Julia Long on Vine on 5 discussing statue of / about Mary Wollstonecraft

[stumbledin]

Someone let me know that Julia Long was invited to comment on the statue of Mary Wollstonecraft on the JV show. Managed to see most of it on the +1 channel where she sent all the women guests into gales of laughter talking about not statues of men with their willies out!

I cant see any clips of this bit of the show yet, but maybe available later.

Not only JL but the statue with THE t-shirt on!

www.facebook.com/JeremyVineOn5/photos/a.343689200421/10164836171555422/?type=3&theater

twitter.com/JeremyVineOn5/status/1327161347164008449

Keep an eye on My5?

The artist was paid well for it which I am sure will offset her sadness that it was not liked.

This talk of turning up for things in the buff reminded me of this. www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/cambridge-academic-attends-university-meeting-11976364 Male, female, I don't care - just keep your clothes on in public. It's not a lot to ask.

It was quite the thing for hippies back in the sixties to prance around in the nude as a means of celebrating the complete break with prudish, stifling, Victorian morality. That's the only reasoning I can think of behind this statue. Unfortunately, the sexual revolution didn't work out well for young women. They were still perceived as "Easy meat" by men whose attitudes didn't change in the least and behaved like pigs.

I know this isn't on the same topic at all, but Julia Long is very good on this radio segment from 2018. I think of it almost like the PP and AH clip.

What Julia does very well, is to stick to the point and use clear, direct language to make that point, without trying to soften what she is saying in any way, Kellie-Jay's approach is similar. And as someone said upthread, she is also good at thinking on her feet. It can sound quite harsh to those of us that are bound by female socialisation which is possibly what makes it so effective.

soundcloud.com/anne-ruzylo/julia-long-on-lbc-21-08-18

The bollocks spoken about it being a 'timeless' representation of woman completely misses the point about this being a tribute to Wollestonecraft. It is precisely because of when she lived that makes her work and achievements all the more remarkable. The historical context should be a central point of the tribute.

Not so long ago, the female body, nude or partially clothed, was in almost constant promotional use, be it a pop promo video, a car ad, a drinks commercial, Page 3... women campaigned against the public and casual sexualisation of their bodies.

The idea that a nude female form is necessary to get people talking about Mary Wollstonecraft and feminism is insulting for this reason.

The 'ladette' phase was part of this false idea of empowerment that so many women and girls subscribed to. As though the epitome of women's liberation would be found by our aping the behaviour of the most loutish of men while getting our tits out.

The idea that women are ashamed of the female form because they object to yet another non-representative female nude is pathetic. The only time our breasts are acceptable is when they're being made available for men's gaze. When they're being used for breastfeeding or for our own pleasure they're suddenly objects of public outrage, and this woman's claims only feed into that misogynist and patriarchal sense of ownership over our own bodies.

Essex mum's shock at breastfeeding photo backlash www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-54718027