Who’s the daddy...seriously who?

The other day I was watching an episode of Jeremy Kyle show, as any true student does. It was a fairly average episode to be fair, “DNA tests because I’ve slept with everyone in a four mile radius but insist I’m 100% the baby is your”. There was one particular woman who was annoyed at her lay about of an ex who didn’t see the baby because he had an ASBO and wasn’t allowed in the area she lived in. Logic would say if the horse isn’t legally allowed near the water, you might have more luck with it drinking if you take a cup over to it but hey? She was also complaining that he had only paid something like £50 in maintenance for the 6 months of the baby’s life.
All seems fairly clear cut right, slacker dad that needs to step up....? Until you get to the fact that she’d cheated on him and told him the baby wasn’t his. Add to that the fact that she wouldn’t let him put his name down as the farther on the birth certificate and he understandably had alarm bells ringing!
As it turns out, even though she was 100%, the baby actually wasn’t his. The guy was suitably angry, quite upset and wanted his £50 back. And the moral of the story? Lying, even if it’ just an exaggeration of the truth, is naughty and leads to trouble. Sometimes anyways...

A little too peeping show

Earlier in the module we were shown clips from an episode of peep show where one of the main characters, Mark, was hacking into the e-mail account of his love interest, Sophie. He wasn’t doing this out of malice or anything, but just to see what she had been saying about him to her friends and where he stood with her. He started to take on board the things she had said about him and changed himself so that he was more like what she wanted him to be like. Now I’m all for prospective boyfriends doing a little digging and finding out your interests, or what you looks for in a guy before asking you out. If nothing else, it’s quite a good way of working out if you’re compatible. However, when it gets to the, “I’m going to invade your personal space rather than just asking your friends about you”, you know you’re fighting a losing battle.
Whether it’s a friendship or a more intimate relationship, you’re almost never going to find one where both parties are putting in equal amounts of effort. But if you start to get the feeling that the things you’re doing need to be done in secret because, other people might not agree or understand you...STOP. Because that way only stalkerness lies

BB-Gone

At the beginning of February Carol Thatcher was sacked from her position as a roving reporter on the BBC program The One Show. The decision was made because of a comment that she made during a private conversation in the green room. Apparently she referred to a black athlete as a “golliwog” in front of several of the show’s staff members and guests. The comedian Jo Brand found what she said so offensive that she actually left the room.
In all honesty I think there are a lot of instances where words people use can be taken out of context and found offensive. It’s very important to look at the intent behind the words too. If someone is of a generation or a culture where it is acceptable to use a term, then there is nothing to be gained from getting annoyed at them for something they don’t even realise. Most people, once you’ve explained what it is about a term that is offensive won’t continue to use it, or at least not around you anyway.
The thing that irritated me about the Thatcher incident though, was her refusal to issue an apology in spite of the fact that she knew many people across the country would find the term offensive. If she was in a place of work, where presumably there are people of all different colours and creeds, and so as not to make anyone around her uncomfortable I think she should have apologised. Maybe not so much for her intentions, but at least for using a word that was quite simply inappropriate.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7868401.stm

Working what god gave you

Not exactly a topic of recent conversation I know, but the other day I was watching the classic “chick flick” pretty woman. Probably not what most people think when watching the film, but the thought struck me, “Why exactly is prostitution illegal”? If a woman, or man, over the legal age of consent enjoys the activity of sex and chooses to engage in it in order to support themselves financially, whose business is that other than the two people involved? What, other than a camera, is the difference between the illegal activity of prostitution and the legal one of porn? Both involve two (or more) consenting adults having sex without necessarily having the emotional involvement of a pre existing relationship, and being paid to do so.
Surely if legalised, prostitution would be much less likely to be used as a method of controlling young and venerable people, or people with drug problems? It would also mean that standards could be put in place with regards to testing for AIDS and STI’s etc. Many other countries throughout the word have legal prostitution and although it may not be a vocation that will eventually lead someone to into becoming the PM, neither are many others out there. The freedom to choose what we do with our body is a basic human right, if you can earn a living whilst doing this then I say, why not?