“Troubled” families: All you need is shortbread
Four years ago, when my eldest son was still a few months short of his first birthday, his father decided to take him to a new baby group. But not just any new baby group – rather than go to the local...
View ArticleIf that’s respect I’m Chrétien de Troyes
So feminists don’t do chivalry? Frankly, I find the very suggestion reveals a complete lack of politesse. I’m a feminist yet I’ve always been a friend of courtoisie. Indeed, I’ve read whole books that...
View ArticleNormalising a domestic killing: Stephen Eastwood’s “accident”
Domestic abusers! You know that thing when you’re having a massive row with your partner over something entirely trivial – it could be, say, Christmas presents – and it reaches the point where you...
View ArticleFor Paul Daniels, some thoughts on why victims “keep quiet”
In 1983 I met Paul Daniels in a department store in Blackpool. He signed books for both me and my brother. At first I was annoyed because my brother had picked up Paul’s “Magic Book” whereas I had...
View ArticleMary Beard, Cristina Odone and the terrible legacy of “defensive” women
Women have always had to deal with misogyny, therefore it is ridiculous for individuals to kick up a fuss about it now. This appears to be the argument made by Cristina Odone in her latest Telegraph...
View ArticleFeminists! Why don’t we all stop moaning and, like, do stuff?
Writing in Saturday’s Guardian, Deborah Orr is a bit mean about feminism, suggesting that its “influence [...] on contemporary society is overstated”. Obviously this upsets me. Feminism is my fwend. I...
View ArticleThe difficulty of mentioning misogyny in media responses to abuse
Here are some things which even the most reactionary branches of the news media might set within the broader context of a sexist culture: the under-representation of women in politics female genital...
View ArticleHow to stop abusing women in the name of feminism: A patronising checklist
Women online — they’re always whinging about abuse, aren’t they? And yet it’s so hard to stop abusing them! You might even think they deserve it. After all, a thousand twitter mobs can’t be wrong, can...
View Article“You made me do it”: A post about abuse
“You made me do it.” It’s an idea that you get used to. Your wrongness will always be measured by the degree of the response. There’s no definition in actions or words, nor any great amassing of...
View ArticleNew Statesman: Ellie Butler murder: Are the female partners of abusive men...
On Tuesday Ben Butler was sentenced to a minimum of 23 years in prison for the murder of his six-year-old daughter Ellie. It’s a death that is particularly tragic because not only was it predictable,...
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