Julia Frogspawn – Work-Life Balance – The Woman’s Hour Riposte...

[extremelychocolateymilkroll]

Jane Garvey and Barbara Want lay into her here.

[scampadoodle]

Oh, I heard this! 'Twas most satisfying!

[traceybath]

i heard it too and practically cheered barbara want

[extremelychocolateymilkroll]

It was great, wasn't it? Just need to get Janice Turner on now.

[ThingOne]

Thank you for this. A joy :D.

[cmotdibbler]

I enjoyed that [grin}

[frogs]

I ROFLed at:

"When I read that, it just made me feel very tired."

And:

"Of course Julia you've got a husband at home, so you haven't really had to make sacrifices for your children". The fact that Barbara Want was married to the late Nick Clarke gave an extra twist to the knife.

What style.

[TheCrackFox]

I have just listened to this and I cannot believe Frogspawn works in PR. She was completely unable to defend her position. She really is a twonk.

Again, who is going to be buying this book?

[Villette]

How did this woman make her money? What does she actually do except bullshit? I suppose that is the definition of PR.

[poppy34]

listening now - she is being done up by a kipper by the other two...

[poppy34]

like a not by a...

[joyfuleyes]

'... it's not a class based thing, it's not a gender based thing'

What universe is the woman living in???

[morningpaper]

[Monkeytrousers]

The counter argument 'that's life' is meaningless though. They just confused me saying either 'that's life' and then that they did want flexibilty. What is it they were actually aguing against - or for?

[MarshaBrady]

Am listening to this right now,

Julia Frogspawn is just saying that she wants everyone to be available to her when it is best for her : the doctor, the teacher, husband, etc Of Course this makes her life easier.

That's crazy for poor teachers who probably have their own family. So they don't want to be a work late at night either.

Do agree 'that's life' is a non-argument. it was too short, without resolving anything much.

[morningpaper]

I thought they were saying that you AREN'T going to get a solution that pleases everybody: e.g. she was complaining about teachers not being available in the evening and Doctors taking holidays which all inconvenienced her - and they were saying well, you CAN'T have everything

[MarshaBrady]

Yes maybe the term 'the world doesn't revolve around you dear' would have been more direct.

[Monkeytrousers]

You can't have everything, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try for a better balance or quality of life if you want to put that effort in. She was accused of being proscriptive when she wasn't at all. People can choose to read the book and take it or leave if after reading.

I don't know. They just seemed to jump very quickly into the 'women are very suggestible so we must be careful what ideas we put into their heads'.

[TheMadHouse]

I just find it so self-centred. When discussing the doctor "when SHE is on another sabatical"

It is OK for her to want other woman avalable to her when she wants them and bugger their families.

She is the man in the relationship with all the male ideals (husband at home doing the childcare and other home stuff). Why can he not go to the parents evening.

You can not have your cake and eat it and there are so many more people worse off in the world than her. She is so far up her own arse that she can see the sky

[BonsoirAnna]

Julia whatshername sounds like a silly spoilt little girl.

[Monkeytrousers]

I thought she sounded alright. She's discussing things from her experience. It was the other two that made me feel uncomfortable. Still can't put my finger on why

[morningpaper]

I think she seems to WANT IT ALL because she wanted to do ALL THE PARENTING (why didn't her husband do parents evenings?) as well as ALL THE WORKING and also ALL THE THINKING (there is one part where she talks about her husband not attending her work 'dos' because he is at home all day and therefore has nothing to say).

She does seem to be an expert in complicating your life. The trouble with the idea that they were attacking, I think, (you should wash up and listen to a podcast about the day's news) is that IT REALLY DOES MAKE YOU WANT TO GO TO BED and also - why not just, you know, wash up? It seems a bit sad to me that she can't wash up without having to do something else.

[Monkeytrousers]

..about what? Washing up? I think thats as deep as it gets other than the dishwasher dilemma

[BonsoirAnna]

Think about, MT. The others were being very condescending (which is a bit unpleasant) but I have a lot of sympathy for their position as JH really was arguing for the world to be more flexible to meet her needs.

[morningpaper]

I think we should re-write her tips

You could wash up, shut the kitchen door, AND have your husband giving you a quick one from behind: marital duties done AND crockery nice and shiny!