Radio 5 live now, celebrating IWD with ..... Monroe Bergdorf.

[RubyViolet]

Laura Whitmore show is dedicated to IWD. Can’t listen. It will ruin my day.

Oh and they’re taking part at the Women of the World event at the South Bank that aims ‘to explore the state of gender equality across the globe and tackle the subjects that matter most to women and girls across the world today.

Not enough sighs...

Yeah I used she. She, he, they I’m sick of correcting myself and just went with it. You get my drift though I hope.

I did. I understand. But it is part of the problem.

I supported the BBC for years, and was terrified about what the coalition government was going to do to them in 2010. But I'm afraid I've got to the point where I actively want them to be decimated by the government's reforms to the license fee. They've brought it on themselves with their relentless agenda pushing, their elite metropolitan worldview and promotion of men's desires over women's rights.

tackle the subjects that matter most to women and girls across the world today

Which for Bergdorf, I'm assuming have nothing to do with our female bodies.

When are the people who make these decisions going to stop insulting women and girls and destroying any residue of self-worth we may have.

To engage a man, with full knowledge that he is a man, to speak on behalf of women is the grossest of insults. It has to be deliberate, as a means of deepening our oppression by men. They are saying "we choose to ignore you, women, because you are insignificant. International Women's Day is not a day for you, women, it is a day when men can demonstrate their power to oppress you because you are women".

I want to see the BBC reduced down to an impartial news and information service that puts in good work and restores the BBC global brand to one that can be trusted at a time when such a thing is sorely needed.

(With maybe some radio bits continuing.)

But you know what? There would have been a God almighty hoo hah if they HADN’T included a transwoman on Woman’s Day. Heads would have rolled, people would have lost their jobs or be passed over for promotions for not toeing the line. It’s come to this. But this expectation seems mainly to be coming from within the organisation rather than from without. They don’t care about pissing off their actual audience, just pandering to a hypothetical, imagined audience. A vocal one it has to be said.

Yes I agree. But watch them go for the jugular by weaponising this exact issue in an irresponsible, polarising way when there are political figures to be discredited. It's very curious.

Usually female political figures, like Swinson or Nandy.

It has to be deliberate, as a means of deepening our oppression by men. They are saying "we choose to ignore you, women, because you are insignificant. International Women's Day is not a day for you, women, it is a day when men can demonstrate their power to oppress you because you are women".

Yes, exactly.

Oh I have a minor Monroe Bergdorf rant as well. Friday night I went to a performance of Letters Live - famous people read correspondence. Letters are sometimes but not always loosely themed to the performer e.g. Alan Carr read a letter written by Kenneth Williams, Colin Salmon and Jordan Stephens read a father and son exchange about police killing of black youths.

Monroe Bergdorf read 2 letters, one written by Serena Williams about barriers to women athletes and one written by Zooey Deschanel to Vogue magazine about not limiting female beauty to an ideal. I have no issue with Monroe performing and if Monroe had read, for example, the letter from Florence Nightingale about one of her cats, I would have had no problems. But there were plenty of women on the bill who could have been chosen to read the only 2 letters specifically related to women's issues.

Ask Bergdorf what colour a vagina is.

Bergdorf seems to be making a career out of this large silicon implant invented character "Munroe". It's the humor less whiny 2020 version of Dame Edna Everage. I suppose that people might find entertainment value in a display of gender dysphoria like that, but what are they enjoying? Their own empathy?

The only thing MB is famous for is for NOT being a woman - if MB was a woman MB couldn’t be a “transwoman”

So I agree that the only reason to pick MB to speak on IWD is to troll women. How dare they.

I’m going to listen to it now. Wish me luck. I might return with an exploded head.

It’s too depressing for me to listen to today. I am hovering over the delete button.

Thanks for the complaint link LindaSmithfanclub.

The only thing MB is famous for is having had a lot of plastic surgery - as far as I can tell they have done nothing else of note or merit, and yet they are frequently held up as being inspirational.

Can anyone think of a single famous biological woman who is similarly feted for having had lots of cosmetic surgery? Or are they all sneered at and ridiculed? Eg Katie Price, Jodie Marsh etc etc?

Also famous for telling women not to centre women’s experiences. For being abusive to lesbians. For telling children to contact them privately on social media. And for being ‘let go’ from all sorts of positions.

I hope Monroe delivers a lecture on 'gynocentric' feminism, and why anything pertaining to female reproductive system eg abortion, fgm, etc should not be discussed on IWD as it's exclusionary.

Thank you for the bbc complaint link

The Kardashians come to mind, BeUpStanding. They’re not ridiculed in the way Price & Marsh have been, have a large and genuine fan base, and are certainly capitalising on their appeal and building businesses.

Jane Fonda—while known for many many other achievements/controversies—is certainly lauded for her amazing results with plastic surgery, though she didn’t set out to completely change herself in the way MB has.

I can’t just pick on MB for having done nothing much to merit fame and a platform. Our world seems to be littered with people of similar lack of achievement who are still famous for being famous. We do love in the age of the Personal Brand after all.

All I know is MB was on the radio today and I wasn’t. I was cleaning the kitchen and doing laundry while husband and daughter went to do the food shop. Later I shall sit in my studio and try to squeeze in a few hours of work that I missed during the week looking after a problem teenager, and I’ll try to absorb more chats or articles to enrich my mind.

The MB snippet didn’t bother me as such because it’s nothing I haven’t heard before, the same old TWAW ideology. What surprised me was the in studio reaction and praise afterward from the live guests. Full of right on and absolutely IwD has evolves to include everyone, hurrah, and isn’t it all about kindness and acceptance of everyone etc and isn’t that great.

No mention that kindness and acceptance should be promoted to everyone, everyday. No mention that it’s women’s day that now has to budge up and transform to include everyone. No mention that there is the slightest possibility that if everyone lives how they want to live that will inevitably come up against the wishes of someone else living how they want to live, and what the hell do we do then.

What the hell has Bergdorf ever done or achieved in their life to be appointed the official spokesperson for women?

I'm seriously asking, they seem to be one of those "famous for being famous" types with no actual skills or accomplishments, but maybe I've missed something. As well as lacking accomplishments there also seems to be a lack of intelligence or charm or... anything, really. Their prominence confuses me.

oh i see my question is already answered. Monrow seriously hasn't done anything of note. That makes the invitation to them to speak on IWD even more insulting to women.

My complaint (stole some snippets from here, thanks all):

BBC highlighting a transwoman on IWD
Were all the women busy? Why is the Laura Whitmore show talking to a transwoman on International Women's Day? Do your homework, BBC. MB is famous for telling women not to center women’s experiences. For being abusive to lesbians. For telling children to contact them privately on social media.

On International Women's Day you chose a guest who has been vocal demanding that women not discuss issues important to women, because that excludes transwomen. On International Women's Day. By doing this you show your audience how little you care about women.

Your other guests congratulate each other for being so right on, so kind following MB's interview (not an interview). What about the WOMAN who was not centered, because a transwoman was centered? MB reminding us to celebrate 'everyone' today? It is International Woman's Day. I see a really basic contradiction here, don't you? I fully accept MB as a transwoman. Be yourself, be happy. But MB should not speak for women. And certainly not on IWD.