I am a woman and...

And for my 60th post - the most controversial yet.

(Excuse the tiredness exposed here, I've been bulking)

#IAMAWOMANAND I eat protein bars, I go into the weights gym, yes I do lift (bro), I will text you first, I want a six pack too, I am incredible at DIY (thanks MUM), I watch football and yes I do understand the offside rule, I love rugby, I can rap the words to "Make Me Proud" by Drake, I will wear what I want, and no, I don't want children.

As per, ELLE magazine comes up with an incredible collection of articles on what it means to be a feminist. They launched a campaign where women send in photos of what it means to them to be a woman. 

I really don't know if I'm a feminist, I did think it was for man-haters and was slightly let down when I found out it actually wasn't - I'd be so good at that. I'm not sure I know what it really is, let alone have time to act upon it. 

My favourite part of the article was from Jinan Younis (the founder of FemSoc - I should start this at Uni). She said that feminism is not accepting the stereotypes or the groups that we are put in, not just by men. For example we should be allowed to walk down the street without being wolf-whilsted at, or being degraded in some way. We're not an "apple" or a "pear" - although some people do have wider hips then others, and "pear" shaped is a nicer way then saying "look at that derrière!" HOWEVER, that's not the point, were not the "career woman" or "the one who doesn't want to get married" or the "slag". We're women and as Miley Cyrus says "only God can judge you" - preach it Miley. 

I've recently noticed since being at Uni that there are "lad" things to do and there are things the girls don't do. I have for the first time began using the weights gym at Uni - a very normal occurrence at home, however the boys in this gym are completely beside themselves when a girl walks in, they do not know what to do. They get awkward, they can't ask you to move so they can get some dumbbells, they breathe a sigh of relief when you leave and they certainly look at you like you're a martian. Personally I just think they wish they could put the size weights through their quads like I can. 

I was in the gym yesterday for example and there was a large group of six girls in the weights gym I was thinking "excellent! - the girls taking over the weights", only to walk in to find them gossiping about the boys and then proceeding to look at me like I'd joined the Bonkers Raving Looney party when I begin my circuit. They then left after not even picking up one weight. I was disappointed. However, I'm taking one for the team and going to continue using the weights gym. I get the weirdest looks when I say I use the weights room. Looks of surprise, sheer terror and questions such as "you lift bro?" - just to clarify, I have weakling arms, stronger then the average Eve, but thats why I'm a runner - hence the quads. So, bro, nah, I don't lift, much anyway... 

Another thing since I have been at Uni is the whole idea that it is not acceptable for girls to get with boys. Now, last time I checked we're all adults and no one can judge us so what we do in our own time is our own choices. Plus when a boy gets with lots of girls thats just normsville but a girl is instantly called a "slag" - and it is the girls that call the girls "slags" - I very very rarely hear a boy say it. So we're basically shooting ourselves in the foot with that one. 

Back to Feminism - can boys be a feminist? I guess so. Its about equality and respect. We have come along way (we no longer have to starve ourselves, or throw ourselves in front of a horse or burn our Victoria Secrets' to be heard) but there is still a ridiculously long way to go, apparently we're looking at 2057 before men and women in the same jobs are paid the exact same. Men are still paid nearly 15% more than women in some jobs, which is slightly sickening. I'd also be appalled if I was asked if I had any "baby plans" over the next five years, as a person who doesn't want children I'd say "no, but I'll happy take "maternity leave" to go on a cruise"

Food for thought.

I hope I've stirred some thought, or just made you scratch your head in utter confusion. But if any of that made even a teeny bit of sense, my work here is done. 

Here is the ELLE article containing pictures of ELLE employee's with their "I am a woman and..." posters. 

Happy Feminism!

RHS x

Cool isn't unique

Red van outside, footsteps, the 3rd day of the month, the biggest drop ever. ITS HERE! 

ahh the arrival of a new month's Elle magazine - my third year of subscriptions is nearly over so therefore I have a massive hoard of them - if anyone wants a browse!

I came back from Spain to find October 2013 waiting for me - I LOVE October Elle - its always the biggest, the fattest, the most packed with fashion and beauty. But it was the September 2013 Elle content that caught my eye - not fashion or beauty - but the Elle #inspire page. Usually I'm just waltzing through this page like "ahh nice thoughts but I'll never use them" - Not this time. This Elle #inspire was written by Caitlin Moran, if you havn't heard of her you've had your head buried further in the sand then the foundations of the Eiffel Tower, and being a boy isn't an excuse, I was mightly impressed when a boy at Uni told me he had read her debut novel "How To Be A Woman" - now that is an interesting read - clearly even for men, I'm talking tasting your own menstrual fluid to having Brazilian waxes, aye she does-ne hold back. She writes for the Times and when she was 15 was a journalist for the Observer (which she writes about in her debut novel). The novel is being made into a film and at 38 she had just released her second novel "Moranthology". She's currently the 'voice of the female world' and very much a feminist.

So what's on the page?

My favourite little snippet is "Stop trying to be cool and be individual instead" 

"Cool isn't unique" - I'm now seeing that everywhere, who's "cool" in the music charts? - Rihanna - great, One Direction - great, cool, but not unique, Unique is London Grammer and Birdy and The 1975 - they were probably the uncoolest of the uncool crew at school but look at them now so so unique they write their own songs about anything and everything as opposed to writing the best song ever which still doesn't have a name, or songs called Hard, getting beaten up by your boyfriend then getting back with him, thats so cool man. 

"Being cool stops people talking to you and your world will just get smaller and smaller" 

- so true I can vouch for this - at school everyone wanted to be with the cool kids, but looking back now - who got the best grades? who got on well with the majority? who can look back and say I enjoyed everything I did and regret hardly anything - not the cool kids! the unique ones - they have a massive open world wheres as the general "Smiths" (ouch Ruth) or mediocres limit their world to only the things they will try. Unique people will try anything. 

That brings me onto the next point of "It's no good thinking 'If I am amazing something incredible will happen'" - thats what the cool kids think - I won't expand but will leave that as food for thought or words for thought, whatever. 

And her last "Don't leave the house without a motto" - Caitlin's is "Scream" haha ahh Scream, a Derby nightclub, probably not the best motto for lovers of Scream. 

"Count your blessings and not your flaws"- 'King' Lauren Aquilla 

Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you'll land amongst the stars - or complete darkness in which you're all alone - so best just to make your own up. 

you only live once thats the moto honey YOLO. (lol, "honey") 

be good

RHS x