Pole Dancing and Pageants – Spot the Difference?

I don’t quite know where to begin with this one…. Rima Fakih of Michigan was crowned Miss USA this week to much fanfare and controversy. Initially the controversy centred on the fact that she was *gasp* a Muslim! And an immigrant! The US conservative press went into overdrive with several reporters branding her a ‘’terrorist’’, an ‘’extremist’’ and, my personal favourite ‘’Miss Hezbollah’’. Conspiracy theories ensued that claimed her foray into the contest was financed by ‘Islamic terrorists’. Well yes, of course. Muslim extremists are all for young women strutting down a stage in a bikini watched by millions advocating that birth control should be free. US bloggers are already claiming that she was not the true winner but it was all political. Ah, that old ‘PC gone mad’ chestnut.

As if this wasn’t bad enough, there was more controversy coming Rima’s way. Today it was ‘uncovered’ that not only is she a Muslim but that she is also a ‘sleazy stripper’. I say ‘uncovered’ when in fact rather than this discovery being the breakthrough of an investigative journalist, the pictures were quite openly on a Michigan radio station’s website and have been for three years. However, it appears that this may now put her crown in jeopardy.

Right, let’s unpick this one:

1. She was not a ‘sleazy stripper’. In fact she didn’t even strip. She won a radio show where the prize was pole dancing lessons. The lesson took place in a women only club and Rima wore shorts and a vest.

2. Does nobody else find this hypocrisy utterly laughable? Correct me if I am wrong but isn’t Miss USA all about thin, attractive, heavily made up women wearing bikinis, lingerie and evening dresses and parading up and down a catwalk before ‘judges’ – including the delightful Donald Trump – who pick their appearance apart and award them points like show ponies? Yes I thought so. So errrrr I am confused. What is the problem with the fact she has, on other occasions, bared her flesh and appeared to be sexy and sexual? The photos on the Miss USA website show her lounging on a bed pouting seductively in bra, knickers, stockings and heels. She looked a lot less sleazy dressed for her pole dancing lesson.

3. Finally and most importantly. Its 2010 people. Seriously, why do these contests still even exist? Supporters claim that these contests are ‘’not just about beauty on the outside but beauty on the inside too’’. So why the mandatory bikinis? Those that claim that Miss USA, Miss World etc are archaic and exploitative are branded mad feminists. In this case the critics are correct. I am a feminist and it makes me bloody mad.

A Sad Loss

Of all the MPs who lost their seats in the election, none struck such as a blow as that of Dr Evan Harris, Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West.

To the liberal minded among us and to those working in the area of women’s rights he was something of a hero. To The Daily Mail and The Torygraph he was dubbed ‘Dr Death’. In fact the Torygraph published an article this weekend gleefully reveling in his loss of seat – the article basically reads as ‘ding dong the witch is dead’.

Harris is not only a tireless campaigner for women’s rights and LGBT rights (he is President of DELGA) but he also opposed ID cards, student top up fees and was vociferous in his opposition to the Iraq War.

A thorn in the side of Tory favourite Nadine Dorries, he battled to keep the abortion limit at 24 weeks when the Human Fertilisation and Embryology bill went before parliament last year.


During the campaign, Harris received the support of, among others, Stephen Fry who said of Harris: ‘’he is by far and away the most persuasive and impressive parliamentarian in the cause of good and open science and enquiry that we have had in the past decade. He has been central to mould-breaking and inspirational multiparty cooperation in issues of scientific concern’’.

How sad that while Evan has lost his seat, the likes of Nadine Dorries are still powering on. Dorries wants to see the abortion limit lowered, wants parents to be able to opt their children out of sex education and generally wants to get her face on the television at every opportunity to spout right-wing bile. (Tower Block of Commons anyone?)

I was surprised recently to see her writing about the sexual objectification of women and the amount of billboards and bus ads using semi naked women. ‘Wow’ I thought, ‘is Nadine finally speaking out on behalf of women rather than holding them back in the dark ages??’ The answer was no. At the end of her article she ended with this: ‘’And no, I haven’t turned into a feminist overnight - heaven forbid! This is not about wearing a feminist hair shirt. It’s about knowing the difference between what is right and wrong.’’ And then she mentioned God. Sigh…

Take a look at Nadine's blog, see below:

http://blog.dorries.org/id-1011-2008_6_G2.aspx

Where have all the women gone?

So, the TV ads for Channel 4's alternative election night didnt feature Lauren Laverne and the preview write ups didnt mention her either. Then the publicity shots appearing in guides a few days before the election suddenly featured a photoshopped-in Laverne. Hmmmmm last minute C4 exec meeting: ''Shit. We have three white men fronting the coverage of the big election race between.... three white men. Better get a woman in quick. A Black or Asian one if possible.... June Sarpong's not availble? Damnit... Well find me a woman quick!''

Poor Lauren didnt get to make any jokes or political comment til right at the end but was left doing the links to the adverts. The woman's five months pregant as well... bet she wonders why she bothered standing around for 3 hours in a hot studio when she could have been watching curled up on the sofa like the rest of us.

A flick through the other channels revealed more shows fronted by lots and lots of white men.

It's such a shame presenters like Laverne - witty, sharp, funny and outspoken - arent better utilised on our screens. Instead we have 17 shows presented by either Fearne Cotton or Holly Willoughby. Or Fearne Cotton. In fact now we even have 'Kate off The Apprentice' fronting a national TV show. Dire.

Anyone watching the recent episode of Have I got News For You with Victoria Coren surely couldn't help but notice the look of utter fear on her usually confident face at the start of the show and I am embarassed to admit even I thought 'poor girl, she is going to get ripped apart' but she warmed up and ended up stealing the show, even managing to throw a few savage put downs Paul Merton's way. Nicely done Coren.

So come on. More funny, clever women on tele please. Then maybe we can work our way up to more women in Parliament too? I always knew women were poorly represented in the House of Commons but I didnt realise until recently that we actually have less female MPs than Rwanda or Afghanistan.

Oh well, at least we have Fearne Cotton. And Holly Willoughby.

Danny Dyer ruined my day

I had such a fantastic today. Really lovely. I thought I was going to watch a bit of tele, eat dinner and go to bed relaxed and happy. Then I heard about Danny Dyer’s advice column (to a recently single bloke - ''cut your ex's face then nobody will want her'') and now that I have finished spitting nails, I am going to rant instead.


The first thing I thought about when I heard about Dyer’s advice (or ‘Zoogate’ as I am sure it will be branded by the tabloids.) was Katie Piper. Katie was the woman who had sulphuric acid thrown in her face by someone paid by her ex boyfriend Daniel Lynch in 2008. The story of what happened to Katie is completely horrifying. 2 weeks into their relationship, Lynch took her to a hotel where he locked her in a room, beat and raped her repeatedly over a period of 8 hours and threatened to cut her with a razor before finally taking her home.

2 days later, after having none of his calls returned, he left a message begging her to read an email he had sent her on facebook apologising. Lynch knew Katie had no internet and on her way to her local internet café she was approached by a stranger who threw the acid in her face. After 12 days in an induced coma and 34 operations, she was left disfigured and blind in one eye. She now has to wear a plastic face mask 20 hours a day.

What made Katie’s story even more shocking to me was the way in which some of the press reported it. All made reference to her ‘beauty’ and many only used the descriptions ‘’model Katie’ or ‘blonde Katie’ throughout the articles. They talked of her ‘stunning’ face and ‘petite’ figure and the fact that she was ‘popular with men’. The Daily Mail even spoke of her decision not to go to the police after the rape as ‘open to question’. Oh and they mention her parents seeing their daughter’s ‘once beautiful face’ for the first time after the attack. Readers comments to the online article included such gems as ‘’well that’s what happens if you date people off the internet’’ – she met Lynch online – and ‘’oh another chance for all the women readers to post comments implying all men are bastards. I am getting really angry with this constant discrimination’’. Poor chap.

Katie’s experience, and her campaigning after the attack, helped wake the government up a little and the following year, the issue of violence against women was finally pushed ever so slightly further up the political agenda. And I do stress ever so slightly.

In my work I am inundated with statistics about violence against women and girls that become ever more bleak and depressing. According to myriad of studies and surveys, 1 in 4 women experience domestic violence and 2 women a week die as a result of it. 1 in 8 men think its ok to hit a partner if they are nagging or if they flirt with other men.

In the focus groups and surveys I have been conducting over the last three months, my data from under 21s in Islington backs up all these claims. Last week in a focus group on a Holloway estate, we started talking about Rhianna getting beaten up by Chris Brown. One young man said he was stupid to have done it ‘’so badly and in the street when people could see’’ but said that Rhianna had given Brown an STI and that if a girl gave him one ‘’yeh I would give her a slap but not bash in her face that badly’’. A 14 year old girl then added ‘’yeh and I am sure they doctored those pictures to make it look worse’’.

How did we get here?

I have digressed, but when I read Danny Dyer’s advice to a reader of putrid Zoo magazine the worst part was that I wasn’t entirely shocked. It seems to me that for a long time, these types of magazine have completely perpetuated the myth of all women being available and gagging for it or being prudes or prick teases if they aren’t. Zoo is read by over half a million people a week and 50% of its readers are under 24. 13% are under 16 and this helps shape their view of women and the world. This magazine that offers boob jobs for readers girlfriends and has described women on its pages as ‘fat hairy lesbians’ clearly doesn’t think twice about ‘joking’ about violence against women. And would we really expect Danny Dyer to be sensitive and compassionate? No. But how did this get past the editors?

I take huge offence at the pathetic excuse for an apology that Zoo’s editor Tom Etherington gave today:

‘’I apologise unreservedly for any offence the response may have caused’’ he said blaming a ‘production error’ and promising to donate a few quid to Women’s Aid. Dyer claims to have been misquoted. Ahhh that old chestnut. Offence this MAY have caused? Are we suggesting there is a possibility people won’t be offended? Surely everyone will be offended…. I thought… though by looking at the comments section of The Sun online, it turns out I am wrong.


SuperAmanda..you're a knob. Dont slag someone off who you've never met and know nothing about, It was a genuine mistake he's a lovely guy I've met him several times. ****
9:19PM, May 05, 2010Kt88

Anyone read zoo? It's not a magazine for 'The independent' brigade! The so-called problem page is more of a P**S-take than anything.Dyer didn't mean bad by this.On paper it seems an outrageous comment,but keep it in context and understand that it's not serious.Very much doubt there's gonna be a spate of attacks on ex's due to dyer's comment.
8:27PM, May 05, 2010Redeye69


Im suprised someone is making a big story out of this. He made a silly joke, quite original i admit, and thats that. He hasnt been misquoted or anything, he said that for a laugh, its quite clear throughout his comment. Does anyone actually expect a serious answer in a magazine full of sick jokes and weird stuff? GET A LIFE PEOPLE!
7:25PM, May 05, 2010RafRedDevil

Danny Dyer's advice column is very much tongue-in-cheek - like The Sun's own Betty Brisk's "advice" column which, I should point out, is full of advice for women to physically attack their husbands and boyfriends.

You can't be outraged by one and not the other - unless you're a hypocrite, of course! 7:28PM, May 05, 2010

Basically, it seems that us liberals should just take a joke and stop moaning.