Keris Stainton's Blog, page 15

Feminism Friday: Miss Representation

I’ve written about Miss Representation before, but the film is now available on iTunes in the UK – and the site is so fantastic – that I thought I’d mention it again.

The pledge:

1. Tell 5 people about the film and share one thing you learned from watching it.

2. Parents – watch TV and films with your children. Raise questions like “What if that character had been a girl instead?”

3. Remember your actions influence others. Mothers, aunts and loved ones – don’t downgrade or judge yourself by your looks. Fathers, uncles and loved ones—treat women around you with respect. Remember children in your life are watching and learning from you.

4. Use your consumer power. Stop buying tabloid magazines and watching shows that degrade women. Go see movies that are written and directed by women (especially on opening weekend to boost the box office ratings). Avoid products that resort to sexism in their advertising.

5. Mentor others! It’s as easy as taking a young woman to lunch. Start by having open and honest conversations with a young person in your life.

My writing process (may contain flail).

1. I’ve got a brilliant idea! I must write it immediately!

2. Procrastinate for anything from a week to a year.

3. Start writing.

4. Suspect it wasn’t such a good idea after all.

5. Write for a while with less enthusiasm.

6. Have another brilliant idea.

7. Either give up and start that one or push on with the promise of the next idea as a reward.

8. Finish the (shitty) first draft. You know, eventually.

9. Relief.

10. Put it away so I can come back to it with “fresh eyes”.

11. Do all the things I couldn’t do while I was writing. Mostly the same things I did while I was writing, but without the “I should be writing” fear and guilt.

12. After a couple of weeks (or years) read with “fresh eyes.”

13. Realise how much work it needs.

14. So much work that I don’t think I can do it.

15. No, really.

16. Flail.

17. Realise the flailing is more painful than the rewriting (probably).

18. Trick myself into rewriting… “I’ll just make a few notes. I don’t have to write anything if I don’t want to.”

19. Do this for the whole book.

20. Feel like I’m getting somewhere. Think about how lucky I am to get to do this instead of having a proper job!

21. Start actual rewriting rather than just note-making.

22. Email people with research questions.

23. Obviously, I can’t write anything until I’ve got the answers to the research questions. That’s just common sense.

24. Get the answers.

25. Flail.

26. Flail.

27. Think “It’s not rocket science, FFS, it’s just a book. Get on with it.”

28. Get on with it.

29. Or not.

30. Write a blog post about my writing process so that next time I write a book (if there is a next time) I can remind myself that I do this every bloody time.

The Charter for Compassion

This video was mentioned in a book I’m reading, Teaching Kids to be Good People, and it seems appropriate today.

I Heart Bedtime by Clara Vulliamy

Joe and I loved the first Martha and the Bunny Brothers book, I Heart School, so I was thrilled to receive this one from the publisher for review. When I showed Joe, he said, “I got a card from her!” He did, for his birthday in January; I was so pleased he remembered.

We both loved this book just as much as the first (I think I actually like it even more). Clara is so brilliant at capturing all the cute and weird things little children (or bunnies) get up to. Like one of Martha’s bunny brothers insisting on cleaning his teeth with a cardboard box on his head…

Like the first book, this one is great fun to read (so important with picture books you end up reading over and over) and I love the message of siblings loving and taking care of each other.

Read the lovely interview I did with Clara

Slovenia, 2000

The old diary I found recently had just a few boring pages at the start and from then on I only wrote in it when we had holidays. I’m posting this here for posterity (mine)!

22 June 2000

This place is gorgeous! I’m sitting on the balcony and there are lovely Italianate houses, a small marina and a jetty to the left and more houses and a church to the right. The balconies are all curlicued (!) so looking to the right looks like that picture of Sophia Loren at Cannes (wonder if Dad wants a copy!).

Yesterday, we got to the airport a bit late but it didn’t make any difference, the flight was fine – only 2 hours, 5 mins. The views were amazing landing – all mountains and fir/pine (?) trees and we could smell them when we got off the plane. Just after we got on the coach, David saw an eagle and then as we went through some woods there was a little deer in a kind of wheatfield – the coach driver honked the horn and it looked up and just watched us go. While it stayed light everything looked beautiful! But the journey was 2.5 hours which is a bit grim when it’s mostly dark, but it passed quite quickly.

The hotel isn’t on the picture, which is a bit of a cheat. The picture is of Tartini Square and probably what I thought was the hotel is the town hall or something! The hotel isn’t very pretty so that’ll be why, but even so!

The room’s fine – big double bed, this balcony (whcih we’d given up on so we were quite excited) and a nice big bathroom with a ashower. We made QT and sat on the balcony talking. David said, “I think this is going to be a good holiday.” I think so too. I hope so!

23 June 2000

We didn’t do very much at all yesterday cos it was so damn hot! Went for a walk to the headland and through a bit of town then came back and saw the rep, who was next to useless. We’ve booked to go to Lake Bled and Venice (of course). We spent most of the day in the room or on the balcony reading or people-watching. It was a nice relaxing day. We went up to a pizza place for dinner, which (wine and pizza) was plentiful and cheap. Then we watched the sunset from a “rocky outcropping.” Lovely. Today we’re (hopefully) off to Llubljana.

24 June 2000

We got to the bus station yesterday at 10, but the bus wasn’t til 11. We walked along the coastal path to Portoroz – it’s so beautiful looking out at the sea. We got on the bus and settled down for the 2.5 hour journey. Luckily the scenery was beautiful and I spent quite a lot of time with my face pressed to the window. It took 3 hours cos there was a stop for a drink on the way (bus driver kickback). it was roasting in Llubljana – we had lunch in McDonalds’s just for a laugh (McD’s around the world!). We both had a ‘Fish Mac Meal’. They didn’t have anything different except big bowl salads and something in a cup called a McFlurry.

Llubljana was gorgeous but v small. We walked up to the castle (then had to have a prolonged recovery sit down) and the views were amazing, but only the tiny old town is beautiful – the modern buildings it’s surrounded with are hideous. We had a much needed beer by the river then walked up to Tivoli Park where we lay down and v nearly fell asleep. We got back on the bus and the return journey seemed much quicker. Lovely light and a sunset to boot. We had yet another pizza in very romatic leafy setting (Surf Bar) then back to the room. Woken in the night by incredible thunder and then quickfire lightning. Very disarming.

25 June 2000

Well, it’s 11.45am and we’re still in the room cos it’s blowing a gale and pissing it down! Yesterday we went for a wander around the city walls and then had another balcony day. We walked to Portoroz and had dinner – I had calimari, which was mega-garlicky and had loads of whole leggy squids – yuck. We watched Italy v Romania in a bar on the beach. V cosmopolitan, as D pointed out. Kept awake again last night by a whole range of rackets – disco, party, motorbikes, another thunderstorm, what sounded like a hurricane, Italians celebrating their win and then some fellow residents shrieking “Yee-ha!” at about 6am. Knackered again.

26 June 2000

Went to Lake Bled and Bohinj today. It was lovely but we didn’t get long enough at the lakes. Had a nice leisurely lunch with a couple from Yorkshire though. Yesterday we decided to go to Portoroz and the weather cleared up on the way there. (We went to the aquarium first – great selection of ugly fish!) In Portoroz we had dinner in a lovely terrace restaurant with a great view and who should come in but Zahovic, Slovenia’s striker. We were quite excited! Then we watched Spain v France. (France won 2-1.)

28 June 2000

I’m actually ok about going home – I wasn’t yesterday, I wanted to stay in Venice, but I’ve got plenty to be going on with at home and, for a change, I’m happy with my life. Venice was amazing – a day isn’t enough – I want to go back and explore some of the smaller islands, the main two areas are v busy and v touristy. When we first crossed the Grand Canal the view was so amazing that I cried. I’m such a sap.

Course, it was constantly in my mind that it was Mum’s favourite place and it was weird to stand and have a photo taken in St Mark’s Square when I know there’s a very similar one of her. I might find it at the weekend and put them together.

The tour that we went on was really good – we had a guide walk us from the catamaran – Prince of Venice – to St Mark’s Square then a local guide took us around and showed us the Bridge of Sighs and the Doge’s Palace. Apart from all the tourists, the place seems frozen in time. When we walked past the cafe on St Mark’s – can’t remember what it’s called, but it’s v old, expensive and famous – there was an orchestra playing. After a free afternoon, with too much walking for David’s liking (I went investigating by myself while he had a snooze in a little park), we got a water taxi back to the boat. It was amazing too because it went through what are obviously residential areas that were v beautiful. Saw loads of locals on the water buses. I wonder if you ever take living in Venice for granted?

“It’s usually female celebrities who feel under pressure to stay in shape…”

A few weeks ago I was at my sister’s house and she had a copy of a weekly women’s/celebrity gossip magazine. I started to flick through it and, after just a few pages, noticed something… (Yes, this was all in the same issue.)

Towie’s Sam: “I’ve ditched the Essex look – Joey prefers me natural.” TOWIE’s Sam Faiers opens up about body confidence, surgery plans and starting a family with boyfriend Joey Essex: As our fresh-faced shoot proves, Sam is comfortable without her war paint – and says she wouldn’t turn to Botox until she’s 40. But the reality star reveals that she’d like to follow in the footsteps of her surgically enhanced TOWIE pals and would consider work on her natural 32D chest. She explains: “I’ve not got massive boobs, so I would get a boob job – but not until I’ve had the four kids I want! I told Joey: ‘After four, you’ll have to treat me!’” [Naked photo is captioned 'She isn't self-conscious about her curves']

Charlotte’s Joy: “Jonny’s made me a new woman – he loves me as I am.” Jonny’s constantly telling her how beautiful she is and how he finds her curves sexy. Her weight has yo-yoed in the past, but now she’s embracing being a size 12 and she’s never felt sexier… The star… has struggled with her weight in the past. She went up to a size 14 in 2009 after having her kids, but dropped to a 6-8 the next year, around the time of her split with Gavin. But after finding happiness with Jonathan and going up to a size 10…

Sarah Harding Exclusive! “Girls Aloud are too skinny – curves are sexier.”

“I want a sexy bum like Gisele’s” Body-obsessed designer Victoria Beckham is pursuing a surprising new fixation – a curvy bum. ‘She knows David would love her to have a curvier bottom – that’s part of the reason she’s working hard at achieving the perfect bum.’

Demi ‘finds peace’ and gains a dress size. She looked ‘healthier than she has in ages after going up a dress size to an 8.’

“Being skinny didn’t make me happy.” Singer Frankie Sandford is loving her new curves after ditching her carb-free diet.

Una: “I’m naturally thin.”

Danielle Lloyd’s column: “Post-baby bod envy!” 

Xtina drops 2st: “I feel sexy again!” After yo-yoing over the years, Christina showed off a hot new body last week.

“I know I’ll lose my baby weight” New mum Imogen Thomas tells [mag] she’s confident about regaining her size 10 model figure.

Jennifer Ellison: “I won’t eat for two this time.”

How Khloe [Kardashian] lost a stone. 

Will.i.am “I’m on a soup and fruit diet.” It’s usually female celebrities who feel under pressure to stay in shape…

I WONDER WHY.

Feminism Friday: Violence & Silence

You may have already seen this TED Talk from Jackson Katz, Ph.D – it’s been shared a lot and I’m not surprised – but if you haven’t, please do take the time to watch it. It’s about violence against women, but it’s not just about that, it also encompasses so many of the aspects of feminism I’ve been talking about (or trying to talk about) in these posts.

Wendy James was ahead of her time

My online friend Stuart tweeted a link to this video of Transvision Vamp’s Wendy James on Going Live and indeed pointed out how ahead of her time she was, but I didn’t get a chance to watch it until just now and it’s amazing. She starts off saying she doesn’t usually wear knickers (and Sarah Greene neither gets flustered nor apologises, as would no doubt be the case now) and goes on to talk about feminism and the environment. In 1991.

I worked with* Wendy James around 93/94, I think, and she was absolutely lovely. I was scared of her before I met her (I was pretty much scared of everyone back then, but she had such a tough image), but she surprised me by being a total sweetheart: kind, funny and completely down to earth (she once asked us to book a flight for her, and my boss – who felt very maternal towards her – told her she should know how to do it herself, so made Wendy do it under our supervision. Wendy was – or seemed to be – completely fine with this, grateful, in fact). I wish I hadn’t been such a nervous wreck – maybe I would’ve got to know her better, god knows I could’ve learned a lot from her back then.

Also, I really miss Going Live…

Interview starts at around 6 mins.

* I worked in a music business accountants and she was one of my “client roster”.

30 days of animation

I’m clearing out the starred posts in my Google Reader, in preparation for its closure. This was via the ever-awesome, The Kid Should See This.

30 Days of animation from Geoff King on Vimeo.

Perspective

I think I’ve shared this before, but possibly not this particular animation? Anyway, I think it bears repeating.

Pale Blue Dot from ORDER on Vimeo.