In 1979, I recall walking into work in my boyfriend’s dad's pub in the notorious area of The Calton in Glasgow. There seemed to be not many street lights outside and it felt very dark. The pub was full of drunk, young and old men. The only woman in there (other than me) was an ancient old prostitute who sat alone singing into her glass as the guys looked on laughing.
This was the same bar in the early 80s where some of its regulars had gang raped another drunk vulnerable woman and after getting bored with her, slashed her flesh so much that she almost died. Nicholas Fairbairn the infamous politician had to resign as he declared her gang rape and assault as 'not worthy of a trial' as she was a 'damaged woman'. It took a kind hearted lawyer to bring the first civil law suit to jail my customers and they served prison time. It was the Carol X case. Her rapists were guys who drank in my bar.
What am trying to say is some of the Glasgow men back then in The Calton didn't really respect women much. I witnessed this every day in that bar. Women were treated with utter disdain, abuse and I even witnessed women running away from the 'grabbing' men who all laughed heartily at their 'attempted assault'. The guys openly discussed the size of my breasts and sometimes when I ventured out into the main bar area to clear up they would make an effort to curtail their behaviour as my boyfriend's dad was not to be messed with, so I effectively was 'off limits'. I was safe.
Yet I was constantly shocked at the way they spoke about women, for example I had a guy in our bar who used to say he "Tarzaned" women, which was a reference to Tarzan grabbing a woman and swinging her away. 'Tarzaned' can be equally read as raped. Things slowly changed, the area changed, lots of those original guys became heroin addicts and were now not so cocky and either died or faded away or just gave up on life.
The 80s came along and new customers with families and jobs and self employed business's started using the pub and they weren't as 'grabby' or sexist or misogynistic as their predecessors.
But there was still an element of old school sexism in the air. Good news was - it was changing.
It's 2014 and we now have Dapper Laughs and Julien Blanc in the media telling us how to grab women by the throat for a dating technique or openly laughing at women and asking to 'smell their gash' and generally being demeaned by men in groups. I thought that was done.
I had hoped the term 'Tarzaned' was an isolated Glasgow urban myth....but its back and people now pay to hear it. Maybe I should open a 1979 theme bar and have men grabbing women as blokes laugh at the hilarity and we can have Dapper Laughs Vines on a loop, girls can giggle as they are throttled near the juke box and women can scream with pleasure at being noticed as they try to hide the smell of their gash near the boys!
Or men like Dapper Laughs and Julien Blanc can grow the fuck up and people who pay to see them can realise that one day their own daughters, sisters and female pals will suffer from this perpetuated 'lad syndrome' and maybe one day if things change WOMEN ONE DAY can walk into a bar without fear or humiliation from badly raised stupid men.
So thanks for reading, if you want follow me on twitter @JaneyGodley for updates and daily shenanigans.
Sorry my blog's have been less regular than promised...been hectic.
Showing posts with label Rape. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rape. Show all posts
Friday, November 07, 2014
Thursday, July 04, 2013
Janey Godley’s Podcast Episode 155
(Please
be aware that this Podcast Contains strong language)
In episode 155 of Janey Godley's podcast the mother
and daughter comedy duo have a very exuberant podcast this week. Janey talks
about her experience presenting the Duke of Edinburgh awards in the presence of
Prince Edward who apparently likes comedy.
They discuss the situation in Egypt and the spate of
rapes in Tahir Square. Ashley explains her big drama over misjudged scales at
the gym that wrongly judged Ashley's weight....there was screaming. They both
talk about how they feel about being comedians and the relative issues it
raises. Janey inadvertently blurts out a spoiler alert about the US TV drama
Scandal.
Mother and Daughter comedy team get to natter and
the world gets to hear it on Janey Godley’s podcasts, expect some bawdy
language and home truths, as Janey Godley and Ashley Storrie lead you down the
roads less taken in their fantastic weekly podcast. Listen as mother and
daughter banter, bait and burst with laughter.
Janey Godley Podcast at: Episode
155
If you would like to support our podcast then please
do so by clicking onto Our Donate Page
and donate via PayPal or like us on Facebook
Click
Here
To see the art of Hannah Stone
We hope you enjoy our Podcasts it would be great if
you would pass it on, thanks Janey Godley & Ashley Storrie.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Janey Godley’s Podcast Episode 140
(Please
be aware that this Podcast Contains strong language)
In episode 140 of Janey Godley's podcast the comedy
mother and daughter get ranty about Aspergers, the war in Iraq and Ken Barlow.
Ashley discusses her experience of living through ten years of the illegal
occupation of Iraq and her feelings about The Steubenville rape case.
Janey tells us a horrific story involving a guide
dog and another about a toilet brush. Infidelity, a story about a kidney and
some weird singing feature this week.
Mother and Daughter comedy team get to natter and
the world gets to hear it on Janey Godley’s podcasts, expect some bawdy
language and home truths, as Janey Godley and Ashley Storrie lead you down the
roads less taken in their fantastic weekly podcast. Listen as mother and
daughter banter, bait and burst with laughter.
If you would like to support our podcast then please
do so by clicking onto Our Donate Page
and donate via PayPal or like us on Facebook
Click
here
to see the art of Hannah Stone
We hope you enjoy our Podcasts it would be great if
you would pass it on, thanks Janey Godley & Ashley Storrie.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Janey Godley’s Podcast Episode 111
(Please be
aware that this Podcast Contains strong language)
In episode 111 of Janey Godley’s podcast the mother
and daughter comedy duo discuss Rape and the political/social comments
surrounding the issue. Ashley reads more of her teenage diary and answers the
podcast questions.
Janey talks about the Joan Rivers/Rhianna twitter
storm and debates the fact that the New York Comedy festival has no females in
its line up. Ashley then impersonates a day in the life of her mother, sound
effects and all.
Mother and Daughter comedy team get to natter and
the world gets to hear it on Janey Godley’s podcasts, expect some bawdy
language and home truths, as Janey Godley and Ashley Storrie lead you down the
roads less taken in their fantastic weekly podcast. Listen as mother and
daughter banter, bait and burst with laughter.
If you would like to support our podcast then please
do so by clicking onto Our Donate Page
and donate via PayPal.
Our Website of the week is Dropbox,
Always have your stuff when you need it with @Dropbox.
Sign up it’s free!
I hope you enjoy our Podcasts it would be great if
you would pass it on, thanks Janey Godley & Ashley Storrie.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Janey Godley’s Podcast Episode 110
(Please be aware that this Podcast Contains
strong language)
In
episode 110 of Janey Godley's podcast the comedy mother and daughter duo get
chatty about this week’s news. Ashley gives us her opinion on Prince Harry's
shenanigans in Las Vegas and her hatred of ukulele comedy.
Janey
talks about the George Galloway/Akin rape debacle and both women chime in with
their views. Tim and Freya the play gets a mention and we are treated to
Ashley's old diary excerpts.
Mother and Daughter comedy team get to natter and
the world gets to hear it on Janey Godley’s podcasts, expect some bawdy
language and home truths, as Janey Godley and Ashley Storrie lead you down the
roads less taken in their fantastic weekly podcast. Listen as mother and
daughter banter, bait and burst with laughter.
If you would like to support our podcast then please
do so by clicking onto Our Donate Page
and donate via PayPal.
Our Website of the week is Dropbox,
Always have your stuff when you need it with @Dropbox.
Sign up it’s free!
I hope you enjoy our Podcasts it would be great if
you would pass it on, thanks Janey Godley & Ashley Storrie.
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