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Original poster

A well meaning friend sent this to dd- I have to share it or murder someone! And why should I suffer alone?

155 replies

Hakluyt · 07/04/2015 12:35

She's 19, and dealing with a collapsing relationship. An honorary uncle sent her this as a consoling message. Fortunately it fuelled her feminism, and she won't see him for a while, so his testicles will remain intact! But the thought of people thinking this sort of thing, offensive on so many levels is OK just make me despairing. So I want you all to despair as well.

A well meaning friend sent this to dd- I have to share it or murder someone! And why should I suffer alone?
OP posts:
Original poster
Hakluyt · 08/04/2015 15:06

I don't suppose anyone can remember the LM Alcott reference, can they? I think it was about Prof Baher waiting patiently for Jo- but I can't remember..........

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JeanneDeMontbaston · 08/04/2015 14:54

No problem.

QuiteIrregular · 08/04/2015 14:50

Aha, thanks for linking - I had managed to lose this thread, so didn't link to it in the blog piece - will do so forthwith.

Lottapianos · 08/04/2015 14:47

'It's why we should have decent lessons on relationships in schools - to counter all this shite. '

Standing ovation for this. Hell yes!

JeanneDeMontbaston · 08/04/2015 14:44

Thanks, countess.

annie - no, the first one went for me, too, I think maybe it was a site glitch?

Anniegetyourgun · 08/04/2015 14:43

OK, I popped back onto the thread and now I can see the tree in your OP as well as the re-post. Confused cos I'm not on a phone or really slow PC.

Thanks anyway, and now I can see why you felt murderous. Sometimes I'm awfully glad I didn't have daughters.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 08/04/2015 14:34

Oh, how interesting. The contrast between the modern and medieval versions is very thought-provoking. Great blogs (both).

JeanneDeMontbaston · 08/04/2015 13:34

Oh, and it's in response to this one, which I can post cos it's not mine.

quiteirregular.wordpress.com/2015/04/08/eleven-ways-of-looking-at-a-sexist-apple-tree/

JeanneDeMontbaston · 08/04/2015 13:31

I just blogged about this. I know MNHQ don't like people randomly posting their blogs out of the blog topic, so if you find it arrogant or annoying, report and they'll zap this post. readingmedievalbooks.wordpress.com/2015/04/08/delicious-rottenness-women-sex-and-apples/

mrsmeerkat · 08/04/2015 12:37

Omg .. That is all

Original poster
Hakluyt · 08/04/2015 12:33

A voter plaisir..........

A well meaning friend sent this to dd- I have to share it or murder someone! And why should I suffer alone?
OP posts:
21pc · 08/04/2015 12:24

I can't see it either :s

Anniegetyourgun · 08/04/2015 12:20

I can't see it? No link - has the image timed out or what?

Original poster
Hakluyt · 08/04/2015 12:04

But it's not trite and cheesy- it's horrible!

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nochocolateforlentteacake · 08/04/2015 11:58

It's funny because it is so trite and cheesy - who can take it seriously? Cant you imagine reading it out loud without laughing?

Original poster
Hakluyt · 08/04/2015 11:39

I remember reading a passage by Louisa M Alcott about a. gentle patient man waiting for a hurt, heart sore woman to be ready for him- I wonder where it is whether it's appalling too.

As an aside, I just can't imagine reading the apple tree thing and laughing- there seems nothing funny about it at all........

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JeanneDeMontbaston · 08/04/2015 11:34

I'm being slightly mean.

It's just ... they're fragments, they're incredibly hard to interpret, and they'd be hard to interpret even if we had the full things, preserved in a nice papyrus book with a title and introductory 'here is wot I mean when I wrote them' essay by Sappho herself.

Original poster
Hakluyt · 08/04/2015 11:32

"Sappho isn't, by the way, generally read as being wildly concerned about women finding husbands."
Grin

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nochocolateforlentteacake · 08/04/2015 11:29

Stuff that, I got married young (and as a colleague said - oh its the ugly girly who get married early - charming!).

The apple thing is twee, cutesy, and I admit that I did laugh at the 'easy' apple bit. I can imagine it embroidered on a quilt or a cushion by an elderly auntie.

I still feel sorry for honorary (wonder if he still is) uncle - in my minds eye he is standing in Hallmark, pondering the 'cheer up, duck' cards and spying this one and thinking 'ta-dah! girls will like this!'.

JeanneDeMontbaston · 08/04/2015 11:26

There is nothing in the Sappho to suggest that. Nor have I ever noticed scholars agreeing on a 'general reading' of any poem, let alone Sappho's.

Sappho isn't, by the way, generally read as being wildly concerned about women finding husbands.

There are images of fruit being out of reach, and apples on trees, in pretty much every Western literary tradition I know of. I bet they're in others, too. This is because it is an extremely commonplace image for an agrarian society.

It is not because women are inherently like ripe/rotten fruit.

albertcampionscat · 08/04/2015 11:05

The Sappho is generally read as being intended to console a woman who hadn't found a husband yet, by saying that the apples that are chosen last can be the best.

Jackieharris · 08/04/2015 11:02

Ewww

EBearhug · 08/04/2015 10:41

Must correct my autocorrect one of these days.

I'm feeling much more favourable towards mine since it corrected manly to manky.

scallopsrgreat · 08/04/2015 10:21

"Oh, bollocks is it Sappho. " I lurve FWR Grin

JohnFarleysRuskin · 08/04/2015 07:54

"You think men don't like you but they do - they're just lazy and end up with slaggy women. (You're obviously not a slaggy woman). Don't be a slag, someone will notice you eventually."

Ah I feel much better now.