Are women interested in current affairs? (And why I hate Woman's Hour)

[BrummieOnTheRun]

I spent the last few days ranting to DH about the fact that certain stories that primarily affect women don't appear in the media.
Like the nationwide policy of downgrading local maternity services (only reported locally, ignored by national media) putting 1,000s of women and babies' lives at risk each year. Or is that each month?
Like loans to women entrepreneurs being at higher interest rates than those to men as we are perceived to be higher risk.
Like the cost of childcare and impact on (primarily women's) employment being treated as a minority issue. We're 50% of the population and most of us have/will have children.
Blah, blah, blah.
Have always been pissed off that Woman's Hour, instead of having the political and intellectual clout of the Today programme, has spent approx 6 minutes superficially covering important issues to cut them off to discuss bloody borsch recipes. Or drama 'that women might enjoy'.
Then a depressing thought occurred to me...maybe it isn't that most 'current affairs' isn't interested in women, maybe most women just AREN'T INTERESTED in current affairs and that's why women-centric issues aren't widely covered?

You got it Santa!

Gary is not fanciable. At all.

He's right up there w/Simon Cowell for guffer.

He's fugly.

I'm just amazed at how my taste in men has obviously changed with age! I used to love that smelly, crusty look. Now...yuk! Get a shave!

I'm not sure I quite believe in a feminist who actively dislikes women. I think the -ist here is misogynist.
Plenty of women are interested in 'current affairs' but many women have a wider definition of 'current affairs' than 'a politician discussing their policies'.

If Simon Cowell weren't gay, then I would think he was. But he so is, the grooming stands out a mile.

I am ashamed to admit that I find this more interesting than current affairs right now. Only because I spend my whole life getting wound up about "issues". It;s a Sat night for Chrissakes.

Actually the idea that everything men talk about is profound while everything women talk about is trivial is just so ridiculous. It's so Jan Leeming.

I've never been able to work out who is who with bNDS LIKE THIS.
Who are Westlife then?
Did they have Ronan Keating and/or a gay one.

And who in the name of bollocks AND BUGGERY IS kERRY kATONA???

Anywaaaaaaaay...must get back to my Astrophysics.

Simon Cowell isn't gay, Santa!

God, NO man would put up w/his bullshit, anyhow, if he were.

Xenia - suncreams would be a refreshing change - all to often at parents dinners it is endless discussions about the children that reduce me to tears.

I like talking about banal things like fashion etc., sometimes it's just nice to switch off and talk about rather vaccous things.

Sometimes policy making dinners drive me even further over the edge though - a bunch of old crumbly men - the great and the good, who are as connected to modern society as my big toe is! I usually sit through them, with a silent scream reverbrating through my body shouting - where are all the bloody women. This bunch of disconnected old fogies are making decisions which affect the whole of society - and about 99% of that society AREN'T HERE to tell people what they want!

Expat -your comment about working full time and hating it struck home with me - you are right that is not liberation - having a free choice is liberation - not having to work if you don't want to!

Me either dara. A woman who says "I don;t like women" - that is so bizarre. Like a northerner saying "I don;t like northerners".

You can't deny the possibility that there are other like minded women out there.

Ronan Keating isn't gay, either.

I don't find other women threatening.

Or men, for that matter.

But Dara, I want the politicians discussing policies that are important to me!

btw, I saw Simon Cowell in Stringfellow's once. OBVIOUSLY over-compensating... although it WAS rather dark. And no I wasn't dancing (she says tucking in post-two-baby stomach).

I think most women know that most politicians are mad, hopeless or deranged.

Monkeytrousers the thought of being at a toddler group filled me with horror too (altho I have come to love them in their own little way! )

I have definitely missed decent meaty analytical conversation since having my dcs. I've sat through far too many convos about nappies and prams and such things, and so many times I've felt like saying 'So! The death penalty! Constitutionalised murder or a sensible use of a society's resources? Whaddayathink?' But of course I've been far too polite and just sat there nodding and smiling at all the smalltalk.

(Having said that I'e also sat through way too many golf-round post-mortems from the men in my life so it's not just women who bore the pants off each other...!)

I think the key is (probably) balance - I once had a kind-of boyfriend who wanted to debate all day long and needless to say he never amounted to much with me! On the other hand I once went out with a beautiful but rather thick himbo who analysed only clothes so that didn't last long either. And so it is with everyone. Including women. We need to acknowledge the whole of who we are, brain, body and soul, and not deprive ourselves of any aspect of who we are IYSWIM.

And for everyone, men and women, there is a time for everything, a time to debate and a time to try on party dresses (actually maybe not for men...unless...??!!). My best friends and the women I love and respect the most are those who do both.

Ok, mad and deranged are the same thing. Let's say, drunk, hopeless or deranged. Or shagging a couple of rent boys who poo on his head.

Has Xenia left the thread in disgust?

I thought you'd all say my sexist generalisations that women were stupid and uninterested in the wider world and politices were wrong but instead you tell me I'm right. Wow. I couldn't live without reading the FT and Times every day. I'd rather lose the high heels than that...

"I'm confident enough in my own intelligence to have a no brain conversation at times - and bloody well enjoy it too!" Interesting... I could so not never never ever waste a second of time on those kinds of conversations. Life is too short without making it dull. Inane conversation about trivial subjects... that's what we need to ensure our daughters avoid. The best conversations I had last year were with my daughter doing A level economics.

[Going to bed.. but high heels .. well sometimes if I have them on I imagine over 22 years I've spiked the children but I don't make a habit of it... unless their conversation is too inane I suppose... one must never breed dull children]

I've been on Woman's Hour (something to do with parenting, IIRC) and found it disappointingly low-brow. May have just been that segment, I don't get to listen to it very often. Jenni whatsit does have a lovely R4 voice though, all rich and creamy. And a house-hsuband (or at least he had been a house-husband at some point while their kids were small).

I think the debate about why women earn less than men post-kids is an example of 'the personal is political'. And yes, people make their own decisions to suit their own circumstances, but those decisions are made within a framework of what is available in our society.

The earnings gap isn't about working part-time, btw, women working full time still earn less than men doing the same jobs.

'Inane conversation about trivial subjects... that's what we need to ensure our daughters avoid.'

I beg to differ. I want my daughter to feel comfortable conversing about a wide-range of topics in a wide-range of company. This makes good business sense as well, IME.

expat -'honey always caught more
flies than vinegar?'

I know what flies like & it's not honey

Just got back in, soz..

Well, with respect Dara (forgive me if that sound a little arch, I?m a bit tipsy and it?s way past my bedtime , by the same token I don?t think we should so harshly judge Xenia either; otherwise we are committing the same offence. But something smells, you are right something smells, (but I was in the same no-mans-land a few years ago so won?t condemn anyone for being confused) but whenever you find yourself slandering a whole swath of the population (be they mothers, fathers, black or white, Jewish or Muslim) because it makes you feel better about the personal choices you have made :- you are always going to find yourself on intellectually tenuous ground. But on this issue, women are just as confused as men?

Basically, when in doubt, when we?re all (male or female) struggling to make a connection, we will compromise on what we think are our own individual tastes (which actually don?t exist).

There is no shame in people seeking affirmation from others ? that is all we do as human beings. This is what shapes our world. The difference is how aware we are of it and how contented we are with that.

Expat ? please not you and Caigula too! Simon Cowell is an arse of the highest degree. And it doesn?t make me feel better saying that.

Texasrose ? I agree; balance- compatibility is a tricky thing; especially in an age that attempts to compartmentalise us all into market demographics. Relationships, trans-gender, are very complex things. I wish people would just challenge their comfort zones more. We are becoming far too lazy and it will be the death of us as a species. There is time enough for it all ? but consumerism needs to make us want it all now!

Xenia, you are talking about ignoring people. Fair enough. If we bore you, go. Inane conversations indeed! What is it you do? Even popular culture has academic interest. If you can?t find that interest, if you have to blame others for the inanity of your life, then do the age-old thing and look to yourself rather than others. Life is there, if you can?t appreciate it, that?s your fault. Sorry. I might inadvertently bump into your daughter al LSE. I hope she has the humanity to appreciate the people she meets as individuals, not status symbols. God forbid they ever have an inane thought ? a cardinal sin in your book.

Life is too short, you are right there.

Dara, just for the record, I don?t think that most politicians are mad, hopeless or deranged. I believe in politics. For one, without politics, laws against rape wouldn?t? exist ? and many more such things we take for granted. Never decry politics, without politics there is war ? and in war we are fucked basically.

Sorry Dara, again that came out wrong - I was stating my opinion, I know you wern't argueing but I was using your post as reference. Aplolges for typos - I write like Cod if truth be known, but I feel like I'm breaking copuyright if I don't check at least twice..ionly checked once...

I'm amazed that it always comes down to a choice of serious debate or fluffy topics at dinner parties in some places.

"but I could nevre choose an evening with women talking about suncream to a dinner with a politician talking about Government policy."

Am I the only one who nevers gets presented with this option each time I want to go out? I doubt that anyone here would choose the former when presented with the latter as an alternative, but how often does that happen? Actually, I can't remember ever discussing sunscreen with anyone.

I think most women are happy to have an evening out discussing a wide range of topics (same as are discussed every day on MN). All work makes Jack a very dull boy .

Ah Xenia you are so funny.
I am wiping tears of laughter from my eyes.
Did anyone ever tell you that you are a born comedian??