Julie Burchill

[tinyjo]

May have more self awareness that I have previously given her credit for, although I'm not quite sure about the first bit :)

like me, she [Clare Short] has moved from being a fearless original thinker to being something of a reckless parody of herself without ever seeming embarrassed about it.

From this article in the Guardian.

I quite like reading Julie Burchill - something about the very agressive way she writes makes me think about my objections, just to make sure as it were. But I've actually come across 2 articles of hers that I agree with this afternoon (yes, it's Friday and I'm browsing the Guardian archives). There's this one about the fact that we shouldn't have to enjoy work and this one arguing that it is NOT periods which make you a woman. This is a debate I occasionally end up having with people who think I'm slightly odd for saying that the major advantage of having the contraceptive injection is that I don't have periods. Let me go on record and say "I hated having periods!" They're messy and uncomfortable and make me feel back-achy, depressed and fat. And you can't have a bath or shower in comfort. Plus you have to faff around with tampons/pads (which cost a fortune). Basically I think the whole thing is horrible and was exreamly relieved to get shot of them. So for once, Julie and I are on the same side.

Comments

[tinyjo.livejournal.com]

Women. Notably one of my close friends from my old school days who when I met up with her during the Christmas holidays just after I'd started the injections and mentioned it was horrified and looked at me like I was a complete freak. Most men to whom I've mentioned the issue look nervous (bless) but generally take the same view as me (possibly thinking that they wouldn't want periods so they can see why I can't). Possibly it's on of those "only in Norfolk" things :)

[swisstone.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Male reaction nothing at all to do with the thought that this means their girlfriends are potentially sexually available for an extra three days a month, then?

Erm.

[jinty]

Well, it's not that I think that having periods is somehow 'more feminine' or otherwise something one should do, but it does seem like if you go round having injections (or pills) which stop you from having them, what will come of it, health risk-wise? Took 'em long enough to reckon there might be any risk from women taking the pill.

(Not particularly defending 'women who flow' either -- periods are more annoying to me than either uplifting or disrupting.)