to think the washing machine has liberated women more than the pill?

[bettybosseye]

I'm serious, think about it, there are alternatives to the pill but only one to hours spent every day hand scrubbing and wringing piles of washing.
The pill is held up as something that gave women control and this is undoubtedly true but the humble washing machine has emancipated us from hours of drudgery every day and like i say it is unrivaled. The washing machine rules!

Infact i give up, there appears to be a never ending flow of numpties people who don't understand the question. The pill and the word contraception are different things. It's a worry.

op you could also thank modern day fabrics that wash and wear quickly

i still think we could be liberated more - make childcare for the 5-13 year olds more important

betty you can fuck off with your ineffective debating style, pathetic attempts at insults and read my posts. I was agreeing with you in parts and also making valid points.

Sorry if the discussion moved on too quickly for you hun.

OP, I understand your point, that you weren't talking about contraception as a blanket idea. But, it's a valid point if people do want to compare washing machines to all contraception, don't you think? Adds another dimension to the debate....

Right now, most women aren't on the pill.

Right now, all women wear clothes that need washing.

Annie- an increase in celebacy?

"Infact" is not a word.

Only a "numpty" would type that.

Bye!

If we still had to wash clothes by hand (I was without a washing machine for months, I know the pain!) and work full time, I'd be too bloody knackered for sex anyway! So lack of washing machines is a good contraceptive method IMO.

Do you know Spermy i don't think i will fuck off thanks. Why don't you?

I don't think you are being unreasonable, op. You are being ridiculous.

Control over fertility is the single most important step forward for women's equality.

I would say the washing machine - let's face it, the pill came in rather late for female liberation arguement - I would argue the 50's changes in the home, freeing up the "housewife's" time laid the foundation stones for the woman's lib movements of the 60's and 70's - it just wouldn't be arguable that woman could be good wives and mothers and have a career without the various home techonologies that meant there was 'free time' to work.

For those who couldn't afford domestic staff (which post war were by far the majority), the number of hours needed to keep the home going meant that it just wasn't practical for most married woman to work.

And for those saying it still takes all day to do the washing - it takes me 5 minutes to sort out a load, carry it to the machine and switch it on. An hour and 30 later (time I can do anything else I fancy) it's done for me - if you had to get the water, heat it, then scrub the clothes for that 1hour 30 something minutes, it's a hell of a lot more effort.

And spermy, have you stooped to picking at spelling etc? Dear dear don't you have some washing to do?

Oh, my god, boiling up huge pots of water, washing sheets, duvet covers, jeans, the cloth nappies and a whole family wash by hand, getting it all rinsed and hung up to dry...god I'd go celibate to avoid that.

I was trying to read the thread but the avalanche of apples and oranges followed the misguided sledgehammer of the OP's misinformed attitude knocked me over.

FakePlasticTrees hat's exactly what i mean, you are much better at explaining it than me.

oops see i'm the only one talking about fabric

the washing machine and the pill - don't see why we have to take one over another

fake- actually even the lower middle classes usually still had a laundry maid, you had to be very poor not to have some sort of domestic help.

Most married working class women have always worked. Married middle class women didn't work because they were excluded from most jobs/got sacked upon marriage/had no financial need to/were thought of as too 'fragile'.

Annie- yes, I agree, lol.

FWIW just before the pill came out the average woman 'only' had 2 or 3 children anyway, not the 8-10 that some people think.

My Mother sent stuff away to the laundry (and still sends her sheets). They return beautifully pressed and starch. Also in the days of the twin tub, I think clothes were changed much less frequently.

And as far as I can see what women have gained with losing that particular task, they have cheerfully volunteered for lots of new tasks that we have taken on. Such as decluttering, exfoliation, DIY, gardening, configuring wireless routers, online banking, spending 2 hours online looking for the 50% discount voucher for Legoland.

What about women in the developing world? People with 12 to 13 children in a single room shack? Because the government will not provide free contraception-ie the pill?

The pill put contraception into women's hands, she could take it and her husband never know.

I didn't ask you to fuck off completely. Do you have no comprehension of the written word as well as a broken shift key?

Why don't you repost your OP here?

And I would argue WW2 was the catalyst for women's liberation from the home/ domestic/ caring labour and into traditional male roles.

Fifties housewife was constructed to allow men back to work- labour saving devices provided manufacturing work and made home more attractive

Oh well spermy if you didn't as me to fuck off completely i'll stay shall i? Thanks.

What on earth is going on?

I

I

I

I wasn't asking you to fuck off at all!

I was asking you to fuck off with the patronising comments.

You are quite welcome to stay. Of course you are. You have made no personal attacks.