Labours pink battle bus.

[Madcatgirl]

So tomorrow labour are to launch a pink battle bus to appeal to the little womens who might not know about those funny politics things.

What year is it? How about take your patronising pink bus and shove it.

GalaxyMum. I'm not madly keen on it around breast cancer either. But I know that some women enjoy that kind of girliness and frivolity and it's harmless in that context. It's obviously something that some people like and buy into as it's been a very effective fundraising tool for breast cancer.

But even women who like that sort of thing, who want to go and run around a park on Saturday with fairy wings a pink bra and glitter on or make pink cup cakes and buns - I think even many of them would find it inappropriate when it came to politics. They're completely different realms. Most of the cancer fundraising is a based around fun, frivolous, silly activities. It's appropriate for that sort of thing.

Part of the reason why the 'pink' marketing has been so effective for breast cancer is because it has taken something which is depressing, frightening and serious (breast cancer) and made fundraising for it into something fun, something frivolous, something girly, something which is enjoyable. It's taken the seriousness out of it and made is something light and frothy.

But politics is serious. It doesn't need the seriousness taking out of it. It doesn't need to be made light and frothy. And to suggest that women need politics making into some kind of 'politics lite' which women can easily digest with our woolly little brains is offensive.

Taking the 'scare' out of cancer and making less threatening to fundraise for is one matter. Taking the 'brain' out of politics and making it less threatening is quite another and a lot less acceptable.

But pinkification is exactly what Race for Life and Breast Cancer Awareness has done. A big campaign, aimed at women, it needs to be pink. In fact I might even argue that Race for Life were responsible for starting the whole pinkification thing.

Race for Life and Breast Cancer Awareness are, by and large, by women for women. The Labour party should be by people for people. The pinkness of the first feels like an in-joke. The pinkness of the second feels like patronisation.

So Harriet Harman announces her patronizing pink van the day before an MN webchat - to channel Sir Humphrey, she's very brave, isn't she?

I don't care what colours breast cancer awareness/race for life use because they're good campaigns which genuinely help women and don't patronize us. One oddly-coloured van to engage with over half the population. Unless there's a huge fleet, but even then - it's treating women as non-standard people.

Talking about buses, well hopefully looking at ‘the back end of’; based on young Karen’s propensity to hoist up her ‘assets’ within internet posts, this was probably sound career advice, but….

“Harriet Harman told Labour MP's wife Karen Danczuk she was 'too pretty to be interested in politics and should be in Girls Aloud'”

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2950535/Harriet-Harman-told-Labour-MP-s-wife-Karen-Danczuk-pretty-interested-politics-Girls-Aloud.html

I loathe Harriet Harman, but as far as that put down to Danczuk goes I think it was intended to be patronising and cutting and was spot on. Danczuk's 'tits out for the lads' self publicising is far more damaging for women in politics than a pink bus.

It's also excruciatingly embarrassing as she is a podgy, dumpy, plain overweight mother and looks like one and I really don't think anybody is very interested. She's turned herself into a figure of fun. But sadly one that the press goes to when they want the voice of a woman in politics.

She needs to put on a cardigan.

Mrs Danczuk "podgy, dumpy, plain overweight mother and look like one" ... the compliments get better.

Now I have never seen her in the flesh so to speak, but if that is true, no wonder she posts the more flattering pictures - I would, as I aspire to YOUR description. lol

As to politicians wives in politics, I 'd suggest that the career professional Mrs Blair, did more harm to 'the cause' than the less talented Mrs Danczuk.

I've never heard of Mrs Danczuk before, and regardless of what she looks like (based on the DM photos, Moans description is wide of the mark), if HH really did say that MrsD was 'too pretty for politics' that's outrageous! As if only a plain woman could be serious.

Agreed, I saw Angela Eagles on TV today, with all her inner beauty, take on William Haig in parliament - and can scientifically confirm that any 'look' does not automatically project political ability, 'its the way you tell 'em'.

I listen to news and discussions more on the radio than TV and don't look at papers like the DM, so I actually don't know what quite a lot of politicians look like. Whether male or female, it's irrelevent. The only things that matter are their political views and ability and 'The content of their character'.

I'm fairly disappointed that a serious thread about how women should be engaged in politics has descended into nasty comments about how another woman looks.

CfC .... The irony of the female politician who thought of the bus to engage women in politics, is in the bus spreading that message - told a fellow MP's wife she is better off OUT of politics because of THE WAY SHE LOOKS, being lost on you then?

I didn't think much of Moan's comments either, which is what I assume CfC was referring to.

Which is exactly what I mean about Danczuk....a woman who is supposedly a serious politician who posts pictures which deliberately focus on the way she looks rather than on politics. I think it's a bit disingenious to have woman who posts 5 bikini selfies a day and say 'You cannot comment on the way she looks', you must talk about her politics.

And she is a dumpy plain woman. It's excruciatingly embarrasing. She quite plainly thinks she's politics answer to Sophia Loren and she couldn't be further wide of the mark. The way she looks may not be relevant to how she operates in politics but the jaw dropping lack of self awareness and over inflated ego implied certainly are.

I read today that there is rather an amusing argument going on whereby they are insisting that the van is not pink . It is cerise or magenta !!

The pink van went to Asda today. Because where else would women be on a weekday?

Thanks Errol you are correct, I was objecting to Moans 'dumpy, plain' comments.

I haven't seen pictures of the woman in question, Moan and I wouldn't have commented if you had merely said that her pictures were inappropriate but 'dumpy' and 'plain' are highly subjective (not to mention rude).

Isitme I had no problem with the criticism of Harriet Harman hence my lack of comments regarding them.

Mind you, the Labour Party might have got it right, judging by the level of this discussion.

Ubik not if it is making you less likely to vote Labour..

It's not the pink bus that gets me. What really offends me is the idea that women are a homogeneous group and we all care about the same stuff. How patronising.
When I saw Harriet Harperson sitting in the Asda cafe discussing childcare with check out ladies my blood was boiling. Because in 2015 we all agree childcare is one for the girls right? Maybe I move in very enlightened circles but of the couples I know whose kids are still young enough to need childcare the dads complain just as much about the cost and quality as the mums. Some fucking feminist Harriet Harman is.