I read a lot of articles about sexism, objectification and our pornified culture. Some I share through Twitter, some I discuss with friends, many I simply read in stunned silence. They paint a deeply disturbing picture of the way women are viewed and treated in our society. Once you’ve read enough of them, you start […]
Read moreMastering the male gaze
December 11, 2012 
11 Comments
THE LIFT A man and a woman are traveling in a lift; both wearing business suits. The lift stops a few floors into their descending journey and the doors open. Another man enters. He does not acknowledge the male passenger. His eyes begin at the woman’s neckline, working their way slowly down her body to […]
Read moreA tale of love, marriage, and one last chance to objectify naked strangers
November 29, 2012 10 Comments
Nathan feels the atmosphere in the room suddenly change. An undercurrent of suppressed excitement sweeps across the tables of casually dressed men. Smirks, winks and shining eyes replace the easy banter of only moments before. The stripper has arrived. Nathan walks slowly towards the door, not wanting to make a scene at his mate Simmo’s […]
Read moreI love you too, man
November 21, 2012 2 Comments
I love a good bromance. Those first, heady days when you discover a kindred, masculine spirit. When you stumble upon a bloke who appreciates The Best of Billy Joel double CD set as much as you do. A dude who will not judge you for ordering one of those beers with lime in it to […]
Read moreI’m not ashamed of being a man, but I am ashamed of the things men do
November 1, 2012 30 Comments
Every day, I read the accounts of assault, harassment and public degradation of women through the @everydaysexism Twitter feed. It’s disturbing. No, it’s appalling. Who are these blokes? What do they think they’re doing? Here are some recent tweets; and these are typical of what comes through every, single day. at a club with friends, […]
Read moreA tale of two supermarkets, and their shared hatred of women
October 17, 2012 17 Comments
WARNING: This post contains highly offensive, hateful and sexually explicit material that Coles and Woolworths gleefully promote each week. It also contains swearing and multiple heinous breaches of the English language and grammar. Adam takes a seat in the small, windowless room. The woman on the opposite side of the table smiles. Like her male […]
Read moreBecause she is a girl
October 15, 2012 4 Comments
Last week, on 11 October, we marked the first ever International Day of the Girl. I got a bit fired up about the whole thing and wrote the piece below. I’m not sophisticated enough to know whether it actually qualifies as a poem, but some of the words do, in fact, rhyme. – Because she […]
Read moreDoes Coles respect women more than Woolworths?
September 20, 2012 2 Comments
Update: Coles has replied (through Wesfarmers) . You can read the response below. It’s uninspiring. *** Dr Bob Every AO is the Chairman of Wesfarmers Limited, the company that owns Coles supermarkets. I sent this letter to Dr Every through Wesfarmers’ “Contact us” page. Please feel free to copy this letter and send your own […]
Read moreA tale of misogyny, sexism and the different ways men respond
September 12, 2012 32 Comments
WARNING: This post contains the kind of offensive, misogynistic and sexually explicit material you are likely to encounter going about your daily life as a citizen of Planet Earth. Well, in The West anyway. With an Internet connection. And a radio. You get the idea. *** Dean takes a deep breath before responding. He feels […]
Read moreWoolworths responds . . . and completely misses the point
August 15, 2012 2 Comments
Last week I wrote to Woolworths about its hypocrisy in having a code of conduct that bans the kind of behaviour it promotes and gleefully sells through Zoo magazine each week. Here is Woolies’ reply, and my reaction. Dear Mr Sigley, Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding the display of magazines within our Melbourne […]
Read more
