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Tony Abbott, Twitter, Women of Calibre and Click Bait

May 8, 2013 in Current Affairs, Human Rights, News, Politics

So yesterday I was noodling about the house, exhausted and exhilarated after surviving Satan’s own three ring circus of a weekend, when Twitter whooped out the Code Pink Alert. The Twisterhood (Twitter Sisterhood. You like it? I just made it up!) were Outraged! Again! World-Renowned Misogynist, Tony Abbott, announced a Paid Parental Leave scheme that would entitle new mothers earning $150,000 pa or less to six months maternity leave at full pay, plus super entitlements. He said, and I quote: “We do not educate women to higher degree level to deny them a career. If we want women of that [...]

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Why Are There No Boys Named Sue?

April 26, 2013 in Body Image, Celebrity, Children, Entertainment, Gender, Parenting, Pregnancy & Birth, Society

In the last few years it’s become acceptable and even cool to give kids gender neutral names. That’s hardly news. However with this trend, I’m seeing a lot of girls with traditionally ‘male’ names, and very few boys with traditionally ‘female’ names. As a teacher I’ve seen some pretty out there names and interpretations of names. Calling the roll for the first time with a new class can be tricky: Me: “Elliot? Is Elliot here? Has anyone seen him?” Student: “ Um, Elliot is a GIRL, Miss!” (Rolls eyes at my apparent stupidity) Me: “Oh. Has anyone seen HER?” I’ve [...]

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Young, Famous, Rich…and Happy?

April 16, 2013 in Body Image, Celebrity, Entertainment, Film & TV, Gender, Health, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Music, Work

As a little girl I wanted to be famous. I wanted to be a singer, a rock star. I’d have loads of cash, I’d help out those I loved, it would be glamorous and life would be easy. It turns out the path to achieving fame and success at a young age seems to have a nasty aftertaste. The teenage years are awkward for everyone. I’d hate to have mine played out in the public eye, being scrutinized and torn apart by the media and lurking paparazzi. Maybe that’s what has sent so many young ‘starlets’ over the edge. Possibly [...]

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Feminism is Not About Sandwiches

April 9, 2013 in Gender, Relationships

I was once talking to a friend about gender roles, her point of view was that it was more damaging to people to have to figure out for themselves who they were and less confusing if they had some gender roles prescribed. I vehemently disagreed. Her response was, “What if a woman is happy making a sandwich for her partner? Should she feel bad for that?” I was gob smacked! How did the innocent sandwich get so entangled in the discourse about feminism and gender roles? How did one piece of food become the symbol of sexism? I think it’s [...]

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Why Matthew Johns is an Alpha Male – and Shouldn’t Be

February 15, 2013 in Celebrity, Current Affairs, Film & TV, News, People, Sex, Society, Sport

“Man up, Sydney!” So a billboard advertisement for Triple M’s The Grill Team admonishes, glaring down from atop the Pacific Highway, Roseville at us pathetic, feminine Sydney motorists. I must confess I’ve never quite understood the phrase ‘man up’. Particularly after watching my pregnant boss carry around an energy-sapping bowling ball in her stomach for the last nine months and deal with the unique hell that is working in retail over Christmas, I can’t perceive how there is anything quite so tough as a woman. And that’s to say nothing of how the bowling ball is expelled into the world. Confusion [...]

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Does Makeup Feed Our Insecurities?

February 12, 2013 in Body, Body Image, Face, Gender, Lifestyle, People, Self

On a night out recently with some friends we were deciding whether to continue on to another, much bigger venue. One female friend protested. Her reason? She wasn’t wearing any makeup. Being my typical self I told her to stop being so ridiculous and I (truthfully) told her she looked perfectly fine and did not need makeup on in order come out. Another lady friend was happy to make a night of it and crash at my place, but on one condition: that I had ‘good’ makeup for her to wear to work the next day. To cut a long [...]

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Double Standards A-Plenty

February 12, 2013 in Children, Fathers, Gender, Marriage, Mothers, People, Sex

It amazes me that in this day and age, double standards are still such an issue. With things like Gay rights, and Women’s rights, and equality being fought for the world over, there are still some unbeliveable double standards, which are completely mind boggling! Men are Studs, Women are Sluts This one really rubs me up the wrong way. Basically, men can sleep with whoever they want, and they are considered studs, whereas women get categorised as sluts. So to even up the score, I’ve taken to calling one of my guys a man whore. It’s only fair. Men and [...]

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Fiction: Old Wounds

February 11, 2013 in Family, Fiction, Relationships, Stories

Gabby held her menu up, obscuring her view of her mother, who sat across the table. “The pork looks good,” Gabby remarked. “I’m not very hungry, would you like to split a garden salad?” her mother replied. Gabby pursed her lips and tried to think of a better way to decline than, ‘No, that would leave me starving and thank you for the subtle implication that I am fat.’ “How about a caesar salad?” Gabby said. “No darling, I’m off bacon, it’s terribly fattening. Chicken salad?” Gabby tried to hide her instant gag reflex at the mention of chicken. Why [...]

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The Help: The Nurses Part 2

February 7, 2013 in Gender, Health, Lifestyle, Work

On Tuesday, the nurses Maree spoke to talked about ER, gender roles, and nursing as a career – Maree now continues her conversation: I spoke to and interviewed over 15 nurses. To tell each story would take a lifetime. So for the sake of brevity, but in no way altering the truth of each person’s experience, not every comment, interview or answer can be published. *DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS AND VIEWS ARE TRUE AND ARE NOT NECESSARILY THAT OF THE WRITER Next I spoke with a friend who is a senior theatre nurse, her experience with patients is a little [...]

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The Help: The Nurses Part 1

February 5, 2013 in Film & TV, Gender, Health, Lifestyle, Work

Nurses- we need them. We think we might have an idea of what their jobs involve, but really nursing can be unpredictable.  It takes a special person to undertake the demands of a job where you work so closely with human beings in various states of illness or brokenness. Not all nursing involves ‘doom and gloom’, an (oft misconceived perception) but it certainly has it’s moments. My mother is a nurse. Many of my friends are nurses, who have trained in specialist fields. Over the last 2 months I spoke to family and friends who are nurses- from A.I.N’s to [...]

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