Relax... and happy International Women's Day

Greetings, humans! Before you I come once again to grace your visual processors with more of my incomparable wisdom and ineffable genius. And as soon as I acquire said properties I shall get all up in that.

So, it's the 8th of March 2017, a day we have earmarked as International Women's Day (seriously, it's in the title. Surely you knew where this was going). That today is also my son's birthday is mere coincidence.  But aside from the inevitable and hilarious Deadpool memes...

You're welcome.

...there's much more to this event than whips, bondage and pegging.

Today is an occasion for us to remember and celebrate the myriad accomplishments and achievements of women throughout the world and across history, often against the backdrop of difficult, sometimes near insurmountable odds.  From struggling single mothers to scientists to athletes to political leaders, there is no point in which women have not played a major role in shaping and reshaping the landscape of this world.

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Take Margaret Hamilton. A background in abstract mathematics led to her developing weather prediction software at MIT at Project MAC, before she moved on to the SAGE Project, which created simulations of weather systems and predict their movements. Her success on this project would eventually lead her to NASA's Apollo program, where she led the team which developed flight software for the command module, lunar lander, and later the Skylab. This software would eventually be used to land Apollo 11 on the moon after computer errors nearly aborted the mission 3 minutes from the lunar surface.

Hamilton's work on the Apollo project would earn her a nomination for the NASA Space Act Award. She is credited with coining the term "software engineering". She was one of the pioneers of women entering the male-dominated STEM industries And in 2016, her accomplishments were recognised by Barack Obama, who awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the US's highest civilian honour.

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More recently, we have a woman for who I personally harbour a great deal of respect and admiration. Malala Yousafzai grew up in Pakistan's Swat Valley during its occupation by the Taliban. She blogged for BBC Urdu in early 2009, before becoming a prominent advocate for female education.

Then, on 9th October 2012, a Taliban gunman shot Yousafzai on her way home from an exam. The news quickly spread globally, even as surgeons worldwide raced to save her life.

The aftermath saw Pakistan ratify the Right To Education Bill in late 2012, guaranteeing education for all children.  World leaders, celebrities, religious leaders and many more voiced their support for Malala, and condemnation for the Taliban. After her recovery, she met Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, spoke at the United Nations and Harvard, and gained an audience with then-US President Barack Obama.  The Malala Fund was created to continue striving for education for all children worldwide.  And in 2014, Yousafzai was named co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize with Kailash Satyarthi - making her the youngest person to win a Nobel Prize in any discipline.

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I really wish I could write a lot more, both on the iconic women above and on hundreds of others. There's Marie Curie, renowned for her work on radioactivity as well as in the fight against cancer, after whom the Marie Curie cancer charity is named.  Or Rosa Parks, whose simple refusal to give up her bus seat to a white man became the catalyst for civil rights movements nationwide, and also influenced Martin Luther King, Jr.

In music, there are women such as Billie Holiday, who powerful and expressive voice helped redefine jazz and blues in the 20th century.  Madonna is, as of this writing, the most successful female musician of all time, and no stranger to controversy, pushing the boundaries of music, gender, and sexuality frequently. She is a principal player in redefining the role of women in pop culture and in general.

On stage and screen, Emma Watson has grown from the frizzy-haired young witch in Harry Potter to become a successful actress, as well as a model, and a prominent feminist, appointed by the UN as a Goodwill Ambassador for Women.  Meanwhile Angelina Jolie is one of the leading lights of Hollywood, with an extensive library of box office hits to her credit, while also serving as a recognised humanitarian, having worked with the UNHCR as a Goodwill Ambassador, as well as contributing to environmental, conservationist, and child welfare issues.

This paltry article doesn't even scratch the surface of the massive contributions made by women, even in the last few decades, let alone throughout humanity's history.  From Cleopatra to Christina Ricci; from Joan of Arc to Joan Armatrading; from Queen Victoria to Tori Amos; Lady GaGa; Laverne Cox; A.J. Lee; Boadicea; Eleanor Roosevelt - the list is seemingly endless.  I strongly urge you to look up the women I've named here today, and many more besides.

Who knows? Maybe one day it'll be our daughters who change the world.

As always, feel free to leave your comments. And if you've liked my little bit of blog, give me a +1 and tell your friends.

Much love to you all.
4L

Allan H.

Emma Watson's Tits, or: Why Feminism and Sex are not Mutually Exclusive

Greetings, fair denizens of teh interwebz. It's been far longer than a while since I put finger to keyboard and wrote anything for you, the discerning reader, and for this, I offer my apologies. But fret ye not, for my poorly researched, half-arsed reactionary musings on the world at large have yet to be abandoned, even if it's mostly me talking to myself alone in my flat - I really should write this shit down more often.

So, what's this entry into the blogospere about? Well, in case the catchy title didn't immediately tip you off, it's about Emma Watson's tits.  More specifically, it's about a photo shoot for Vanity Fair that included this picture:

Emma Watson in Vanity Fair, March 2017.
Photo: Tim Walker. Stylist: Jessica Diehl

The image, captured by Tim Walker and styled by Jessica Diehl, depicts Watson in an all-white outfit designed by Burberry (for whom she models). And apparently of note is not the elegance of the design, nor the subtle beauty of the image or her make-up.  Nope, it's the fact that she's not wearing anything under her top.  That's right folks, Emma Watson, the prominent and outspoken feminist, done got her boobies out!

Not long after the article's publication, the Sun opted to emblazon the above photo with the headline "Beauty & the breasts", and a brief passage about how topless she is under her stole, and how she doesn't talk about her boyfriend.  Oh yeah, and something about a film she's in.  Well, talkRADIO presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer was having none of it:

Emma Watson: "Feminism, feminism... gender wage gap... why oh why am I not taken seriously... feminism... oh, and here are my tits!" pic.twitter.com/gb7OvxzRH9

— Julia Hartley-Brewer (@JuliaHB1) March 1, 2017

OK folks, I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in reading Hartley-Brewer's tweet and wondering what side of the bed she crawled out of that day. But here's the thing: Emma Watson, like Scarlett Johansson, Gal Gadot, Celine Dion, Dot Cotton, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and I'm pretty certain Julia Hartley-Brewer herself, has something in common with every other woman on the planet: boobs.

As mammals, the female of our species is provided with mammary glands that produce a lactic secretion known as milk, which is used for the nourishment of our young.  Due to their general shape, the conglomeration of nerves that provide an often pleasing sensation to the bearer of said breasts, and probably some Freudian connotation, we have also applied a sensual, erotic meaning to breasts.

Now, I'll freely state that I love boobs. Both as targets of desire and in an aesthetic sense, breasts are lovely. But the presence of breasts in a photograph does not invalidate the art in the picture, nor the woman bearing them.  There is - or at least, should be to the reasonable mind - a clear delineation between breasts as the providers of infant nourishment, breasts in a pornographic context, and breasts as part of a woman's body in the context of artistic expression.  And in all contexts, the overriding factor is, and should always be, the woman's right to decide.  And this is the keystone of feminism.

I firmly believe that a woman has the right to be whatever she chooses to be, much as I do for all people. And this seems to be difficult for some people to grasp. Now, I'm not fool enough to think that Watson's not being sexualised by some - the mere fact that she's a woman, let alone has boobs, is enough for some people to lech over.  But I do consider myself intelligent enough to know the difference between a woman using her body as a medium of artistic expression, and a woman getting her tits out for sexual gratification.  I have no problem with a woman being a sexual being, whether it's being sexually active, doing webcam shows or performing in porn - as long as that is her informed choice.  Equally, I see no reason to object to a woman who chooses to use her body as a means to portray an artistic, creative image, whether she be modelling haute couture, performing a dance routine, or expressing confidence and strength in her body and mind.

My understanding of feminism is constantly evolving as new information comes to me. But a woman's choice is, to my mind, the paramount concern of the movement.  Whether she wants to be a doctor, an engineer, a teacher, an athlete, a housewife, a rock star, a game developer, a secretary, a builder, a sex worker or a soldier, the only thing that matters is that the woman has made an informed decision about her vocation of her own free will.  We're beyond the point where a woman is subordinate to a man.

This is the lesson I impart unto my daughter and to my son: the only real difference between men and women is biology.  And one's biology is one's own, to do with as they see fit.  I don't know if I will agree with my children's life choices as they get older, but I do know they will make those choices for themselves, having been informed as best as they can by reputable sources. And I will insist that they respect the lives and choices of others.  And if either of them found themselves the subject of a photo spread in the likes of Vanity Fair, I would be proud of them.

As always, feel free to comment below, and please do +1 this and share.

4L - Love, Laugh, Live, Learn.

Al H.