HOORAY FOR FRIDAY

How Daria Shaped a Generation of Women (Especially This Black Lady)

A write up from Lian Low at Peril on Melbourne Writers Festival’s 2nd Asia-Pacific Writers Forum. Some excellent thoughts, illustrated by Steph’s tweets, haha.

Woolies marketing is doing really well this year: Social media slams Michelle Bridges’ Woolworths ads calling people who grow food ‘freaks’. AMAZINGLY poor marketing choice from a brand with the slogan ‘the fresh food people.’

(Liz notes: terrible advertising, but, um, the frozen meals themselves are really nice if you’re into that sort of thing don’t judge me.)

Why I Won’t Write a Review of Suffragette 

But the same process that thinks an entire film in which people of color don’t exist is “relatable” is the same process that leads a group of white women to wear shirts exclaiming their brave preference to not be slaves. This isn’t new, it happens all of the time in our books and our television shows and our movies. It’s in the heroes we celebrate, the struggles we memorialize, and the lectures we get from our teachers.

And I’m not here for it. Not anymore.

No Award is HERE FOR IT. (Also apparently Meryl is a lie in this movie)

A topic dear to the heart of Steph, who will probably want to have Advanced Care Plans in place sooner rather than later: ‘The day I meet you in the emergency department will probably be one of the worst of your life’

Stephanie desperately needs to own one of these ugly Christmas rashies from the Cancer Council (because Aussies can’t wear ugly Christmas jumpers! LOVE IT).

Australia, we need to talk about this Alcoholic Aussie Accent theory – on academics.

Steph’s not saying she’s definitely giving this to her niblings, but: Children’s Picture Book ‘What Is Punk?’ Introduces Toddlers to Way Better Music Than Raffi — IMAGE REVEAL.

Doing it tough together: Melbourne’s Olympic village community

The ‘institute’ with no members embarrasses Senate committee

In the cash-soaked world of American politics it’s known as “astroturfing” – or the use of artificial grassroots to create an impression of widespread support for a particular political agenda.

A friend and family member of No Award is launching a new handmade market in Perth, specifically hoping to target SOR (That’s South of the River). Perth Handmade Markets. Steph is going to be making a special trip to Perth just to be on the event team for the launch event on February 7! So you should like the Facie event page, and then go. (Later, Steph might reveal the AMAZING rejected market names)

No platform for outdated ideas by Lia Incognita, on noted transphobe Germaine Greer, petitions and boycotts as tactics, and supporting the state as platform.

The irony of calling women balls-and-chains

The concept of men viewing women as their captors is quite bizarre, as few men are actually forced into relationships and marriages. Meanwhile, forced marriage is an issue that affects tens of millions of women each year, 14 million of whom are underage girls, some as young as 10 years old. That’s 39 000 new child brides every day, scores of whom lose their lives soon after marriage due to internal injuries caused by rape, underage pregnancy and childbirth.

The fear of speaking up in the arts world, on being brown and arty

This idea of ‘literary merit’ and ‘excellence’ is influenced by England and the classics. Maybe some decades ago that was the face of Australia, but it’s certainly not the case today. Yet our perception of excellence hasn’t shifted.

Chasing “Normal”: My Summers at a Camp for Disabled Kids

Victorian police detained and strip searched a white middle-aged man with a public profile in the street, then demanded that his article about it be taken down.  We mention his demographic, because what are they doing to people who aren’t middle-aged white men with public profiles?

World Fantasy Convention 2015 – Disability and Accessibility (ex-con Chairs Stephanie and Liz pat themselves on their backs for achieving higher than this terrible level)

Liz wants Melbourne Monopoly for Christmas. Steph calls bullshit on this game.

(Liz is not ashamed to admit that what she really wants are the tiny Melbourne-themed player pieces.)

One Chance card reads: “A Fitzroy hipster takes too long ordering a half-strength, decaf, soy mocha frappuccino. Go back three spaces.” All Melburnians can relate to that.

Speaking as an actual Fitzroy hipster, I don’t even know what a frappuccino is, though I understand it can be purchased from Starbucks (a place no hipster ever enters except in the search for specific other people named Liz). I think you’ll find this order is a half-strength decaf soy flat white with honey on the side.

MAPS and GREEN: New maps show Melbourne’s unused rooftops are ripe for greening

Do migrants’ backgrounds influence their vote? (from 2013, but Australian-based)

Mother accuses Qantas of homophobia, failing to acknowledge her family; please note this article title should be ‘Mother experiences homophobia from Qantas staff’

Why I cheered when I heard The Rock is going to be a dad again

HIGHPOINT (dat a westfield in Melbs’ outer north-west suburbs): ‘We’re worried you might steal something’: Apple ejects six black students, then apologises following claims of racism

Steph is having a LOT of feelings about Maxine Beneba Clarke getting to do this: Meeting Frances Adamson, Australia’s first lady in China (Why aren’t I Australia’s ambassador to China? Meeee)

The West Writers: Our Stories Forum is on tomorrow!  Liz is going; expect a blog post on Monday.