To have quite enjoyed the Legs-it headline

[smashedinductionhob]

I may regret posting this.....

I am a proud feminist who reads The Observer and am currently rereading a biography of Mary Wollstonecraft.

I am very depressed about Brexit and usually really hate The Daily Mail.

I saw the photo of May and Sturgeon yesterday and thought for a moment "ooh who knew they both had nice legs?" And vaguely thought it was nice to see two somewhat older women expressing both power and sexuality.

Then when I saw the headline today I smiled.

I thought it wasn't like the 70s at all. Not one little bit.

Just want to put an alternative feminist perspective.

Like I said, I may regret this but I do think Private Eye would have got away with this.

One thing the DM has taught us, however, is that you don't have to be male to be a misogynistic twat.

So I guess really it is the photographer who chose the more sexualised image.

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

I must have seen a different photo, I thought the DM one was two fully-dressed women with legs in nude-coloured nylon tights? Is wearing a skirt expressing one's sexuality? Or is it being a woman and owning legs? Or just being anyone and owning legs?

Lucky Theresa May didn't get raped on the way to work, eh, around all those men and wearing a. fucking. skirt.

Yes i just think it's nice to see two ladies enjoying a chat together with their nice smooth legs out for all to enjoy. I hope they had a nice cup of tea and M&S biscuit while they had their chit-chat too. It makes a change from seeing those awful manly ones like Ann Widdicombe, Ruth Davidson, Diane Abbot et al.

You're not a feminist. You're delusional if you think you are.

The whole "nobody comments on mens clothes" argument is a bit simplistic.

Mens clothes (as worn by western world leaders) are generally boring and identical. If a male british leader turned up for a meeting in a pastel yellow, or poppy red suit i suspect it would draw quite a few comments, photos with unkind captions would be spashed across front pages, the chaps credibility would be completely undermined and he would be expected to hand in his resignation.

Theresa May has not seen fit to wear plain garments and trousers to conform to the male convention, she's taking on the world in a skirt. Fair play to her.

One of the very few good things about the past year has been that no-one thinks twice about May being a woman

No, no-one thinks twice about May being a woman. Except for when her legs are the subject of a front page feature, eh OP?

God it makes me sad that my dd has to grow up in a country where so many people (men and women) can't see why that bloody front page is so offensive. FFS

I would agree that those are the right questions to ask Hecate.

One of the very few good things about the past year has been that no-one thinks twice about May being a woman

Are you fucking delusional?

When was the last time David Cameron had his photo taken from the floor and a headline comparing his body to that of a fellow politician? Completely disregarding the politics?

Oh that's right, never.

You're the worst feminist ever. Seriously, is this a wind up?

I have that Tina Turner song in my head now....

"What's legs, got to do, go to do with it"

Funnily enough, Tina Turner's legs were always in the media too...

OP I don't think the thread was ever really founded in rationality in the first place.

Re the "world class lawyer", would any of has heard of her if she hadn't married a world famous actor? She has taken his name and seems to be very happily enjoying his fame. She poses on the red carpet when other celebrity spouses hang back.

Re the "world class lawyer", would any of has heard of her if she hadn't married a world famous actor? She has taken his name and seems to be very happily enjoying his fame. She poses on the red carpet when other celebrity spouses hang back.

Re the "world class lawyer", would any of has heard of her if she hadn't married a world famous actor? She has taken his name and seems to be very happily enjoying his fame. She poses on the red carpet when other celebrity spouses hang back.

Really sorry. It wasn't worth three copies! My phone was being temperamental.

Really sorry. It wasn't worth three copies! My phone was being temperamental.

You sound like one of the better feminists tbh

hecate that's true but then people who become actors, singers etc do it to become or knowing they'll become famous. Most scientists, lawyers etc don't get into their profession for that reason or even knowing they'd become so as a result. (Money aside though, obv - I'm just talking about the celebrity aspect re George /Amal Clooney. The salaries of sportspeople etc is as you say a whole other issue and does just show how fucked up our values are!)

Bit garbled there! My point was that I suppose scientists, human rights lawyers etc won't get widespread mainstream acclaim just because most of us simply haven't heard of them as they're not in the general public eye. And they don't tend to do it for the reasons that actors/singers to ie to perform.

Hecate I think historically our (women's) clothes were designed (by men) to be all about our sexuality, reproductive status and availability.

Every generation the meanings of our clothes change and get a bit more positive, less prescriptive and less limiting.

But it takes hundreds of years.