culture, and it becomes ever more obvious how mainstream and acceptable it’s all becoming.

I would like to recommend ‘Female Chauvenist Pigs‘ by Ariel Levy, if you’d like to read more on this raunch culture, as she calls it.

Marge gets ‘bunnied’

Just a quick one this evening but I simply had to say something about the fact that Playboy have a new cover star. And this time it’s Marge – from The Simpsons. Yes – even innocent cartoon characters cannot escape the clutches of Hugh Hefner.

I imagine that for many people, on first glance, it’s all a bit of innocent fun. It’s only a cartoon after all. But start thinking about it and I’m filled with horror on many counts. Firstly, it’s Marge! She’s a hero. She’s funny, intelligent, different – an icon. And she is loved by children all over the world. Secondly, Playboy have said that the reason they want to feature Marge is because they want to attract more 20-somethings as readers. That’s readers of porn – in case we forget. Thirdly – it sanitises and legitimises porn. It makes it something which can creep unnoticed into the realms of popular culture – and into the consciousness of our children.

We don’t yet know what hideousness awaits us inside the magazine, but Playboy’s editorial director promises us “it’s very, very racy,”. He goes on to say: “She is a stunning example of the cartoon form.”

Not amused

Innocent fun? I don’t feel like laughing. I feel like Marge has been robbed from us in the name of porn. Whipped away from under our noses. She is a cartoon character who actually inspires many young girls to dare to be different. She’s been given the treatment – she’s been sexed up – and turned into an object to be leared at. Isn’t this the pressure that girls are under from every angle every day of their lives: sex yourself up – it’s the only way to succeed. How on earth do I explain to my daughter what this is all about?

And it’s only a matter of time before they move on … to Lisa perhaps? Not so funny when you start thinking about it like that is it?

More here on Shakira from the Guardian

Definitely NOT in fashion on MTV – Clothes!

Just had to comment really, after a Saturday night in with the husband. I’m a bit out of touch it must be said, but we flicked through the MTV channels, plus their many cousins.  These days, there are a lot of them. I’m speechless. To put it mildly.

It seems that for women these days, particularly those anywhere near a dance record of any description, it really is not acceptable to be wearing clothes. Video after video, followed video and along came another one, yep and another one gyrating, legs akimbo, writhing and getting all excited. Practically ALL the women were behaving as if they were in some sort of sex-show. But really they’re pop stars, and some of the music really was pretty good. But my god! Where, oh where has everyone’s clothes gone? And what’s worse, is that time and time again, the men in the videos are sitting back, like kings on thrones, whilst women perform for them. They look down their noses, picking and choosing which one is going to be tonight’s lucky woman.

Ok. Examples:

Sugababes‘ new one: lyrics something along the lines of ‘look at me… oooh, I’m sexy’. The three of them dancing around in next to nothing in a cage.

Dizzee Rascal: really funky tune, lots of girls in a club, dancing around him, him choosing which one he’s going to take home (he’s no oil painting, believe me).

Shakira: wearing a 50% covered up catsuit (is that what they’re called?), dancing again, in a cage! Being a she-wolf. Then in another catsuit that’s skin coloured, so she looks naked, legs – spread wide.

Justin Timberlake: with some female soul singer from the states, she is wearing next to nothing, he is seated, whilst she rubs against him, up and down and turns him on.

David Guetta: DJ type, surrounded by women in tiny bikinis, all totally falling all over him.

And I can go on and on and on. I love house music, I love dancing, I love being in a crowd of people all loving the same thing. But tell me: what’s wrong with being in a t-shirt, jeans and trainers and really, really enjoying the tunes? Because by all accounts, in MTV’s world at least, you’re nobody, if you’re not getting the man, competing with other women and getting your body out for everyone else to judge you by. That is not what house music means to me. It couldn’t be further from the truth.

A trip to Number 10

We were thrilled to visit Number 10 today, with the other winners of the Sheila McKechnie Foundation awards. It’s an amazing building, steeped in history, which you can almost smell while you’re inside. We knocked on the imposing front door – the World’s most famous door! We walked up the famous staircase, with the portraits of every Prime Minister staring down at us. Still only one woman amongst the ranks, so there’s work to be done on this! It’s easy to imagine the subjects of the pictures moving and talking as in Harry Potter.

We visited the Cabinet room, and saw the table set and ready for tomorrow’s meeting. To think back on all the decisions which have been made in that room was pretty awe inspiring.We had a very decent cup of tea too in the state function rooms. All incredible in their own way and full of stories and details from every PM. It seems that every one of them leaves something behind. Harold Wilson – a clock, Margaret Thatcher – the ceiling decorations, Tony Blair – the trampoline in the garden!

We were invited to go because Gordon Brown was a lifelong friend of Sheila McKechnie and he continues to support the Foundation. And as we have become more familiar with the Foundation, it’s very evident that many people knew her, thought incredibly highly of her, and miss her now. But she lives on through the Foundation, which nurtures campaigners from all walks of life.  She was an inspiration and a formidable campaigner herself. “I am a fully paid up member of the awkward squad”, she famously said. She was Director of both Shelter and the Consumers’ Association and she left an indelible mark on both organisations.

I sincerely hope we can live up to her name. And she’ll be listed on our website as a role model from now on.

Photos to follow shortly …

Come on England, by Helen Donohoe

We all know that England play Germany in the Euro 2009 final later today (BBC2 / BBC sport online and BBC Five Live extra , 5pm kick off )

The media coverage of this tournament started off as almost non-existent but over the last week it has been excellent.  This is a fantastic opportunity to remind the media that we want to see, hear and watch coverage of women’s sport at all times and not just in these exceptional circumstances.

Here are some actions you can take today

1. Click through the web links about tonight’s game – do it as many times as you can.  The stats on number of hits will be analysed and do make a difference

Go here BBC coverage
Go here for The Times
Go here for The Guardian

2. Watch/listen to the game and at half time use as much electricity as you can. Surges (even small increases) in electricity use at intervals during broadcasts are used as indicators of number of viewers/listeners.

3. Email or text your support for the coverage

For example – thank you for your coverage of the England women’s team – it’s been great being able to watch it with my daughter / it’s been great to be able to see both England teams doing so well

BBC feedback page is here
Text Five Live on 85058

And finally if any of you watched the England men on ITV last night and were just as incensed as me at their jurassically dated commentary then you might want to email them too. I just sent this:

viewerservices@itv.com

Dear ITV

I’ve been meaning to email you for some time with regard to your football coverage.

I am a life long Arsenal season ticket holder, I travel home and away to watch them and I have watched England on a number of occasions. I am also a woman.  Could you please brief your commentators that women follow and (as the BBC will be showing later) play football. Women have always watched and played football but I find it particularly astonishing that in 2009 I have to listen to Clive Tyldesley talking about 20,000 Englishmen travelling to South Africa. It’s outdated and factually incorrect. I’ve also had to explain to my daughter why Andy Townsend in a recent interview suggested that only if Coleen had a boy would Wayne Rooney need to worry about his offspring’s football affiliation.

If you want your football coverage to look half decent and relevant you might want a more sophisticated approach to your audience.

Best regards

Helen Donohoe

Photos taken today in various high street stores

boys are busy being scruffs ...

Learning how to be a snow queen (at vast expense)

The 'Dreamy dressing table', the 'Styling head', and a vanity case complete with make-up - learning what exactly?

Princess t-shirt (front) from BHS

... and the back

Three wheels good

It may seem trivial, but it isn’t. I was pleased, as were friends of mine, to see that at last those three-wheel scooters – if you are a parent of a 2-6 year old, you’ll know which ones I mean – are available in colours other than blue and pink. I know so many mums and dads, who are in a total quandry about which colour to get for their girls. This because they simply don’t want a pink one or have already got a daughter with a pink one and they want one which is different, but not blue. Because blue gives a message as well. How on Earth did these colours get loaded with so much meaning, that we’re worrying about this nonsense? And where did all the choice go?

We’ve been eagerly reading some correspondence that a woman called Christine Emily Campbell has been having with the Early Learning Centre (ELC). She is creator of the Facebook group ‘Construction toys are for girls too‘, and has been in dialogue with the them about their blatant, stereotypical genderisation of all things in store. This now happens to the ridiculous point that the globe itself – yes the entire world – has gone pink for girls.

What does a pink globe teach girls which a blue and green one can't?

The ELC have responded saying that there exists all sorts of ’scientific proof’ as to why it is that girls like pink. They say:

“According to child psychologists, research now shows that gender is a major factor in determining children’s colour preferences, with most boys typically preferring blue and girls preferring pink from infancy. To meet the needs of these colour preferences and to ensure children are given a choice, Early Learning Centre are offering limited products in both blue and pink variations.”

They go on to say:

“… the freedom [for children] to make their own colour choices plays a major role in enhancing their development”

Choice? What choice? Frankly, we just don’t buy it. And I mean that literally, as well as figuratively speaking.

I point you in the direction of the girl in the 80’s Lego ad, and only wish that this beautiful image wasn’t so startling and

When girls were girls!

shocking. It’s because of its lack of pinkness that I just can’t take my eyes off it! We’ve become so brainwashed into believing that all this is ‘natural’, that when we see an image like this, it’s somehow bizarre. And yet it’s what we all looked like as kids in the 70s and no-one thought we ‘weren’t girls’. No-one thought we had to be dripping in pink to express ourselves, but most importantly we had a choice.

ELC claim that girls naturally prefer pink (take a look at the Wikipedia entry on the colour Pink – specifically Pink and gender), but it’s no wonder they ‘choose’ pink and only pink, because there is no other choice except for blue. And no girl wants to be called a boy. This illusion of choice is extremely convenient for the corporations marketing stuff to our kids. Trivial it may seem but there’s mega bucks being made here.

Interestingly enough, you’ll pay a premium for a non pink or non blue scooter – a whopping 10 quid extra – but it’s certainly a step in the right direction. Because at least it’s a choice.

Abi & Emma at nursery in the 70s

You pay a ten pound premium for a yellow one!

wetsuits vs bikinis

A friend and supporter of PinkStinks sent me a link to an article from the Telegraph last week. Somewhat embarrassing, somewhat tragic, totally pointless. It struck a chord with me, as I took part in the London triathlon this weekend. In stark contrast to the desire to break the world record for getting the most bikini clad women on one beach all at the same time … my gosh, how utterly thrilling.

The triathlon, and countless other events like it, 10ks 5ks, walks and fun runs, encourage participation in sport, team work, competition and of course result in some impressive fund raising for charities. The Telegraph article laments, maybe in tongue in cheek fashion, the failure of this rather pathetic record breaking attempt. Some of the 42 women that bothered to turn up, blamed it on the weather. One woman is quoted as saying ”It made me feel pretty embarrassed to be British when we can’t even mount a decent challenge”. Well, you know what, you should have got your wetsuit on, and come and jumped into the docks with the hundreds of other women participants this weekend. There was more than enough reason to be very proud … even despite the fact we all got issued with pink swimming hats!

The rise and rise of the beauty pageant

Is it just me, or am I seeing more and more these days on beauty pageants? In the press, on tele and the radio. Hideous things, which should have died off years ago but somehow are making their way back into fashion under the guise of empowerment and fulfilment and fun for everyone. A bit like this sudden fad for pole-dancing … like it’s something we should all be doing, even when we’re small kids.

I forced myself to watch BBC3’s documentary Baby Beauty Queens the other evening. In the name of research on the subject. A shocking look at how tiny girls, aged from age six upwards are being steamrollered into becoming Barbie dolls by their hideously go-getting and pushy mothers (I haven’t seen any Dads yet but correct me if I am wrong). And it’s these mothers who transfer all their own longings, failures and dreadful insecurities onto their poor unsuspecting little girls. The little girls are blinded by promises of fame and wealth. And really it’s all just for fun (honest) and it gives them untold amounts of self confidence etc etc. God, it was so predictable. And so, so tragic. Because at the end it wasn’t just the little girls who were crushed by the disappointment and rejection of not being crowned Little Miss UK – or whatever it was – but it was the Mums too.

I was reading an article today on the Guardian website about the craze amongst university students for holding beauty contests. Never mind the degrees and the hard work, let’s just have a look at their legs, and bums, and bosoms. The article was good. But underneath it a scary and worrying, set of comments (many of which were deleted by moderators) showing how feelings on the matter run very strong. Men accusing anyone (or any woman should I say) who questions the morality of such things as plain ‘jealous’. Good grief it was horrible to read.

Another name which keeps on cropping up is the now ‘famous’ Sasha Bennington. She was fortunate enough to be the star of her own documentary (again on BBC3), a year or so ago. Her mother is another one hell bent on her daughter becoming the next Jordan and, you’ve guessed it, rich and famous.  Sasha is becoming quite good at all this now. Age 13, she was given airtime on Radio 5 Live last weekend, where she told us all about the beauty pageant for girls she’s organising and how fabulous all this is. Her mother then comes on and churns out the same old rubbish about how it’s all for fun and it builds self esteem and it’s brilliant to see six year olds caked in so much makeup that you can’t actually see their real faces any more.

I’m sure Sasha and her mum are going to be very happy with all this wealth and fame they are generating. But the fact is, it’s a sad state of affairs when 13 year old girls organising beauty pageants get this much air time and our brilliant sports women struggle to get any. It’s a total disgrace that universities – the place where women go to learn on an equal footing to men – are housing contests which objectify them and which pit woman against woman in a bid for fake and unattainable beauty. And it’s even more horrendous to see the hurt and the fear and the pain which many of these young girls suffer when their hopes are built up and then cruelly and publicly snatched away from them.

And I will bet good money on poor Sasha, having her name dragged through the gutter by the press the moment she slips up (and I don’t mean on the catwalk). Where then, will the fame and money have got her?

I know it’s not going to stop and it will probably only get worse. And some deluded people might even think that I’m just plain jealous! But all this does is give me and many others the incentive and the will to continue to campaign for something better and more real for our daughters. And for us.

Some further reading and links:

Object – brilliant campaign

More blogging on the same subject by Charlotte

India Knight in the Times

The Telegraph’s take on things

The Daily Mail strikes again – check out the quotes from some of the contestants