Are all women masochists?
Perhaps the reason it’s so easy for women and girls to access the desire to violently attack themselves, is the fact that we are brought up to believe that pain and womanhood go hand in hand…
Male social status and the female body
The societal assumption is that body ideals are born out of what’s hot, what’s popular, attractive and appealing. Whilst this is somewhat true, a shifting ideal body type doesn’t originate with a woman’s looks. In fact, it’s all about social status. Particularly male social status.
I hate being cat-called. So why do I miss it when it’s gone?
We are conditioned to feel that all kinds of sexual attention is simply a welcome confidence boost, an antidote to how shit we are made to feel about our appearance.
Is body positivity making us more body conscious?
I know, it’s hard to imagine a world for women where what our bodies look like doesn’t take up so much real estate in our heads - but I think that would be the ideal solution. Not thinking about them quite so much, and therefore not basing our worth on how they look quite so much.
Are diets the modern day religion?
There is an astonishingly strong link between religious culture and diet culture. May seem rogue, but both cultures laud control, clarity, moral superiority and purity.
How to approach this New Year.
I’ve spoken about the tired old New Year-New Me fuckery before, (which you are very welcome to check out), but sadly this year, diet, exercise and self-improvement culture continue to be more rampant and pressurising than ever, so I thought that a little reminder of a few things wouldn’t go amiss.
The best Christmas present you can give yourself
Sending love to all of you this Chrimbo, it’s a weird and pressured time. Please don’t worry if you’re feeling a bit flat and shitty, but remember; denying yourself the simple pleasures of food won’t make you feel any better.
Hustle culture and finding your purpose.
It’s because capitalism has taught us that purpose = productivity and achievement (read: money and success according to capitalists). As a result, the search for meaning and purpose in life has become a fucking pressure cooker, fuelled by our fear of failure.
Has the diet industry changed for the better?!
As the societal appetite for self-hatred and self-punishment has, in some ways, shrunk in recent years, the diet, weight-loss and fitness companies that benefit from our self-hatred and self-punishment, have had to mutate and adapt to keep up with the current environment.
How to make life less stressful.
When life is scary, uncertain and full of grey areas we can’t control, it’s easy to be tempted into trying to secure our fate by following a set out plan to a T. But (without sounding too wanky) by doing this, we run the risk of closing ourselves off from the fruits of the unknown.
DUAL: disgust, disconnection and destruction of our bodies.
Director Scarlett Pivaro Monaghan will interrogate this battle between our minds and our bodies in her upcoming film DUAL (2023). An abstract analysis of how body dissatisfaction disconnects us from our bodies, and the resulting mistreatment of them.
Does diet culture strip away our femininity?
I can’t tell whether it’s ironic or fitting that diet culture, an empire historically aimed at targeting and belittling women, is extremely masculine in its energy…
Why do we hate ourselves?
As a society, we can’t compute the concept of being happy in oneself without some sort of martyrdom along the way. It’s rather curious: hating oneself is widely seen as the sure-fire way to eventually loving oneself.
Why calories on menus is bad news.
We don’t need anymore poor fuckers with eating disorders. Ignore the Tory cunts and enjoy whatever food you so please without even a shadow of guilt.
How to be a natural Kim Kardashian
In Year 6, I was told my hips will get wider, my boobs will get rounder, and at some point along the way, blood will start pouring out of my fanny. This, understandably, left my knowledge of pubescent physiological changes as far reaching as a gradual transition into a natural Kim Kardashian, and a rendition of Saw IV in my pants.
Why exercise is so hard.
The whole vibe of the fitness world is “WORK OUT LIKE ME TO LOOK LIKE ME” which is not only a bare faced lie (our bodies do not work that way), but also bloody draining.
What is self objectification?
Self objectification is looking at oneself with a view to answering the question: “Would I fuck me?”. We don’t necessarily clock ourselves doing this, but sadly, the vast majority of us exist as if a pair of critical eyes float beside us, constantly judging our fuckability on the way to the corner shop, to work, to school and even in our own homes.
Eating Disorder Awareness Week
Using the word ‘competitive’ to describe an illness is pretty counter-intuitive, I know. I can’t offer solid evidence, but I highly doubt that those with cancer desire to be the sickest cancer patient on their ward, to have gone through the most treatment, or have the worst prognosis, but, eating disorders (EDs) are grossly competitive.
What do our mothers pass onto us?
My mum taught me how to hate my body.
Not intentionally, of course, she is none other than the best, most loving mum in the universe, but, nevertheless, through her own body dissatisfaction, I learnt what I should hate about mine.
No diet New Year
Capitalism loves New Year. The more depressed and dissatisfied we are with ourselves, the more money they can make. They have become increasingly canny at luring us in with enticing deals and attractive promises, and a year like 2020, where our collective mental health has been tested more than ever, is a perfect chance for them to rake in a profit.