Make Yourself Amazing

Anyone who is female and living in the UK will be familiar with this face.....




Not because of any particularly memorable TV appearance, or even from the Sun or Nuts magazine. But because of the ad-raping inflicted upon us via our facebook and mainly hotmail.

There was a time when I saw her face and body about 30 times a day. I'd check my hotmail, there she was, I'd send an email, face again, go back into my inbox, there she appears, onto my facebook, her face stares back at me again, taunting me, with 'MYA' printed across it.

This literally went on for weeks until one day I went 'FINE! WHO ARE YOU!!!' And clicked on the advert.

I found out that 'MYA' stands for 'Make Yourself Amazing'. A cosmetic surgery company in the UK which suggests that you aren't amazing at the moment, but if you have enough surgery you might be.



I don't want to completely poop on the idea of surgery because I can understand it (as a woman I biologically have superior skills in empathy don't you know!). I had a good look at the site and watched some of the testimonials from 'celebs' (ALL reality TV 'stars') and again and again their reasons are 'I did it for myself'. Yes, I don't doubt that for a moment, but it's the REASONS you did it for yourself that gets to me. If you get me.




I personally believe women's aspirations to look like this ideal is more about fitting in (this may be stating the obvious but stick with me here!). We all know the only women who are represented in advertising and media are the stunning, thin and young ones. I think the reason women want to aspire to be like this is much more about the feeling of belonging then we think. And if we're constantly bombarded with beautiful images of women, we want to fit into this group, this group that we believe to be the majority. When I was a kid I got boobs before everyone else. I had massive ones whilst everyone else was flat as pancakes. This ordeal tortured me. I remember wishing my boobs would go away and come back when I was 18. I even taped them down. And it wasn't a problem with the tits themselves, it was the idea of being different - I wanted to look like my friends and other girls my age. Now that we're all in our twenties, everyone has obviously got tits and in some strange twist of fate, mine are distinctly smaller than most of my friends. Sometimes I look at their boobs and wonder what it's like to have 'proper' ones, I wonder what it's like to NEED a bra. I sit up at night wondering if Harrison is cutting out pictures of my head and sticking them onto Pamela Anderson's torso.

Okay maybe not the last one. Ahem!!

I think my thoughts as a young lady were justified to some extent. But for women to want to aspire to be like this particular group of perfect women who exist on TV adverts is totally whack. Because this perfect ideal does not exist - well it's made to exist by stylists, make up, hair pieces, photoshop, surgery, the list goes on. That's why I so loved the mermaid and whale story I posted a few days ago. The very idea we're meant to aspire to something that isn't real fascinates me....and it'll continue to trick women (actually not just women) that we CAN be perfect, we CAN be better than the human norm if we just TRY hard enough.

Now I am 25 and it has only just occured to me that I should be happy with the way I look. Maybe even like it!

If people want surgery, okay. But don't insinuate I am less than amazing if I choose not to. Thank you.

Fur is BAD but objectification...that's FINE!

The campaign by Peta (http://www.peta.org/) is all well and good but it totally makes me cringe. I keep seeing it recently and each time it makes me more annoyed.

It's as if they're saying (and I quote Jo on this) 'We're against using animals for their fur but the objectification of women - that's fine!!!!'

Do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?

I found this on any-body.org

Recently, in a large French city, a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said:

THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE?

A middle aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern:

Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans). They have an active sex life, they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Bering Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia. Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don't exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human? They don't have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them not to mention how could they have sex? Therefore they don't have kids either. Not to mention who wants to get close to a girl who's skin is all scaly and smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me... I want to be a whale.

P..S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my grandkids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver and a latte with my friends. With time, we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, "Good gosh, look how smart I am"!


What I like most about this story and the reason I posted it is the fact that mermaids do not exist...the idea we're meant to desire to be something completely impossible... but it's achievable if you just TRY hard enough and buy more things....

Scarlett Johansson and Terry Richardson

Good day!

Today I went to see View From a Bridge with Scarlett Johansson at the Cort theatre. It was most excellent, she was superb in it. The only thing about it was that I couldn't block out the noise from the street of sirens and reversing vans, it was a bit off putting. Also there was a group of students being loud and laughing at really inappropriate times, I understand not. Other than that it was so great, I can't fault it at all.


In other news - Terry Richardson got revenge on me for the last post I wrote by appearing in my dream and violating me. It was so strange, he convinced me to have sex with him by telling me he loved me, then some very graphic scenes took place which left me unfulfilled (this is a recurring dream for me anyway!) and THEN he got really angry at me and stole my Marc Jacobs bag from my locker. Then I thought that he MUST have an STD and that I'd have to get checked out before I got back to the UK incase Harrison caught it off me and put two and two together and I'd have to explain I'd had sex with Terry Richardson and it didn't mean anything and I'd have to convince him I was still marriage material! Ahem. It was most strange. But the dream was so vivid that I remember the guilt I felt about Harrison. And when I see his face the dream comes flooding back and I feel really bad. Oh the tricks of the mind!!


Anyway must go and do some work now. My friends came to visit last week and they've just gone home. I miss them so much!!!!

Glenn Beck.

Wow. What a douche.

Terry Richardson allegations

I was absolutely horrified to hear the allegations of sexual abuse and harassment against Terry Richardson.

If it's found to be true I would be disgusted to see him work again. I just really hope more girls come forward. It's so upsetting.

http://jezebel.com/5495699/exclusive-more-models-come-forward-with-allegations-against-fashion-photographer?skyline=true&s=i

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

A couple of things to report...

I went home last tuesday for a few days to do a panel discussion in London for Amnesty International. It was in aid of International Women's Week and was about the impact of religious fundamentalists on LGBT and women's rights and how this is approached in my work. I was joined on the panel by two amazing playwrights, Jo Clifford who had protests outside the theatre where she was showing her play 'Jesus Queen of Heaven' and Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti who had protests and death threats about her play 'Behtzi' which showed scenes of rape in a Sikh temple. So a great panel.

It was a really interesting night and the other panelists said some things that really got me thinking about the past 18 months since Salon Gallery was smashed up because of my work. It really got me thinking a lot about freedom of speech. Because my absolute belief has always been that as an artist you should be strong in your concept, not be afraid of controversy, and you would be totally questioning your artistic integrity if you chose to not make something because you were scared somebody somewhere would take offence....

I worry when I take part in these things that it will become a love fest. I feel like I'm patting myself on the back for being an artist and shaking my head at the people who dared to be offended. Like they're beneath me or something. You know, it was probably the most difficult time in my life and I would never want to go through it again....but it reminds me of the famous Voltaire quote 'I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it'. Because even though what happened to me was horrific (I will never fully expose the level of threats I received) I would never want to take away someone's right to their opinion...as ill informed as it may be. And as violent is the way they carry it out may be.

When we got asked about freedom of speech and if it should be curbed in art so to not offend, I wanted to immediately say no. But then it reminded me of when the BNP were on question time. Nobody wants to hear what those arseholes have to say, but by not having them on there, is this a restriction on freedom of speech? If somebody wants to say the most disgusting repulsive things, should they be allowed to say them? We say we live in a free country after all.

I JUST DON'T KNOW! I'm not sure I ever will. Either way it was a great night, I was so proud to be part of it and I say a great THANK YOU for being asked to take part.

In other news. Tonight I went to a benefit at Sotheby's for Haiti. My wonderful friend Stuart Semple has donated a piece of his work for the cause. It was a silent art auction and the wonderful and amazing Patti Smith was there performing. We were an inch from her and it was so exciting. During her performance and the subsequent speeches, people decided to talk right through them. One of the speakers (eek I can't remember her name!) told everyone to shut up because they were priveledged and there are some people who aren't so priveledged and how it's America's fault they're in this situation anyway so everyone should feel really bad. Lucky being British I got to point fingers and shake my head dissaprovingly at everyone else in the room. It was a superb night. Here's some pics!










So I'm now back in New York and feeling homesick for wonderful England. England I love ye and am so proud I was born in you!

I'm ashamed of my cynicism

(above) RAHA Iranian Women's Collective

A couple of nights ago I had a moan about where has feminism gone. But tonight I went to an event where I realised it may have come across a bit narrow minded. 

The event was for International Women's Day and it was held by RAHA Iranian Women's Collective. It was a celebration of one hundred years of 'strength, solidarity and struggle'. They showed a documentary of the historic march in Tehran in 1979 which drew women from all over the world and another about the 2006 million signatures campaign in support of ending discriminatory laws against women. 

The event was amazing and I'm not just talking about the cake. The atmosphere was so wonderful, a real feeling of celebration and solidarity. I felt quite emotional watching the film, I had to take a deep breath. I just felt so proud of all those women marching and really showing strength for what they believe in. I suppose I felt stupid for being so quick to think we're fucked. We're not. There's so many people out there being active and making a difference. It's so inspiring. I left and walked back to the station, taking in the sights of Manhattan around me and quite frankly feeling great again. 

THANK YOU LADIES.

Where did feminism go?

Since I've been in NY I've had feminism overload. Not only am I a rampant feminist myself and I can't escape my own brain, but I've been reading, researching, meeting and greeting, plotting, arting feminism. 

And now I am lost. 

I've femmed out. 

Actually, when I think about feminism too much I feel sad because part of me thinks we're just fucked. We've gone so far backwards, how do we get back again? How do we get people to start thinking again? Where did feminism go? 

I feel slightly optimistic in New York actually. For a start I was in a show at A.I.R gallery which is a feminist art gallery, I went to Bluestockings which is a feminist bookshop, I went to a talk about how products are advertised to women and this new book 'Flow' about menstruation, met Sarah Haskins and the wonderful Cindy Gallop who created 'Make Love Not Porn'. Breathe.

And that's not even the half of it. And in only 6 weeks. Now I don't know if it's because I haven't actively looked in London or if there just isn't anything like this in London. If so I really want to change this. 

Everyone knows I am fascinated with advertising and the subconscious affect all this perfect imagery has on us. But I truly understand how you could get so totally fucked up over here in the states. Literally everywhere you go there is ad upon ad. Any free space you get an advert is shoved there.  I'm also fascinated by how the porn mags are displayed. Just out there on the street stalls for everyone to see or in a newsagent, casually on the middle shelf next to the fishing mags like it's any other publication. At least in England we're embarrassed enough to hide them on the top shelf! Here's some examples I took today....

That last ad makes me want to kill myself.

I had to put in the one of Kirsty Alley because it makes me chuckle when I see it. She is a beautiful lady but she just does not look like that! I love the cream on the nose as well. Hmmm soft-porn advertising cliche anyone? 

p.s Check out Cindy Gallop, I met her this week and she is amazing and an inspiration. She made me realise if you feel strongly about something, stop moaning and just bloody DO something about it.

http://ifwerantheworld.com/

http://www.makelovenotporn.com/

p.p.s I'm staring my own feminist movement. Anyone want to join me?

Armory Art Fair...

There seemed to be a theme at this year's Armory....can you guess what it is?

Bu-qwark??