Body Shaming

Hi!

I'm sure you've heard of the current hit "All About That Bass" which has been causing controversy throughout pop culture.  Some have seen it as a body love anthem, and others are seeing its more problematic aspects.  Firstly, the song has terrible misogynistic themes which tell a girl that her worth is determined by how much "booty" a boy can hold.  So not okay.  But that isn't what I want to talk about.  The issue that I would like to discuss is the debate which has been sparked over fat shaming and skinny shaming.

Many plus-sized people have been making statements about skinny people needing to stop complaining about the song's reference to "skinny bitches" because they are the most adored body shape in the media.  Which, sure, is feasible.  Plus-sized people are constantly torn to pieces over their weight and shape - again, so not okay. However, as a person who has been horribly underweight since I suffered from pneumonia as a baby, body shaming and glorification have both hit me hard.  Doctors have laughed in my face when they've seen my weight and height.  I can't count on 2, 3, 4 or 5 hands how many times I have been accused of having an eating disorder (which is a mental illness that isn't always noticeable by weight!!!!) by both doctors and friends alike.  I've been told "Just eat food!" so many times that it knocks me sick - if you've seen me with a box of chicken nuggets you'll know how much I love to eat - yet no matter how much I do my weight drops.  However, I've also been told that people are jealous of my weight?  Jealous of being 6 stone at 15 years old (which is only just on the growth/height charts)?  Jealous of protruding ribs and hip bones? Jealous of numerous doctor's appointments per month because your body catches every illness under the sun?
Do you know what it's like to have your meals monitored and weight checked twice a day - BY YOURSELF?

Well, yeah, you probably do.  This is the thing, I don't grow angry at the people that say these things to me, because in no way is it their fault.  They have been taught by our society that this kind of body is desirable.  An unhealthy one.  One despised by every doctor. Is desirable. Makes no sense, does it?

Anyway, regarding my original point.  We do not need to be comparing the different kinds of body shaming, because that's only going to hurt us more.  We need to be fighting the system.  We need to be teaching young people to love their bodies - ALL OF THEM! We need to revert this idea that one body type is better than the other, because our bodies cause all of us grief, but we can change that if we work together to bring the love of all bodies into our society. Not the comparison.

Tabitha x

Sam Pepper (& Why It's a Big Deal)

Hi!

So, you may have seen the whole hype recently of Amateur YouTube Prankster and Professional Ass, Sam Pepper, causing a rather large commotion.  If you haven't heard, have a summary.

Pepper uploaded a video of him "pinching girls' bums" without their consent. It wasn't hard to see that the girls were upset when they were saying "I don't like that. Don't do that." But, hey, he hugged them, so that's alright!  Obviously, after the news of Alex Day partaking in non-consensual activities with girls, the YouTube community have been very defensive of sexual harassment and misogyny within their culture.  So to no surprise, there was a huge uproar of viewers telling him how it was inappropriate.  Pepper then announced that it was all a social experiment to show that men's abuse is in the shade and nobody cares. I don't think I have to explain why that has fragility and suspicion written all over it. (If you want to watch the videos, they're all on Pepper's Facebook page.)

However, this wasn't the end.

Many girls began to come forward, especially to feminist YouTuber Laci Green, to announce that at conventions and meetups, Pepper had non-consensually touched and harassed them.  This was all seeming more and more disgusting, until there was the straw that broke the camel's back.  YouTuber thisbedottie very bravely made a video telling her story of Pepper's behaviour.  In summary, she went to his meetup and he found her attractive, so they went to the cinema the next day.  This was a perfectly innocent activity and very exciting for a 16 year old fan, but with a 23 year old male, he should have known better. It gets worse. He began to kiss her, touch her all over and make her touch him until she had to make excuses to leave. He promptly messaged her and blamed it on her.

This cannot be ignored! This cannot be "taken with a pinch of salt!" (I'm looking at you, KalelKitten.)  This man is influencing teenagers both male and female and whether his "prank" was scripted or not, he is showing his viewers that it is okay to touch people inappropriately and non-consensually.  He must have some idea how quickly things go viral, and if teenagers see a humorous viral video that they can try out themselves, they will. Think about planking, what even was that? I don't know, but I do know it went viral and the whole world was doing it, because anyone can lie down. 

What makes him think that he can spread the message that abuse goes unnoticed?  What makes him think that it's okay to influence our promising youth in this fashion? And pardon my French, but who the FUCK does he think he is that he can touch young girls at any given opportunity and then blame it on them for being so damn irresistible?

NO SIR.  You are a disgusting, paedophiliac, dangerous, harassing, infuriating excuse for a human being.  Case closed.

Don't Give Up

Hi!

As a young person, you may have noticed that there is a running theme in our society: the restriction of girls' dreams and ideas.  We have been made to feel that if we have an opinion or a personal goal that we need the approval of an authority figure before we can pursue it. (I don't know about you but in my experience authority figures always seem to be an angry old white dude whose opinions originate from before even he was born.) 

Since I was 6 years old I have always wanted to be an actor, especially in theatres. Nobody pressured me into it, it's just always been my calling. End of story. Well, end of story for me anyway.  To others, even family friends who I haven't seen for over a year, they want to know every last detail. "Are you sure it shouldn't just be a hobby?" "You need a back-up plan because you probably won't make it." And just generally some very doubting questions. And not to mention the ABSOLUTE QUALITY COMEDY MATERIAL that can be retrieved from drama students! Yes, I am looking at you Mr Jimmy Carr.  If I may quote "I always say one thing to drama students, 'can I have a coffee please?'" How hilarious! Wow! A young person going out into the world and achieving their dreams, even if that entails having a crappy side job that they need to live and support themselves! MY SIDES HURT!

This applies in so many situations, especially for young girls.  If you want to achieve something in your life, YOU DO NOT NEED THE APPROVAL OF SOMEBODY ELSE! Go for it! You want to be the first woman President of the United States? Do it. You want to travel the world and explore rather than conform to the societal norm? Do it. Do you want to make art? Do it. You don't need permission to control your own life. Be the boss.

You can do it. Don't give up.

Tabitha x

(P.S. Sorry for the excessive use of capital letters, I got excited.)

The Silent Rebellion

Hi!

So I seem to have acquired a nickname for myself. Well, one person used it but I liked it, so it's my new nickname (completely 100% accurate logic.)  I was nicknamed "The Silent Rebel." My school is very strict on appearance regulation; we can't wear any make-up, dye our hair, have hair that's too short, have unkempt uniform, etc.  I think this is absolutely ridiculous and don't want to be confined by these rules, yet I'd rather not spend my days scrubbing my face in the hallway either. Therefore I became "The Silent Rebel."  I wear make-up, I have slightly unkempt uniform and my shoes are against regulation, but never so much that I can be called out on it. (No, nobody has ever noticed and no it isn't actually some cool activism, but it makes me feel so sly.)

So no, this post isn't just all about me, I'd like to share with you how to be a Silent Rebel. First of all is the make-up. This is a tutorial which will teach you how to hide all the dark and blemished areas without being so caked that you'll get caught - I like to save that for the weekends.

Firstly, tie your hair up and pin it away from your face.

Next, moisturise your face all over.

The next step is to use an eye brightening cream. (If you can't get your hands on one of these, just move onto the next step.) Apply this to the bags under your eyes, your creases and your darker areas.

Apply concealer to the same areas that you applied the eye brightening cream and any other areas you may want to hide.

Apply powder to wherever you applied concealer.

 Take some dark eye shadow or an eyebrow pencil and lightly shade the shape of your eyebrows.

Okay, now hear me out on this one. If you're familiar with the idea, you'll know how amazing it is. If this is a new concept to you, just listen. The next step is to apply lip balm to your eyelashes.  It conditions and separates the lashes just as mascara does yet without adding the heavy colour. You can put it on a clean mascara brush, or like this next ridiculous gif, just blink straight onto it.

And there is your finished look! Like I said, this look isn't heavy and doesn't really look like you're wearing make-up. It's a bare faced look that leaves you looking fresh, natural and wide awake when really it's 8am and you're sleeping with your eyes open.

Have fun with this look!

Tabitha x

Sexism in Schools (+ How to Tackle It)

Hi!

I've noticed lately that there are streams of articles regarding sexism in the workplace, but what about in school environments? Not only by boys in their "get back in the kitchen" teenage phases, but teachers and authority figures too.

Today I had my first day back at school and was greeted by a lesson in which we decided which sport course we wanted to take. I say "wanted" very loosely, we were gently forced. The ladies were granted the choice of courses involving yoga, "Legs, Bums & Tums", Zumba, etc. or general sports games. The boys were offered boxing and weight lifting or the same general sports games.  I am personally interested in the course I was offered, however, this does not mean that I was not offended. For everyone.

As girls we are automatically being influenced into the idea that we need to tone our bodies, lose weight and chill out. The boys are persuaded to believe that they need to be muscled balls of rage. Not to mention the fact that the groups could not be mixed because the two sexes cannot be at the same level and ability, obviously!

How can it be 2014 and people that are in charge of influencing our generation still enforce gender roles into impressionable youths? What about the girls who genuinely enjoy being tough and strong? What about the boys who have stress issues and can't afford yoga lessons? What about the girls who feel unsafe on the streets and want to protect themselves? What about the non-binary teen who has nowhere to turn?

Have you even seen Rebekah Tiler?

How about schools open their eyes for once and let us have a say?

So, you may ask, how do I attempt to tackle this obvious sexism when I have been taught that I don't have a say in my education?

Stand up! Shout your words out! We have been educated to believe that we need to sit down, be quiet and do what we are told for centuries! My fellow badass ladies, please do something for yourself. Write to your school. Create a petition. Practise your amazing comebacks to the sexist idiots in your class. Yell your opinions. You are powerful and can make miracles, so do it.

Tabitha x

Welcome!

Hi!

My name is Tabitha Rose, I'm 15 years old and from the UK.  My interests are acting, singing, writing poetry, playing ukulele and mostly importantly feminism.  Feminism isn't even an interest for me, more of a lifestyle. I'm also a student in secondary school. Right now, you've probably put two and two together and figured out the name of this blog - Student Feminist.

Enough about me though, what's in it for you?  Well, you haven't got it all sussed out. I'm not the student feminist, I'm more of a feminist student - YOU are the student feminist. 

Throughout high school, the only source of feminism I have encountered is a teacher who is a self-proclaimed feminist, but other than that it's just me.  Young people have been exposed more and more to feminist ideology lately, but have no idea what feminism, as a whole, is. If you feel like one of those people, I am here to piece it all together for you!

This blog will host a variety of feminist topics: from the tragedy of slut-shaming to how to truly embrace yourself, you can learn it all here.

I very much hope that you can all join me on this journey and we'll have a great time while we do!

Tabitha x