Doctor Who's Jodie Whittaker: Nude Photos, The Sun and Mail Online (throw them in the sea)

 This is by no means the first time the Fail and the Scum have been misogynistic shits, objectifying and demonising women. And this is by no means the first time, nor will it be the last, that celebrity women have been shamed for nude photographs or scenes in their work, as I've covered before with the 'scandal' around Emma Watson's beautiful pictures in Vanity Fair. They try to portray women's bodies as something dirty, something shameful, but at the same time something that men are entitled to objectify, ogle, and get gratification from.

 I was utterly speechless when Jodie Whittaker was announced as the thirteenth Doctor. I was sitting in the bedroom on my DS, running through Pokemon X again and trying to complete my Pokedex when Paul called me into the living room. I'd lost track of the time and didn't realise the announcement was coming up, so when I saw the video... I couldn't even make words, I just couldn't. I was so, so happy. I can't wait for Whittaker's first episode. And how do these publications mark such a landmark announcement? Well of course by making it all about her body, her appearance, and her value as a sexual object. They same way they mark any achievement by a woman.

 Needless to say I'm absolutely foaming about this. What the genuine fuck? For all the supposed 'paedo hunting' the S*n like to think they do, they are now sexualising not only the idea of nudity to children through this, but an iconic children's television character. And what message does this send to the young women who watch Doctor Who? It tells them to be ashamed of their bodies, ashamed of nudity, and that they only exist for men's gratification - if they meet the unrealistic standards that these media outlets set for them to be measured against.

But think of it this way: during his time as the Doctor, Matt Smith appeared in the BBC adaptation of Christopher Isherwood's autobiography Goodbye to Berlin called 'Christopher and His Kind'. If you haven't seen or read it then I implore you to do so; you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll beg for more. It chronicle's Isherwood's time (played by Matt Smith) in the heydey of Weimar Berlin's underground gay scene, amidst the rise of the Nazi Party. It's both heartbreaking and heartwarming. During the filming of the sex scenes, the BBC implored director Geoffrey Sax that they had to be careful not to show shots of Smith's bare behind, as they couldn't show the Doctor's arse on telly. Sad, yes, but fair enough. They managed perfectly without doing so, despite the fact Smith has a glorious arse. Starring in not only nude scenes, but gay sex scenes. The tabloids could've had a field day with it but didn't, just a small article here or there. And I'm glad they didn't, it would've been a total violation of Smith's role, trying to slander and scapegoat him for playing an such an iconic role. It would be a betrayal of Isherwood's literary legacy, reducing his life and work to nothing more than a sex scene. So why are they doing the same to Whittaker? 

 Oh yeah, because they're misogynistic pieces of shit who don't believe women exist for any reason other than to be sexualised and objectified. By men. There's is absolutely nothing wrong with nudity, but the way they portray it in the press is sickening. So the next time you see a copy of the Daily Hate Mail or the Scum, do the world a favour and chuck them in the bloody sea along with anybody who reads it.

You might not think you're brave, but you are to me

 So many of you have probably seen the video doing the rounds on Facebook of a woman chasing a racist attacker down Upton Park tube station platform after the man punched another passenger in the face. A man has since been arrested and bailed until November 14th on charges of “assault occasioning ABH and using threatening / abusive words / behaviour or disorderly behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress”. This has definitely struck a chord with me, given that it's been just over two years since I was attacked for standing up in a similar incident, getting a nasty injury to my shoulder after standing up to a man sexually harassing a teenage girl.

 Now the title of this post may seem a bit odd but bare with me. After my experience I had friends and family telling me how brave I was. I remember the worst part of the night was for ours, ringing and ringing my parents and not getting an answer from either of them. But I definitely didn't feel brave, I felt like a stupid child who had tried to do something good, but then fallen over and scraped my knee; like I'd made things worse. 

 Luckily the woman in this incident wasn't harmed (as far as we know) and that has been the biggest relief for me in seeing this. And at the same time I can relate so much to her. Being surrounded by men, bigger and stronger than she is, sitting by and doing nothing while the man sat next to her is verbally abused before he is punched. There were so many others who could have intervened but didn't, it was left to her to stand up. I'm by no means saying that she isn't capable of standing up for herself and others - she clearly demonstrates the opposite! - but it put her at greater risk than it would have for others. It was an incredibly brave thing for her to do. But that's the thing with brave women, we don't always feel it. We feel like we're just doing what any other person would have done, and not want a fuss made.

 Personally I think this needs to change; we need to recognise women that stand up, putting themselves in danger, do help others. It's important. In fact I've been thinking that if anybody knows who this woman is I would like to get her flowers - or something else that she may need and find more practical. It's important that she knows that people admire her bravery, and others who have done what she did are thinking of her. We did the same thing with the Buy Gary a Pint fund for making a very fitting gesture behind Nigel Farage on the news, so how about we try and get some similar support for a brave woman?