I took this book, How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran, on holiday last week. (Thank you to the Beyond Chocolater who emailed me about it. You said you thought it might be up my street and you were so right!). Moran in funny and intelligent. So funny that I couldn't stop myself from laughing out loud... on the plane, by the pool, at the beach...
All the way through I just found myself thinking "yes, yes, YES". Whether she was talking about periods or handbags, sex or food, I am with her all the way.
I love what she says about overeating:
"Overeating is the addiction of choice for carers and thats why its come to be regarded as the lowest ranking of all the addictions. Its a way of fucking yourself up whilst still remaining fully functional, because you have to. Fat people are not indulging in the 'luxury' of their addiction making themselves useless,chaotic or a burden. Instead they are slowly self destructing in a way that doesn't inconvenience anyone. And thats why its so often a woman's addiction of choice. All the quietly eating mums. All the kit kats in office drawers. All the unhappy moments late at night caught only in the fridge light."
" I sometimes wonder if the only way we'll ever get round to properly considering overeating is if it takes on the same perverse, rock and roll, cool of other addictions. Perhaps its time for women to stop being so secretive about their vices and start treating them like all other addicts treat their habits instead. Coming into the office looking raddled, sighing " Man, I was on the shepherds pie last night like you wouldn't believe. I had, like, MASH in my EYEBROWS by 10pm. I was a total mince rush!".....
Because,at the moment I cant help but notice that in a society obsessed with fat- so eager in the appellation, so vocal in its disapproval-the only people who aren't talking about it are the only people whose business it really is."
This fits in with what we started on Facebook with the Wall of Shame. We know that many women don't like the 'shame' bit in the title of the page - the idea is to dump the shame on the page and leave it there - it doesn't belong to us. We don't have to feel bad about ourselves for overeating - and I love how Moran uses humour to dispel the shame. Works a treat. The key is to keep talking about it. To stop hiding and feeling ashamed about something that virtually every woman I know does and most women do a lot! Let's make it our business to talk about it and to stop feeling ashamed.
I have always thought of myself as a Feminist but have sometimes kept it a bit quiet or felt a bit embarrassed saying it out loud. The image I had of feminists didn't quite fit with the way I see myself. Having read this book I can say "I AM A FEMINIST" without apology or qualification. In fact I want to say it. I want everyone to know. Especially my daughter.
Have you read it?
I'd love to know what you think of it.
