Category Archives: Uncategorized

Lena Dunham and Girls is a triumph for real nudity

I had a piece in the Independent last week and you can read it HERE.

Personally, I like to take every opportunity to get my boobs out; they are a constant source of amusement to me. There is nothing that I ever don’t find hysterical about the fact that there are fleshy meat-sacks hanging off the front of me, billowing and dangling away down there. We have to live in our skin, every day, and my feeling is that we might as well get used to it. But that matter-of-factness is something that I’ve had to work on: attempting to feel free in my own skin, after a lifetime of being told that I shouldn’t be. I’m getting there.

My parents are very proud.

(One day I will update this blog with an actual blog, not just a link to an article. MAYBE.)

Say no to sexism: why funny women on stage, on television and online are the new feminist fightback

New blog up on the Indy website:

Say no to sexism: why funny women on stage, on television and online are the new feminist fightback

I managed to go a good three days before I was bothered by that lazy but inevitable refrain: “I just don’t find women very funny.” We’ve all heard the sort of thing; women don’t have any sense of comic timing; we cry if we get heckled; we’re not genetically predisposed towards having a sense of humour (thanks for that one, Christopher Hitchens). Basically, we wouldn’t see a punch-line coming if it bit us in the tit.

Gillette: Not the Best Marketing Can Get

Piece up on the Independent this week http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/gillette-not-the-best-marketing-can-get-8289059.html

Yesterday’s object of ridicule amongst the more feminist valleys of the twittersphere was Gillette’s Get Closer to Your Mancampaign, which gives “advice” on how to please your man via the medium of body hair removal. Yes, forget all those things you thought might be important in a functioning relationship: a shared sense of humour, perhaps, some sexual or emotional chemistry, or the ability to hold a conversation for more than five minutes. All those things go out the window the minute your man feels the lightest graze of stubble besmirching your lady-pins. “Disgustubble!” he will cry, leaping from the bed in alarm, “Get thou to the bathroom, to remove your hair and infuse thy follicles with white tea!”

Column in the Sunday Times

I am raking in the Murdoch dolla with a column in the Sunday Times’ Style magazine. Because I am, like, SO fash.

Also, I have now achieved my life-goal of shoe-horning a Derrida reference into a women’s fashion magazine. HECK. YES.

If you have pay-wall access (HAHAHAAHAHA) then you can read it here.

Erotic Choose Your Own Adventure: Part III

Previously on ‘EROTIC CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE’…….

Spoilers: what is behind the next door is a ghost. Yes, actually.

AND YOU THOUGHT I WAS JOKING.

You guys I wasn’t even joking.

Things start to get a little dark in this chapter. Let’s just consider this the hallowe’en instalment, since it’s October. You have been warned.

Chapter 8: The Monster

The two ghosts, the one dressed in pale clothes, the other in dark, waited for me, without moving.

What I think about, this sentence, is that maybe, it has too many commas, in it.

I warmly shook their hands in the dark and then left them, for it was time for me to go back to my life outside and to find the Man I had come to look for in here.

I walked towards the illuminated sign and my heart was pounding. I was no more than three paces away from it when I heard a moan behind me. I turned round.

In the dark I could make out the shapes of the two ghosts embracing. It seemed as if they were kissing each other on the mouth. Then I saw them disappear together behind one of the two doors.

YES YES YES GHOST SLASH MY LIFE IS COMPLETE.

I began to wonder whether I wasn’t making a mistake in leaving before I had met the two ghosts who had been following me during my journey through the labyrinth.

I began to wonder whether I wasn’t making a mistake in ever buying this fucking book.

Didn’t they, too, have something to teach me? And would I have another opportunity to make their acquaintance? I turned back and opened the door I had seen them go through.

I entered a bright, square-shaped, simple monk’s cell. They didn’t seem to have heard me. Near the window, through which I could see an arid, deserted mountain landscape, the Ghost of Myself was undressing the other, that is, was taking off his ample white cape, beneath which he was naked.

Yeah, thanks for the clarification that undressing someone does indeed mean taking off their clothes.

Then I discovered that the Ghost of Lost Love was a very beautiful young man, at least his body was beautiful, for his face remained hidden under a white hood, a cloth bag with three holes cut in it around the eyes and mouth and tied around his neck with a rope. Oddly, he was also wearing ropes around his hips; their ends fell between his thighs as a sort of loincloth.

Ok. CREEPY. AS. HELL. I don’t know; is this supposed to be turning us on? If they make a film adaptation of this book (IT COULD TOTALLY HAPPEN, YOU GUYS. THEY ARE MAKING ONE FOR FIFTY SHADES), my money is definitely on Guillermo Del Toro to direct.

As for the Ghost of Myself, he kept on his long black tunic. His dress, his demeanour, his gaze and this cell which seemed to serve as his bedroom, seemed to suggest an oriental high priest or wise man. His gestures were calm and precise and you could see determination and moral strength in his face, as if he were preparing to perform some duty rather than abandon himself to lust. He was quite impressive.

I’d vote for him.

He started to undo the ropes around the pelvis of the beautiful pale ghost. When he was free, the latter leaned on the window sill with his back to me and offered his behind to his companion, moaning.

I guess this is supposed to be sexy-moaning, but the fact that he’s a ghost is just conjuring a sort of “OOOOOO-OOOOOOOOOOOOO” sound for me.

A ghost getting bummed, probably.

Then the dark ghost turned to me and signalled me to come forward. When I came near to him I reached out my hand towards his arm but he pushed it away. So I approached the naked body of the pale ghost. But he pushed me away again.

“Don’t Touch us,” he said. “Not me and especially not him. Whatever happens, make sure you don’t touch. It would bring about a great misfortune for all three of us. But watch and wait, for we will have need of you before long.”

Let’s face it; we’ve all been on Grindr dates that turned out something like this.

And he sat me down on a chair, next to the table, where two places had been laid.

The Ghost of Myself picked up one of the ropes that had been wrapped around the young man’s waist and started to beat him with it. The Ghost of Lost Love moaned and complained, but he put up no resistance.

His Inner Goddess is doing the merengue with some salsa moves.

He even started running round the room as his persecutor pursued him, whipping the rope against his flesh with all his might.

At first I was horrified by the cruelty of this scene and I wanted to intervene. Then I noticed that the pale ghost had an erection and, while going through the motions of running away, seemed to be exposing himself to the most painful blows, offering every part of his magnificent body to be beaten.

His member grew ever more stiff and purple. I slipped my hand under my dress, for, in spite of my discomfort at this spectacle, I was beginning to feel very excited.

Well I’m glad someone’s into it. Personally I’m with Des’ree.

Would rather have a piece of toast.

The hooded young man fell to the ground, lay on his back and was being beaten on his chest as he writhed about, not making any effort to protect himself with his arms. His cock stood up and twitched above his stomach. Then I forgot what the dark ghost had told me. This man needed me and I had to help him.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Everywoman Protagonist, don’t do it!!! Why are people always doing things they’ve expressly been warned against???

I slid to the ground and went towards him on all fours. When I got close, I grasped his extremely hard and warm cock and wanked it vigorously. He let out a cry and came straight away in my hand.

ECTOGASM :O :O :O :O :O

The dark ghost recoiled, looking grave and troubled. I felt relieved, as if I had come myself. But the pale ghost leapt to his feet and pulled off his hood wildly. His face, which was also very beautiful, was twisted in anguish. He tottered, looking at each of us in turn with an expression of disbelief.

Suddenly he started to undergo a transformation, at lightning speed. His hair grew out and turned white, his back bent, his flesh turned flabby, his skin drooped, his face became covered in lines, his teeth fell out of his mouth, his nails grew extraordinarily long.

fap fap fap fap fap fap fap fap fap fap fap

D:

Seriously, I don’t even know what is going on here. What started off as a pleasant tale of bromantic ghost-on-ghost fucking has taken a real turn for the macabre. Am I still meant to be wanking? I just don’t know! I’M SO CONFUUUUUUUUSED.

The latter fell to the ground. His neck was striped by a long, deep gash, which began to bleed profusely; large drops of blood flowed to the floor.

Book! What are you doing book! This is not the type of gash that I signed up for!

The pale ghost lost his strength. His flesh hollowed out and turned blue, hanging off his bones. He too fell to the ground on his back, in the position in which, a moment earlier, I had grabbed his eager sex, which had now shrivelled up.

You me both, honey.

His body gave off a smell of death, he didn’t move or breathe.

Since the beginning of his transformation I had been standing with my back to the wall, my head in my hands, screaming, paralysed. The Ghost of Myself stood up and said:

“You have to kill him now.”

At the spot where he had lain there was a pool of blood on the floor. But his haemorrhage seemed to have stopped. I was still screaming. The Ghost of Myself silenced me with a slap

Heck yes ghost misogyny.

and stuffed a pair of scissors into my hand, repeating:

“You have to kill him now.”

“But he’s dead! Can’t you see he’s dead?” I sobbed.

“If you don’t stick these scissors in his heart he will never be dead. You have to do it if you don’t want him to suffer forever and return to torment you for the rest of your life.”

This is basically what I am contemplating doing to this book, in order to stop it from haunting the rest of my days. The damn thing is clearly a horcrux. I chucked it in the toilet in the second floor girls lavatory and it still came back again.

ADMIT IT: YOU ARE AROUSED BY MY GIF-FINDING SKILLZ.

I approached the body and knelt in front of it. I was crying so much I could hardly see. I gripped the scissors in both hands, raised them over his emaciated chest and stabbed him several times, sobbing. Nothing came out of his body, as if he had been drained of his blood. I passed out.

When I came to I saw a rectangular hole gaping in the ground next to me.

“Help me,” said the Ghost of Myself.

We wrapped the body in the white cape and lay it in the grave. Then we replaced the floorboards. I was exhausted, but strangely calm.

“You intend to live on top of him?” I asked the dark ghost.

“We all live above the dead,” he said.

Soooooooooooooooooooo. Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

And he took me in his arms. I wept softly, my head lying against his chest.

“I love you,” I whispered.

Well, this is sudden! Just a few minutes ago she was being discomfited by his running around whipping people.

“Remember,” he said, “I am and will always be with you. Especially in your most intimate moments,

(Ceiling Ghost is watching you masturbate)

in your dreams, in your pleasures and in your pain. If you are able to recognise my presence, listen to me and love me in those moments and everything will be all right.”

And he kissed me.

I washed the wound in his neck, which was scarring already. Of the spot where his blood had soaked into the floor there was no trace except a small pile of coloured pebbles.

WHAT WHY. WHAT. NO.

He picked them up, put them in the palm of my hand and recommended that I keep them with me. I kissed him again and left. I knew now he would never leave me.

Fuckin’ ghosts, man.

We don’t want to be used as your ‘token woman’

Piece up on the Independent today, iznit.

Whereas a man’s public failings or achievements are seen as belonging to him personally, a woman’s are taken as inherent gender traits. No matter what we are – no matter our job role or interests – we are always seen as a woman before we are seen as anything else.

Is there still a place for women’s pages in the media?

Wrote a piece for the New Statesman today, yo.

The argument most often raised against women’s pages (along with women’s television programmes, and women’s radio shows) is that they are necessarily divisive, bringing with them an implication that women aren’t welcome amongst the other pages of the paper, and must be relegated into their own glossy pull-out harem. Not for us ladyfolk the stern black & white logic of the business pages! Not for us the brain-taxing Sudoku, with its spiky numbers and glaring empty boxes! No, the women need their own special place, full of pretty pictures of shoes (ALL WOMEN LOVE SHOES) and tearful confessions about lost love (ALL WOMEN LOVE TEARS).

The Hypocrisy of the Mail’s Fight to Ban Online Porn

I have a new piece up on the Independent today!

The Daily Mail’s fight to get online porn blocked is a bit rich coming from the people behind Mail Online

There is, of course, something more than slightly hypocritical about being preached to by a newspaper that derives some of its profit through posting photos of scantily-clad women all over its website, and then commentating ruthlessly and damagingly on every last inch of their flesh. The Mail’s gasping moral outrage at discovering that “the largest group of internet pornography consumers are aged 12 to 17 (presumably because this is the age when children begin to question things about their bodies, on account of, you know, growing up), doesn’t exactly sit prettily when placed next to the paper’s pseudo-paedophilic fascination with pubescent girls: take, for example, the now infamous piece by Vice Magazine last year, detailing what happens when you type the spectacularly creepy phrase “all grown up” into the Mail’s search engine.

I think it’s the first time I haven’t had loads of comments yelling at me for being a terrible writer/ woman/ person. Probably because I didn’t really write about feminism this time #standard

Erotic Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Pt.II

As you all enjoyed the last excerpt so much (what is WRONG with you), I thought it might be time to revisit our favourite Erotic CYOA book. If you missed the first blog, you can read it here, although I personally wouldn’t advise it.

Since the last time I blogged about it, something absolutely dreadful has happened to me. Well, I mean, a lot of dreadful things have happened to me (I ACCIDENTALLY STOLE A PINT FROM A MAN WITH NO LEGS. For example), but I am referring to one thing in particular.

Basically, I went to Hay-on-Wye, and I found this:

Image

OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD.

I bought six.

So, for a chance to WIN your VERY OWN COPY of Alina Reyes’ Sexual Labyrinth, and experience its majesty for yourself in hardbook form, you should…. Umm…. I dunno. Let me think.

OK I KNOW. Comment underneath, and write your own pitch for a chapter that could belong in this book. One of the adventures that our sexually-bewildering protagonist might find herself in, if she opened the right door. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, you can write out the whole short story, but just an idea will do. I will also accept ideas in comic or drawn form. We are all about the multimedia.

Anyway! Onto chapter 4.  It’s a shorter chapter this time, entitled The King. As usual, I apologise in advance.

I took my place in the long queue of women waiting in front of the king’s throne. He was a fat man, decked out in pompous clothes. He struck me as both unpleasant and attractive at the same time.

Ok. Right. HOW IS THIS A THING THAT YOU COULD BE. I love how her plan for ‘getting readers into the mood’ is to immediately introduce a hot, fat git of a king.

His long penis rose vertically from his diamond-embroidered pants,

I do love a snappy dresser.

 and at this very moment the first woman in line had just stuck it in her mouth; it only went part-way in. On each side of the throne were two giant hourglasses, which two valets in full livery turned over at the exact moment that the woman set to work.

She sucked the royal phallus with energy born of despair.

POSSIBLY THE BEST LINE WRITTEN IN ANYTHING EVER. The thing that I like best about this book is how relatable the scenarios are! We’ve all sucked a royal phallus with an energy born of despair before, am I right girls?

But when the sand had run out, she got up and left the room in tears. The following woman took her place immediately.

I am not really comfortable with this imagined land of female sexual debasement and fat patriachs. It reminds me too much of our actual land of female sexual debasement and fat patriarchs.

The king seemed impervious to everything that was done to him. He allowed himself to be manipulated without losing one jot of his majesty or his sang-froid.

Sang-froid: my new euphemism for spunk. “Oh, you got a jot of sang-froid on my blouse! Do be careful, dear”.
- me, in a hypothetical situation where I am for some reason some sort of WI member with a posh voice

I saw several women take their place at his member; some of them wanked him, some of them sucked him, some of them mounted him.

I’m avoiding the obvious “crown jewels” reference here. I do have some comedic standards.

But he preserved his equanimity and lost none of his substance

SANG-FROID

Or vigour and, when the sand stopped flowing, the women who had serviced him so passionately left in tears.

I asked the woman in front of me in the queue for an explanation.

Personally, I’d have done this before I watched all those girls suck off a king. But whatever; the author of this book and I are rarely of the same mind.

“He is the king of Time,” she said. “He has promised that the woman who makes him come will live for ever. But as you see, no one ever managed to get anything out of him. They cry because they have failed, like all the others. And yet, who wouldn’t give it a try?”

The answer to this question is “me”.

Soon her turn came and, in spite of her efforts, the king remained as stiff and cold as when I have first come into the room. She left in tears.

I approached the king, but stayed at a respectful distance. Even reaching out my hand I wouldn’t have been able to touch him. I remembered one of the most erotic moments I had experienced behind the doors of this little circus and I started to recount it to him, stressing certain details.

This book stresses certain of my details. And not in a good way.

NB: the “little circus” she is referring to is the “sexual labyrinth” itself, which is a series of doors you make your way through during the book. It’s basically like being trapped in a massive horror hotel, where every room turns out to be #101.

In my mind, the “erotic moment” she is describing to the king is our previous experience with the tiny little man. NAKED AS A WORM.

When the hourglass was two-thirds empty, I stopped talking.

“Well?” said the king after a moment.

“Well what, Sire?” I said ingenuously.

“Well, what happened next? How did it end?”

“Will you agree to come if I tell it to you? I promise you won’t be disappointed…”

“Very well. But get on with it…”

I continued my story, putting my heart into making it as arousing as possible. The king was panting. At the moment when I reached my conclusion

Presumably the tiny little man has just penetrated her with his entire body.

an abundant fountain of shiny white sperm shot of his member. There was a flurry of excitement in the audience. The sand finally ran out on each side of the throne.

NB. Every erotica writer ever: the word “sperm”? Not sexy.

“Will I live for ever, Sire?” I asked.

“Well… Come back tomorrow, tell me another story and we will give it some consideration.”

“But… you promised whoever…”

“You don’t argue with the king of Time,” he said in a sharp tone.

AHAHAHAHAHA. Every time I read this line, I decide to start using this phrase as a random interjection whenever anyone disagrees with me about anything. “But why don’t you want to come to the pub tonight?” “YOU DON’T ARGUE WITH THE KING OF TIME!!!”

I bowed and returned to the back of the room. “This king’s nothing but a fraud, I should have known,” I thought. And, with a shrug of the shoulders, I returned to the corridors where I opened another door.

I cannot wait to find out what’s behind the next door. My ladybits are positively drooling in anticipation.

Spoilers: what is behind the next door is a ghost. Yes, actually.

Are You A Person Who Has Just Moved to London? Here are some TIPS.

I live in London. Like most people who live in London, I do not come from London. A friend of mine, who also does not come from London, has just moved to London. He suggested that I write out some BEGINNER’S TIPS for people who do not come from London who have just moved to London, as everyone who does not come from London inevitably shall, at some point.

This is not a definitive list. I’ve only been here for just over a year – not nearly long enough to even discover 10% of this ridiculous city – so there’s still a lot more I have to discover. Also, most of it seems to be about public transport? Oh well.

  1. Escalators! Stand on the right, walk on the left. I’d assume everyone already knew this, but given the amounts of people I see flouting this rule daily, it bears repeating.
  2. Never pay with cash on the bus. This will immediately mark you out as a tourist, and also everyone will hate you.
  3. Enter through the front door of the bus and exit through the middle door. Attempts to use the wrong door will be frowned upon.
  4. Never make eye contact on public transport – unless someone is being badly behaved, in which case you may catch someone else’s eye and enjoy a mutual tutting session.
  5. Do not pronounce the “L” in “Holborn”.
  6. Think of the North London/South London divide as similar to the North England/South England divide. Neither party likes the other very much, and it’s almost impossible to get gravy below the border.
  7. If you don’t have anything to hold onto on the tube, bend your knees a little to avoid falling over. It took me a good six months, and a lot of wobbling, to discover this simple fact.
  8. It’s just called “Carnival”. You must go every year, but you will probably not enjoy it, unless you enjoy being hemmed in by huge amounts of people in sweltering heat and having some random old guy grind his erection into your back. True story.
  9. It’s difficult to buy booze in central London past about 11pm. I KNOW, IT IS RIDICULOUS.
  10. Don’t fall asleep on the Night Bus, or you’ll wake up in Hertfordshire. I speak from experience.
  11. Don’t get on the Night Bus in the first place, if you can help it.
  12. Arguing about the best route to take to a place using public transport is a popular pastime, and the faster you can familiarise yourself with the transport system in order to do this, the sooner you will be accepted. Try to cultivate a knowledge of “unusual” routes; this will make you look cool. Remember: TFL is not always right.
  13. Wait whilst people exit the carriage before attempting to board the train. This is just general train etiquette. You wankers.
  14. No one reads City AM. No one knows what City AM is about. Never accept a copy of it.
  15. If you exit at a tube station and there is classical music playing over the station speakers, be careful. You’re not in Kansas anymore.
  16. If you hear the public announcement system in a station calling for “Inspector Sands”, best make your way to the exit as quickly and calmly as possible. Just in case.
  17. If you are a small person, do not bother attempting to ride a Boris Bike. They are too tall, heavy and cumbersome for us.
  18. Everything outside of Zone 3 is considered to be another country. Zone 3 itself is pushing it.
  19. The best bet for an acceptably priced pint in central London is a Sam Smith’s pub.
  20. Whatever you do, never, ever, ever, ever, go into M&M World.

Do please add your own below!