There are various things which – particularly as a woman – you grow incredibly tired of hearing. We don’t like being told to smile, we tire of the media telling us ‘how to look 10lbs lighter’ and being slut shamed for our sexuality is so 1950. Feminists (and I profess to be one of them)…
50 things I’d rather do than watch Fifty Shades Darker
As another Valentine’s Day dawns, another of E. L. James’ soft-porn flops is unleashed onto the world and devoured by women squealing with delight at the thought of another 90-ish minutes in Mr. Grey’s playroom… Fifty Shades Darker has hit cinemas and Anna and Christian are back for round two of bizarre fuckery. Apparently this…
Why the mansplaining hotline has left me cold
“People don’t read the news anymore,” a man at the bar begins to explain to me, he belches mid sentence and a waft of Strongbow shrouds my face. He’d asked me what I did and, in a strained slur, began to tell me why exactly my job was pointless and why people had stopped listening…
Doomed to a life of crime: The reality of rehabilitation in England
Some names have been changed. A woman is trying to set fire to a car and sets alight bins and public property. In her mania, she robs an elderly man at knife point for money to score heroin. She makes her way to Shoreditch police station, in a haze. Once there, she holds a knife…
The question men really need to stop asking women
I like my compliments as I like my gin – lots. There’s absolutely nothing better than someone sending a strong token of their appreciation your way. I’ve even taken to going to the same shop near work simply because the woman who does the odd shift there always tells me that I’m beautiful. That doesn’t…
Deap Vally release rip-roaring single Smile More
Garage blues duo Deap Vally have released the amped-up and unruly single Smile More, ahead of the release of their album Femejism which drops September 16th. The record is a feminist ‘fuck you’ anthem from Los Angeles duo Lindsey Troy (guitar and vocals) and Julie Edwards (drums and vocals). Smile More crashes in with a…
Pretty uncomfortable: why does women’s clothing feel like such a hindrance?
Sitting on the toilet and pretty much naked; my outfit choice for the day is a playsuit – navigating a visit to the toilet is never easy in a playsuit. I’m conscious of the unusually wide gap near the lock and I’m pretty sure someone is staring at the bra I got in the Ann…
Dynamic, dedicated and drunk after one drink. Why everyone on LinkedIn is a liar
Dan* haphazardly makes his way through the crowded pub, knocking people’s pints and mumbling apologies. He trips over, manages to sloppily catch his balance on an empty chair and stands up to collect himself. After a few seconds of precarious on-the-spot swaying and trying to suppress the urge to throw up, he’s off again. He’s…
Lights Of Soho Gives Us A Cheeky Flash At The Other Art Fair
* Originally published on May 5th on ALTLDN blog Lights, neon and drama. The Other Art Fair was given a stroke of sleaze earlier in April when Lights of Soho put on a provocative exhibition. The Other Art Fair is the bi-annual pop-up hub where the artistic, trendy and progressive go to splash their cash…
Is The Party Over For Nightclubs?
Venue closures, gentrification and extortionate rent prices are posing a threat to clubbing. But are millennials to busy watching Netflix to care? The number of nightclubs in the UK has halved over the last 15 years, that’s according to recent figures from The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR); there are currently 1,733 clubs in…
Punk’s Not Dead
Never mind the bollocks, London’s punk music scene lives on. It’s fair to say that the punk subculture is far from the riotous whirlwind it once was. Although it is still making waves, punk seems to be dwelling – even further – on the outskirts of society. In today’s mainstream culture, there are few rambunctious…
London’s Record Store Day Sends Vinyl Popularity Spinning
*Originally published on May 5th on AltLDN blog. With special gigs and swarms of music-lovers packed into record stores – RSD took London by storm this year. Vinyl seems to be making a lot of noise; from seasoned music-aficionados who devour all things musical, to posers who use records as ‘vintage’ decorations, everyone’s talking about…
Miscellaneous Mouthful 