David Cameron tells Angela Eagle to "calm down dear" at PMQ

[Bennifer]

I posted this in feminism but think this is appalling, if true.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13211577

Why would anyone equate this (non) story with what a partner or colleague might say? These are political opponents in a debate.

It probably would annoy me ( a bit ) but I wouldn't say anything - I'd just think to myself - 'I'll get you next time you bastard' / and I would.
I don't like ( female ) politicians who moan about every little thing, it makes them look weak and unprofessional. and it's politics we're talking about.
I pay my politician to sort my fucking country out - not to go crying to the toilet everytime someone calls her 'dear'

YANBU. What an utter twunt he is.
He is patronising at the best of times. I would be very pissed off if he'd said that to me, regardless of it being a catchphrase or joke (and if he gets his humour from a Michael Winner advert he's even more of a sad case than I originally though)!

the first time you could pass it off as a joke, is it suitable for the pm to be making this kind of joke at question time no not really but he carries it on when his little gang start sniggering and he takes it too far

i would be really pissed off if someone in a professional situation did this to me it was very patronising but shows him up more than anyone

"The reason why it's such a low thing to say is that you can't win when someone says it to you. If you do 'calm down' you're doing as you're told. And if you don't, you're a hysterical female."

I'm picturing a feminist cartoon coming on:

Pic one: Inside H of C.; The ShiningHam delivering his words of hilarious wit to Angela Eagle, who looks a little nonplussed.

Pic two: Angela, with a thought bubble - inside which she thinks through why it's sexist, and inappropriate.

Pic three: Still the speech-bubble - Angela thinking through range of options, and repeating Quenelle's observation.
Ends with "What to do? What to do?"

Pic four: Mad Maxine suddenly jumps into the frame, whips out machine gun and slaughters the ShinyOne, in a shower of Ham bits.

Pic five: Mad Maxine, facing out, speech bubble: "I decided to highlight the limits of the political-rhetorical power-structure with a symbolic act of ultra-violence. Pork scratchings anyone?"

Shrieking Harp0 - is the ability to masturbate gendered/based on a particular sexed body?

Cameron increasingly resorts to personal insults and put-downs (e.g. Balls and Miliband) instead of answering questions on his own policies. It is a smokescreen for his lack of in-depth understanding of his own Governments policies (e.g. Health and Social Care today).

Whilst we debate was it funny, arrogant, sexist etc, there is less air-time given to the extent and impact of cuts on families and communities.

PMQS increasingly betray the u-turns, ill-researched and hasty policies being rolled out by the coalition and the lack of evidence and coherent argument in their favour.

In spite of his teams PR attempts to change his hair style, roll up his sleeves when filmed in the street or visiting any public service and the rolling out of platitudes such as 'we're all in this together', when pushed he falls back on his default position - an arrogant Bullingdon Club bully who believes he has a right to rule without having to explain the research behind or complex consequences of his policies.

ShriekingHarpy,is what I was trying to say but you did it soooo much better [c

This is minutia that is distracting from bigger and far more important news

calling someone a wanker is never used as an insult against women. Even on here where i have heard just about every swear word i know used in some form of insult you dont see MIL is a wanker threads

Yep - wanker is definitely a male insult - most people know that

YABU this is a complete non-event that has been latched onto by opponents of the Government who can't think of any valid arguments against them.

Hi harpy - hope you're good

( Carminaburana here )

Women could be wankers too (many are). The fact that it's perceived as a male-only insult is because society is more comfortable with men wanking than women, probably.

Now this is minutiae.

Getting your knickers up your nose because you think "wanker" is a sexist word (only applied to chaps - which I dispute; derived from a male-only activity - also nonsensical you'd have been on safer ground with the latter with "tosser" though neither are comparable to the sexist insults derived from the female body, or from the point of anti-woman put-downs, which is that they reinforce and reflect political economic systems that keep women in their place) while MrC and his mates are pulling apart public structures in a way that really will adversely impact on women.

The HofC thing is kind of galling because it suggests a level of contempt for the advances of liberal social politics over the last twenty years, to which the Conservatives paid lip-service in their election campaign, but which are evidently no more than window-dressing, as can be seen from the way they are going about implementing the cuts.

"I'm not sure which aspect of this troubles me more.

That he said it

or

that there are women on here who don't see it as an issue."

I feel the same way, especially after watching it and taking in body language and facial expression.

Unfortunately women can be their own worst enemy in the struggle against patriarchy and mysogyny and I have found MN to be reflective of this on many an occassion. I am not even a feminist and actively dislike a lot of new feminist theory, but there have been times when I have been shot down on here for being a 'feminist' simply for saying some forms of sexual harrassment are unacceptable. Like builders harrassing you in the street for instance, and have even been met with comments of "oh come on you know you find it secretly flattering, doesn't everyone because I do?".

Also an excellent point blahblahing, I agree fully with your statement.

latched onto by opponents of the Government who can't think of any valid arguments against them.

Noooooooooooooo, because there is LITERALLY NOTHING ELSE to criticise them for.

Apart from, er, let's see

• The NHS
• Cuts
• tuition fees
• Causing another recession
• General incompetence
• Blinding arrogance
• Ignorance of some of the simple facts about a common law legal system such as the concepts of "case law" and judicial interpretation of statute
• Sexism
• Generally being evil Tory twats