#EverydaySexism

‘How it Works’ via xkcd

Hosted on storify.com

Through the years, I have watched my husband begin to understand my experience as a woman, but until pretty much the moment we moved in together, he had no access to the experiences necessary to really understand where I was coming from.

He has since realized – in a much more intimate way – that periods happen “really, honestly, every month for a whole week and you get cramps and you really have no choice at all in the matter.”

He has noticed the man who introduced himself only to other men in the group.

He has seen me struggle in the workplace while men got promoted and given higher wages, despite having less experience and seniority.

He has heard my stories, both from the past and ongoing, of being followed, harassed and assaulted by men who felt entitled to my body.

With that in mind, I thought about the people with whom I interact daily, on social media.

The kind of people I can’t develop a long-term discourse with, who won’t see my struggles or have the advantage of experience to tell them when they are being prejudiced.

Someone who will argue with you that just because the statistics say women aren’t paid the same wages for the same jobs as men (and it’s far worse for ethnic minorities), it’s improving (not really).

Someone who gets upset when I talk about feminism, interrupts me, and ends the conversation because: “I’m not sexist!”

Someone who won’t understand the term microagressions outside of the assumption that it’s feminism just getting upset over nothing, when it also has to do with ethnic and religious minorities, transphobia and homophobia, as well as class.

Someone who assumes that all feminists are essentially fascists who want to destroy all mankind, or at least take away all of their shiny toys for ourselves (as in I’m not saying they don’t exist, they just don’t represent me if they do).

So in the interest of education, here is a small (trust me) chunk, of one day (morning) on social media.

 

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE

Military action in Syria will have absolutely no drawbacks whatsoever, say those already up to their necks in it

President Obama spoke to David Cameron today about the vote in Parliament regarding military action in Syria, which will be held tomorrow.

“I couldn’t possibly tell you what the best outcome would be,” said the President. “But I do hope that the precedent America has set in these affairs will speak for itself.”

“For example,” he continued. “The ‘War on Drugs’ has been going so well, despite anything you’ve heard, that we obviously recommend a full-scale ‘War on Terrorism’.”

“Choosing an ideology, or an inanimate object, against which to have a war, is just good business because no one talks back, or even gets hurt!”

When questioned about an article from the most pro-Republican source imaginable, CNN, written by Richard Branson, stating the war on drugs was a “trillion dollar failure”, the President just shrugged and mumbled something about communists.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, stated that: “We have made so much money privatising the Royal Mail, that no one has to suffer from the cost of this proposed military action, definitely not those who are most at risk, and definitely not you, working people of Britain.”

Comparisons drawn between Syria and Iraq were also quickly quashed by the PM’s representatives as “we can’t talk about the Iraq war or use it as an example until we put off releasing the Chilcot Enquiry again.”

Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, was criticized for wishing to hold back on attacks, especially air strikes, as they were not precise enough and could take innocent lives, but Tory representatives were quick to counter.

“Yeah, sure, maybe a couple of people died, but really not so many that we need to worry about it, and certainly no one that matters.”

The Prime Minister was unavailable for comment, but a source reported hearing him say: “Well, as long as it doesn’t piss off the donors, we’ll do whatever.”

Online Journalism Portfolio

Hello all, I know it has been a while since I’ve written through here, but I assure you I have still be writing!

For an updated look at what I am doing online, please visit my online portfolio:

https://angelikarusbridge.contently.com/

See you all very soon for more.

Mike Gilson at Brighton Journalist Works

by Angelika Rusbridge
May 29 2015

To a student like myself, a newsroom can sometimes seem like an intimidating place. The air smells like news and professionals, while our classes smell like shorthand and safety. Because of this, people from that world can sometimes seem equally intimidating.

But not so for Mike Gilson, newly-appointed editor for the Brighton Argus and group editor with Newsquest Sussex. He turned out to be quite a personable man, with lots to say – not rare for a career journalist – about the world he seemed to love.

Mike Gilson at Brighton Journalist Works

“Newspapers will survive,” he said, to collective sighs of relief from the students. Later in the talk, he reiterated: “I don’t think newspapers will die.” I admit to a briefly conjured image of a murderer out for the blood of newspapers, but quickly realised that he spoke of the fear of death for paper itself, not the news.

Climbers reach for new heights to celebrate anniversary

by Angelika Rusbridge
Published Wednesday 18 March 2015
in The Brighton Argus

Here is a link to my very first sort-of byline! It’s all very exciting, and hopefully the first of many.

Photograph Rights – The Argus
Click for link

Climbers reach for new heights to celebrate anniversary

Budget Edition: My Thoughts on Some Stuff That Happened This Week in Politics

by Angelika Rusbridge
Sunday, March 22, 2015

Hello one and all, and my apologies for missing out on last week. However, I know you all cannot wait to read some more about:

My Thoughts on Some Stuff That Happened This Week in Politics

The biggest development of the week was, of course, the highly anticipated Budget 2015, and I’m sure you were all just as excited to hear about it as I was. Just in case you missed some things (though I’m sure you haven’t, as the developments are so darn interesting and I bet you all watched and read with deep, uninterrupted interest), I have included some of the more salient points from the release, and as ever, my own personal thoughts.

Chris Riddell on the Budget (The Guardian)
Click for link.

My Thoughts on Some Stuff That Happened This Week in Politics

By Angelika Rusbridge
March 8 2015

It’s a long-winded title indeed, but here we are again, for the second installment of:

My Thoughts on Some Stuff That Happened This Week in Politics

I suppose it is only fitting that I kick things off by talking about International Women’s Day.

Inevitably, the spotlight is on those things that make us substantially different to men – and no, I am not talking about boobs and the inevitable reference to the Vagina Monologues. I’m talking about the fact that women still get paid less than men on average for the same job (yes, in this country), that FGM is still a depressing reality for women (again, yes, in this country), and that all around the world women are being tyrannised, kidnapped, murdered, and treated like second-class citizens.

Currently there are 148 female MP’s in parliament out of 650, which is roughly 23%. Considering that according to the 2011 census, there were more women than men … well, you can probably guess how that makes me feel.

Motivation ignited by Blaise at BJW

By Angelika Rusbridge
Wednesday 4 March 2015

Arguably the hardest thing about starting a career is finding a job.

Wait, actually, who am I kidding, it is by far the most difficult part and we all know it.

Blaise Tapp at Brighton Journalist Works,
Photo Caitlin Webb

Luckily for my fellow students and I at Brighton Journalist Works, we’re currently much too busy studying to even have a spare moment to think about it; but that doesn’t mean the prospect of future employment (or not) isn’t looming.

Blaise Tapp, head of commissioned content at Johnston Press, visited us today with advice on these matters, which was like free ramen to a hungry student – which we all are (students, not ramen).

My Thoughts On Some Stuff That Happened This Week In Politics

by Angelika Rusbridge
Sunday 1 March, 2015

There is always going to be a lot to talk about politics when a General Election has been called. This is excellent news for someone like me who is rather obsessed with the stuff, and since the only thing I arguably like more than politics, is talking about it, I present to you my very first installment of :

My Thoughts On Some Stuff That Happened This Week In Politics

First of all, I want to talk about the unfortunate case of Natalie Bennett and her interview with LBC’s Nick Ferrari on Tuesday, the 24^th of February.

Everyone, including Ms Bennett, has pretty much agreed that the interview was a disaster. I was listening to it via the BBC early that same morning, and couldn’t help but cringe.

A Fleeting Visit

I make a point of researching people before I hear them speak, it’s only polite, right? And snooping on Susie Boniface, aka the Fleet Street Fox, was a particularly interesting pleasure. I was preparing for her visit to Brighton Journalist Works (I was also eating my lunch, which made for an interesting audio recording of the session), and I was looking forward to it.

Well-known for her own brand of snooping, Ms Boniface has been woven into her alternate personality, and the result closely mirrors her elucidation of the reasons behind choosing the Fox as her representative. She described a creature that may seem attractive from afar, but is a tad on the mangy side from up close, that goes through people’s rubbish (or dustbins), and is also known to be sly. “I was outfoxed” has a rather positive connotation; for the outfoxee at least.