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New Equalities Commissioner Jessica Butcher

(33 Posts)
suziewoozie Sun 22-Nov-20 10:44:01

‘Working-class girls have been deprived of jobs that they love such as Page 3 girls and [Formula One] grid girls because other women disapprove of them. What happened to ‘my body, my choice’?”

So said the new Equalities Commissioner in a speech two years ago. Wow just wow.

Galaxy Sun 22-Nov-20 10:45:01

Dear god.

suziewoozie Sun 22-Nov-20 10:49:10

This is what passes for a critique of modern feminism.

GrannyGravy13 Sun 22-Nov-20 11:28:08

I have never agreed with Page 3, but a lot of girls used it as a stepping stone to better things.

Couldn’t see why grid girls were banned, they were fully clothed, and depending on where the Grand Prix was held the girls were in the National Costume/dress of the host Country.

At the time there were a multitude of interviews with models/aspiring models saying that “the PC Brigade were depriving them of a living”

In my opinion if men/women are not being coerced into any profession they should be allowed to continue, surely that is equality ?

Alegrias2 Sun 22-Nov-20 11:33:16

Who's got the popcorn? Salted for me please.

Anniebach Sun 22-Nov-20 11:34:13

Should women not have a choice ?

GrannyGravy13 Sun 22-Nov-20 11:37:42

Alegrias2

Who's got the popcorn? Salted for me please.

I’ll take a rain check on the popcorn thank you, I am enjoying a latte along with a very cold chocolate digestive

suziewoozie Sun 22-Nov-20 11:42:48

It’s not about choice - it’s about an equalities commissioner making huge assumptions about working class girls. If she’d just said girls, then the discussion would have been about choice . ???. There would have been plenty to discuss but that’s not the issue here

paddyanne Sun 22-Nov-20 11:43:55

Think its the "working class girls" bit that grates more than anything else...of course in your class system working class girls should be used as entertainment or servants.THAT I object to.IF she had said young women are being denied a chance to make a career that MIGHT lead to better things(or rich husbands) she might have got away with it.Maybe not the rich husbands bit,

Anniebach Sun 22-Nov-20 11:44:53

Ooops sorry , I missed the ‘working class’ .

suziewoozie Sun 22-Nov-20 11:51:21

Quite frankly, if she can speak so easily in public like that about a certain ‘group’ of girls , and clearly have absolutely no self awareness at all of the complete inappropriateness of what she’s said, then how can she fulfil the role?

GrannyGravy13 Sun 22-Nov-20 11:52:34

Working class girls was probably a poor choice of words

suziewoozie Sun 22-Nov-20 12:21:32

GrannyGravy13

^Working class girls^ was probably a poor choice of words

Poor choice of words in a public speech - oh yes, the Johnson style of stating one’s views. Imo the words we choose, and especially those in a prepared speech, show us for what we are. I’m a bit surprised at your being an apologist for her

Galaxy Sun 22-Nov-20 12:21:33

I would be very interested in looking at some facts on what happened to those page 3 women especially if they were very young, for some it looks like an utter disaster to me. The statement also shows no evidence of thinking about why it is predominantly women who were placed in that role. It shows a very depressing lack of critical thinking and class analysis.

GrannyGravy13 Sun 22-Nov-20 12:24:40

Suziewoozie I am definitely not supporting her choice of words.

I do however support the right of women and men to work in their chosen profession, whatever that might be within the boundaries of the law.

suziewoozie Sun 22-Nov-20 12:26:04

Her overall critique of modern feminism is very blinkered imo.

suziewoozie Sun 22-Nov-20 12:29:17

GrannyGravy13

Suziewoozie I am definitely not supporting her choice of words.

I do however support the right of women and men to work in their chosen profession, whatever that might be within the boundaries of the law.

I’m not talking about choice - I’m talking about you excusing her words. Perhaps you don’t think an ability to choose words carefully matters in a an Equalises Commissioner.? Shane on you.

GrannyGravy13 Sun 22-Nov-20 12:49:00

suziewoizie please read my last post I posted

“I am definitely not supporting her choice of words”

Galaxy Sun 22-Nov-20 13:21:43

But if you cant understand the implications of power and how that affects choice well you are going to be rubbish as an equalities commissioner.

suziewoozie Sun 22-Nov-20 13:58:36

You said it was probably a poor choice of words - you should be concerned about what that choice says about her. Not poor but wrong, prejudiced, reeking of entitlement, lack of knowledge of the lives of those not like her. In fact a perfect choice of Commissioner in Johnson’s Britain.

suziewoozie Sun 22-Nov-20 13:59:52

Galaxy the average right of centre person is imo incapable of understanding the concepts of power dynamics

paddyanne Sun 22-Nov-20 15:01:51

Galaxy I worked in studios in Glasgow in the heyday of the page 3 girl and the Tennants can girls ,if you remember them .
Without exception ALL those girls went on to have really nice lives,some while they were still earning opened little Boutiques in Glasgow and Edinburgh , or restaurants some married the "rich men" I mentioned some just settled down with the boyfriend they had at the time ,one local girl now practicies Family law in a firm a mile from my door.It really wasn't the car crash most think .It did give some girls who wouldn't have ever had a chance to go to university a decent start .If the only page 3 you know of is Katie Price I can see why you might think otherwise ,but I think she had other big issues that caused her life to implode not the page 3 career

growstuff Sun 22-Nov-20 16:45:01

I'm sure there are plenty of "rags to riches" stories of males and females.

I'm uncomfortable that an equalities commissioner should highlight the case of females seeing themselves based on their appearance. I don't really see a fundamental difference between what they're doing and what courtesans did in the past. In the eighteenth century, there were many who made a lot of money and went on to have comfortable lives.

What message does this give to girls? What about the short dumpy ones with some kind of disfigurement? What about those with skills, who could go on to become scientists, lawyers or politicians? Do any of these girls go on to positions of real power? It seems it's a distraction from real equalities issues.

Any kind of glamour work usually involves males' being in control and depends on objectification of female sexuality. In my opinion, there's a real contradiction with what the EHRC was set up to do.

PS. I didn't realise this was said two years ago. It's being reported in some places as a recent comment.

growstuff Sun 22-Nov-20 16:48:44

suziewoozie

You said it was probably a poor choice of words - you should be concerned about what that choice says about her. Not poor but wrong, prejudiced, reeking of entitlement, lack of knowledge of the lives of those not like her. In fact a perfect choice of Commissioner in Johnson’s Britain.

I agree with you. I think it also ties in with Patel's and Badenoch's comments about racism.

They're saying that they are part of certain groups and they've done well, so anybody else can too. It's another version of "I lived in a council house when I was a child and now I'm a millionaire, so sod anybody who didn't manage to escape their background".

Galaxy Sun 22-Nov-20 16:54:09

Do you know many men who posed with their penis out who went on to marry rich women. Or do you think there might be a slight discrepancy between the sexes on that one.