That Girl from Derwent dwells on the value of religion this Christmas.
That Girl from Derwent has learned a few more things about prejudice since moving up North.
That Girl From Derwent reckons if you're going to be offensive, you should find a better reason.
That Girl from Derwent considers why it is that some words have wider implications than others.
Yesterday a campus feminist started a lettered petition against the union. Her slight was this: they are giving away free goodie bags, some in blue and some in pink, at the YUSU Fair today. In the blue bag are FHMs and tins of beans, and in the pink bags are anti-cellulite cream with half-tins of beans. She argues that this is discriminating men against women. She then goes on to say that gays have been excluded altogether, beans harm welfare policy and the plastic bags themselves help to destroy the environment.
Feminism is the “doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.” The key here is rights. Feminism is about giving women the freedom and opportunity to choose what they want, equal to that of men. It is not about morphing women into men.
Let us be clear about something from word go. YUSU never labeled the pink bags “female” and the blue bags “male”. They’re just blue and pink. Both women and men have choice over whatever bag suits them. I guess, at a push, one could acknowledge that a woman who chooses the blue bag might feel angry that her bag has clearly been marketed at boys only. But has it? If so then she herself has equated blue, FHM and baked bean tins with “boys” and is as guilty as the marketers. At any rate, she still has her rights and can reject this gender marketing.
The reason I am angry is because I believe feminism is about respecting difference rather than removing it. If tomorrow, 75% of women pick up the pink bag voluntarily then they have been afforded their social right of choosing what they want. They shouldn’t be ashamed of choosing pink if that’s what they want. In fact they should celebrate their choice.
Many women will probably choose the pink bag - and if they do - when they open it they are greeted with anti-cellulite cream. The point here is not that the union is being discriminatory, but that is is clearly out of touch with female students' identity.
The point here is that YUSU shouldn't be distributing these bags. If they came straight from the hands of the commercial company that produced them, fine - they can do what they like. But it's YUSU's job to support students, not aid marketers. If they have to do this for money, they could at least make sure that they don't alienate a number of the more sensitive/PC members of the student population in the process. Or, in fact, contravene some of their own policies.
Is there anyone who wants to do an exchange? I am offering a full-size tin of beans and in return I'd like a half-tin and the moisturizer. I'm not that keen on baked beans and a cold winter could wreak havoc with the moisture levels of my skin. Thanks!
But the controversy gave birth to a stall where "campus feminists" smilingly offered to swap your cellulite-cream for cakes, regardless of your gender. What a beautiful thing. Now we can choose cake over gender too.
It's not true that YUSU replied to all of the emails complaining- I didn't get a reply!
I'm glad the feminists decided to make cakes, hope all that time in the kitchen didn't leave them too tired.
As Ali G once asked "Do you think all girls should try feminism at least once?"
this is all so ridiculous!! all those women didn't strap themselves to fences and starve themselves to death so that we could complain about the crappy gifts inside a plastic bag. surely there are bigger fish to fry? it is this sort of behaviour that taints society's opinion of women who wish to have a say!
Agreed with the above, this is the way forward: http://www.theonion.com/content/news/man_finally_put_in_charge_of
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