Feminist Pub XX - may the summer rains wash the patriarchy down the plughole

[NoTechnologicalBreakdown]

Ooh ooh! Do I get to start it?

Wine and cake all round. And a celebratory burst on the patriarchy-blasting cannon!

Old pub here

I read an article the other day that I can't now find that said among other things, that liability issues (drinking,etc.) had something to do with it; these vary a lot by state. But also that parties were not well attended in some cases. That was what happened at my work. I think with family demands, more and more people were choosing not to come.

Oh and the recession has played a big role in scaling back or stopping holiday parties for businesses. It's really not seemly to have a party when huge layoffs are on the horizon. With the US economy now bouncing back, it will be interesting to see if there is an upswing in partying.

I enjoyed my office party this year. My unit is small (12 people) and predominantly female (9 out of 12). We went out for dinner - we all fit round a single table. Everyone had transport provided by the company, but no one could drink to excess as it was a Monday night and we all had work in the morning. I used to hate the really big parties that I used to get invited to though.

Actually I still get invited, but fortunately company policy only allows me to attend one Christmas party per year, so I have a valid excuse for declining the invitation

I get the impression from conferences etc (not worked outside UK) that British working culture has a greater tendency to be focused around alcohol for socialising than many other countries. Whilst I very much enjoyed a drink or 5 when younger, it can feel very limiting. Especially that idea of "keeping up" with colleagues alcohol consumption which is obviously tougher for most women.

I live in the US and people would be hugely shocked that anyone beyond the student years went out to get drunk. Of course people drink and get drunk, but I haven't encountered anyone, even people in their 20s, thinking about going for a night out specifically to get wasted. It just doesn't seem to be part of the culture. Even when going to a bar to watch a football game, which lasts 4 hours, people will get a little 'buzzed' but that's pretty much the limit. I'm sure there are hard drinkers, but it's not such a mainstream thing to do. Being out and about in town on a Saturday night is a completely different atmosphere.

What kickass says is very true. And I live in the Bible Belt where the culture is even more abstemious than the rest of the country.

One thing that my workplace does that I really like is that we have parties to celebrate people's milestone anniversaries with the organization. No booze though, just food and lots of it. For five years, it's afternoon tea (US Southern version so usually iced tea), for 10 it's a lunch party and for 20 and beyond it's whatever you want. The big ones have themes chosen by the honoree.

My department just does a meal for Christmas. We love it, one table, very little drinking because most of us are driving. I don't understand the culture of going out to get drunk, even though I did do that occasionally as a student.

Our works do was a dinner and dancing type thing. There was free wine but it honestly wasn't that rowdy. Certainly nobody went out with the intention of getting drunk.

I used to work for a bank and my division was in either the mirror or the sun in 2008/2009 because of our distasteful, lavish christmas party. We did all get made redundant a few years later though!

I'm watching University Challenge and I was already annoyed about the privilege afforded to people who go to Oxbridge but then got really annoyed when they got all the questions about Emmeline Pankhurst/feminism wrong. Only Connect will cheer me up, I love Victoria Coren-Mitchell.

I'm just popping in quickly to ask how on earth do all you "girls" manage to keep these boards so objective and interesting in the face of all the repetitive crap spewed out by the continuous streams of ignorance and trolls? You're all amazing. I hope you all have a good xmas and a great New Year, hopefully a more socially-aware and informed one, in case I don't check in again before it starts.

@NoTechnological: That would be thanks to the moderators, who frequently remove the trolls. This is the only forum I know of where misogynist trolls are removed swiftly.

Merry Christmas to you.

Quickly wishing all you fierce feminist women a joyful and happy Christmas season, regardless how you celebrate it, or even if you don't.

Here's to another year of kicking Patriarchy in the pants!

[santa]

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Merry Christmas folks.

I've just had my first experience of choosing not to be part of the 'women facilitate Christmas' thing. My sister had a dig at me because I didn't help clear the table after dinner today. I have easily done my fair share over the past two days and my brother and dad were chilling watching football. I like football, so I sat watching. I figured I can't change bro or dad's behaviour in not tidying, and I can't stop my mum and sister from clearing up after them. But I could change my own behaviour and so chose not to join in with the sexist division of labour. Go me!

Also, I'm loving being single. I kept getting pity looks because I had planned to be on honeymoon right now, but I've actually just started pointing out 'I'd rather be single than with a dickhead' and it's liberating.

And (another plus side) my single mum sister spent a lot of today putting together her daughters gifts and told other sister that she is more than capable of doing everything alone, with no need to wait until there was a man around to use a screwdriver. She's setting the most amazing example of strong, independent woman to her daughter, and I'm really proud of her!

I just found this very amusing (fake) newspaper article and wanted to share.

www.jasperfforde.com/toad/tit.html

It's old, but maybe some of you are not regular readers of Fforde's homepage.

Happy New Year Buffy

My resolution is to keep a housework diary to check that we have an even split

Happy New Year. I don't really do resolutions. And I definitely don't need a housework diary to know that I do more than Dh. I'm going to start paying myself to clean though.

Has anyone watched Charlie Brookers 2015 wipe? They had a special philomena cunk femeninism special.

Happy New Year women.

Hope 2016 brings you all health and happiness.

And an end to Patriarchy.

My resolution is to read the female eunuch, about time i feel.

Just popping in to say Happy New Year and mine is yet another a Merlot.

This year is going to be our year x