Electric Dress at Large: International Socialist Group Scotland

My latest feminist take on the world and the worst of it has been published today on the International Socialist Group website. The title, "Sexism in the Sky"; its my take on the Ryanair adverts that used glamour model style shots with the punch-line "Red hot deals!". I read about them in the Metro one day on the way to work and was infuriated. I'd been irritated in the past by the "Girls of Ryanair" calender, but an article in the Guardian really opened my eyes to how air hostesses get treated really made me see it for more than harmless fun. Scratch beneath the surface, and you have a heady cocktail of lad mag culture, customer service expectations and a bunch of women left very much out in the open where sexual assault is part of the day job. Ludicrous, in this day and age.

Of course, the relentless mistreatment as a passenger by Ryanair over the years didn't help either. I've been told to put my coat in the overhead locker "because I'm telling you" and last Christmas, I was charged on the spot for having hand-luggage a few centimetres out of the length limit, though it was far short of width and therefore in total space was really fine. That was at Christmas; I swore I'd never fly with them again, but ironic as it might be, I'm flying with them on Friday to go see my socialist friends in Glasgow this weekend! Gah, the bastards win every time. Read the article in full here.