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Public Address
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 1654

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Up Front: Does My Mortgage Look Like a Slag in This?

Let’s deal with the obvious question before it comes up. Yes, I still get The Listener. No, I don’t really know why. Part of it is, I suspect, that I’m so lazy you can pwn my soul for the price of a few crosswords and t.v. listings. Part of it, though, seems to be morbid curiosity, the need to see just how bad it can get. And boy did Rebecca MacFie set a new bar this week.

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Danielle
From: PAS Women's XV Strategic Headquarters
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 2249

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Word UP. (My red codpiece of 80s funk salutes you.)

It's also pretty demeaning to blokes, as if they are Incapable! of Restraining! Themselves! due to their animalistic penis-brains. Erm, no.

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Craig Ranapia
From: North Shore, Auckland
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 7160

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Is this what the women's movement was fighting for? The right to get wasted on equal terms with men?

Yes? Or put another way: The women's movement most definitely was fighting for women to have the freedom to take risks, fuck up, and even behave badly on equal terms with men. At least, I hope it was.

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Isabel Hitchings
From: Christchurch
Since: Jul 2007
Posts: 335

My first thought on seeing that paragraph yesterday (well maybe my second thought if you count spluttering expletives) was "Emma's going to post angry".

Women get some pretty mixed messages about what is acceptable dress -you are expected to dress "nicely" and "accentuate your assets" and also "not put it all on display" all in garments largely designed for those devoid of hip and bust.

I largely buy the listener because I can't be arsed figuring out which day the paper publishes TV listing. Oh and Diana Wichtel.

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Craig Ranapia
From: North Shore, Auckland
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 7160

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It's also pretty demeaning to blokes, as if they are Incapable! of Restraining! Themselves! due to their animalistic penis-brains. Erm, no.

My animalistic penis-brain would find even Emma's awesome French Whore Top eminently resistible. Then again, my APB gets cranky if it's out too late and finds loud noises and crowds frightening. When did I get so old...

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Russell Brown
From: Auckland
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 9060
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You write such great headlines when you're angry.

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Emma Hart
From: Christchurch
Since: Nov 2006
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My first thought on seeing that paragraph yesterday (well maybe my second thought if you count spluttering expletives) was "Emma's going to post angry".

You should have seen it, I was actually completely speechless.

It's also pretty demeaning to blokes, as if they are Incapable! of Restraining! Themselves! due to their animalistic penis-brains. Erm, no.

Oh, Word. I don't think anyone's ever made an arse of themselves to me in public without one of my male friends telling him he was being a cock. While of course simultaenously respecting my ability to take care of myself.

From my experience, they should be telling women that if they don't want 'unwanted male attention', they shouldn 't go out wearing geek t-shirts.

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Tess Rooney
From: Greymouth
Since: May 2009
Posts: 181

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I only realised how wonderful and safe our university social group was as I have gotten older and seen a wider slice of life. Women could dress as they chose and if there was unwanted attention it was stomped on hard and fast. The fault of unwanted attention is soley on the person giving it.

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Robyn Gallagher
From: Wellington
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 1309

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You can get unwanted attention wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Even in the midst of the '90s, when it was all baggy and grungy, there was still unwanted attention.

Also, this famous scene from Body Heat:

Ned (William Hurt): Maybe you shouldn't dress like that.
Matty (Kathleen Turner): This is a blouse and a skirt. I don't know what you're talking about.

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Steve Barnes
From: The City of Ales
Since: Dec 2006
Posts: 1957

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I am surprised that Women are allowed to dress up like bordello cushions in Parliament whilst the blokes have to wear a collar and lead.

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Tess Rooney
From: Greymouth
Since: May 2009
Posts: 181

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Craig: I don't like late nights, loud noise or big crowds either, does this mean I have an APB?

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Danielle
From: PAS Women's XV Strategic Headquarters
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 2249

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(I've created a phrase worthy of an acronym! I feel so proud.)

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philipmatthews
From: Christchurch
Since: Nov 2007
Posts: 405

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(I've created a phrase worthy of an acronym! I feel so proud.)

Next time the cops put out an All Points Bulletin there might be some confusion.

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Sofie Bribiesca
From: here and there.
Since: Nov 2007
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I’m also really impressed with this woman’s chest, both up-thrust and barely-clad. Obviously she has an invisible push-up bra, which is awesome.

(My French Whore Top is awesome.)

At which point are we being serious, or am I missing something? Aw TITS

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Tess Rooney
From: Greymouth
Since: May 2009
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"Ahhh, we've got an APB out of control down on the Strip. Could all local units attend."

"Dear God! Not another out of control penis brain running amok. I bet it was that Hart woman's mortgage falling out of it's dress again. Those liquored up investment portfolios can't keep their greasy hands to themselves."

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Hadyn Green
From: Wellington
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 1802
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You write such great headlines when you're angry.

<embarassed>Um, I don't get it.

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Emma Hart
From: Christchurch
Since: Nov 2006
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At which point are we being serious, or am I missing something? Aw TITS

Ah, you assume even I know any more.

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James Butler
From: Auckland
Since: Jan 2009
Posts: 110

<embarassed>Um, I don't get it.

Don't worry, it just means you're immune to The Listener

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Russell Brown
From: Auckland
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 9060
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You write such great headlines when you're angry.

<embarassed>Um, I don't get it.

It's a tribute to Finlay Macdonald's wonderful quip about the ultimate contemporary Listener cover line being 'Will your mortgage make you fat?'

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James Butler
From: Auckland
Since: Jan 2009
Posts: 110

I largely buy the listener because I can't be arsed figuring out which day the paper publishes TV listing

The downturn of The Listener had an upside for me - when I stopped buying it, I also stopped watching TV, because I never knew when anything was on. Brilliant!

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Isabel Hitchings
From: Christchurch
Since: Jul 2007
Posts: 335

It's a running joke in our household that every week one of us will ask "what's in the Listener this week?" and the other will reply "middle-class panic".

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Tess Rooney
From: Greymouth
Since: May 2009
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Oh, I thought it was about her assets.

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Tess Rooney
From: Greymouth
Since: May 2009
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My favorite Listener article was about the new poverty of the middle class - Oh noes, we can't afford to redo our kitchen or have an overseas holiday, oh the humanity!

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Emma Hart
From: Christchurch
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 2629
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Oh, I thought it was about her assets.

Fix or float...

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Robert Urquhart
From: Christchurch
Since: Mar 2009
Posts: 30

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The fault of unwanted attention is soley on the person giving it.

I believe "The fault of continuing unwanted attention is solely on the person giving it" is a better generalisation. There are plenty of situations where it's either difficult to tell if attention is wanted or previously wanted attention becomes unwanted through no actual fault of the giver (and this applies across all genders).

The assumption in this debate always seems to be that the recipient has made it clear in some way that the (or any) attention is unwanted and we all know that's often not the case. 'No means no' fer sure, but something has to happen to trigger the no.

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Angus Robertson
From: Auckland
Since: May 2007
Posts: 610

The fault of unwanted attention is soley on the person giving it.

However as the attention is only unwanted as determined by the contrary value judgements of the recipient, the giver is quite possibly blamelessly at fault.

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Tess Rooney
From: Greymouth
Since: May 2009
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I'm talking about harrassment, not a simple sexual overture which is then declined.

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Isabel Hitchings
From: Christchurch
Since: Jul 2007
Posts: 335

Actually I don't think there's a heck of a lot of difficulty determining what sort of attention is OK and which isn't (though some people will put up with idiots for longer than others). Generally remembering your manners and treating everyone you interact with as people with at least as much worth as yourself will see you right.

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Emma Hart
From: Christchurch
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 2629
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The assumption in this debate always seems to be that the recipient has made it clear in some way that the (or any) attention is unwanted and we all know that's often not the case. 'No means no' fer sure, but something has to happen to trigger the no.

This is of course true, which is why I talked about 'persisting'. I'd also take from the article that the fact that the woman being described so lovingly used the word 'harassed' and was squawking at police, she wasn't talking about the kind of polite overture that's easily deflected. But that's an assumption.

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Robert Urquhart
From: Christchurch
Since: Mar 2009
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Right, I wasn't trying to say that the specific example fell under the generalisation. Sorry for any misunderstanding.

As long as we're all on the same page I can happily pop out for a couple of hours without worrying about finding my post under a pile of embers when I get back :D

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Tim Michie
From: Auckward
Since: Nov 2006
Posts: 237

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Damn weel said Emma. Thank you for erading The Listener so I don't have to manage raised blood pressure issues. I miss Diana Wichtel and Fiona's Stooges story still sticks in mind but otherwise I got no regrets on that score.

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