Today Programme - good for laugh

[essayel]

I've just been listening to a - shall we say 'debate' on Radio 4 about an article by American writer, Tad Safran, which has less than kind things to say about British women in comparison to the American equivalent. Naturally they had wheeled out a Brit girl to have a go at him and they scrapped beautifully - and totally misleadingly - much to my amusement.

Just to precis Tad's argument - British girls are lovely until about 17 or 18 but then turn into hulking, hideous creatures more suitable for, say, pulling a wagon or yeilding a guaranteed four gallons of milk a day. He was particularly unkind to his date Sophie - someone a friend set him up with. He reckoned that his friend had handled it all wrong - if she had said "Tad, you like the Lord of the Rings. How would you like to meet an orc?" he might have been more prepared. However, he SAYS that all the American women he knows spend - on lord I can't be bothered to add it all up but he says $700[£350] on basic beauty treatments with another $1000 {£500} on gym time, personal trainers blahdy blah EVERY MONTH. While we, at best, have a rub down with an oily rag and walk a bit faster on the way to the pub.

Now - what's wrong with that?

I'm not arguing with the bit about Brits - yeah there are some beautiful British women who really take a lot of trouble over themselves - but on the whole we do what we can afford and I don't EARN £850 a month to spend on anything, let alone bikini waxing. However, I'd be very surprised if there are many women the other side of the pond who can spend the amounts this guy seems to feel ESSENTIAL to look halfway decent.

However, Brits on my flist, apparently we're more fun when it comes to a laugh over a pint and we don't take ourselves so seriously.

So all is not lost!

If you like, you can read it here, but I wouldn't take it too seriously. Right at the bottom it says he divides his time between the UK and LA, which means he's probably mixing with actresses, or people who would have been actresses if they had got the break, and we all know they are the thoroughbreds of the human race. We pit ponies just look on in wonder and mild derision, then shoulder into our harness and get on with living our lives as best we can, uncombed, uncurried and, if Tad is to be believed, never to be loved.

Comments

[gonzothegreat.livejournal.com]

Oh HIM! Yea, I was in the pub couple nights back and saw that article on the table. Read it. Unimpressed. What killed me was to "make the point" the cover featured Charlotte Church (perhaps not the slimmest of ladies but pleasently curvy) and PARIS HILTON! (barf) I agree, his control group is a bit skewed. ;)

[essayel.livejournal.com]

Charlotte Church!!!! Well he certainly knows how to pick them.

I like Miss Church! Dammit, why shouldn't she do all the things a Welsh teenager normally does. Just because she's met the Pope doesn't make her a nun.

On the other hand I'd much sooner Jen didn't go down the Paris Hilton route.

[fuchsoid.livejournal.com]

Hmf, yes, I've seen this mentioned in other parts of my flist. The guy is basically the journalistic equivalent of a troll.

I suspect that by his rather narrow criteria I don't count as a female at all, but then the money I save by not spending on tooth whitening, pedicures and "basic beauty treatments" (soap?) can be usefully employed on books and whiskey, which are a good deal more fun than a date with him sounds.

[essayel.livejournal.com]

If the article gets widely known enough next time he's in London he'll be meeting lots of young women who smile and say "Tad Safran? F**k off."

I had more fun last night than he'd ever believe with LOTR3, my 15 yr old daughter and a tin of Mini Heroes. But books and whisky are cool too.

[metallumai.livejournal.com]

This reminds me of a recent post from reynard52: a YouTube clip of a "person"-- exquisitely dressed and made up to the point of being a Paris Hilton look-alike, every eyelash curled and in place, on a quiz show of some sort, asking charmingly in a slight Southern accent, "Is Hungary a COUNTRY??"

[essayel.livejournal.com]

*giggles madly* Poor dear sweet thing.

[casfic.livejournal.com]

She thought Europe was a country too, didn't she, which creased me up.

[essayel.livejournal.com]

I think i need to see this!

*goes to look for dippy blondes*

[anghara13.livejournal.com]

To be honest? I think dating him would be a pain. I'd feel constrained to try and be as middle of the sodding pond as I could get, and although I can swim, doing it for life is not my idea of fun....

Besides, I'm probably what he'd describe as an Orc....

[essayel.livejournal.com]

Oh my dear, I'd be swimming in the opposite direction.

And the guy seems to deserve orcs - preferably Lurtz.

[darthrami.livejournal.com]

*laughs* any woman in the US will tell you that LA Women aren't "real" American Women. *g*


If I had that much extra money per month, I sure as hell wouldn't be spending it on those things.

[essayel.livejournal.com]

For £850 a month I could sponsor 5 African kids through college!

I'll get pedicures when I'm too old and stiff to reach my feet but until then I'm perfectly capable of doing everything myself.

*huggles* to you and Selkie and I hope you have a lovely - whatever - holiday season!

[mcgonagalls-cat.livejournal.com]

Well.... I spend at least $3 per month on "beauty aids" - like toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner...

And I would LOVE to make £850 a month...but I sure wouldn't waste it on getting sweatty and coating myself with chemicals.

At least he warned us he's shallow, and probably not to bother with him or his books...

Thanks for bringing this to our attention essayel!

.

[essayel.livejournal.com]

...sweaty and covered in chemicals...

Yeah that's the mark of a REAL woman! Only in my case it's from scrubbing the floor.

[celticangel76.livejournal.com]

Well he's looking at LA women. They're all fake. Only the ones that have that much money and time to kill spend it on things like spa treatments and the gym. Most of are content to shower every day, pull our hair back in a ponytail and head on out. Put on make up? Only if I'm going 'out' as in for an evening. Otherwise it's to much trouble.

This guy lives in the land of Barbie dolls. His view on life is forever f'ed up. :)