Can't Touch This

Today I ended up drunk because I was scared of an interaction between myself, a friend, and two strange men,

It's a pretty abrupt entry to this blog post. But it's the truth. And I'm writing this because I'm sick of men grabbing me. Like really, I'm totally bloody sick of it.

So today I went Christmas shopping with a really good friend of mine. It was going great. We got some Secret Santa stuff, and presents for others, and then decided to get a drink. Me, being me, I decided to go to an Irish pub I haven't been to since my 18th birthday, and decided to introduce my friend to it. It's actually a really nice pub, hidden away, a total gem in Liverpool if you ask me.

So I went to the bar and was told that they were doing a deal on two drinks and decided on two big bottles of cider, with the intention of spending over an hour there and to enjoy the Irish music. Let's face it, most Irish bars don't play REAL Irish music, and coming up to Christmas I'm bound to feel homesick.

My friend goes for two drinks too and takes a seat next to me, ready to enjoy a nice chat and some music, when all of a sudden two random fellas decide to approach us. They must've been in their forties or something (and we're only 19 and 21). They want to know our names (fake ones are given to them) they want to know where we are from (they also claim that we are probably related to our entire villages #racism). One uses derogatory terms towards lesbians and also insists that we dance, which I repeatedly and quite blatantly refuse.

Then he copped onto my tattoo on my arm and repeatedly asks what it is of and also why do I have it? It shocks him why I would ever want a tattoo. I didn't tell him. I played dumb, as I usually do. I don't have to explain my body, or any forms of ink on my body. My personal reasons are my own. And if you don't like that, you can piss off.

While all of this was going on, I was trying to chug down my 2 pints, in under half an hour so I could make a run for it as soon as I saw an opening. Eventually, they disappeared (Where to, I haven't the slightest) and we ran to the nearest friend's apartment. It was horrible.

I had gone to that pub with the intention of having a quiet and slow few drinks, enjoy music, and talk to one of my best friends. Instead, this guy barges in, uses derogatory words, and demands answers from me about my body, and also that I dance with him.

And the worst part of it all?

He fucking touched me!

I'm fine with brushing against someone's arm or lightly turning them by the arm (even though I wouldn't dare do it myself) but he literally ruffled my hair and started touching my head. And the worst of the worst?

This isn't the first time!

Less than 6 months before, a man in a bar caught me by the arm and wouldn't let go. And before that? A man forcefully caught my arm and forced my hand away from my face. And that friend of mine? Was groped by a stranger less than a month ago. Why do some people think it is okay and appropriate to grab people? Why do some people seem some fucking entitled?

I am sick and tired of people grabbing me and my friends. I am sick and tired of double standards, towards both men and women. But these men are the reason that there are some feminists in the world who are radically anti-men.

There are some genuine guys out there but these guys give the rest of them a bad name, just as radical feminists give us other feminists a bad name.

Besmirching of reputations aside. Please stop bloody touching me! I am not your property! I don't owe you anything! Women don't do this to you so why do you think that this is okay? How on earth are you entitled to me? I am not going to dance, drink, or sleep with you! Yes, some women may consent, but not me! So don't touch me!

You don't know the people that you approach. They could be assault victims, they could like women, they could be asexual, they could have any back story! And you are not allowed to lose your shit and get angry with them about it! In the case of victims, they are who they are because some other asshole kinda like you turned up one day and felt entitled to someone else's body and that is not okay. You cannot  go around doing this. It is so uncomfortable having people touch you with your consent.

You have no idea how scary it is!

Do you know what it is like to be underage and have a drunk guy refuse to let go of you, and fear the idea of possibly being raped? I do. It's not nice.

Thankfully someone saved me in time.

But drink is no excuse. If you know that you are a misogynistic and disrespectful asshole when you drink, then it's easy, just don't drink!

This is why girls travel in packs, even to the bathroom. We live in constant fear. We aren't in a society of 'don't attack', sadly we live in a society of 'don't get attacked'. And to be quiet honest, I don't regret leaving those guys and their bags behind.

You can come over and chat to me, Introduce yourself and be nice. But don't insult minorities in front of me and don't you dare lay a finger on me.

The Single Stigma

So I'm a 21 yr old female. A single 21 yr old female.

And there is one thing that is bothering me, apart from the fact I'm more likely to be sexually assaulted, I have men explaining things to me because they don't think that I already know, and I have to wait till next year for Game of Thrones to come back. And it's this:

People remind me that I'm single.

I Was That Girl

People love to complain about other people, and it's a well-known fact. Even people who try to never say a bad word about anyone else secretly enjoys pointing out the vices of others, or at least listening about the drama in their friend's lives.

One of these biggest faults has recently come to light, and that is girls who 'only hang out with boys because it's less drama'.

I admit, I was one of these girls.

I know, I know, I'm red with embarrassment but it had to be admitted.

Don't get me wrong. I wasn't a total tomboy. I refuse to participate in sports. But I love hard rock bands, and I have certain interests that wouldn't be classed as being feminine.

I'm not like this anymore though, although I still listen to AC/DC and watch the goriest films I can find. Things have changed since then, obviously. Such as 3 different educational institutions, the entrance into adulthood, emigration, a wider reading into the feminist movement, and a lot of friendships. So this post is obviously going to be written from personal experience.

Growing up, I was placed into mixed schools and always befriended both girls and boys. But I tended to gravitate towards the same 3 girls in primary school. But once we were separated at the age of 12 and all went our separate ways to other schools, I found myself talking to the boys more. I had originally tried to talk to the girls but there were SO MANY, and I'm sorry but I can't keep up to date with all of their information. If I was a computer, I would have crashed. But the biggest thing I hated, was all of the back-stabbing, and low-key catty remarks. The boys I spoke to were never like that, in fact they kept everything light and just spoke about TV and games, so I was perfectly content in my little world of male small talk, and maybe two other girls who also didn't want to be in a huge group of girls who, like me, just wanted to keep things light and talk about the latest episode of American Horror Story.

Looking back on it, the biggest wedge that was driven between myself and these groups of girls was the lack of mutual interest. I genuinely didn't want to go out to nightclubs at 15 and wear short dresses. I wasn't confident enough for all of that. And I liked reading and discussing what was happening in the world, rather than who to date or what make up was the one to buy. I didn't like spending the money they did. I had my own life problems, and even though I didn't talk about it in school, it didn't mean that it didn't affect me.

Don't get me wrong, I still wore makeup, and watched Glee and nerded out over whatever consumerist phenomenon teen girls at the time were eating up, but I just never clicked with the other girls.

Skip ahead another few years.

I get to England, I start at college and I enter into a friend group of girls and boys. Yes, they discuss who is dating who, and their significant others, but they also nerd out over what I nerd out over, they like my music and my books and I'm enthralled because I am finally in the presence of like-minded individuals. These were people who had read the same books as me and knew the bands that I knew. In secondary school I was tormented over my music tastes. The people that did the tormenting may not have viewed it as such and instead may have seen it as 'a laugh', but it actually did hurt me and made me feel alienated. Which, again, caused a wedge between me and these big groups.

A few more years later, I'm in University and I have an all girl group, just like how it all started. I have 3 girls that I gravitate towards. And I've kept in touch with some other girls along the way. They mention their boyfriends, and I actually find it interesting. Another girl might complain about someone we know, and I just live for the details! I haven't become one of the girls from Secondary School, I don't wear ridiculous dresses, I've started wearing skirts and feeling more confident in myself, however.

Yes, there is drama, but it isn't exactly ours, it's someone else's and we are just discussing and dissecting it and it's amazing! It gives you this great feeling of 'if something happens, these girls have my back'. I have found my tribe! I am part of a sisterhood. I am really seeing and experiencing, firsthand, just how amazing women are! And it makes me proud to be a woman.

So what have I learned in my 17 years of mandatory educational socialising?

Boys can be the dramatic ones.

I have partially blamed all of my social problems on the fact that people who come from all-girls and all-boys schools create an expectation that they must immediately begin to date once they enter into a situation which requires a mixed environment.

But I have still met guys who have come from mixed school who tend to spark drama, or whine and 'complain like a girl'.

But while girls are given dirty looks and turned into memes for having the capability to vocalize their discomfort, a guy doing it has actually led to the emergence of 'a guy's girl', whereby a girl might choose to act as masculine as a boy and surround herself by boys, in the hopes that she will be taken seriously, but why should she have to feel like she needs to renounce some of her feminine qualities just to be taken seriously? She's human, shouldn't people be listening to her anyway?

Of course, some women are taken seriously, and some men aren't, it's always going to be a two sided coin, but this is the way that the media and representation has gone. It's often we hear of a girl who surrounds herself with  men because it's 'less drama', or see the Facebook meme about a demanding and overbearing girlfriend.

But let's face it, you can still wind up with a demanding and overbearing boyfriend, or meet a guy who stirs up all of the drama. Most sexual assault against women is committed by a man who won't take no for an answer, which, in itself, is quiet dramatic! Most people would just say 'okay' and leave!

We need to stop acting like one action is always committed by, or can only be committed by, the one gender.

Life isn't a film, it is possible for girls and boys to have a platonic friendship where no romance ensues. Some boys hang out with girls groups because that's what makes them happy and good on them! You go boys!!!

Just please try and get your other guy friends to stop making us feel like one of those girls who should hang with boys because, at the end of the day, it makes us females ashamed of other girls, and we shouldn't ever feel ashamed of our own, or of who we are.

 You aren't, so why should we?

I do not own any of the above pictures. All rights go towards their respected owners.

The Thorn In The Rose of Tralee - Women's Rights, Abortion, Class?

As an Irish citizen, born and bred in the Emerald Isles, it has become a right of passage to watch the Rose of Tralee for two nights in August, every single summer.
We've all been there. Running to get to the telly for half past nine, with your PJ's and some chocolate with all the girls in the house.
As children we idolise these women, we ogle the dresses, we watch how the jewellery gleams in the light and try to retain how they did their makeup so we can copy them later on. The mothers say how lovely the girls are for their volunteer work in Africa and how they have lovely singing voices.

A Response To The Latest Question, 'Are Women Funny?'

Lately, all of my social media news feeds are clogged full of memes claiming that women aren't funny. Like, WTF? Not funny? Dude, who gave you Parks and Recreation? Amy Poehler, a woman, that's who! How many viewers does Ellen DeGeneres have? Women have been doing nothing lately but prove how funny they are! Just go onto a site like Tumblr and you will see it for yourself. I'm a female, and I've often had people laugh at my jokes (not just at my face). 

After getting to see the new Ghostbusters film with Melissa McCarthy, you know, the one with all the women? Yeah that one, the one that was actually given a blessing by the original cast. I loved it! I even heard my brother laugh next to me. Yet when we left he said that he was disappointed and felt that there hadn't been enough comedy.

Confessions of a Serial Friendzoner.

I promised myself I would get back to updating between now and September, and this is dedicated to a friend of mine I am currently on holiday with, and who I always tend to debate feminist ideology with. This is for you x

Everyone loves to complain.
And when it comes to feminism, or women putting their foot down, they love to complain about being friend-zoned. You know those guys, right? They don't believe in feminism, instead arguing that it does nothing for men? We all know at least one.
It's a topic that seems to re-emerge now and again, and I've noticed it cropping its ugly head up again lately.

I confess, I'm guilty. I've said no to a few guys in my two decades on this planet. Most of them were lovely people, funny, smart, filled with good intentions. And I enjoyed being in their company too. They were some of the best people I got to know in my life, and I would do anything to prevent hurting their feelings just like with my female friends, but what I can't do, is prevent these feelings being hurt if it means compromising myself in the process.

It's not a case of refusing to settle for second best, although to all women, and men, out there I suggest you don't settle for second best.

Wouldn't I be the bigger villain in the story if I were to just say yes and lead these people on, knowing that I don't feel the same way? How do you know what love is if you're not supposed to have felt anything like it before?

Admittedly, whenever I've been asked out, it has just had a negative effect on me. It feels like a horrible joke, and someone is just going to laugh. Or it feels like the other person is just doing it because their settling for second best, and I know that they can do better than me. But this post isn't about my insecurities, it's about giving a voice to all of those people who have been villainized because they friend-zoned someone.  When you are still a friend to someone (thus the title FRIENDzone), it means that that person still cares for the person asking them out and that they still want them around in their life, it doesn't mean that they should just leave once someone says 'no'.
I once said no to a guy I knew for over ten years and he kinda just disappeared in and out of my life for a while. But whenever we meet nowadays we always have great and honest conversations and everything is easy breezy.
There was another guy who asked me out after four years (looking back we weren't even that close of friends when we were hanging out), and he just disappeared from my friend group afterward. I still don't know if its out of embarrassment (because I would have gone back to normal and pretended it never happened if he wanted me to) or if he had just been a part of my group because of me the whole time.
Actually, out of everyone who has outright asked to become more than friends, we always just drift away.

I admit that I need some time to myself afterwards, but it doesn't mean I want to lose the friendship altogether. It's guilt that eats at me. And that is what society has done to girls. We feel bad about saying 'no' when we shouldn't be. We feel bad for disappointing someone and saying no to their advances. Some guys take 'no' really well, in my experience, but others tend to act like total dicks, which I, again, have experience with. I don't know how this even happens since I rarely leave my house, or perhaps this is the reason I don't leave my house. I guess that is something to ponder for another time.

And also, girls have been forced to lie in today's society too. Most of the time, beginning from even age 4, a girl will say 'sorry, but I like someone else', and while they are sometimes telling the truth, this is mainly a lie to get people away from them. Some believe that this eases the disappointment, whilst others feel it is a safer option because it then looks like there is another guy in the picture that could potentially protect her, if her saying no to someone ever morphed into a violent attack. It's a scary experience saying no. Guys can say that they're nice and all, but all 7 billion people on the planet don't exactly get a memo saying 'Yeah lads, by the way, Steve is a nice guy and won't try to attack you if you turn him down'.

The friend zone isn't the be all and end all, because at the end of the day if you actually like that person you won't want them disappearing from your life and would be content being their friend. You can't demonize someone for saying no, and for not seeing you in the way you demand to be seen. If anything it means that there is someone out there waiting for you that you haven't met yet.

We live in a society where films are made where women are best friends with a guy and then end up together in the end, Pretty in Pink, The Princess Diaries, etc. It tells girls that this is the way that things should be and that the way to get a girl is to basically be manipulative and pretend to be a friend. Don't get me wrong, some of the friendships are real with no other hidden agendas.

Also, women face the friend zone just as much as men.

I know of a girl who has been seriously friend zoned, and it burns. But she tries, in her defense, to clear her head of him and to move on with her life, meeting new people, and talking to other guys, because she knows that at the root of it all, she has better in store for her, much better. And I admire her on so many levels. I think she's brave, and I'm seriously honored to have the privilege of knowing her.
Actually I know a girl back home in the same position too. In fact I see women coming forward more often, having 'fallen victim' to the friend-zone, although they don't complain about it as much and dedicate Tumblr blogs to it.

Oh and one last point. If someone refers to themselves as a 'nice guy' but are complaining because their advances were shot down, then that doesn't make them nice, it means they are a self-entitled asshole. So don't start buying into those Psychology Today articles on how to escape or avoid the Friend Zone, because that, my friends, is manipulation, and you wouldn't like someone doing that to you, now would you?

Women Being Pitted Against Women

Is anyone else here sick of that feud between Katy Perry and Taylor Swift? And everyone has seen Nicki Minaj asking Miley Cyrus "What's good", right?
Well back in the 90's Kathleen Hanna was pitted against Courtney Love. It seems the more you look back on the past, when you're dealing with the media, women are always being pitted against women, and that sucks. I mean, as a gender that demands equal rights, isn't kind of wasteful and time-consuming to be fighting amongst ourselves? Can't we have the Civil War after the Independence? Isn't that the way history generally tends to go anyway?

The Punk Singer: A Review

How did it take me three years to watch this actual masterpiece?

The Punk Singer is the 2013 documentary (or should I say rockumentary?), by the amazing Sini Anderson, covering the life and career of Kathleen Hanna, the voice behind legendary feminist punk band Bikini Kill, and also Le Tigre and Julie Ruin.

Since I was around the age of 14/15 I have been totally immersed in nineties rock music, being awed by bands like Hole, Nirvana, L7 and so on. I mean, I love rockumentaries and the 90's. I'm sure I've seen like every Hole and Nirvana related documentary ever made, even the ones I found to be one-sided and bullshit, I still watched those too. So as you can imagine, when I was told to go and watch this documentary for University, I

Problems That Put People Off of Feminism - Part 2

Here it is, as promised!

The next part of my Feminist Problems.

I could start on ranting about that 'Why We Don't Need Feminism' site, which may be a post for another time, but let's just start discussing something else. I don't want to start off by ranting about something deep and sensitive so, if you think that the first topic is kinda deep, I'm sorry in advance, I tried.

So guess what! Men exist just like we do! And they have emotions, again, just like we do! And they want women safe, you know, their sisters, mothers, aunts, and so on? And they don't want their loved ones being overly sexualised by the media. They exist!! Men aren't monsters! Hurrah! Someone call the press! Quick, we need to contact the Guinness Book of Records!

Radical Feminists, you can put down the lighters and the petroleum, we're safe.



But you know what they don't want?

They don't want women to oppress everyone, which is really what most radicals are looking for, if you think about it. They argue so much about male oppression and the past, that it sounds like all they want is to rule themselves, which sounds hypocritical, as if they want to flip patriarchal oppression for matriarchal oppression. Which kinda contradicts the feminist ideology, don't you think?
'Oh we don't like men because they oppressed us. We're so much better. I know, lets do the same thing back and stoop to this imaginary level!' So now what? We give ourselves a 'Glass Floor'?

So in the men's case its just a case of being stuck between a rock and a hard place. If they ignore these problems, they're seen as misogynistic pigs, and if they try to help, then the feminists don't need the help of these misogynistic pigs. There's just no winning, I'm afraid.

And God help you, if you're a woman that goes against them. You're apparently some Judas, or you're a poor blind little girl that can't see past the brainwashing and socialization, because apparently the patriarchy is making us believe what it wants us to believe.
So even women can't have their own opinions on things.

I'm a feminist. I'm a Liberal though, not Radical. I believe in fair legislation, and if that sometimes works against us, so be it, as long as we are equal. I don't believe that we should sometimes get shorter prison sentences just because we have different body parts and functions to that of a man. If a woman kills someone, she actually picked up a weapon and killed someone. Her boobs didn't accidentally pick up a gun and fire, her 'time of the month' didn't make her lose the plot and attack someone. Murder is murder. And I admit, there are cases where the accused may actually be innocent, but hundreds of men in the past have been imprisoned while innocent, some even executed! We shouldn't be left off the hook just because we have the ability to give birth!
But on the other hand, fair legislation means no more discussing pay gaps or unfair job dismissals, it means equality in the work place for both men and women, meaning we won't just stop moaning about fair pay, but men will able to properly have Paternity Leave when they become parents.

Something I've been known to say in the past is 'women have the right to have wages similar to mens and not to be treated like meat'.

And while I've just argued fair legislation, I think I'll turn to objectifying and ogling the opposite sex now.

Feminism really argues equality at the end of the day, and not all of us want to burn our bras and kick men around. And I admit that I don't like the hyper-sexualisation of women in the media. I don't like how we have to be skinny, I don't like how we have to feel forced to dress a certain way, I don't like the fact that we need to look good for men all the time (this ain't the 50's anymore) and I most definitely don't like the fact that we aren't allowed to age in the media! Everyone is giving poor Renee Zellwegger so much shit for looking different, but she only went under the knife and did that to herself because of public opinion and pressure from the media! (I plan on writing about this whole thing some time).
In a way, it is like the media are forcing us to dress in such a way that we look like the meat, that we are apparently treated as. Johnny Depp is 52 and everyone is fine with it, but the moment a female celebrity turns 40 she needs botox. Kim Kardashian already gets it and she's what, in her late 20's, early 30's? When my mother was that age, she was getting a job in a store and investing in a boiler, not botox.

Let's get something straight here.
I'm a straight, feminist, female, and I like to stare at men! There, I said it. I went to visit my friend the other day and we spent half an hour on Google Images just staring at hot male celebrities. And sometimes when I'm in Liverpool and I see a good looking guy, I'll turn to be friends as if to say 'is he real?'
My point is, women stare at men, and men stare at women. It's not a one sided thing. Men get into trouble for it. The reason that we have a problem with this staring scenario, as women, is the fact that men, more often than not, start shouting obscenities at passing women and some of us don't like it. I admire Lena Dunham for admitting that she enjoys the catcalling. Every woman deserves to be proud of herself and her appearance, and it takes a big person to admit to something that is seen as a social stigma. Mental illness was a stigma years ago, and now it's almost 'fashionable' to suffer from anxiety. So by the time I'm retiring, it may be fashionable to say you like the opposite sex shouting at you across the road, about wanting you to sit on their knee.
But think about it, what are you more likely to see, a group of men calling to a woman, or a group of women calling to a man?

I know that Lena Dunham is actually being slated at the moment over her new book, which I have in the house now, so once that's read make sure to look out for my review.
But back to the original topic, we stare at each other. Evolutionary Theory states that we stare at each other because genetically, we want to reproduce with one another to keep those genes going! It's simply science, and you can't just deny it because Darwin was a man.

But seriously men, cut out the whistling, it's really annoying. Even if you're a chav or just trying to act like a tough guy. We find it unattractive and you will most certainly not get lucky.

And to be honest, I don't see catcalling ,especially if it's double sided, enough of a reason to warrant phrases like 'kill all men' from feminists. It's sort of the reason none of us feminists are taken seriously and everyone knows that, well apart from the radical feminists themselves.
You're making the rest of us look bad!

And there is so much of this 'kill all men' vibe going around, that no one thinks to actually protect the men! Nobody takes the idea of an abused man seriously. Only lately is the media bringing the whole topic to light, like how a few years ago the Irish soap 'Fair City' dealt with the topic of domestic abuse against Damien, which Leanne was inflicting. She beat him to a pulp, yet everyone thought he was attacking her, or just being clumsy.
Some people would argue that male oppressors have socialized us into thinking that they are strong, invincible beings. But we all have weaknesses and no one ever remembers the unspoken rule of 'you can't hit a woman', so what are men to do when a woman goes to attack them? If he strikes in defense, he apparently warrants every derogatory name under the sun and maybe a prison sentence, and if he doesn't defend himself he's what? Forced to take it?
That just makes men much more vulnerable because they won't be able to admit it. Men are made to grow up thinking that they are strong and need to protect themselves, women and children, so to turn around and to admit defeat like that, is a huge blow to the ego. It takes some serious amount of courage for a man to admit to something like abuse at the hands of a woman.
Not to mention the after math. Women that are abused are offered all forms of councilling, are men offered as much as the women? How are they to trust another woman after? And how are these Radical Feminists helping matters? This is a father, a brother, an uncle, they (the feminists) are basically attacking their own family! I say this because the word 'all' doesn't usually come with any exceptions. So when they say 'kill all men', that is probably including their male relatives, whether they are lesbians or not, they still have fathers and brothers etc.


Did you know there is only one organisation in Ireland for domestically abused men?
A friend of mine told me a few months back that while there are 7500 shelters for female victims of domestic abuse, there are only 60 for men. If that's not shocking, then I don't know what is. The men are basically being ignored! He also went on to tell me that 90% of cases where the male is the victim, the abuser isn't arrested, and also that in 60% of the cases, the men are investigated as the abusers.

Lets just take a step back here.

Why the fuck are people hitting each other in the first place? Should we be sending our kids to workshops, anger management classes and sitting down to discuss feelings? (I'm all for the latter, personally). Gender differences aside, we shouldn't be attacking each other in the first place. We share the planet, we have the food we need, women can provide for themselves and we can get our aggression out through sports. So we are we even attacking each other? And do these people even think of their children.
When I was a kid I witnessed an accident that resulted in a lot of blood, and I sometimes think that it effected 5 year old me and somehow shaped my personality. Now, that was in no way connected to domestic abuse, but it had such a profound effect on me, that I can't imagine what must go through the heads of people who come from households where violence was the norm.

I get the fact that we can hate each other. Women hate women, men can hate men, we can all hate the opposite sex while we're at it too, we all have enemies either online or offline.But, fuck 'em. What good are they in our lives? We know they must be nice to other people, have relatives and loved ones, and we know that violence is wrong. So we're not exactly going to track them down and throttle them, are we?

But I really think that we need someone to argue on behalf of men.

They really are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They can't hit anyone in defense, they can't stare at us, and they can't even give a compliment without it being harassment.

Yes folks, I'm now starting to get into the murky subject of sexual harassment.

The definition of rape is constantly argued by feminists. So here is my take on it:
'Unwanted and non-consensual sex at the present time of said thing occurring'

That sound legitimate enough for you? It does to me.

Now it is a bad thing. We all know. I've had friends that this has happened to and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I'm not denying that the world is a scary place and there are some pretty dangerous people out there. But some feminists are defining it a little too broadly for my liking. It has actually been made so broad that women are now claiming rape after regretting sleeping with a man the next day! Excuse me missy, but you were all for it last night, so that wasn't rape. That's you just being picky and trying to prevent yourself from feeling awkward the next day.
I admit there are drugs out there that alter your senses and very manipulative people that groom others. Some I'm trying not to generalize here. I'm here to slate radical feminists, not anyone effected by real rape cases. This broadness is making it more difficult for the real victims.
They don't want to go to a group counselling session, being forced to relieve that horrible moment, only to hear someone going 'yeah I slept with him, then realized it was a total mistake'

Okay, now I may understand why we sometimes opt to attack each other.

But with a movement as big as the radical feminist movement, and it's domination of certain sites like Tumblr, why are they not using their influence to solve serious issues? Like the mutation of female genitalia in the East? Or the fact that women in Saudi Arabia can't drive? What about the right to female education? Or the right for women to work? Why are they wasting their time just nagging everyone here in the West when they aren't really doing anything, except said nagging?
Do us a favour lassies, give a hand to the genuinely oppressed.
Oh sorry, is referring to people of my own gender as 'lassies' harassment? I wasn't informed. I usually don't mind it when people refer to me as a 'lass'

 And with that I will leave you. The final (and this time I mean it) bit to this little feminist rant shouldn't take as long as this one did, and it will look a bit into religion, and a bit more.
Thanks for reading!

Feminist Punk Ain't Dead

So last night I went all the way to Manchester with my housemate who, last year while going to see Kate Nash, fell in love with an all-girl rock group called The Tuts.

When I first moved to England she played the album for me and I thought that they were quite cool and then got on with my life, but after last night all I want to do is play them really loudly and sing along until my voice hurts. Alas, I can't because I don't want to piss off the other people in the house, or use the scary word 'feminism', so I'm currently under the guise of doing college work while listening to Johnny Cash instead.

Firstly, The Fallow in Manchester is an amazing venue. When I first walked in, I was like 'this is nice and all but are we in the right building?', only to venture upstairs and find another bar and a small make-shift stage in the corner.
I'd already mixed some Jack Daniels in with my Burger King coke so I was fine in the alcohol department, and I was eager to see the first band, who appeared in the form of two people known as 'The Lab Rats'.

Lab Rats

This guy and gal duo, upon seeing them, had me thinking 'woah this is going to be heavy stuff', until the girl started singing with her acoustic guitar and the guy cracked out a mandolin. Again, I tried to predict the sound and only came up with something along the lines of REM.
Again I was wrong, they were political yet melodical and not over done. While I watched them I silently hoped they had an EP to sell afterwards, which they don't but you can find them on Band Camp. Their songs spoke of the social inequalities within the country, and I have to admit, it was a nice change from 'he loves me/she broke up with me yadda yadda'. With their instruments decked out in stickers and anarchy pictures, they musically combated all of the issues that plague us young people. These are certainly a group whose album I would track down, and try to see live again. Definitely recommended.


El Morgan

The second musical act that came on, consisted of two blonde women. Both took turns playing the acoustic guitar, and both gave me Stevie Nicks/Haim vibes. I think they were called El Morgan, now I could be wrong, I couldn't hear when they spoke and I'm just going by the venue listings, and process of elimination since my Google is acting up.
Easy listening, and as my friend described 'it's as if Elbow and Laura Marling had a baby'.
Again, this act can be found on Band Camp, and again I recommend them highly. I'd probably play them while driving (if I could), or lighting incense and looking for some chill time. Who knows, they might be picked up and you'll see them in a deep scene where the protagonist looks out  the window, dramatically.

The Tuts!

And then, the ladies of the night, The Tuts came on!
We'd seen them walking around, and even though I'd stood next to them earlier on (with my silent internal fangirl attacks), I couldn't get over how nice they were.
Between songs they were very interactive with the crowd, reminding everyone of how they're just like the rest of us, humans with day jobs, and even went so far as to go into the crowd while simultaneously playing!
They were loud, fast,and didn't give a shit. And just like the Lab Rats before them, they didn't waste any time singing about break ups or men. They were empowering, and I definitely saw why Kate Nash chose them as her support when she was touring the UK.
It's nice to see all-girl groups. We don't have enough women in rock, all I can think of is The Runaways and Hole, but even at that Courtney Love had  Eric Erlandson with her.
And it's not just rock, but drumming. The Tuts have a great drummer on their hands, easily bypassing Meg White, I'd rank her up there with Patty Schemel.
This time I don't have to say that I need to hunt down their albums as I got an album, shirt and badges right after the show. And luckily, they're on spotify!

Sadly, I didn't get to see the rest of the acts last night as I had to leave early, but I bet they would of been amazing.

It's good nights, with great bands like these that make college life worth it.

Disclaimer: I don't own the images as I was too short and the uber-fans had pushed to the front. I also only have a stupid little shitty blackberry with horrible camera quality.