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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

714 replies

Bennifer · 27/04/2011 13:25

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

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

OP posts:
OldLadyKnowsNothing · 27/04/2011 16:29

Dispute away, JoanofArgos, you're wrong. And ill-mannered, but hey ho.

Original poster
Bennifer · 27/04/2011 16:30

Yeah, faux outrage, sexism is brilliant, isn't it?

OP posts:
JoanofArgos · 27/04/2011 16:31

Well I shall. 'Tired and emotional' may have come to be associated with a certain sort of drunkenness, but it is very obviously a patronizing and sexist thing to accuse a woman of being.

TallulahBetty · 27/04/2011 16:31

Complete overreaction, in my book.

But then again I don't do feminism so maybe I just can't see what the fuss is all about. Confused

AllTheYoungDoods · 27/04/2011 16:32

Sorry, OldLady is right. 'Tired and emotional' is used more about whisky soaked men than women, it's a stock newspaper phrase for pissed as a fart.

See the wonder of wiki

LadyClariceCannockMonty · 27/04/2011 16:32

'faux outrage'? Thanks for telling me if my outrage is real or not ... Confused.

I can actually generally tell if I'm genuinely pissed off by something. I wouldn't mind betting that plenty of other people on this thread can too. Disagree with me by all means, but do not tell me what my feelings are.

thebestisyettocome · 27/04/2011 16:32

Samantha must be sooo proud Hmm

Cameron has daughters doesn't he? How would he like some man saying that to his daughter when she's making her way in the workplace?

AllTheYoungDoods · 27/04/2011 16:33

Whereas 'dear' was clearly inferring a certain type of female hysteria. Directed at an elected member of Parliament, FGS.

thebestisyettocome · 27/04/2011 16:33

It's actually depressing how so many people think this is a perfectly OK thing to have been said to a female MP Sad

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 27/04/2011 16:33

Thank you, AllTheYoungDoods. :)

QuelleLeJeff · 27/04/2011 16:35

yes, this thread is depressing generally.

JoanofArgos · 27/04/2011 16:35

I know the private eye stuff, yes, but I still maintain that Prescott saying it about the French woman was sexist!

I doubt Cameron's daughter's will need to seek any more taxing employment than opening a hat shop or something.

Swedes2 · 27/04/2011 16:35

I don't think it was sexist.

JoanofArgos · 27/04/2011 16:36

daughters Blush.

TallulahBetty · 27/04/2011 16:39

Why shouldn't people think it's ok to have said it?

I respect the fact that certain people are offended by it.

Why can't it be accepted that I think it IS ok and I'm not offended?

Imps7 · 27/04/2011 16:40

I know that this is slightly off topic, but did anyone listen to a really interesting documentary on Radio 4 the weekend before last about "Any Questions"? The reason I ask is before there was a short part in it about sexism and how attitudes toward women have changed over the years. They played a clip from an episode (is that the right word?) of Any Questions which was almost exactly 50 years ago - a female audience member asked a question to a male. His response was "I like the lady's looks more than I like her question!" [cue much laughter in the audience]. I don't know if he actually bothered to answer her question or not.

I'm ashamed to admit that prior to listening to that documentary, I had NO IDEA that sexism was so rife, so blatent, so accepted and so recently. I was really shocked.

Things have clearly progressed since then, and those people who were offended on behalf of that female audience member (even if she were not offended herself) would have played a huge part in that shift, one way or another.

So while I personally think the furore surrounding DC's comment is a total storm in a teacup and am not offended by his comment, I will not berate anyone who has taken offence, because I feel that I have people like that to thank for the fact that in all likelihood I will never find myself in the sort of position that that poor female audience from AQ was in.

LDNmummy · 27/04/2011 16:40

"Stop the faux outrage, not a single one of you is offended and you know it. It was quite clearly A JOKE and not meant to be taken seriously."

Oh and you presume to know whether any of us are actually offended huh? Gerard go do one please.

I absolutely hate when people make assumptions about other people's opinions based on their own views. This is not a PC issue for us to get all wound up over nothing, this is an issue surrounding the leader of our government practically endorsing sexist attitudes toward women, and in this case, in the workplace.

HalfPastWine · 27/04/2011 16:42

Lets all go and egg him tomorrow at the wedding! Grin

QuelleLeJeff · 27/04/2011 16:43

TallulahBetty - nobody is saying you can't think it's fine and not be offended. In fact the abuse being hurtled on this thread is being thrown by those who are clearly massively threatened by any woman daring to speak up and say "uh, no this is not acceptable actually"

HalfPastWine · 27/04/2011 16:43

Oops, FRIDAY at the wedding!

TallulahBetty · 27/04/2011 16:47

Sorry QuelleLeJeff - should have been clearer.

I read a reply on here which stated along the lines of "can't believe people think this is ok and acceptable in modern society" or similar.

Can't find the blinkin' one now to quote it.

emmanumber3 · 27/04/2011 16:50

My first reaction to this story was "oh, for God's sake, that's really not worth getting your knickers in a knot about" BUT I have to admit that if a man said that to me I would probably want to hit him Confused.

However, being as how it was said in the playground atmosphere of PMQ's, I think I'll manage to get over this one Grin. They'd be giving each other wedgies and twanging bra straps if they could reach Blush.

WearegoingonaKwazihunt · 27/04/2011 16:53

It was really bloody patronising. And makes out like she is being a silly little woman.

My outrage is quite real. When I view it, I feel the Prime Minister of our country has shown what he thinks of women. As a female I feel pretty outraged by that.

You may not find it offensive. I do. And not on some intellectual, I am going to think this through to find a way to be offended, but on a gut, immediate reaction level it is patronising and sexist.

He has offended a number of people. He may not have meant to. He did. He should apologise.

731FRENZY731 · 27/04/2011 16:56

If women get offended by something as minor as this, they've got unimaginable suffering ahead of them when the health and welfare bubble bursts.

WearegoingonaKwazihunt · 27/04/2011 16:57

What does that mean? What's going to happen? Confused