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We studied the ‘bibles’ of jazz standards – and found sexism lurking in the strangest place

We are two female jazz singers, jazz researchers and lovers of jazz. And we have discovered jazz gave us another shared experience – sexism. We’d both experienced garden variety sexism. Wendy was asked by a male school principal if her recent marriage meant she would resign from teaching to start a family. Melissa received passionate advice from a male audience member to swap her comfortable outfit with a “glamorous dress” when she sang jazz. But as university music students, neither of us imagined something as innocent as a key signature in a textbook might be a symptom of gender discrimination. A <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/key-music">key</a> tells musicians which set of notes a song uses. In singing, a key affects whether the notes will be sung in the low, middle or high part of the voice. But when we looked at what keys the “bibles” of jazz standards used, we found a hidden form of sexism. <h2>The Real books</h2> This unusual story begins in 1975 at the Berklee College of Music in the United States. Two music students, tired of reading shoddy, error-filled song sheets, created The Real Book to accurately notate jazz songs. Sold illegally to avoid copyright fees, it was a phenomenal success. After years in surreptitious worldwide circulation, publisher Hal Leonard transformed The Real Book into a <a href="https://officialrealbook.com/history/">legal edition</a>. In 1988, Sher Music joined the act and produced The New Real Book. Despite similar titles, Sher’s book was unrelated but mimicked the idea of clearly notating jazz songs. Together the two books cornered the market. The real books remain the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/10/arts/pop-music-flying-below-the-radar-of-copyrights.html">bibles of jazz musicians</a> everywhere because they contain hundreds of songs called <a href="https://www.jazzstandards.com/overview.definition.htm">standards</a>. Standards are common jazz songs jazz musicians are expected to know. Knowing them is your ticket to participating in jazz ensembles, and so universities use these books to train students. However, few educators realise one decision in 1975 about notating standards cemented a practice excluding women. Jazz is valued as a “conversational” style of music where musicians express personal ideas and real stories. “Authentic” jazz singing is associated with the lower voice we use when speaking. The human voice is a <a href="https://soundbridge.io/human-voice-instruments/">biological musical instrument</a> coming in a variety of sizes, with the male larynx (or voice box) generally larger than the female. This means men generally sing (and talk) in lower pitches, and keys that sit in the middle of the male voice are usually too low for women to sing. When our Berklee students and Sher Music notated songs, they chose keys used by jazz musicians. And during that era, male instrumentalists and male singers dominated the jazz community. So, when the real books were being developed, the editors didn’t choose keys that suited female voices. <h2>What’s in a key?</h2> <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Companion-to-Jazz-and-Gender/Reddan-Herzig-Kahr/p/book/9780367534141">Our research</a> examined the recordings of 16 renowned female jazz vocalists, including <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ella-Fitzgerald">Ella Fitzgerald</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/search?query=sarah+vaughan">Sarah Vaughan</a>. We sampled 20 songs from The Real Book and 20 songs from The New Real Book and compared the keys in the books with the keys of the female recordings. Less than 5% of 248 recordings fully matched the printed key. If women sing songs straight from The Real Book or The New Real Book, they are likely to be singing too low for their voices. And if they shift the male key up one <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/octave-music">octave</a>, it will be too high. Consequently, female jazz vocal students are disadvantaged. If they comply with the keys of the iconic texts, they won’t sound as “authentically jazz” as male students. The male voice will produce the conversational tone we have come to expect from jazz; the female voice will be too low or too high for this conversational style. The female professional singers we studied <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transposition_(music)">transposed</a> the standards to keys that suited a jazz style. But this skill takes time for students to learn. Transposing requires understanding music theory and having confidence to advocate for your needs as a singer. Experienced jazz singers inevitably acquire these skills, but what about novice female singers? For many young female singers, their introduction to jazz is coloured by keys ill-suited to their voices. Place them in a band where the instrumentalists are predominantly male with little understanding of voice production, and it is an uncomfortable situation for aspiring singers. Fortunately, technology has advanced to a point where many standards are available on phones and can be transposed instantly. But this won’t happen until music teachers and jazz musicians understand and respect female singers by using the appropriate keys. So, can a key signature be sexist? Yes, it can when it’s presented as the only choice of key for female students learning jazz standards. It’s time to update our jazz bibles with sources including keys used by Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, and acknowledge sexism has been hiding in the strangest place. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-studied-the-bibles-of-jazz-standards-and-found-sexism-lurking-in-the-strangest-place-189553" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Music

No, chivalry is not dead - but it's about time it was

Image: Getty It is customary in many Western cultures for men to offer a range of special courtesies to women. This includes paying on dates, carrying heavy objects, pulling out chairs, opening doors, and allowing women to go first, even when the man was there first. Despite being generally seen as polite and even romantic, these acts of chivalry – where men are excessively courteous to women simply because they are women – have a dark side. What does research tell us? <h2>Benevolent sexism</h2> Psychologists refer to the paternalistic attitudes underlying these behaviours as benevolent sexism. Benevolent sexism involves the belief that men should cherish and protect women, and “put them on a pedestal”. This is because women are viewed as being more morally pure, weaker, and in need of protection. Although benevolent sexism has a positive tone, research has found people higher on these attitudes also tend to be higher on hostile sexism. Hostile sexism involves overtly negative and suspicious views of women - this is what people generally think about when they think of sexism. While it may seem paradoxical that benevolent sexism and hostile sexism are correlated, ambivalent sexism theory holds that benevolent sexism is reserved for “good” women who conform to traditional gender roles. Hostile sexism tends to be directed towards women who are perceived to be seeking to usurp men’s power. <h2>Negative effects of benevolent sexism</h2> Research shows there are a range of negative outcomes associated with benevolent sexism. For instance, one experiment found exposure to benevolently sexist comments led women to perform worse on a cognitive task, and to be more likely to think of themselves as incompetent. A more recent experiment found benevolently sexist feedback led to women displaying cardiovascular responses similar to experiencing threat. In the context of intimate relationships, men higher on benevolent sexism have been found to be more likely to provide dependency-oriented help to their female partners, such as providing solutions that overlooked their partner’s skills and efforts. These women subsequently felt less competent and less well-regarded by their partners. It may be harder to recognise this form of sexism because it can’t be measured in a pay gap or in the number of women in executive roles. It happens in everyday interactions between people, and often in private. People underestimate how harmful benevolent sexism is and overestimate how harmful hostile sexism is. The seemingly positive tone of benevolent sexism may even be perceived by some as being advantageous to women, but the scientific research does not bear this out. <h2>Why are women drawn to benevolent sexism?</h2> Despite all the negatives, women tend to prefer benevolently sexist men. This preference is even stronger among women who have high levels of insecurity about their intimate relationships. This preference for benevolently sexist men may be driven by women’s perception that they are warmer people. Recent research has found women saw benevolently sexist men as more attractive partners because they were seen as being more willing to invest, despite also recognising them as patronising and undermining. The preference for benevolent sexism may also be driven by women’s understanding that it offers an antidote to hostile sexism. This is supported by experimental research finding women were more likely to endorse benevolent sexism when they were exposed to information suggesting that men have negative attitudes towards women. <h2>The poisoned chalice</h2> So why are there so many negatives to something that is so widely appealing? One problem with benevolent sexism is the reinforcement of traditional gender roles about how women and men should relate to one another. It’s the same old problem that who we are or what we want should be predetermined by our sex rather than our own preferences and personalities. But as the above research suggests, an even bigger problem may be that benevolent sexism has the capacity to undermine women’s performance and well-being. There’s an inherent condescension in benevolent sexism that views women as less competent than men. This is not to say individual acts of kindness are a problem – but the double-standards driving them are a problem if they disadvantage one gender. The broadest implication of all this may be that benevolent sexism enacts men’s agency and dominance and women’s passivity and subordination. Men take a higher-status role as providers and protectors, while women play the role of weak and dependent followers. By rewarding submissiveness, benevolent sexism is antithetical to women’s power, and an impediment to women’s attainment of leadership roles. It may be an added challenge to be a figure of authority when you are expected to be extra pleasant and deferential. Benevolent sexism enables men to have loving relationships with women while maintaining male dominance in interpersonal relationships. It goes hand-in-hand with hostile sexism, which punishes women who challenge the status quo and seek gender equality. Benevolent sexism is the reward women get for being submissive to men, and that kindness is conditional upon their conformity to traditional gender roles. Achieving gender equality might mean sacrificing some of these perceived perks. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-chivalry-is-not-dead-but-its-about-time-it-was-174197">The Conversation</a>.

Caring

Another sexist biological hypothesis debunked

For over a century, the idea of ‘<a rel="noopener" href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/23/e2026112118" target="_blank">greater male variability</a>’ has been used by some biologists to explain why there are more male CEOs and political leaders than female, among other things. But a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12818" target="_blank">meta-analysis</a> in Biological Reviews has challenged this idea, finding that, in animals, greater male variability doesn’t seem to exist at all. “It’s easier to think of variability as like a spectrum or range,” explains lead author Lauren Harrison, a PhD student in biology at the Australian National University. “If you think about personalities, for example, we all fall somewhere along a spectrum that ranges from very introverted at one end, to very extroverted at the other. And so, variability is a measure of how spread out our values are altogether.” In 1871, Charles Darwin suggested that, in general, male animals had more variability in their traits than female animals, possibly because of sexual selection. The idea was almost immediately adopted by some scientists and non-scientists to explain that, because males were more variable than females, there must therefore be more ‘exceptional’ men, justifying their superior role in society. The concept has never been without its challengers, particularly among female scientists, but it’s remained pervasive. Harrison, along with colleagues at ANU, went looking for evidence of this hypothesis. She examined over 10,000 published papers from database searches on the topic, eventually narrowing the field down to 204 relevant studies on animal behaviour, covering 220 species (but not humans). Simply finding these 204 relevant studies was an effort. “I think it took me the better part of three months,” says Harrison. “And that was all that I was doing.” Once these papers were collected, the researchers used their data to examine five key behavioural traits in animals: boldness, aggressiveness, exploration, sociability and activity. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p178706-o1" class="wpcf7"> </div> </div> And their results? “We found no evidence of greater male variability,” says Harrison. “So really, is it as general as we think? No, it’s not. So maybe it is easier to disprove than we think.” While their research didn’t include humans, Harrison says they’d be surprised to find the results differed there. “Our species covered things from dolphins to little beetles and everything in between. Fish, reptiles, birds, and even primates. “Finding no greater male variability across such a broad number of species shows that, well, in animals, we don’t really see this trend. So if we do see a trend in humans, maybe we need to ask ourselves why we’re so different – what would be causing these differences between men and women?” Current research on human variability hasn’t yielded heaps of evidence for this trend. “It’s all quite conflicting,” says Harrison. “Sometimes they find greater female variability [in humans], greater male variability or no differences. So I wouldn’t really say it’s a very well proven hypothesis at all.” She adds that this research is another indicator that social differences between men and women are more likely to have <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/culture/gender-stereotypes-stem-girls-participation/" target="_blank">cultural</a>, than biological, origins. “Instead of using biology to explain why there are more male CEOs or professors, we have to ask what role culture and upbringing play in pushing men and women down different pathways.”  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=178706&title=Greater+Male+Variability+hypothesis+challenged" alt="" width="1" height="1" />  <div id="contributors"> <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/biology/greater-male-variability-hypothesis-challenged-in-new-meta-study/" target="_blank">This article</a> was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/ellen-phiddian" target="_blank">Ellen Phiddian</a>. Ellen Phiddian is a science journalist at Cosmos. She has a BSc (Honours) in chemistry and science communication, and an MSc in science communication, both from the Australian National University. Image: Getty Images </div>

Relationships

Senator accused of "disgusting statement"

Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe has been accused of telling Liberal Senator Hollies Hughes “at least I keep my legs shut” during a debate in parliament. Senator Thorpe made the interjection during Question Time on Wednesday, while NDIS Minister Linda Reynolds was answering a question about International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Though parliamentary microphones failed to capture the comment, Amanda Stoker, a trained lawyer and Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General, said she had clearly heard what was interjected. “I can tell you what I heard with my own ears. She said, ‘At least I keep my legs shut’,” Senator Stoker told news.com.au. Liberal Senator Ben Small said he also heard the comment clearly and addressed it in parliament. “Senator Thorpe just made the most outrageous statement directed at Senator Hughes, which you probably didn’t hear,” he told parliament shortly before 7.30pm that night. “But in the scheme of disgusting statements made in this chamber that surely ranks at the top of them.” Senator Thorpe responded by retracting the comment. “I am happy to retract. I just got a view of something over there that disturbs me, but I’m happy to retract,” she said. Outside of parliament, Senator Small told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/greens-senator-lidia-thorpe-accused-of-legs-shut-gibe-at-liberal-colleague/news-story/0c9d7e078ab0cd95a2b266b06953a4f0" target="_blank">news.com.au</a> that he had clearly heard Senator Thorpe’s remarks. “I did very clearly hear Senator Thorpe heckle ‘at least I keep my legs shut’,” he said. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846046/lydia-thorpe1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d793decc8cd84889a2a4257016282e74" /> Senator Thorpe brought up the recent deaths of two Indigenous women in custody during Wednesday's debate. Image: @senatorthorpe (Instagram) The heckle <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-02/greens-lidia-thorpe-apology-sexist-comment-hollie-hughes/100668108" target="_blank">appears to have come</a> after Senator Hughes heckled Senator Thorpe, saying she had “dismissed people with a disability” by redirecting the debate towards the recent deaths of two Indigenous women in custody. “Really classy,” Senator Hughes said. The latest incident comes a day after Liberal Senator David Van apologised for making an interjection while independent senator Jacqui Lambie spoke, after several senators described his interjection as a growl. He made an “unreserved apology” but denied he was making an animal noise. He did concede that he had interjected while Senator Lambie was speaking, which was not appropriate. “I was just interjecting with a gruff voice and I think with the mask and everything, in all the noise that was going on, it was that,” Senator Van said. “It was in no way an animal noise or meant to be disrespectful to (her) in any sort of gendered way.” Image: Getty Images

News

Two schools cancel their productions of Grease over its outdated themes

Two high schools in Perth have cancelled their upcoming productions of the musical Grease, after students have called out the "outdated" themes of the story. Year 7 - 10 students from Scotch College and Presbyterian Ladies‘ College in the Western Australia capital were due to perform their rendition of the iconic musical later this month, but decided against it. The young women involved in the production believed that the play was inappropriate for modern times, saying the themes of the show were sexist, offensive and anti-feminist. The kids at Scotch College also agreed that a different production would be better suited to a modern audience, but a replacement musical has not yet been announced. PLC Principal Cate Begbie and Acting Scotch College Headmaster Mr Peter Burt issued a brief joint statement about the decision. “A number of PLC students raised concerns whether the musical was appropriate in modern times,” it read. “Scotch College listened respectfully to the girls’ concerns and both schools agreed a different musical would be better suited for their joint production in 2022.” The 1978 movie, based on the 1971 musical, tells the story of good girl Sandy Olsson and bad boy greaser Danny Zuko falling in love during a summer fling, and later finding out they go to the same high school. In recent times, the movie has been called out for <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/movies/things-were-different-olivia-newton-john-hits-back-at-grease-sexism-claims?fbclid=IwAR22YlGUQT52_5dJcre94iILKXkJP-HKzaXGRcQR2dST1DG5Xj1YaeZC4WE" target="_blank">its outdated themes</a>, as star Olivia Newton-John claimed critics need to take into account the times in which the film as made. "It's a movie," the 72-year-old told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com.au" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. "It's a story from the Fifties where things were different. Everyone forgets that, at the end, he changes for her, too. There's nothing deep in there about the #MeToo movement. "It's just a girl who loves a guy, and she thinks if she does that, he'll like her. And he thinks if he does that, she'll like him. I think that's pretty real. People do that for each other. It was a fun love story." Image credits: Getty Images

Movies

"WOW!" Beach handball team responds to Pink's amazing offer

Popstar Pink has offered to pay the fines issued to the Norwegian beach handball team for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms during a match. After the match between Norway and Spain last weekend, the European Handball Federal (EHF) handed the Norwegians’ a $240 fine per player for “improper clothing”. The organisation said the shorts violated the athlete uniform regulations. The fines, totalling $2410, caused widespread backlash with athletes and celebrities taking to social media to criticise the decision, including Pink. The popstar even said she was “happy to pay” the fines for the team, and praised them for protesting the “very sexist” uniform rules. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I’m VERY proud of the Norwegian female beach handball team FOR PROTESTING THE VERY SEXIST RULES ABOUT THEIR “uniform”. The European handball federation SHOULD BE FINED FOR SEXISM. Good on ya, ladies. I’ll be happy to pay your fines for you. Keep it up. — P!nk (@Pink) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pink/status/1419127641068630016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2021</a></blockquote> In response, the team shared the tweet on their Instagram Stories and thanked Pink for her support. “WOW! Thank you so much for the support,” the team wrote. The ruling also drew criticism from Norway officials, who argue that the womens’ uniform requirements were not practical. “In 2021, it shouldn’t even be an issue,” Norwegian Volleyball Federation president Eirik Sordahl told national news agency NTB. While beach volleyball players have not been required to wear bikinis since 2012, rules from the International Handball Federation (IHF) state that “female athletes must wear bikini bottoms” which have a “close fit”, be “cut on an upward angle towards the top of the leg”, and a side depth of 10 centimetres or less. Male players, on the other hand, are allowed to wear shorts. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Here are the rules for the men’s vs. women’s uniforms. Ridiculously <a href="https://t.co/8wDXG22sTd">pic.twitter.com/8wDXG22sTd</a> — KT SLP (@MrsThornSLP) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrsThornSLP/status/1419246549763244040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2021</a></blockquote> Norway asked the EHF for permission to play in shorts ahead of the tournament, but were told that rule violations would be punishable by fines. The team complied until their last match. “The EHF is committed to bring this topic forward in the interest of its member federations, however it must also be said that a change of the rules can only happen at IHF level,” EHF spokesperson Andrew Barringer said in an email. Clothing has been an issue in beach sports for a long time, with some women players finding bikinis degrading or difficult to play in. The Norwegian Handball Association (NHF) had been pushing for changes to the uniform regulations and planned to protest with the thigh-length tights the team wore. Norway’s team captain told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that the team felt forced to wear bikini bottoms. “So then we are forced to play with panties. It is so embarrassing,” she said. “First we were told about a fine of 50 euros ($AUD 80) per person per match, something that would have landed us a fine of about 4,850 euros ($AUD 7760). We accepted that. However, just before the match we were told that we will be disqualified if we play like that. So we had to go with bikini bottoms.” Image: Instagram

Money & Banking

Julianne Moore calls for “sexist” term to be scrapped

Actress Julianne Moore is questioning how women are viewed and talked about as they age, calling for one particular term to be dropped completely. Moore, who turned 60 in December, criticised those who use the phrase “ageing gracefully” in the latest issue of As If magazine, according to People. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ03jz0DeEw/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ03jz0DeEw/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Julianne Moore (@juliannemoore)</a> </div> </blockquote> he described the term, especially when used while speaking about women, as “totally sexist”. “There’s so much judgement inherent in the term ‘ageing gracefully’,” Moore told the publication. “Is there an ungraceful way to age? We don’t have an option of course. No one has an option about ageing, so it’s not a positive or negative thing, it just is,” she said. Moore questioned the perception that women in particular had some kind of influence over, so they could opt in or out of doing it “gracefully”. “It’s part of the human condition, so why are we always talking about it as if it is something that we have control over?” she asked. Stressing the value of “inner growth”, Moore argued that people should be more concerned with how they continue to evolve as they age instead. “We are given a narrative as children that we keep growing through school, maybe go to college then, after school is finished, the idea of growth is done … But we have all this life left to live,” she said. “How do we continue to challenge ourselves, to interest ourselves, learn new things, be more helpful to other people, be the person that your friends and family need or want? How do we continue to evolve? How do we navigate life to have even deeper experiences?” Moore also endorsed a comment Helen Mirren made last year during an interview for O, The Oprah Magazine, where she hit back against the phrase “anti-ageing”. “Ageing is a requirement of life: You either grow old or die young,” Mirren said during the interview. “I take great issue with the term, actually. You can’t avoid ageing. The way I see it, you have two choices in life: You can either get older, or die,” the 75-year-old said at the time. “And I want to continue to see what life has in store. I think about Kurt Cobain and all that he missed. I mean, how sad is it that he never knew about GPS.” Image: Julianne Moore / Instagram

Legal

Kerri-Anne Kennerley says "most men are fantastic" after parliamentary sex scandals

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> TV veteran Kerri-Anne Kennerley has given her take on the latest parliamentary sexual misconduct scandals to rock Canberra in the last month or more. She told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/kerrianne-kennerley-weighs-in-on-sexual-violence-against-women/news-story/53c0507ad12a6587195b80b466698e56" target="_blank">The Daily Telegraph's Confidential</a> that most men, in general, are not to blame when it comes to sexual violence against women. "Most [men] are actually fantastic. They want to help, they see the reasoning (behind inclusive discussions)," she explained. "There is only a small percentage of people who clearly have issues in their life." “I think all the marches have been fabulous. I’d like to see one that has as many men marching for the same reason because it’s not a female problem it is a social problem.” The "marches" KAK is referring to were the #March4Justice rallies, held in more than 40 Australian cities and towns, had thousands marching to protest against sexual violence against women. She also shared her opinion with The Daily Mail. "I think the next march, I want to see just as many men marching side by side with women, because it is not a female sexual harassment issue," she stated. "It's a bullying issue, it's a social issue." "I think it's important to have people standing side by side to say this behaviour - whoever it's happening to - is not good enough," she added. Kennerley's comments come after other prominent figures in media, including Ita Buttrose, spoke their opinions about the issues in Canberra. “I think every woman in Australia should support the call (for better safety) and make sure our voice is heard,” Buttrose said. </div> </div> </div>

Legal

Real estate agent forced to apologise for offensive, sexist post

A blog post on an Australian real estate website targeting single women buying properties has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. The article titled "Buying as a single lady" was published on Bathurst Real Estate's website and was quickly removed after backlash on social media claimed the post was "sexist" and "misogynistic". The piece started off on a positive note, empowering women who are planning on purchasing a property: “You’re a single lady and you’re content not (to) have a ring on your finger”. But it then took a sharp turn that angered many people online. “You may prefer the emotional and financial back-up of a spouse,” the post reads. The article continues to suggest single women can "go wild when buying" as they are "responsible only for themselves". It also says women “are well known for reasoning with their hearts, not their heads - and many of us love to nest.” Women are then issued a warning, saying property buying can quickly go south “especially if there is no man beside you to offer logic to the situation”. The real estate agency swiftly removed the post from their website and apologised on Facebook. “This is so misogynistic it’s almost comical,” one woman who reposted the article on Facebook wrote. “Thanks so much for this super helpful blog post Bathurst Real Estate! I can’t wait for your next post on ‘Buying as a Single man’, Oh wait... “Next time I go to purchase anything I’ll be sure to bring a man with me to both pay for it and also offer logic, because as you said, women are well known for not using their head and I guess none of us have any money of our own!” the bemused woman continued. “This is the most offensive piece of s**t I have ever read,” another person wrote. “Holy s**t it had never occurred to me that buying a property would represent a big proportion of my hard work and savings! I thought it would be like buying a new eyebrow pencil or baking a cake!” another woman wrote sarcastically. “Does this mean that me and my partner aren’t able to buy a house because we are both women and don’t know how to use our heads?” a user asked. Men also seemed to be equally offended by the article. “I think they need a new password… surely this has got to be a hack from a sacked staff member,” one man suggested. Bathurst Real Estate claimed the post was written by a female from a content marketing agency who was outsourced to create content. The real estate agent apologised for any offence that was caused, claiming the article had gone live without their knowledge and they removed it as soon as they were aware of it.

Real Estate

“Things were different”: Olivia Newton-John hits back at Grease sexism claims

Olivia Newton-John had addressed backlash surrounding her classic 1979 movie Grease. In the smash hit musical, the Aussie actress plays goody-two-shoes Sandy Olsson who changes who she is at the end of the movie to impress her bad-boy boyfriend, Danny Zuko (played by John Travolta). Despite the final scene being hailed as one of the most iconic movie screen moments, in recent times it’s been classified as sexist. Speaking to The Guardian, Newton-John said critics need to take into account that the movie was filmed during a very different time period. "It's a movie," the 72-year-old told the publication. "It's a story from the Fifties where things were different. Everyone forgets that, at the end, he changes for her, too. There's nothing deep in there about the #MeToo movement. "It's just a girl who loves a guy, and she thinks if she does that, he'll like her. And he thinks if he does that, she'll like him. I think that's pretty real. People do that for each other. It was a fun love story." Back in 2018, when the film celebrated its 40th birthday, Travolta also said he was proud of the film and how it remains a fan favourite with audiences both new and old. "This is a film that's so timeless that keeps on giving to each new generation," he told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.etonline.com/john-travolta-shares-his-most-vivid-memories-from-filming-grease-exclusive-104277" target="_blank">ET</a> at the time. "When people watch this, they just get happy. They want to become the characters they're watching. They want to sing along with it, they want to dance, they want to be part of this film. When mutual enthusiasm comes together and creates an environment you can create almost anything and we created Grease."

Movies

James Bond is more than a (sexist) secret agent. He is a fertility god, a Dionysus of the modern era

James Bond is more than a (sexist) secret agent. He is a fertility god, a Dionysus of the modern era “History isn’t kind to people who play God,” quips James Bond to supervillain Safin in the trailer for No Time to Die. The film’s release has been delayed yet again, to April 2021. It will mark Daniel Craig’s swansong as 007 and speculation continues as to who will be the next Bond. Will it be Idris Elba, Tom Hardy or perhaps a woman? Bond has long been criticised for his sexist attitudes, with even Judi Dench’s M in GoldenEye (1995) dubbing him a “sexist, misogynist dinosaur” . But what if we view him through the prism of Greek mythology? Is Bond, in fact, a contemporary incarnation of Dionysus, the god of wine, pleasure and fertility? In Greek mythology, the gods punish mortals for the sin of hubris. In our pop-culture pantheon, Bond is a deity. Dionysus travelled throughout the ancient world, sometimes by boat in the Aegean islands, sometimes in a winged chariot. Bond also circumnavigates the globe, equally at home on yachts or in helicopters. But his chariot of choice is an Aston Martin. Its logo? A pair of wings. Secrets of wine – and martinis Wherever Dionysus went he initiated his followers in the secrets of wine-making. Wherever Bond goes he initiates the mixologist in the secrets of making the perfect Vesper martini. In Ian Fleming’s Diamonds are Forever (1956), Bond tells the bartender to combine three measures of Gordon’s gin, one of vodka and half a measure of Kina Lillet with a thick slice of lemon peel and poured into a deep champagne goblet. In Casino Royale (2006), he adds the martini must be shaken “until it’s ice cold.” Unlike mortals, Bond’s prodigious consumption of alcohol does him no harm, indeed he is hailed as “the best shot in the Secret Service.” In a study of the novels published in the British Medical Journal in 2013, researchers estimated Bond consumed an average of 92 units of alcohol per week with a maximum daily intake peaking at 49.8 units. There were days when Bond abstained – 12.5 out of a total 87.5 days – but mostly because he was being held prisoner. Weapons of disguise Dionysus carries a thyrsus: a sacred pinecone-tipped staff wreathed in vines. The thyrus is a phallic symbol, sometimes displayed with a kantharos wine cup, denoting female sexuality. The union of the two created a powerful representation of fertility and rebirth. Dionysus also turned his thyrsus into a dangerous weapon by secreting an iron tip in its point. As a secret agent, Bond conceals his Walther PPK pistol in a hidden holster, but one of his most lethal weapons is disguised as a cigarette – a potent symbol of sexual union in cinema, where smoking a cigarette signifies the completion of copulation. In You Only Live Twice (1967) the villain makes the fatal mistake of allowing Bond “one last fag.” It turns out to be tipped with a rocket-propelled bullet, proving that cigarettes aren’t just lethal for smokers. Gods of possession Dionysus was deeply attractive to his female followers, Maenads, who would drink themselves into a frenzy to be possessed by the god. Likewise, Bond is pursued by a bevy of beautiful women – Pussy Galore, Plenty O’Toole and Honey Rider – panting to be possessed. As with the Maenads, devotion to Bond comes with its perils. In Live and Let Die (1973), Bond girl, Solitaire loses her psychic powers after a close encounter of the passionate kind with Bond and becomes a target for heroin baron, Dr Kananga. In Goldfinger (1964), Jill Masterton is punished by the eponymous villain for betraying him to Bond, dying of skin suffocation when he covers her in gold paint. This puts a new spin on the Midas myth in which Dionysus granted the king’s wish to be blessed with the golden touch, only to discover that it is a curse making it impossible to eat or even embrace his daughter without turning her into metal. Ecstasy and death In ancient Greece, the number seven was sacred and composed of the number three (the heavenly male) and the number four (the heavenly female). Bond’s number in the secret service – Agent 007 – is thus the perfect number to represent a modern-day fertility god. Like Dionysus who is depicted in a number of forms which range from an older, bearded god to a long-haired youth, Bond has appeared in a variety of guises from the debonair David Niven to the strapping Daniel Craig. Yet regardless of his age and physique, Bond’s dual Dionysian nature brings either divine ecstasy in bed, or brutal death to his foes. Dionysus almost dies before he is born but his father Zeus saves him. Later he returns from the dead after he is dismembered by the Titans. Bond says, “You only live twice: once when you are born and once when you look death in the face.” Like Dionysus, Bond is resurrected in Skyfall (2012) after he is accidentally shot by Moneypenny. The bullet penetrates his body causing him to fall off a train and into a waterfall where he sinks to the bottom. But Bond is immortal. He returns to save another day. When it finally reaches cinemas, No Time to Die will be the last hurrah for Craig, but gods do not die. Bond will live on. Written by Nicole Lenoir-Jourdan. This article first appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/james-bond-is-more-than-a-sexist-secret-agent-he-is-a-fertility-god-a-dionysus-of-the-modern-era-131040">The Conversation</a>.

Movies

"I am more than Ashleigh Barty": Rafael Nadal starts sexism storm at Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal has weighed in on the Wimbledon court debate as he rejected suggestions that Ash Barty deserved to play on Centre Court over him on Monday. Despite her world number one status, Barty only played one of her four Wimbledon matches on Centre Court this year. The French Open champion was also assigned to play on the 4,000-capacity Court 2, the third-ranked court at the All England Club, for two rounds – including her last match against Alison Riske on Monday night, where she suffered a shock loss 6-3 2-6 3-6. In the same evening, men’s world number two Nadal defeated 69th-ranked João Sousa on the 15,000-seater Centre Court in a straight-sets win described by a leading tennis journalist as a “snoozer”. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> Rafael Nadal through 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 over Joao Sousa in a snoozer match that, once again, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wimbledon</a> probably shouldn't have put on Centre Court, especially with strong women's options (like Barty-Riske, Halep-Gauff) available. — Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenRothenberg/status/1148231794489274368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2019</a></blockquote> When asked by a journalist if the more competitive women’s match involving the world’s number one should have been staged on Centre Court instead of his, Nadal said, “I am the world No. 2 and I won 18 grand slams.” Nadal said there was no way to predict whether one match will be more exciting than the other. “Can we predict the future or not?” he said. “My answer is not no or yes. My answer is they make a decision. You are putting Ashleigh Barty in front of me. For me, both decisions are good.” Nadal said he felt that his standing in the sport is ahead of Barty’s. “In the world of tennis today, honestly, my feeling is today I am little bit more than Ashleigh Barty, even if Ashleigh Barty is the first player of the world and she already won in the French Open and she is playing unbelievably good,” the 33-year-old said. “But we can’t create problems every single day about decisions that they have to take. At the end of the day they have to make a decision. “Court No. 2, okay, they have to make decisions. Today they probably decided that. They have another girls playing on the Centre Court now.” Barty said the court assignment does not affect the way she plays her match. “Scheduling is out of my control. I’ll play on any court I’m scheduled on,” the 23-year-old said. “I think obviously scheduling is very difficult. There are so many incredible matches all the fans and all the people want to watch, and players want to be a part of. “No matter what court you’re scheduled on, it shouldn’t matter how you approach the match or play. It certainly doesn’t for me. “Court 2 is a beautiful court here. We played on that court earlier in the rounds and for a doubles match, as well. It’s a beautiful court. I enjoyed my time out there.”

News

Roger Federer breaks silence on Serena Williams sexism saga

Tennis superstar Roger Federer has opened up about the Serena Williams US Open sexism debacle, saying the game could use the incident as a catalyst for change. Williams caused worldwide controversy after claiming umpire Carlos Ramos displayed sexist behaviour and racism during her US Open final loss to Naomi Osaka. Tennis stars and the sporting community were divided by her comments, as some agreed that Williams anger was justified, while others believed that it was poor sportsmanship. Federer, who has had his own fair share of conflicts with umpire Fergus Murphy dating back to 2009, remained neutral when stating his views on the scandal. “It’s interesting but I think it’s important to look at it,” Federer told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.kvue.com/" target="_blank">KVUE</a>. “Every umpire has their own style, it’s just how it is in any sport. “In tennis, you might have an umpire that gives more coaching violations and another guy goes more to time violation. “You might get one guy who knows that this guy misbehaves quite often so I’ll give him a warning quicker or I’ll be more lenient with a guy because he’s a nice guy and just can’t control himself. I think it really depends on the situation.” While the champion tennis player believes that mistakes occurred on the court, the 20-time grand slam champion hoped that sexism had nothing to do with it. “I hope it’s not the case (that there is gender bias) but I think what happened, obviously there were mistakes along the way and there should be more discretion sometimes. “At the same time, they have to do their job, that’s what we want them to do. “It’s been tricky but a really interesting case to study." A report from the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/14/sports/tennis-fines-men-women.html" target="_blank">New York Times</a> revealed that male tennis players are three times more likely to be punished or fined for racquet abuse. Male players were fined 1517 times compared to women who were fined 535 times, according to data compiled by officials at Grand Slam tournaments for the period covering 1998 to 2018. However, Williams who spoke on The Project for the first time since the incident, refused to back down with her argument. “I just don’t understand … if you’re a female you should be able to do even half of what a guy can do,” she told The Project. “I feel it’s really important to stand up for what you believe in. “Especially if it can affect the future and affect a lot of people in the future. That’s what it’s all about. “Really it’s just about having a great team and rolling up your sleeves and hard work. “I work really, really hard at my game. And then I work super hard at my fashion business. And I’m working incredibly hard at being a mom.” Do you agree with Serena's views? Let us know in the comments below.

News

Why people are furious over this shopping trolley

One of the UK’s biggest supermarket chains has come under fire after a photo of one of their trolleys went viral on Twitter. Now, you’re probably (rightfully) thinking, “It’s a trolley, what could possibly be the problem?” Well, some social media users have criticised the new safety label on Tesco’s trolleys, dubbing them “sexist” as they only show a woman doing the shopping with her child in tow. <img width="500" height="334" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7268162/4914fafa00000578-5376581-image-a-17_1518299482039_500x334.jpg" alt="4914FAFA00000578-5376581-image -a -17_1518299482039" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> “Tesco, is it only women who do the food shopping and look after the kids?” a Manchester woman wrote on Twitter, with the hashtag #everydaysexism. Her tweet sparked a huge debate online, with many agreeing the retailer should have chosen gender-neutral figures. “It is not the trolley that’s sexist, it’s Tesco who thinks women are the only ones in a family who shops with kids,” one person replied. “The idea that shopping trolleys should be gendered in any way seems ridiculous,” Samantha Rennie, executive director of equality group Rosa UK Fund for Women and Girls told the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5376581/Tesco-trolleys-accused-sexism-gender-apartheid.html" target="_blank">Daily Mail</a>. “It’s a seemingly small factor that plays a role in reinforcing stereotypical ideas of the woman being responsible for the weekly food shop.” Matt O’Connor from the campaign group Fathers4Justice agreed, adding, “Tesco needs to stop this gender apartheid.” Others, however, have slammed the Manchester woman, labelling her overly sensitive and claiming the outrage was completely unnecessary. “Grow up this is so pathetic,” one Twitter user wrote. “It’s a picture on a shopping trolley. There are MUCH more important things in the world going on.” However, reports suggest Tesco has taken on the feedback and is currently in the process of changing the labels to include non-gendered icons.

Family & Pets

Mum's outrage over offensive washing label

Missguided, an online retailer of young women’s fashion, appears to be living up to its name after a woman discovered a tone-deaf message on the washing instructions of her teenage daughter’s beanie. University manager Sian Robson from Ashford, England, took to Twitter to share her outrage after finding “sexist” washing instructions on the care label of her 13-year-old daughter’s hat. The label instructs the wearer to “Give this to your mum, she’ll wash it”. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/everydaysexism?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#everydaysexism</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Missguided?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Missguided</a> Maybe it's just possible Dad is capable of putting on a wash too!? <a href="https://t.co/TgCXM8giqr">pic.twitter.com/TgCXM8giqr</a> — sian robson (@sianrobson) <a href="https://twitter.com/sianrobson/status/948470847731314688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote> “At first I didn’t believe that a female fashion brand would put something like that on a product,” Sian told <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5275205/mothers-horror-at-finding-sexist-washing-instructions-in-daughters-hat-saying-give-it-to-mum/" target="_blank">The Sun</a>. “My daughter told me to look at the washing instructions in her hat because they are awful. It’s not something you would expect to see. “I know they’re trying to be funny but it’s a bit naff. It just didn’t sit right with me. I looked on the Missguided website and I noticed they were all for promoting girl power. “They seem like a brand that want to encourage young women to break stereotypes so I’m not sure why they would have something like this in their clothing. “Although the hat is for adults a lot of their customers are young teens, they should be encouraging them and showing them that men can also do the household chores.” Sian said she understands the note was “probably just a joke”, but that in this day and age, it’s inappropriate. “It isn’t the sixties anymore,” she fumed. “I’m sure that a lot of men and dads would admit that they also help with the washing, it isn’t something to be embarrassed about. “I’m not a person who complains a lot about things being sexist but I can see that these instructions aren’t right.” She also expressed concern that the label could upset young women who might not have a mum or parents to do the washing for them. “I’d just rather they remove it from the hat, it isn’t needed.” Tell us in the comments below, do you think the label is sexist and discriminatory?

Beauty & Style

Angry shoppers slam IKEA for sexist ad

Angry shoppers have slammed IKEA after a sexist detail was found in an advertisement in the <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/03/mum-warning-about-taking-kids-to-ikea/" target="_blank">Swedish retailer’s new furniture catalogue</a>. Web designer Alex Baxevanis was stunned when he was flicking through the furniture outlet’s new catalogue when he discovered an ad for a suction cup toothbrush holder, which boasted customers could “leave your drill in your man drawer”. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Leave your drill in your "man drawer" <a href="https://twitter.com/IKEAUK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IKEAUK</a> ? Really? I keep my lady drill elsewhere. No really I mean an ACTUAL drill <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sexism?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sexism</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IKEA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IKEA</a> <a href="https://t.co/vRiDcKzCdr">pic.twitter.com/vRiDcKzCdr</a> — Carli (@lashandhitch) <a href="https://twitter.com/lashandhitch/status/896825737919029248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2017</a></blockquote> "It sounds like something out of the 1950s making a reference to a 'man drawer',” said Baxevanis. "It struck me as ridiculous, my drill doesn't live in a 'man drawer' it's used equally by me and my wife. "Ania's not afraid to pick up a drill and do things within the house. If anything she's more creative than me when it comes to that sort of thing. "I expect better from IKEA. They generally champion environmental and other worthy issues and then they print this – this particular wording looks really out of whack.” Baxevanis’ wife Ania Mendrek agreed, and the couple got into contact with IKEA requesting the online version of the advertisement be amended immediately. "I think it's a case of everyday sexism, at the very least it's left open to interpretation,” she said. "A 'man drawer' may well be a colloquial term, but there are lots of phrases that are colloquial that we are appalled to use – should we keep them because they are colloquial regardless of their being sexist?" A spokesperson for IKEA responded, saying it was never their intention to offend with the ad. "At IKEA we believe strongly in equality and that people should be treated equally regardless of their age, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability, ethnicity, race, nationality, religion, marital or family status, or any other dimension of their identity,” said Country Marketing Manager, Laurent Tiersen. "We can confirm that in our 2018 catalogue we use the phrase 'leave your drill in your man drawer' to explain that drilling isn't necessary with our STUGVIK storage containers with suction cups. "In using this phrase, we are drawing on the common colloquial term 'man drawer' as a place where tools may be kept. "It is never our intention to offend anyone with our marketing material, however we understand how this could be interpreted and will of course take this input as feedback for future material." What are your thoughts?

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Why people are furious over this shopping trolley

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Angry shoppers slam IKEA for sexist ad

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