Give quote to journo – become accidental headline, get eaten by trolls.

Thought I would write a quick post in response to accidentally ending up as a headline in this Scotland on Sunday article about the Fringe’s decision to use a strip club as a venue.

What happened was I got an email from a journalist asking me for the Edinburgh Feminist Network’s take on this issue. I emailed him back to let him know that my involvement in this group is now minimal, and besides, it is a diverse set of people with different opinions so there would likely be no one line in any case. I gave him my own personal opinion, in a slightly simplified soundbite of a quote, told him I was a comedian and a feminist (which is true) and he could use it if he wanted.  I chose to give him a quote because hey, I like attention (I mean, come on – I do stand up).  I thought it would find it’s way into the article, and you know – I’d get a few more hits on this thing.

As you can see, the headline reads ‘Feminist comedian attacks decision to use strip club as Festival venue’, technically this is true, I did say I didn’t approve of the fringe using the Sapphire Rooms, and I don’t. The fact that it’s a headline makes it sound like I am going to be organising pickets outside, or at the very least makes it sound like I contacted the paper (rather than the other way around) but hey, it’s journalism, gotta make something seem like a big polarazied conflict before people are going to be interested right?

I understand that a golden rule of online journalism is ‘just don’t read the comments section’, however the fact that it was about me made it a little bit hard to resist (stand up comedians are notoriously self obsessed, I like to think I’m not, but well). Cath Elliot writes very well on what it’s like to be a feminist writing in the media, and the sort of abuse you get from strangers. Compared to the stuff she writes about in this post, the comments under the article should probably have been like a big cuddle.

A few of the comments complained about the fact that I am not famous, well fair enough – I’m not famous, never said I was – if anything that’s the journo’s fault for not getting a quote from someone more in the public I than my humble self.

A lot of people thought I was seeking press, which I was and I wasn’t – I gave a comment which took me about 5 mins to think up after doing a little bit of online research about the thing, and receiving an email. Obviously, I gave him a quote because I like attention (see above) so I sort of was seeking press, but not in the way many of the commenters will have been lead to assume. I guess this is not really the commenters fault.

Some people complained that I was saying it wasn’t art, I didn’t say that – i can’t be bothered to get into ‘what is art’ type debates,  I said it wasn’t edgy, because it’s not. Someone said something along the lines of ‘it’s a great venue, my Dad’s coming, how would you know if you’ve never been in, faux feminism, boo hoo’ . This comment was quite problematic really, first off someone validated their decision to perform in a strip club by saying that their dad would even come ( why should your dad coming along make it any more valid a decision, that’s a bit of a feminist issue right?), then they said that the reason I wouldn’t go in was because of ‘high morals’, making me sound like some kind of prude – which I’m not ( I won’t go into detail to evidence that here, because I shouldn’t have to – also like, my gran reads this).  Just to state here – the reason I won’t go into a strip club is because I do not want to support with my money, or physical presence something which I believe is sexist and exploitative. Morals, Schmorals.

Even if (and I don’t really think this is the case, but I can accept that it’s not impossible) ALL the women who work there have total job satisfaction, and aren’t mistreated by customers and it’s all fabby – it’s still only women’s bodies on show/being consumed (and plastered all over the windows) so it’s STILL sexist really (and this is before going into a big debate around what choice really means in our society).

A few of the comments attacked my hypothetical appearance. Love that logic – I am not into strip bars because I am not hot (I am hot by the way, at least 1 other person thinks so). I mean yeah, typical, woman says something and what she says is not as important as her appearance (which is in this case hypothetical anyway).

Quite a bit of general feminist bashing, one person started having a go at me for not having a go at Beyonce (?) a few more positive comments.  I tried carefully not to attack the women who work at Sapphire rooms in my quote (maybe I failed there, I’m not sure – perhaps my comment was a little brisk) and there is an issue that no one pointed out of, what about the women who work there? Do they still get to work in August? I don’t know.

Anyway, what’s the moral of the story? Not sure there is one, other than – ladies, give your opinion and stand out, and you will get attacked, often for irrelevant things.

I will end with a massive reccomendation, if you want to go and see something ace, and sexy, and feminist and wonderfull go to Lashings of Ginger Beer at the Bongo Club. They are fab, really funny, clever, radical and the good kind of edgy, not faux ‘even my Dad is coming’ edgy.