" You know it's Autumn when...the Western Mail publishes its Sexiest Men and Sexiest Women of Wales lists. Now in their ninth year they're as crucial to the season as is a debate about who should play at number 10 for Wales"
Ceri Gould, Frontlines, Weekend Magazine of the Western Mail
On the front page of the actual paper are three headlines 'Wales Crash Again (Rugby) A Big No Show (Voting for Police Commissioner) and 50 Sexiest Women in Wales'. On the Front Page of the National Newspaper of Wales!!!
It appears on Page 7 that it is a readers' poll! The Headline on the Magazine itself is "Dish of the Day", shades of Eric Morley's Miss UK. So is it men or women who vote for the sexiest women in Wales? and how come the crumpet cymraeg from Carmarthen Iola Wynn is only at No 50? (oops regression!)
I'm writing this because I am appalled by the shallow values of the 'National Newspaper of Wales' and it's readership. In this age of equality (?) is having a list of sexiest women, appropriate? What is sexy? Being a single mum? How many of the Top 50 are single mums? Is this a scientific survey? What are the criteria for being sexy? Is this list vetted and overseen by balding, toothless, middle aged men in mackintoshes on the third floor of WM House. Surely these are the connoisseurs, the cognosgenti of what is sexy in Wales! Where is Dolly the Sheep? Why isn't she in the Top 50.
Wales is a Fucking Joke and take that from one who has all the credentials. Born on March 1st, Bi-lingual (I can talk shite in two languages) and I used to play Rugby. Wales is a Fucking Joke if the Western Mail is anything to go by. They say we deserve the politicians we get! Surely we can't deserve the National newspaper we get.
What if 15 of these 50 sexiest women had been chosen to represent Wales against Samoa last night? We might have stood a better chance but then that wouldn't have been fair. There is Working class sexism implied in that very sentence. "You played like a bunch of women". "Does that mean we played sexily coach"? The glass ceiling doesn't extend to flaunting your sexy assets on a rugby pitch. If we as human beings are to be judged on how sexy we are then perhaps the Western Mail needs to be indicted in cases of bulimia, anorexia and self harm when young school girls look and see whether this is the norm and that this is what they should be aspiring to.
We no longer have Miss World due to its sexism. Now is the time to rid ourselves of these ridiculous lists. Readers of the Western Mail, stop voting, as you did for the Police Commissioners.
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