Slow Hand-Clap Awards 2013.

Borrowing the phrase from Caitlin Moran's tweet, it's safe to say that the 'Slow Hand-Clap Award (she said of 'yesterday' I reckon it's a big enough boob to be the award of the whole of 2013)' goes to the 1000 idiots- and yes it's a strong and accusing word but I 100% stand by it- who complained about the BBC's "excessive" coverage of Mandela's death which consequently cut short the airing of a repeat of Mrs Browns Boys by 12 minutes. 

In my latest post over on Style Freak, I discussed a wonderful photographer who captures and affirms my faith in humanity, these people on the other hand are possibly enough to obliterate it. 

I don't really know where to start with this actually. I'm a bit gobsmacked (takes a lot).

Nelson Mandela was one of the greatest freedom fighters of the 20th and 21st century and was denied this very right- freedom- for 27 years of his life whilst he was imprisoned for committing the crime of having black skin and speaking out for equality. In the year 2013, Civil Rights have come a long way since Mandela was released and yet 1000 British people chose to completely abuse this fact, and would have preferred a refusal to celebrate huge advancements in equality because of Mandela's work, instead opting for a two year old episode of a comedy sitcom.

During the years of his imprisonment it was illegal- punishable with a prison sentence- to have a picture of Nelson Mandela in any home or building in South Africa; the government attempted to erase him from memory in a bid to deter people from pursing the fight for racial justice. The government in power back then tried to brainwash the people to forget. Now, 49 years on from the first day Mandela served in prison, the people wanted to stop government organisations from remembering. The coin has flipped. And the irony of the progression that Mandela was responsible for is frankly disgusting. This goes to show the amount of shame a handful of people can impose on the general public; I am repulsed by the idea that I'm walking on the same ground as the 1000 individuals who, without shame, went to the effort of complaining to the BBC.   

And what did the viewers miss in those twelve minutes? Simulated sex with a cupboard. And it's not just those who complained that stepped out of line either... the press has joined in too. Metro published this article today which headlines:

In today’s multi-channel age, the BBC was wrong to interrupt Mrs Brown’s Boys with Nelson Mandela’s death

So not only were the complaints disgusting, the Metro lowered itself to similar standards- passing on the message that Mrs Browns Boys had just as much reason as Mandela's death to be aired because the news could have simply been popped on a different channel instead. 

What the fuck is going on?!

How a newspaper can even try to justify this argument is beyond words and the fact that I should even have to give a reason as to why the death of the first black President and a world famous Civil Rights fighter had absolute reason to interrupt all the programmes on every channel for the rest of the evening has left me aghast. This was a man who, as President (and prior to this) lead a tireless fight for equality in the middle of an era when numerous world leaders, such as Thatcher, refused to cooperate and legislated to effectively support apartheid through the refusal of applying economic sanctions. As late as 1987, two years before Mandela was released, Thatcher was quoted to regard the ANC as "a typical terrorist organisation". This was the kind of attitude Mandela was faced with when he left prison and yet, within a year, he became President of South Africa. 

.... But of course, the announcement of the passing of this great man should have been left for a further 12 minutes, or at least been broadcast elsewhere instead of causing disruption to an outdated episode of a comedy series. Do these people have ANY IDEA how moronic they are?!

The fact that the BBC felt that they had to issue a statement in response to the hundreds of complaints, stating that Mandela's passing was of "singular significance" and even going as far as an apology, seriously upsets me. To me, it stands as evidence to confirm the argument that I have put forward in previous articles; we live in a society that is disillusioned by how 'equal' we really are. Racial equality is still very much an 'issue' and the naivety and stupidity of these complaints will hopefully shock people into realising that certain priorities urgently need to be reconsidered.   

*****

Whilst I was writing this piece, my attention was diverted to a certain photograph and I am saddened to announce, that today brings a second 'Slow Hand-Clap Award'.... and  it breaks my heart to have to present this to Barack Obama and David Cameron along with Denmark's Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt. The offending act was the below photograph:

It's a 'funeral selfie'.... the trio were caught red-handed at Mandela's memorial service taking the above shot on the Danish PMs phone. Again, I don't quite know where to start. I mean, I know it was a celebration of life, but this is just a low blow. A complete lack of respect. Here we have two of THE most powerful people in the world taking a selfie.... something I'd cringe at myself doing on a normal day, in the privacy of my bedroom, never mind doing it a service of someones life. But this isn't about me.... It's world leaders at a fellow world leader's memorial service acting as representatives of their countries. At what point did they think this would be OK? It makes me want to weep.  

 It's nice that they were happy to be there, but lets not trample all over the pride and honour they should regard for a man that is responsible for the multi-racial societies they preside over. David Cameron ought to be taking much more care, he is after all the current leader of a political party that refused to help end apartheid and in fact, Thatcher supported it, AND that same party is now attempting to rewrite their history and portray themselves as a Mandela, racial-justice-loving, organisation. Please, for the sake of humanity, do not let your memory kid you into thinking that the Conservatives in any way supported Mandela's policies.     

I was more repulsed and shocked by Obama than Cameron. I thought he'd accrued a significant amount of genuine life experience (not that it takes much... I'm 19 and know that this is completely wrong) in comparison to the mollycoddled removed-from-reality Etonian. I've had it in for our PM since he took leadership because I think he's a posh, power seeking, career driven, elitist twat, so it's not as though I feel as though any amount of admiration has been lost because there wasn't any there in the first place. Of course I'm appalled at him, because he's painted a very ugly picture of our governments (and general public's) attitude of all that Mandela has done, but I was much more disheartened and outraged with Barrack Obama. In a sentence, he's played up to the typical apathetic remark that "all politicians are the same". Obama, a Democrat, has tarred himself with the same brush as Tory David Cameron... why he'd want to be seen in the same light is beyond me. This photo has caused me to loose a lot of trust and respect in the man. I will no longer liken my desire to become Prime Minister of his successful journey to President.... we are very different people. 

Although, despite my decreasing love for Obama, my faith has not been lost in his wife, who looks increasingly annoyed at her husband throughout the series of photographs that have been released. Team Michelle.

But it looks as though that if things are to really going change in the political arena, I better become Prime Minister sooner rather than later.

“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.” 

― Nelson Mandela

(a rather apt quote)

Hannah Riley.

@hannahtheduck  

What Feminisim Isn't

After having watched this episode of newsnight a few days ago, I took to twitter- as I do on a regular basis- to express my views and was greeted with a bundle of tweets confirming the fact that gender equality still has a way to go. I understand that people will have conflicting interests, but to be told that I have "no right to comment" on an issue effecting me personally and the millions of other women on this planet by a male UKIP wannabe-MP is a bit much.  

The discussion above and the tweets I received  pushed all of the wrong buttons and I felt compelled to assure you all that feminism isn't about sandals and hairy armpits. For a start, I don't think the programme dedicated enough time to the discussion itself, I completely understand the fact that NewsNight has to stick to a schedulde and fit a lot into its 50 minute time slot but how can prejudice effecting 52% of the worlds population be covered in an 11 minute talk?

The three women involved had some very different opinions of what feminism involves and I'd like to show you my ideas, definitions etc. in a nut shell. I came up with the questions myself but wrote as though someone was asking them otherwise they read oddly, so here we have it:

What is feminism?    
- Simply working towards, and believing in the principle that women are equal to men. That's literally it. I can't speak for everyone, but in my opinion feminism is not about picking fights nor is it anti-men. It's just anti-inequality.

The image of militants and women with hairy armpits does not characterise feminists. If some women feel that venting their anger in such ways will help advance womens rights, then I do sympathise with them, and if some don't want to shave their armpits as a protest against the desirable image of a 'woman'- created by the influence of a males pleasure- then I wholeheartedly understand that. But it's sad that this stereotype makes people shy away from feminism because it's really not a complicated movement, it just wants men and women to be treated as equals.

And you don't have to be a woman to be a feminist, just as you don't have to be black to support civil rights... men can support equality too.  

Are you a feminist?
-I am unapologetically a feminist. No matter what stereotype people have of feminists, I will forever proudly associate myself with them. It would make no sense for me not to be one.

As Mary Beard points out above, "I can't understand a woman who isn't [a feminist]".

On what basis are women unequal to men? 
- Sport, Politics, Heads of Industry, and physical expectations.

Sexisim is everywhere but these are distinctive areas that immediately come to mind as they all involve vast inequalities based on sex.

The sporting world offers a prime example to show that the Equal Pay Act of 1970- ensuring that women are paid the same wages as males in the same positions- is not followed through. Wayne Rooney earns £180,000 a week. Compare this to the womens England football team who, after having received a £4000 pay rise in January this year, earn an annual wage of £20,000. It's disgusting.

Turn to Politics and you'll see the problem of under-representation. In Parliaments all around the world the presence of women is severely lacking. Here in the UK, 147 of our 650 MPs are female. It nowhere near represents the society we live in; and as the function of Parliament is to represent the people, this is a huge dilemma. Put on PrimeMinisters Questions on a Wednesday afternoon and you'll really have to look hard to spot a handful of women. We are in 58th position (joint with Israel) in representing women in parliament; The Philippines, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Finland, Tunisia, Sudan, China, Sweden, Ethiopia, and most ironically, Iraq, are all countries that rate above us in representing women in Parliament. Rwanda has the highest representation with 64% of representatives being female, look the other way and Micronesia, Palau, Vanuatu, and Qatar are all countries with absolutely no female representatives, and there are 35 countries with fewer than 10% of seats taken by women.

Women in positions above the glass ceiling is limited and our appearances are continuously objectified for the pleasure of men. Tits are everywhere.

What are your thoughts on page three? 

Mixed. I have no problem with the women choosing to model because really, most people do most things for money.... and the money is good. If page three were to be banned many of these women could be put out of work.  'Page 3' itself isn't something I get angry about and, despite all the bad press, I'm a big believer in the freedom of the press. I don't have much of a problem with porn magazines being on shelves either.... we live in a liberal state and pornography is freedom of speech.

BUT. And it's a big but. I hate, hate, hate, what pornographic images do in terms of objectifying women. As I suggested above, women are turned into sexual objects and the expectations for flat stomachs, perfect boobs, and a 'thigh gap' are brandished on billboards, posters, adverts, and magazines. But it must be noted that it's not JUST porn. I think the fashion magazines and the industry at large can be just as bad.... using excessive airbrushing and size zero models is something I really don't like. It's something I really struggle with when I go to fashion week.

I think the pressure of girls looking 'good' for their boyfriends stems from both magazines and porn. The whole thing with being completely hairless stems solely from the gratification of the male. I for one, would never fancy looking like my gentials are those of a three year old.

So really, I don't like what naked photos DO but blaming page three won't take the pressures women are surrounded by away. Women posing 'sexily' exists in a lot more than just tabloid papers. Much more would need to be done than taking away page 3 and there's a fine line between protecting women via banning such images and censorship.

Is sexisim an everyday occurance? 
-Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Everything from childrens toys such as 'boy' and 'girl' lego and kindereggs to fairytales (as mentioned in the clip above) involving pretty blonde-haired, blue eyed princesses in beautiful ballgowns being saved by the brave knight in shining armour embeds expectations and limitations to gender roles at an early age. The terminology directed at women "ladies first", and being polite for the sake of 'ladies', even calling them 'flower' all comes from a patronising, derogitive light.

Trouble is, a lot of it goes unnoticed.

What womens 'issue' needs to be publicised to help awareness? 
-FGM. "Female Gential Mutilation".

Otherwise known as female circumcision. It is an ancient practice, dating back to 500 BC, originating in Africa but now occurs all over the world. FGM involves the removal of the clitorous and labias and the tightening of the entrance to the vaginal canal (where the penis goes). It is done entirely for the benefit and pleasure of the man as it often stops women from enjoying sex and enhances the enjoyment of the males experience.

It has been illegal to perform FGM in this country since 1985 but no prosecutions have ever been made- very little is done to stop it from happening and very few people actually know what it is.

There is currently a campaign raising awareness of the cause to stop it from happening and it will be the focus of my next article on this blog.

Do you support positive discrimination?
-Yes.

If a man is clearly better suited to the job than the woman, then hire the man. But if the woman is equally qualified and is as deserving of the job as the man, then choose the woman and do so based on her sex. Inequality has been the pinnacle of society for centuries and the only way to quickly turn it around is to discriminate positively.

It's not PC but being PC can often cause more harm than good.

How would you reduce sexisim if you had the ability to do so? 
- I'd start with young people because they're the future. Embedding a mindset at an early age is the best way to carry equality onto future generations. I'd ban companies from producing 'girl'/'boy' versions of toys.... no more pink lego.

In schools, I'd make sure that issues surrounding prejudices are taught from an early age and the unrealistic portrayal of women via pornography would be included in sex education.

Dealing with the issue head on is how to go about tackling it.

***

So basically, I think I disagree with everything that dear Angela says in the interview. And when I clicked on the twitter hashtag after watching the video, and stumbling across various vulgar anti-feminist and just plain anti-women tweets, I couldn't help but take a couple on. I thought I'd be able to transform their views with my words of wisdom but it backfired a bit and I was bombarded with tweets that basically told me to pipedown.

Apparently feminism is "stupid":

The last tweet saddens me somewhat. Because it's far from true- it's an ideology. Lets see the female England team on £180,000 a week shall we?


And then there's Paul, The UKIP guy, who tried to justify the below comment as a bit of lighthearted sarcasm.... because, oh, that makes all the difference.

I did start these bits of confrontation so I was prepared for reactions. But the closed-mindedness of it all just shocked me. If you fancy reading all the conversations I had between these two, pop on my twitter, @hannahtheduck.

I could literally go on for ever, and discuss the interview on NewsNight in great depth but I would literally kill my laptop in the process so I'll stop here, with the uplifting comment that feminism is arrogant. Of course.

Get a grip Jonathan.

Ok. I'm done now.




Hannah Riley.
@hannahtheduck