1/. Horrific! @lindsaylohan interviewed by David Letterman in 2013.
2/. INTERVIEWER: Everyone’s talking about it
BRITTNEY] shy smile] What?
INTERVIEWER: Your breasts
#BrittneySpears getting asked about getting breast implants, aged 16, on German TV.
3/. In 1975, Michael Parkinson introduced Helen Mirren as the “sex queen” of @TheRSC
He asked if her “equipment” or “physical attributes” had prevented her from becoming a serious actor, & whether the size of her breasts “detract from the performance”.
4/. “We should say Miss Fookes is the most gorgeous redhead"
In 1970, Janet Fookes MP, had to put up with thiis
Today, no interviewer would talk to an MP or Congresswoman like this
But whilst behaviours may have shifted, prejudices live stubbornly on.
5/. INTERVIEWER: Were you able to wear undergarments?
SCARLETT JOHANSSON: What kind of interview is this?
INTERVIEWER: Is that inappropriate?
SJ: To ask someone what type of underwear they’re wearing? What do you reckon?”
“Framing Britney Spears” is a damning portrait of how the media (& society at large) treat female celebrities (& women in general). google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.news…
6/. This short thread, spanning five decades of misogyny, shouldn’t come as a surprise
It’s been the mood music accompanying all our lives
Some think things have got better, but with misogyny & abuse being ‘democratised’ by social media, I would disagree
7/. The point of this thread wasn't to encourage a pile on against Letterman, Parky or that weird Dutch guy
It was to highlight the fact that sexism has been part of our culture for a very long time
Growing up in a culture, you assume that the behaviours of adults are "normal".
8/. To those asking "why weren't you outraged at the time?"
Maybe we were
Or maybe we were too young to understand misogyny & structural inequality back then
Or maybe culture taught us this was the way things were
The Benny Hill Show had 21 million viewers in 1970’s Britain.
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At 8pm, the deadline expires for Spanish rapper, @PabloHasel, to turn himself into the police & begin a 2+ year prison term...for his song lyrics & tweets
Pablo Hasél tweeted this morning: “Tendrán que venir a secuestrarme!” (“They'll have to kidnap me!”) amnesty.org/en/latest/news…
No one should be criminalized for tweeting/singing something that may be distasteful or shocking
#PabloHásel's conviction for "glorifying terrorism" & “insulting the crown" sparked protests & spurred @amnistiaespana to launch a campaign with @c_tangana.
Pablo Hasel will be the first musician in #Spain to be jailed for his lyrics but other rappers like @valtonyc & other artists, journalists & activists have also been targeted under the same law.
1/. “As he walked out of prison it was also us who were set free.”
31 years ago, Nelson #Mandela was released after 27 years behind bars.
As Breyten Breytenbach wrote at the time: "Perhaps there is now a little more sense to our dark passage on Earth.” aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/…
2/. “Through his integrity, courage & strength Mandela showed by example what a single individual can achieve, & in so doing he instilled the belief that injustice, whether large or small, can be defeated.”
“Look into my eyes, Prime Minister, & tell me why - a year after #COVID19 hit the UK - the govt have failed to produce clear, powerful public guidance”...like this, from March 2020👇
A lot of people are still wearing their masks incorrectly because there’s been no guidance!
For the first 4 months, UK & US govts insisted we didn’t need face masks, despite the evidence to the contrary
Then - on the same day in both countries - masks became mandatory
And yet there’ s been no basic public info about how even to wear a mask.
Experts knew #COVID19 transmission was airborne - via droplet or aerosol - so why did the UK & US govts reject masks?
TIP: For anyone struggling to stop your glasses misting up or keeping the mask from slipping a simple plaster or band aid does wonders. (Pic via @DanHeifermanMD)
1/. A month ago, asked why - after 10 months - there aren’t checks at airports, @BorisJohnson faltered:
“We will be bringing in measures to ensure that we test people coming into this country & prevent the virus being re-admitted.”
We are still waiting.
2/. Asked about the lack of airport checks on 9 March, @OliverDowden got things wrong telling @rachelburden "anyone of concern is tracked" & @KayBurley that cabin crew had "had enhanced training" to spot #COVID19
3/. The advice was very clear in February/early March that flights from #COVID19 hotspots, like northern Italy, would speed the arrival & spread of #coronavirus in the UK
Not only was this advice ignored, but was the Minister of Transport gaslighting us?