Those pictures of the Theresa May curtseying that are doing the rounds on social media

[SarahCarer]

Now I am very left wing but those pictures of TM curtseying to royalty are so utterly belittling and unnecessarily humiliating it's putting me off labour completely. It seems to me that it is yet another example of labour-supporting men being anti women.

LOL. No, it’s funny. It would be funny no matter who it was.

Get a life.

It seems funny because she is the prime minister being forced (by sexist protocols) to belittle herself physically. A bow would be considerably more dignified and would not have yielded such pictures.

SarahCarer

I agree with you, cheap nasty shots, which wouldn’t happen to a man.

Please don't say get a life it's an awful thing to be on the receiving end of

Ffs it is a curtsey. It really is not belittling. If she can't manage to do it without looking u dignified that is her fault. Most people manage just fine. It is the ettiquette for a man to bow and a woman to curtsey, both a submissive postures used to express deference or respect. In no way is a bow more dignified than a curtsey.

I find curtseying an outdated form of greeting and always looks odd unless she was in full edwarden dress then I suppose it would look better. I would expect her to maintain the state and the know your place mentality because not to do so would be political suicide in the papers, see Jeremy not standing. People have there own choice on these things I suppose she could have bowed and that would have made news.

Thanks Alexa. Amongst other things, labour supporters are mocking her for being 'graceless'

I don’t like it either. The jokes seem to have a nasty sexist ageist edge to them. Everyone always looks terrible curtsying in a knee length skirt. I’m with Granny Weatherwax; Boeing is the way.

It doesn't bother me at all.

Sodding iPhone. Bowing

A male friend of mine pointed out that TM gets far more flack about her appearance and doing physically awkward things like curtseying than a man ever would. He is getting pilloried. Think i’ll go add a message of support.

Did you just misgendering TM?! Tutu tut, to the brig with you.

Arse. Just reread- you're on about your friend. Run free!

Run free

I haven't seen it

But i agree tha a bow is easier and more dignified than a curtsy

I haven't seen it.

We have become "useful idiots" to the agenda of others retreating and posting.

Retweeting

I’m pretty sure my friend still IDs as male.

whew

Safe - this time.

One of my issues with the picture is that I am amazed we have a Prime Minister who doesn't know -and hasn't been told-what to do when you meet a member of the royal family. After all, it can't be the first time.

Yes. Its sexist, and also (having just googled because I'd not seen this 'story'), I found another take on it:

www.bustle.com/p/criticising-theresa-mays-curtsy-to-prince-william-is-actually-pretty-unhelpful-for-these-reasons-9553997

Pillorying people for being socially awkward are nasty, not a case of ' It would be funny no matter who it was.'.

The Prime Minister should know how to meet a member of the royal family. She may be "socially awkward" but that doesn't excuse her from knowing the "rules". And I don't think it's funny-I think it's embarrassing.

I agree that she wouldn't be getting the same flack for an awkward bow. The flack has a definite hint of misogyny.

But I also agree that as PM she should know how to do a graceful curtsey if and when protocol requires. Protocol didn't require her to curtsey on this occasion, so she chose to do so, and she did it really terribly.

Who is advising our politicians on their body language/movement? They should be asking for a refund.

I wish there was a name for opportunist feminism

How does knowing how to curtsey affect the ability of the PM to do her job?

It just looks so old fashioned, grovelling and subserviant, think that's why she is being ridiculed, not because she is a woman.