We skipped our usual
probing insight into Grazism last week because it was “the big fashion issue”
and there is very little to say about pages and pages of bags and shoes and
dresses except a cursory “pretty” or “rank” (let us let you into a little secret-
that is about as deep as fashion goes.)
THIS ISSUE, however,
is a veritable goldmine of shit. Was it Conde Nast’s Nicholas Coleridge who, a
little snobbishly said, “Grazia is only read by Au Pairs.” Well, some of us
have been au pairs, and wouldn’t touch this barge with a shitpole. Yet someone
must read it, and read it they do. Which is why we must dedicate every nerve
and sinew, every litre of blood and sweat, to revealing the utterly poisonous
crap this magazine is peddling.
First up, in the
hysterically titled “WHY RIHANNA WHY?” we have Grazia journalists trying to
analyse the difficult topic of domestic violence, albeit from the requisite
celebrity angle. Why, they wonder, is Rihanna
possibly-maybe-nowherenearcertainly-hypothetically getting back together with
Chris Brown? Well, call me this cynical old hack that I am, but it might have
something to do with a need to promote the new single on which they duet? OR,
it could be because, as a young woman who is almost the only voice of reason in
this crock of an article points out, domestic violence is a particularly
insidious form of abuse because you are essentially being harmed by someone who
you either believe you love or actually do. Victims of domestic violence are
being beaten and berated by someone with whom they are in a romantic
relationship, usually with the effect that any remnant of self-esteem has been
trodden so forcefully into the ground that the victim will have difficulty
either leaving their partner or imagining life without them. Domestic violence
is, to a large extent, about control. And that, Grazis, is why women find it
hard to break the cycle.
Now that we’ve got
that piece of common sense out of the way, let’s see what the Grazia panellists
have to say about it. Can I just say, thank FUCK for Eva Wiseman because if it
wasn’t for her you’d be thinking that you were watching some kind of
polyp-based reality TV show, in which varied amoeba express their opinions on
current affairs. Eva talks sense. Apart from Eva, we have Barbara Ellen, who
used to be funny in the Observer Magazine before they started letting her have
opinions in the main paper. Barbara says: “If she’s now back with Brown, she
has betrayed these young women [who are victims of domestic violence] in the
worst way.”
Not really, she’s
betrayed herself, and that’s about it. Women, and victims of domestic violence
who aren’t women, aren’t going to stay in a dangerous situation because of what
some pop star does. They may stay in a violent relationship for various
reasons, and I’m no psychiatrist, but I imagine “because Rihanna did it” is not
top of the why-I’m-still-with-my-boyfriend-who-beats-on-me list.
Of course, this whole
fucking debate is an example of how victim-blaming is still an endemic part of
our society when we are discussing violence against women. I’d liked to have
seen some more of this trash talk directed at Chris Brown, rather than the
woman he tried to strangle. But there’s no time to talk about that because the
Telegraph’s Bryony Gordon, everyone’s favourite non-entity, has something to
say on the matter, which basically amounts to: “LOLZ she’s only 24! Everyone
makes mistakes, yeah?” delivered in the flippant manner of someone who’s just
walked into a glass door in Superdrug or slept with a Conservative (first one,
no biggie- second- you’ll be fine in a year or two), not
possibly-hypothetically-nowherenearcertainly made a potentially fatal decision
which could affect their wellbeing for years to come.
Last but not least, we
have Louise Gannon, who has actually-gaspies!- MET Rihanna, and as such
basically has a PHD and a telepathic ability to tap into her every waking
thought (“we’re just so in sync, yeah?”) Gannon’s angle is to focus on the
‘romantic’ elements of Rihanna and Brown’s relationship, after having made the
crass statement that, because she grew up in an abusive household, Rihanna
“accepts violence as a part of life.” Gannon, you sound like a total tit and I
would not talk to you if I were famous. So, Gannon goes on to say, Rihanna just
really, really loves Chris (“we do get it. Now we just want you to get over
it.”) It’s just that crazy old stupid
love making you make insane decisions. We’ve all been there.
Of all the opinions
professed in this article, I find that the most offensive. The lack of insight,
analysis, or expert opinion when addressing a problem which has been said to
kill more women than road traffic accidents is just startling. The lack of
information given to readers who may be victims of domestic violence and in
dire need of help is just fucking offensive. The assumption that anyone has the
prerogative to comment on this traumatic incident is par for the course in the
immoral cesspit that is the UK media, yet a vital opportunity to educate has
been missed. Here at the Vagenda, we hate trash-talking other women, but this
article is a clear example of how having a vagina should not be the only
prerequisite for contributing to a women’s mag, but having a brain, and a
heart, should be too.
We felt that this point was so important that,
for today, we have decided to postpone commentary on the rest of the magazine. If you are a victim of domestic violence, or know someone who is, there is information available here.