Welcome to 2012. The WTF has started early this year with the new ads promoting ‘The Biggest Loser’. As I commented to MyNigel this morning obviously we are kidding ourselves that fat people are loveable and able to have relationships while fat because biggest loser is taking 16 ‘singles’ and making them ‘thin’ so that they can be loved by someone. The message that fat people are unloveable is loud and clear. The Fat Shaming is starting early.
Then I was reminded how bad the tennis commentary can be when watching the post match stuff at the Hopman Cup after the Li Na and Marian Bartoli match. The commentator (male) actually said now here is [interviewer] with ‘our women’. Our women FFS. Props to him for not saying ‘females’ but really ‘our women’? Then the interviewer asked Li Na about her relationship with her husband who is also her coach. Sure ask about coaching, but do you really need to ask about her personal relationship? Li Na, as she always does, handled the question with aplomb and grace.
So what has you saying WTF early in this new year?
Categories: Culture, health, Life, media, relationships
DUFC #69 
Hoyden About Town 
John Howard receiving Order of Merit from the Queen.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-01/former-pm-john-howard-appointed-a-member-of-the-order-of-merit/3754100
Already posted it in the open thread, but Obama turning round and signing off on the NDAA indefinite military detention bill after saying that he was going to veto it.
Rather specific, but the lack of organisation in Flinders Street station last night. It’s not like NYE is a surprise; they knew what was coming. But it was like a horror movie. It was more than overcrowded. It was impossible to move. People were having panic attacks and fainting from the crush. Police could only yell at the drunk people shoving and starting fights. There was broken glass on the floor, and kids were terrified. Thousands of people, crammed as tightly as people can get, all trying to go in different directions. I don’t understand why they didn’t plan better.
^I’ll second that John Howard getting an Order of Merit. What the fuck?
Seriously – what economy of merit has Johnny Howard ever accumulated any kind of socio-cultural capital in? Pfff. The tyranny of mediocrity?
Sheeshkebabs.
I must have caught a good wave in the sea of people, but I somehow managed to avoid belligerent folks all night in the CBD (YNYEMMV, obvs). Made the mistake of exiting Fed Square (the free concert whatsit on the main stage) via the river side, but people seemed patient with each other. No-one around me seemed to think that they could “fix” or avoid the crush via aggression or what have you.
A surge of anxiety hit when we were crossing Flinders St to head along Swanston. “What if it doesn’t let up on the other side? What if the appearance of breathing room over there is a mirage?” As soon as our concerns were allayed, we headed to Collins/Spring St and the gardens as a “holy crap, I don’t think I can do another minute of that!” crowd-dodging maneuver.
There was a fair amount of whingeing and futile efforts to ‘save seats’ when a “defective” train was on the platform for 20 minutes or so before the next active train came along (around 2:00-2:30am).
Libra appears to be starting the new with a good dose of WTF of the transmisogyny variety.
This Libra tampons ad shows two women (one coded as a trans woman/drag queen) competing at adjusting their makeup at a bathroom mirror. After applying mascara, lip-gloss and adjusting their breasts, the protagonist cis woman pulls out a tampon and the trans woman leaves in a huff.
First day of the year (well, second by the time I actually made this comment) and I’m already complaining to the Advertising Standards Bureau.
Wow, that Libra ad is so much worse than I thought from the description. The glances between the two suggest that they’re ‘competing’ to see who’s the ‘real woman’, and the cis woman pulls out her tampons as a trump card.
For those wondering, products in the Libra/SCA group include Tena, Treasures, Bodyform, Deeko, Handee, Tuff Mate, Purex, Sorbent, and a variety of others.
Oh, whoops, I posted about the ad before I checked in on this thread. I’ll add in your link to the ASB on my post, Li. So, er, I guess, thirded on that?
I hate nearly everything Howard did or stood for, but I hate the attitude that politicians (from any party) – and particularly a Prime Minister – don’t do anything that deserves recognition / is worthy of praise.
11 years as a Prime Minister – and a Member of Parliament for 35 years – is a bloody lot of public service, even if you don’t like what he did with it, and I reckon public service is something that deserves recognition, and is something of merit.
Oh fine, make a really reasonable point and deflate all my self righteous whinging *sulks* *has to admit that makes sense*
Yes obviously we immediately need to become a republic so that we can refuse to recognise the service of politicians we didn’t like. Because that will, um, do something, and give us something to get angry about when the other lot get in and give them all awards anyway. Unless they are like women or something.
Mindy, lol.
And yes, agree re: republic 🙂
@ 2.tigtog-below is an article that appeared on feministing.com. It gives a plausable reason for Obama signing the NDAA bill. Like legislation made by Australian Parlaments, sometimes very important changes piggy back some very unpalatable things. According to this author there is provision for the better treatment of service people who are victims of sexual assault and also the provision of pay and equipment to soldiers and others in the services and intelligence agencies.
Why it was linked to the reduction of other peoples freedoms I can only guess?
[link]
ken, the trouble is that he lets the GOP wedge him like this, with revolting riders, over and over again. He makes a noise about vetoing on principle, and then he caves yet again in the name of a bipartisan ideal which the Republicans privately spit upon. It’s all so terribly disappointing.
In other reality TV show WTF, I am despising the ads for ‘Please Marry My Boy.’ Basically the mothers of four grown men choose their potential new wife out of a group of eligible women. It just looks awful. I think in the ad for it there is a line something about the mothers “they do the cleaning, cooking and ironing and now they get to choose the wife”. Ugh on so many levels.
Also the new Biggest Loser looks awful and totally fat shaming.
That new HP ad has to win my vote. Hurray, dodging anxiety-inducing corpse-screaming! All in the name of advertising really crap laptops! *grumbles*