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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think Mary Berry is at best naive, and at worst deluded, about feminism?

303 replies

MardyBraWouldDoEddieRedmayne · 28/01/2013 13:42

Times link if you can get through the paywall
free Daily Mail link

Apparently feminists are shouty. We should enjoy being "looked after" and gently persuade our menfolk with our feminine wiles to do what we want. It's alright if you're surrounded by well-meaning malleable blokes.

No mention of equal pay, equal voting rights, equal employment opportunities, freedom from sexual discrimination or harrassment, etc. No - all you need to do, is "persuade them [men] gently to do things and, of course, when they come back they say, ?Oh, wasn?t that fun?? Try telling that to victims of domestic violence Mary...

OP posts:
FunnysInLaJardin · 28/01/2013 13:47

Lol, MB is one scary laydee. In every sense of the word. Jesus. She doesn't want any of these equal rights apparently

bigmouthstrikesagain · 28/01/2013 13:48

She is misguided of course and clearly comes from the Delia school of feminism (I had a thread about one of her less well thought out remarks in a Womens hour interview). I bet she didn't become a well known and respected Chef/ food writer/ TV personality, simply by drifting around being 'nice' to men. She must have focus, ambition and a much more forceful personality than that opinion suggests - so add disingenuous to the critique.

valiumredhead · 28/01/2013 13:48

I think either she's a bit confused as to what feminism actually is or the journalist as cherry picked what she said to make a good story.

MardyBraWouldDoEddieRedmayne · 28/01/2013 13:51

It's possible she has been quoted out of context a bit valium but she does make utterances such as: "?Feminism is a dirty word" and "I'm not a Feminist".

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MardyBraWouldDoEddieRedmayne · 28/01/2013 13:54

Mary's obviously lived a very charmed life, if she's never been the victim of discrimination of some sort.

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Feminine · 28/01/2013 13:55

Oh, it seems she knows masses about flour and nothing about feminism.

Mitchy1nge · 28/01/2013 13:55

bigmouth please could you link to your thread about Delia if you have a spare minute?

fromparistoberlin · 28/01/2013 13:57

oh FFS she is a different generation, she knows my great aunt! nuff said

NormaStanleyFletcher · 28/01/2013 13:59

Oh Gawd, why did I click on the mail link and then read the comments

That lesson should have been learnt long ago

MardyBraWouldDoEddieRedmayne · 28/01/2013 13:59

Why should it matter if she is from a different generation even if she does know a MNer's great-aunt. She still has a brain and powers of perception, surely. And her generation was heavily involved in the fight for equality.

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Gigondas · 28/01/2013 13:59

Not sure about that mardy- she says went back to work a matter of weeks after each kid was born as knew that job wouldn't be kept open.

I found her words odd as her life and general attitude , although she is of a generation, are very much about being able to live as fulfilling a life as possible.

SolidSnake · 28/01/2013 14:00

Why did you ruin Mary Berry for me OP Sad [sticks head back in the sand]

Feminine · 28/01/2013 14:01

I see she has no understanding of the word/what it means, I get she is from another generation...

but she would have been very much around when women were trying to get things equalized in many ways.

Its nothing to do having a door help open Confused

She is only in her 70's. She would have been a young women in the 60s, like my Mum.

MardyBraWouldDoEddieRedmayne · 28/01/2013 14:02

Sorry Solid. I'm disappointed in her too.

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Feminine · 28/01/2013 14:02

*held open

SolidSnake · 28/01/2013 14:03

Also Mardy i love your username Grin

FunnysInLaJardin · 28/01/2013 14:03

fromparis she is of my Mum's generation, in fact slightly younger. My mum would be horrified about her comments. In fact my mum taught Home Economics for years. She is like a reverse MB Grin

MardyBraWouldDoEddieRedmayne · 28/01/2013 14:04

Thanks Solid

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MardyBraWouldDoEddieRedmayne · 28/01/2013 14:05

Funnys My dad's about her age and not the most liberal of blokes, but will admit that the "women's libbers" have got a point.

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ArielThePiraticalMermaid · 28/01/2013 14:07

I nearly died then. I thought I read Mary Beard.

After all the sticking up for her I have done this week as well.

PS Mary Berry, your "can't go wrong chocolate cake" is no such thing.

AnyFucker · 28/01/2013 14:08

Why is anyone asking this woman for her views on feminism ?

NormaStanleyFletcher · 28/01/2013 14:09

Me too ariwl on the berry/beard thing Blush

cory · 28/01/2013 14:09

Because she makes nice cakes, apparently, AnyFucker Confused

MardyBraWouldDoEddieRedmayne · 28/01/2013 14:10

Sorry about the confusion. La Beard seems to have all her feminist credentials in tact.

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NormaStanleyFletcher · 28/01/2013 14:10

My mum is only a little younger than her, and she is a feminist.