2016 in review: music

Look at me, making blog posts and not acknowledging the fact it's been radio silence from me for the past three months. Well, they've been shit anyway and I don't like to dwell on negativity. So without further ado, here's some of my favourite music from this year! I may want to leave most of 2016 behind, but these albums will accompany me into the new year as welcome friends.


Dodie - Intertwined (honourable EP mention no.1)

I've been watching dodie (aka doddleoddle) for several years, seeing her grow in confidence and popularity on youtube. Last month she finally released her first EP, and it leaves you with the exact same feeling that her videos do - it's like she's talking (or in this case singing) right in front of you, face to face. In the most powerful songs, 'Sick of Losing Soulmates' and 'When' she explores topics of mental health and modern romance with remarkable eloquence and honesty, and tops it off with gorgeous harmonies and resonant backing vocals, taking a step away from her usual minimal style. It's incredible and inspiring to see how far she's progressed; I feel as proud of her as I would of any one of my 'real life' friends. Her sense of humour and mischief also still makes an appearance in fan favourite 'I Have A Hole In My Tooth.' No matter which song you picked, it could 100% be in the background of an indie rom-com, akin to Alex Turner's sublime soundtrack for Richard Ayoade's Submarine. Short and most definitely sweet, this is a warm hug and mug of tea in musical form.

Hayley Kiyoko - Citrine (honourable EP mention no.2)

In 2016 I let go of my inhibitions and admitted to myself that it was OK to like pop music, and Hayley Kiyoko is probably the best example of that. I first discovered her through her iconic music video for 'Girls Like Girls' and fell completely in love. The song was definitely not a one-hit wonder; Citrine is a sugary, poppy delight with back-to-back singable hits. (Also still releasing incredibly enjoyable music videos for her new releases, by the way) She's doing wonders for the visibility and positive representation of both young women of colour and bisexuality/sapphic relationships; I wish people would stop being bitter about how much they hate Halsey and go listen to Hayley Kiyoko instead. She may have started off as a Disney star, but she's becoming one of the most exciting young female pop artists there is.

Lady Gaga - Joanne 

After the failings of her last full-length effort ARTPOP, it became clear that Lady Gaga needed to make some changes, and that she did in Joanne. But the most refreshing thing about this record is that it's clear all these changes were made of her own free will. This is the most personal Gaga has ever been in her music, and for a woman (in)famous for making outrageous 'statements' that is even more impressive. The record may not be her most cohesive or her most catchy, but it gives the most insight into a person who has, until now, only been seen as a soulless conduit for contemporary social issues and 'culture'. Not every song is a hit, but there's so much range of musical style on Joanne that there's bound to be a song you'll enjoy. You might find the transition between the dance-floor beats of 'Perfect Illusion' and the pensive piano chords of 'Million Reasons' jarring, but in this album, it's clear that Lady Gaga is finally an artist who is exploring and owning her originality, rather than playing and manufacturing it. 

Childish Gambino - Awaken, My Love!

It's official, Donald Glover can do anything. He sneaked in right at the end of a shitty year with the hotly anticipated follow-up to 2013's because the internet and decided to change genres completely. The result is is a sensual, spiritual, funky, soul-filled explosion, wholly unexpected and yet totally Gambino. He still effortlessly combines the old and the new; influences from legends like Clapton, Hendrix and Prince are clear, but injected with a modern twist complete with distortion, artistic auto-tune and excellent production value. True, you still might not know what he's on about when he sings about a peanut butter chocolate cake with Kool-Aid, but who cares? Not many people can make singing about the boogie-man sexy, but this man can.

David Bowie - Blackstar

'When a man sees his black star, he knows his time has come...' these lyrics come from an Elvis Presley song, and could have been one of Bowie's inspirations for this album, released just days before his death. There have been countless fan theories and 'explanations' surrounding this album, its release, its cover art and its 'meaning'. You can't blame them; it's been a way to keep him alive. I've never been more than a casual fan of David Bowie, but the day he died, I lay on the couch and cried for hours. I couldn't understand what was wrong with me - I think maybe it was disbelief, that a man who had not seemed like a man at all, was in fact devastatingly mortal just like the rest of us. Although I've not got involved in the discussions about the big puzzle that is Blackstar, I believe that's maybe what he was trying to communicate in this album - his humanity and mortality. It doesn't have the accessibility of pop hits like 'Heroes' or 'Fame'; it's murky and moody and thoughtful, and real. You probably won't want to sing along to this album. Instead, you'll hear the words 'look up here, I'm in heaven' and you'll probably cry a bit. But not all music needs to make you feel good. It just needs to make you feel. 

Jamie T - Trick

Jamie T, the marmite of the UK indie kids' music tastes.  Thankfully, I love marmite. I'll be the first to admit that I was doubtful when I heard the first single 'Tinfoil Boy' which sounded like it could have been written by a bunch of drunk neds on the last train home, but thankfully the rest of this album is an absolute treat. Although there's less rambling about his wild night outs in London town, Jamie returns to the excitement and gutsy sound that was largely missing from 2014's Carry On The Grudge, and instead opts to tell the tales of various historical misfits such as Joan of Arc, Solomon Eagle and Robin Hood. It's definitely his most ambitious record to date, combining a host of musical styles into a dozen songs. Songs like 'Tescoland' and 'Sign of the Times' will undoubtedly become staples on Jamie's setlists for his incredible live shows (you'll come out battered and bruised, but it's worth it). He's back to his old brilliance and I hope he never stops.

Frank Ocean - Blonde

If you'd told 16 year old Kirsty that her favourite album of 2016 was Frank Ocean's Blonde, she'd probably laugh in your face. In fact, she'd probably say, 'Who's that???' Yeah, I'll admit it - I only started listening to him last year. At this point I was really excited because I heard he had a new album coming out. Then it got pushed back. And pushed back. And I basically lost hope that it was ever going to get released. Then magically a feature length video-album was uploaded - I started an Apple Music membership for this man. Soon after, Blonde was released. I cleared my schedule and did nothing but listen to it from start to finish. It was a fantastic decision. This is an album designed to be listened to in full; each song fades into the next effortlessly, and if it doesn't, there's an interlude to lull you over. The album is incredibly intimate - the fact that his own mother's vocals are more prominent obvious than that of Beyoncé or Kendrick Lamar (both of which I didn't realise actually featured on the album until I was reading up about individual tracks) displays this pretty well. In a world where police brutality, wrongful incarceration and demonisation of black people is all too common, Frank Ocean showing his emotional fragility is a radical act. His vocals are stronger than ever, showcased on songs like 'Self Control' and my personal favourite 'Seigfried.' I'm so glad I've become more open minded in terms of my musical tastes in order to enjoy triumphs such as this. 

Until next time,

Kirsty

my favourite youtubers

I have been watching youtube videos for about 7 years. Times have definitely changed since the only person I watched was charlieissocoollike, and certainly not always for the better. However, there are a few creators that keep me coming back to the website time and time again. (I appreciate the irony of doing this in blog post form... although I've always wanted to, I'm not confident enough to make videos myself.) So today I'm going to talk about some of my favourites - hopefully I might mention someone you've not heard of and could enjoy too!

agent XPQ / tales of mere existence

Agent XPQ or Lev uses his channel to talk about moments in his life, and animates them by drawing on tracing paper in a basic, cartoonish style. Both the topics and the animation are simplistic, as banal as visiting the supermarket. However, Lev's thought process leads us through crazy tangents and turns these simple things into musings about life and the state of the world today (spoiler alert: it's kind of a mess). The tone of his videos is often hopeless, depressing and even nihilistic, but they're also infinitely relatable, witty and hilarious. His artistic style is very accessible and enjoyable, and it's great to see how inventive he gets to portray certain things with only a pencil and paper.

angelina / albinwonderland

Ang is just the loveliest. Her videos with the most popularity are the ones about her pink hair, but her channel is so much more than a beauty blog (although her hair/makeup/cosplay tutorials are also completely wonderful and mesmerising and I love her look and style so much). I first discovered her through a video on 'Fake Geek Girls' and discovered her to be an incredibly intelligent woman who could talk about feminist issues in a way that was relatable and funny. She unashamedly calls herself a geek and enjoys so called 'nerdy' things, while simultaneously calling out the problems within the culture. As if that weren't enough, she's also an incredibly talented artist, an active part of the LGBT community, speaks about her mental health issues candidly, and just seems like she would be an amazing friend.  Also she is absolutely beautiful and the aesthetic of her videos is so adorable. Watch her right now.

PJ liguori / kickthepj

PJ is one of the most creative people online at the moment. Not only does he create short films with captivating plots, unique characters and otherworldly creatures; he also takes run-of-the-mill videos and puts his own spin on them, creating content that is simultaneous satirical imaginative fun (eg. 'my first girlfriend' or '10 things I look for in a girl'). On his channel you can also find original music and themed Q&As that are genuinely enjoyable. PJ also has a second channel called PJthekick where he often details his creative/thought/organisational process, has an informal chat, or just uploads some weird shit. In general, all of his videos are innovative, colourful and unique, and he really inspires me to create more.

dodie clark / doddlevloggle

No, this is not a typo or a mistake. Dodie is most successful on her main channel doddleoddle where she mostly posts original songs and covers - which are all completely amazing! She creates wonderful harmonies and has a lovely soft, calming voice. But her second channel is really special to me. You will also find music on doddlevloggle, but often pieces that are not as polished or perfected. This vibe is continued in all her videos on this channel - it's the unfiltered Dodie. Her discussions on mental health, although occasionally upsetting, are refreshingly honest and true. So are her videos talking about youtube 'culture', the creator/viewer divide and making money on youtube. I also love Dodie's informal, unscripted chats and her monthly vlog series that she occasionally uploads. It may sound dumb, but this channel makes me feel so much closer to her as a human. Doddleoddle makes me envious of her talent, but doddlevloggle softens that completely and just makes me want to have a cup of tea and a chat with her.

just between us

You may recognise Gaby and Allison from old Buzzfeed videos. They have since progressed and now run their own show on youtube; advice videos on Mondays, comedy sketches on Thursdays. They are best friends IRL anyway, so their natural chemistry is reason enough to watch them. They constantly play on the shipping culture that's so prevalent on tumblr, using lots of clickbait thumbnails and 'will-they-won't-they' moments. It's all the more believable due to the canon they've invented for their channel - or is it actually real? Was Gaby really in love with Allison at one point? The 'characters' they play in their videos simply seem to be exaggerated versions of themselves, so sometimes it's hard to tell which stories are true or false. No matter what, their content is consistently current and hilarious. Although I love their youtube channel, I can definitely see them going on to bigger and better things.

This post could go on forever, so I'll just list some more honourable mentions:

•  Olan Rogers - possibly the most likeable man in the world. The best laugh, behind only Seth Rogen.
• Savannah Brown - poetry, music, feminism and all sorts of lovely stuff
• Nathan Zed - social commentary that is both laugh-out-loud funny and honest
• Darksquidge - the dude behind asdfmovie getting real about his mental + physical health and life in general
• Lex - her brand of sardonic, dry humour is a constant in her videos and my absolute favourite

Until next time,

Kirsty ♡

feminism and 'responsibility'

As much as I wish I could say that I was disputing gender roles from my pram and questioning patriarchal values in the playground, I'll admit that I only started thinking about these concerns in the past few years. The internet made me a feminist - something I'm sure I have in common with others of my generation. I read incredible, moving pieces on tumblr, I realised some of my former favs were problematic, I cried at Emma Watson's UN speech.

Even more recently, the internet challenged me to consider intersectionality. It's changed the way I see the world, the way I read history and the way I address others. It's made me realise that other women experience sexism in vastly different, and increasingly troubling, ways. Most of all, it's made me acknowledge just how lucky I am.

art by jamie kapp

I live in a developed country, I'm from a (lower) middle class family, I'm white. This means I have it better than a lot of people! Accepting your privilege is important, but it also sets up various conundrums, especially online. What right do I have to complain about a builder cat-calling me on the street when girls across the world are being denied education, forced to become child brides or enduring FGM? Should I even attempt to discuss these things if I (or nobody I'm acquainted with, for that matter) have never, and will never experience them, or will I simply sound ignorant? DO I HAVE TO TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING ON TWITTER IF I CLAIM TO BE AN INTERSECTIONAL FEMINIST?

Which leads me on to another reason I consider myself pretty lucky: although I'm sure it's has its perks, I'm glad I'm not a famous person with an online following...especially one that calls themselves a feminist. When the lovely Felicia Day spoke out about discrimination in the gaming community in 2014, she received an onslaught of abuse and threats. On the other side of the spectrum, Taylor Swift was recently called out for not vocalising her support for fellow musician Kesha in her trial against her abusive producer Dr Luke - despite the fact that she privately donated $250,000 to her. (We're not going into the other problems I have with TSwift right now.) Is social media now so important that any other show of solidarity is irrelevant? Do celebrities have a responsibility to address social issues rather than to promote themselves?

Freedom of speech and expression is a basic human right, but it can also be dangerous. (Exhibit A = Donald Trump.) We live in a curious state of limbo where we can post anything we want online, but censorship is still a major part of our everyday lives. Consequently when people -namely celebrities- exercise their right, but say/post something that's slightly out of line, there will always be others who freak out.

yeah!! topless mila kunis!! u cant see her nipples though. nipples are gross

Only two days ago, Kim Kardashian tweeted a (95%) nude photo online, provoking responses from fellow celebrities like Chloe Moretz and Pink that barely disguised their internalised misogyny. I was heartened to see most of my timeline defending Kim. (Again, the quarrels I have with the Kardashians surrounding their cultural appropriation etc are not being discussed today.) The negative comments I did happen across seemed to center around the fact that she 'has children', 'is a mother', 'has a responsibility.' Sorry, remind me what year it is? Is it really so difficult to believe that a woman can be a mother and take pride in her body? If I'm being honest, I can't put it better than Kim herself:

via kimkardashianwest.com

Kim's motives aside, I think the message here is important: allow people, and allow women, to speak for themselves. Although I agree that 'self-proclaimed feminists' need to be vocal to a certain extent, we shouldn't bully and victimise well-intending people for not immediately speaking out about an issue. Maybe their phone just ran out of battery. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that you can call people out on their bullshit, but give them an equal chance to explain their side or understand the problem. Who knows, maybe you'll even teach them something - being considerate really goes a long way. As my mother used to tell me, manners cost nothing.


PS. Yeah, I'm back. It's been a while.

it's not just about you

Becoming an intersectional feminist / ally

As widespread as feminism seems to be, out there in the real world a lot of people just don't seem to get it. On the occasion that I go off one one of my rants, whoever I'm with will (usually) agree with me, but when I ask if they're a feminist, they'll get all cagey and evasive, 'Well, I don't know if I'd go that far...' Let's put it simply. Feminism = Equality. Once you get that round your head (take as long as you want) you're well on your way to joining the movement.

I've always been a feminist at heart, but only really discovered there was a word for it once I spent a while on the internet. I don't think there's any shame in admitting that tumblr taught me a lot - I just advise not to take everything you read about feminism on there as gospel. Tumblr is a place to indulge your obsessions - some people will gush about how much they love Game of Thrones, others will scream abuse towards all white men in the name of feminism.

Look! You can be a white cis man AND a feminist! Crazy, I know.

But this leads me on to my next point. I am a white, cis female. This meant that after being swept away in quoting Jane Eyre and crying over Emma Watson's UN Speech, I had to check my privilege. So far I had only been annoyed about the imbalance between men and women. My concerns were over slut-shaming, victim blaming and Hollywood's lack of leading female roles. Thanks to people like Malala Yousafzai, Amandla Stenberg and Laverne Cox, I began to realise that the way I (or people in my bracket) experienced sexism was different to how a woman of colour, or a trans woman would experience it.

A lot of people have a hard time getting their head round this - even I slip up sometimes. If you question why a fat woman is wearing a particular item of clothing, it doesn't make you a bad person - as long as you realise and correct yourself. Recognise that our standards of beauty are being perpetually manipulated by the beauty/diet industry. White skin, blonde hair and an hourglass waist aren't the only measures of beauty! 

If you're confused as to why someone has a feminine name when they appear masculine to you or vice versa, realise that it's not really any of your business. Recognise that just because someone doesn't meet your preconceived idea or image of a 'woman' doesn't mean they aren't one. (This also goes the other way. Saying 'omg i would never believe you're transgender, you're so pretty!' could be taken as a compliment, but is also pretty offensive.) If you're friends with, or meet someone who is genderqueer, all you need to do is ask them how they prefer to be addressed. If they don't disclose their pronouns, just refer to them by the neutral 'they/them' - it's really not that difficult. 

Sometimes realising your privilege is really important because you can use your voice to help marginalised groups. However the most important part of being an intersectional feminist and ally is making sure you don't speak over people or drown their voices out. (eg. If you're white, you don't get to choose if something's racist or not.) 

Basically it's just about being a considerate human being. Good luck!

badass ladies of TV

I don't know about you, but I often find it pretty difficult to appear confident. In my own experience, it takes practise. I find that one of the best things to help this is to envision a person you admire, real or fictional, and think about them whenever you're feeling uneasy about yourself. This instalment will be about some super cool ladies on TV - I might make this into a series, who knows? God knows I can never get enough of well-written, well-rounded female characters!

 1. Buffy Summers - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy as a character is just so so important. She subverted the stereotype of the blonde girl in a horror, and basically stuck two fingers up to the 'damsel in distress' trope. She saves the world (a lot) and manages to think up countless witty one-liners whilst staking vampires - no easy feat. Buffy is an immensely strong person and a capable leader but she's also a fierce friend, a caring sister and a loyal partner. She is someone you'd want by your side in the event of an apocalypse, but equally someone you'd love to go the movies with.

2. Blair Waldorf - Gossip Girl 

She is known to most of New York as Queen B so this one is pretty self-explanatory. One of the best things about Blair is how incredibly self aware she is - if someone calls her a bitch, she corrects them; Blair Waldorf is the queen bitch, and you can bet she'll use it to her advantage. She is also extremely self-motivated, determined and literally tireless. Whether it's revenge on a backstabber or success at a fashion show, Blair will not sleep until she achieves her goals. On top of all that, she looks flawless at any given time of day. She even created her own look, identified by the infamous headband - but no matter how hard anyone tries, they will never pull it off as well as she does.

3. Zoe Washburne - Firefly

Zoe's most admirable trait has to be her loyalty. However, one of the most interesting things about her is that this loyalty takes two completely different forms. One is to her husband Hoban, whom she loves unconditionally and whole-heartedly. The other is to her captain Malcolm, whom she fought alongside in the Unification War, and continues to serve faithfully on his ship Serenity as first mate. Zoe therefore has to balance her work and personal life and her husband's occasional jealousy, which she of course does with grace, tact and a level head. Although Malcolm is the captain, Zoe is indispensable; her unwavering sensibilities and clear mind make her the true voice of reason onboard. Many characters with Zoe's level of skills and prowess with a gun get pidgeon-holed into the 'warrior woman' trope, but she easily manages to break free of these constraints. (PS. Sorry for 2 Joss Whedon creations. I'm done now.)

4. Margaery Tyrell - Game of Thrones 

This girl knows what she's doing. She lives in a world where one mistake can mean your head (literally) and she is cautious to the last to ensure she ends up on the winning side. Her charms have enabled her to switch loyalties to whoever is at the top of the ongoing power struggle, which is pretty impressive, considering it's constantly changing in Westeros. Although Margaery is evidently ambitious and even cunning, that's not to say she isn't a caring person. She has a very close relationship with her brother Loras and strives to protect him. Margaery also has the interests of the common people at heart, and often finds opportunities to provide food and support for the masses. She wears priceless dresses, but at the same time isn't afraid to get mud on her hem. Some people (cough cough Cersei) think her actions are all simply a ploy to make her more popular, but I think she has the makings of a great queen. (PS. I am a book purist at heart, and in most instances prefer the ASOIAF series, but in this case I think the characterisation of Margaery is a great part of the TV show.)

5. Tasha 'Taystee' Jefferson - Orange is the New Black

Taystee basically defies all stereotypes set against her. She spent her childhood an orphan, moving from one institution to another; but becomes the mother of her group of friends, the one everyone goes to when they've got a problem. She was involved with drugs; but this was only because Vee was impressed by her incredible numeracy skills. Taystee is incredibly smart and well-read, but also unashamed and confident. Even though she's in prison she strives to be taken seriously, beating out all the other candidates at the job fair - and is rightfully outraged when she doesn't get a real job at the end of it. To top it off, she's hilarious and quick-witted, and amazing at freestyling.

Okay so I ended up realising I could write forever about characters that I love, so before I go, here are some honourable mentions:

• Lady Mary Crawley - Downton Abbey
• Peggy Carter - Agent Carter
• Cordelia Chase - Angel
• Irene Adler - Sherlock
• Jodie Mills - Supernatural
• Sun Bak - Sense8
• Michaela Pratt - How To Get Away With Murder

I hope you enjoyed reading about some of my favourite ladies from TV and you're feeling inspired! I had a lot of fun writing this, so I might continue it soon.

2014 highlights

It's strange to think about but we only have one day left of 2014. This year has been a complete mixed bag of good and bad for me; without a doubt better than 2013, but I've got high hopes for next year to be a huge improvement. 2015 is going to be a year of progress for me - I'm leaving high school, leaving the place I've lived in all my life, making new friends and hopefully maintaining relationships that are the most important to me. But I didn't want to do that without reliving my personal best bits of this year - whether they be in pop culture or my own life. Get ready for a super long masterpost of 14 things that made my 2014.

Television in 2014

1. Sherlock - How It Was Done

I thought I had banished the fangirl side of me until this moment

Or to be more specific, this fucking kiss. If I'm being honest, I was much more impressed by the fan theories than Sherlock's real method. I'd been waiting for my explanation for 2 years but this kiss was better than anything. In typical Sherlock fashion the season was over before it had even begun, but what they did pack in was truly spectacular. Highlights for me have to be drug addict Sherlock, drunk Holmes/Watson, and of course any time Sherlock plays violin. My one true weakness. I'm still confused as to how I can love the writing of this show so much but have lost so much faith in Steven Moffat's other monster Doctor Who.

2. Great British Bake Off - #bingate

Was I the only one who shouted at the TV??? NO IAIN

I've always felt better about my passion for GBBO after going on twitter and seeing everyone on my timeline shamelessly loving it too, and this year was no different - especially after the most dramatic episode in the show's history. Usually this show is a cosy affair, the most risqué things being one of Mel and Sue's innuendos. But war was declared when Diana took Iain's ice cream out of the freezer, and on discovering the mess he promptly chucked it right in the bin. I have never seen my twitter timeline so angry and upset. The incident received almost an equal amount of complaints to the BBC as bias in the Israel/Palestine coverage. Although this might be slightly ridiculous, it still really showed how our nation will stand together in the face of injustice, even if it is just to start a hashtag.

3. Game of Thrones - The Children

As someone who is still to catch up on the books, the new season of Game Of Thrones was full of plot twists and shocks for me, and the final episode was no exception. I was so surprised by The Children, and by extension the whole season in general; usually the traumatic moments are revealed in episode 9 and the final episode gives us the aftermath effects. In season 4, the last three episodes just kept delivering, and we had developing plot lines right up to the last minute of episode 10. This season saw some incredible acting, the slow rise of my favourite character Sansa Stark, the scheming of many, the death of some of my most hated and most cherished (still not ready to talk about it) and what I believe to be the best monologue written for TV of the last few years. Watch it.

4. Supernatural - Fan Fiction

The 200th episode of Supernatural was entirely ridiculous, and everything I've ever wanted. It was truly an episode for the fans, bringing up moments from throughout the series and even bringing back a character from the dead (although if you watch this show, you'll know that nobody is ever really dead for long). It made me cry with direct quotes from the very first episode, and made me laugh with the writer's awareness of their own plotholes by making them the butt of jokes. And I'm not ashamed to say the original songs written for this episode were extremely catchy (A Single Man Tear, I'm looking at you.)

some hesistant social justice: #freethenipple

photo credit: tumblr

In its typically charming passive aggressive style, a revolution has been brewing over the last few days on twitter, in the form of the hashtag #freethenipple. Women across the globe are popularising the statement with an accompanying picture of themselves, looking fabulous whilst ditching their bras. Just harmless selfies, right?

Of course some people don't think so; they are outraged; disgusted; frightened. And who can blame them? There is a ridiculous hypocrisy surrounding the topic of women's chests. Nobody flinches when a topless model is on the front of five consecutive covers on magazine shelves, but in any other situation an exposed nipple can cause confusion and uproar.

This occurrence is undoubtedly a product of modern (westernised) culture. We are internalised with the belief that breasts are something to be thought of sexually, when their real purpose is, duh, to produce milk for offspring. Men and women alike have become blind to this reality.

When we are provided with images of breasts in a non-sexual situation, our brains cannot make sense of it. In one of my school lessons we were given a lesson on breast cancer; as the diagrams were shown on the board I noticed the barely repressed sniggers. Mothers who breastfeed in public are whispered about, sometimes even quietly asked to stop; shamed into bottle feeding.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is although #freethenipple might seem inconsequential to you, or just a bunch of attention seeking girls. In my eyes, this is a big step towards destroying our inbuilt hypocrisy and the de-sexualisation of women's breasts. Girls shouldn't have to tell guys off for eyeing up their cleavage, but at the same time be afraid for anyone to see them topless. Mothers should have the freedom to raise their child however they wish. With the breaking of the taboo surrounding breasts, we could be one step closer to catching breast cancer in its tracks.

After all, it's just a nipple. What's the big deal?


(PS. Sorry for the break between my first and second post! I wanted to make my updates regular but due to some personal circumstances my absence has been longer than I anticipated. I'll try my hardest to put my next post up sooner and start up a routine!)