Anne Robinson - The rouble with Women

[IamXXHearMeRoar]

Is anyone else watching this?

I thought it would be very annoying but may actually be opening the discussion of feminism more to a mainstream audience?

Typo, The trouble with women, on bbc!

I forgot this was on, thanks for the reminder. Im going to watch it on catch up later.

Yeah trying to watch it now in between doing the housework.

Find it pretty frustrating actually, but not sure if where I'm it catching snippets I'm seeing bits out of context though?

I’m watching. Could be useful in opening conversations up about what feminism actually is and is it still needed to a wider audience?

I'm pleasantly surprised. AR listening and allowing herself to be persuaded on almost all points. This isn't the programme I thought it would be (or the one implied in the trailer).

I really dislike some of her attitude. Just replied to another thread with the same comment, how is it ok to say 'it was worse for us older women,get on with it'? Would it be ok to say the same to BME, that you know slavery was a problem so a bit of structural racism is fine? No. It's just the same old shite, telling women to shut up.

Katniss that's attitude was what was bothering me! Also bit peeved at how she claimed that money is a woman's biggest issue in inequality... Okay so nvm the violence or exploitation it's just the actual money that bothers her?

I havent watched it yet. I turned it off because DH is here and he just doesn't get anything about feminism. I am too ill and stressed to even attempt the conversation so I plan to watch on iplayer.
(He does have millions of good points and is a kind and gentle man. His cultural back ground is different from mine).
So I am interested to read this thread.

But the tone of the whole thing was that it started with the premise that she thinks women should get on with it and making a fuss about nothing etc, but was then persuaded by a series of women that the issues are real and not victimhood. The section with the young women talking about harassment was a really striking example.

So complaining about low level harassment is 'making a fuss' but if someone masturbates on you while you're riding the tube then that's good enough

This isn't the programme I thought it would be (or the one implied in the trailer)

The trailer really did make it look awful which is why i didnt watch. Will watch on catch up

I thought that it was a good starting point in raising awareness.

I did find her some of her views questionable but she was prepared to listen and be persuaded and hopefully that will have struck a chord with some of the viewers.

I'd agree shenanigans it was a good starting point. I didn't agree with all her views and found her irritating at times. But ultimately she was ok and shone a light on some issues. It was probably better than nothing.

⬆️resounding endorsement right there

I felt she accepted the "low level" harassment was part of the bigger picture, when she had heard about how bad it can be. I don't agree with any of her initial standpoints, obviously, but it felt like a programme which had a more open mind than initially appeared.

I thought the most telling moment was when she talked about her response to her own treatment when told to bend down and pick up the paper - that her instinct was to think how she could get into a more powerful position and escape this, rather than try and stop it for anyone else or consider those who might not be able to move on. Very much the individual ahead of any group or societal benefits. I don't think that occurred to her though, or she thought of it as a positive thing.

I was pleasantly surprised at how open she was to changing her point of view.

I do think it will help open the conversation because I have found in a couple of conversations about feminism with her age group that the idea is things are better now than they were. In some ways they are (bikini on your beer can anyone?) but in other ways not, the transgender debate robbing us of our legal right to womanhood being one. Previous feminists wanted equality with men and were determined to match them in everything whereas we want women's sport reinstated because men and women are actually different.

She was genuinely shocked at the gender paygap and how few women are willing to risk their job by rocking the boat and asking for a raise.

Male violence wasn't addressed, neither was single parenthood or gender confusion. They would have needed a whole series for that.

It was pretty frustrating to hear her label all women as less confident and assertive without any thoughts on WHY that might be.

I really enjoyed the programme - I think she’s great.
I didn’t have a problem with it really. I found her views refreshing and thought provoking.
I even liked the way she was wholey unapologetic about her use of plastic surgery.
I think she had a good point about most things. Those of us who can toughen up and speak up, should.
Those carers at the end who were willing to go on strike for equal pay were inspirational.

I think the grid girls bit was interesting too. The girls were mostly dressed in jackets holding up umbrellas from what I could see.
Weren’t most of them doing it to pay their way through university? They didn’t feel exploited.

It felt like she only touched the surface of each issue (granted it's only 1 hour) but she didn't hint at there being a wider or more complex social issues.

E.G the grid girls, like a PP said, it was more looking at it from an individualistic standpoint and her current position. Not looking at wider issues surrounding girls /women aspiring to or being be sexualized.

I think she showed she looks at issues more individualistic than as a whole class issue when she spoke about sexual harassment and again when talking about how women are less confident, like it's each own woman's fault.

Also annoyed me when she made the claim that her generation "smashed the glass ceiling". Granted there was progress and women started getting into higher and top jobs but there's still massive lack of women in higher jobs and on boards etc! Just look at the recent BBC coverage on the report that "all the good women are taken" as an excuse for not having more women in higher jobs!

It felt like, she was all "well I've done pretty well for myself so why haven't you?". Echoed the, painfully simple, idea that if you work hard you'll get far. Not always tat simple Anne!

In total I felt like she was ignoring class issues overall and only skimming over the surface, issues often don't seem bad when they aren't analysed.

(Disclaimer: I was watching it disrupted as had housework to do and never got to watch the round up at the end)