Monday, January 03, 2011

My piece in SMH

Just sharing.

I don't know how this qualifies as feminist parenting, so I'll consider it parenting against the flow of our culture. I have a Heckler piece in The Sydney Morning Herald today.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/seize-the-day-by-all-means-but-dont-grab-20110103-19dse.html


And, for good measure, I'll share a letter I had in SMH on Dec 14 2010 which I can claim as feminist action.



Word power

As a language snob, I hear Niall McKay's call (Letters, December 11-12). The most lazy use I notice is the overuse of the words ''sexy'' and ''hot'', so I offer the following alternatives: attractive, strong, fit, healthy, sensual, appealing, enticing, engrossing, alluring, delightful, lovable, lovely, lusty, lewd, bawdy, charming, carnal, voluptuous, inviting, exciting, fiery, tantalising, lascivious, salacious, suggestive, libidinous. And that's just for people, not things.

There are many more, and I want them reclaimed. Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Ira Gershwin, Sammy Cahn, Oscar Hammerstein II, Lorenz Hart and Johnny Mercer managed to say so much without calling everything sexy or hot. Magazine editors and TV talent show judges, take note.


Catherine Walsh

I'm kicking myself for leaving out 'amorous' since the song in my head at the time was S'Wonderful.

3 comments:

Melissa said...

My mum liked your piece :)

Gina said...

Hi Catherine
loved your Heckler work. I like your style! It is a shame they published it when people are on holidays. I missed it in the hard copy paper.
Gina

Motherhugger said...

Perhaps it is easier to get published in the slow time.

My mum was excited about my Heckler - she said that's her favourite part of the paper - but after reading it she was disappointed - too laboured, apparently.

If I've started an anti-grab and other-words-for-sexy-and-hot awareness, then I'm happy.