By Rob Boffard It’s a pretty fundamental part of journalism not to accept gifts. The second you take that bottle of whiskey from the spokesperson, accept the invitation to that swanky junket in Thailand or even do something as innocuous as let a PR person buy you a drink after an interview, you’re done. You’re […]
Lifestyle
Posted inLifestyle, Media
Everybody loves Nonhle
Dear Nonhle I started writing this letter to you when I was in Germany last week, before I saw this Dear Nonhle letter and by then it was too late. So maybe we’ll just have to start a Dear Nonhle meme. Lots of people can compose Dear Nonhle missives and it can become a rite […]
Posted inEquality, Lifestyle
Why feminists (and all men and women) should care about paternity leave
When two people decide to have a child, is it fair that one of those people gets more paid time away from work to bond with that child? Is it also fair that this situates parental responsibility firmly in the hands of the parent with more leave? In South Africa, women are given up to […]
Posted inLifestyle
The jewel of Poole Street
By Alex Searle At first glance, Poole Street is nothing special. It’s a slightly better area than some of the other dreary avenues in Ysterplaat, but not by much. There are no lampposts so walking around at night is not easy. Only the ugly power cables hang in the air alongside the pavements like giant […]
Posted inBusiness, General, Lifestyle, Media
Julius toppled by vaginas…and T-shirts?
Julius Malema has been toppled by vaginas and sexist T-shirts. Who would have thought that the posts that attract the most reads should be about plastic surgery for fannies (over 5 000, a record for me) and T-shirts bearing legends like “You looked better … from behind”. Admittedly, a lot of the comments would indicate that […]
Posted inLifestyle
‘Come Dine With Me’ like Lamb(s) to the slaughter
Come Dine With Me South Africa on the BBC Entertainment network, part of the DStv package, is undoubtedly the funniest show on television and this is down to the fact that its narrator, David Lamb from Sussex in England, delivers razor sharp commentary on everything and anything the contestants get up to. The 42-year-old Englishman, […]
Posted inLifestyle
Supermodels are normal too…aren’t they?
Marie Claire SA had an interesting idea for their November issue. They decided to call it the “Love Your Body” issue and invite six major South African ad agencies to come up with campaigns to encourage ordinary women to love the bodies they’ve got. I have yet to see the images they produced, but by […]
Posted inGeneral, Lifestyle, Media
Germany — on being disconnected in a connected world
It’s so easy to take connection for granted. Sure, there are places, like the bush, where you expect to feel isolated from technology. But finding yourself in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and everyone else is connected — now that makes for the kind of cognitive dissonance that triggers panic attacks. […]
Posted inBusiness, Equality, Lifestyle, Media
Why I’m boycotting the Foschini Group
T-shirts that are offensive towards women, ignorant of the HIV/Aids pandemic in South Africa, or are simply offensive are a reflection of a culture that says we shouldn’t care about these things, because misogyny, HIV/Aids and women’s rights are not something to be taken seriously. When a major brand like Foschini chooses to produce shirts […]
Posted inGeneral, Lifestyle
Gareth Cliff on everything you’ve already heard
Let me start with the mandatory “I don’t like Gareth Cliff and I don’t listen to his show” disclaimer. But despite this, I was secretly looking forward to reading his first book Gareth Cliff on Everything. In a fragmented, siloed society such as ours, books are a small mirror into sections of society you only […]
Posted inLifestyle
Why don’t Bryanston people pick up dog poo?
People in Bryanston, I have noticed, don’t pick up dog poo. The people in Parkhurst do. There, not picking up after your dog is considered highly antisocial and will earn you plenty of hipster opprobrium. No sitting at Vovo Telo sipping latte for you. Why do the residents of some suburbs pick up dog poo […]
Posted inLifestyle, Media
New! Improved! Designer vaginas
Insecurity is big business. We probably wouldn’t bother with half the things we buy if we felt good about ourselves. Your breath isn’t fresh enough (that’s how Listerine got its big break). Your hair isn’t straight enough (cue GHDs and Brazilian blowouts). Your teeth aren’t white or straight enough (aesthetic dentistry). You’re too pale (fake […]