A man named Sudesh is rubbing oil onto my completely naked body. It begins about an hour after I arrive at the Ayurveda Health Resort in Kerala, India. I am shown to my cabin and am introduced to the only other guest in the resort. May is the low season in India. ‘Hello!’ she calls…
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When I tell people I’m looking for gender-neutral baby clothes, they assume it’s because I’m not going to find out the sex of my child before the birth. This isn’t the case at all. I fully intend to find out if it’s a boy or a girl at our next scan. But just because I’ll…
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‘Since it’s your first time interviewing him, wear a skirt and you’ll be fine.’ This is the advice a female reporter was given as she planned for an interview with a police officer, which she passed on anonymously for the world to see. The majority of the tumblr fare I indulge in is ‘for the…
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‘Ajax Spray n’ Wipe made everything alright.’ ‘I wash all my curtains in Stergene. I’m very fussy about the way they’re cleaned.’ One quote comes from an advertisement in a 1956 Woman and Home magazine. The other is from a 2010 television ad. In both, women give testimonials about cleaning products. We’re used to seeing…
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The topless, anti-patriarchy protests of Femen have brought up some fascinating issues for modern feminists to consider. On the one hand, there’s Femen’s point that women in Tunisia are second class citizens and that this should change. But the point that most English speaking, Western columnists have been making the last couple of weeks is…
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The generation gap has always been a topical issue. Just what do the older generation do when things begin to change? Will they embrace a new era of modern inventions and ways of life, or will they refuse and forever live in the past? And how do young people perpetuate this change? There have been…
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My mother, who for the sake of privacy I’ll refer to as “Mama B”, is, and always has been, an amazing mother. She’s hilarious, smart, and strong, and like most mothers, rather protective of her youngens. However, there were certain things Mama B felt were necessary (or unnecessary) while I was growing up. Having come…
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Over the past few years developments in technology and social media have caused major changes to how we engage with art, culture and each other. The role of the curator in facilitating creativity has also changed. Portable’s Curators Conference offered a platform to discuss just what it means to be a curator in the digital…
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Near Pyrmont Bridge in Darling Harbour on Cockle Bay sits Helm Bar, the yellow light of Madame Tussauds and the aquatic glow of the aquarium reflects onto its glass exterior. At night, this area of Darling Harbour is a reprieve. The tourist attractions are closed and the buzz gives way to some stillness. Helm bar…
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There’s something about television that differs from other types of narrative. It’s not like a film, that’s over in 90 minutes, or like a book that you can inhale in a night or meander through across months. Instead it’s like a throwback to serialised narratives in journals from the 1800s, a Dickens-esque approach to storytelling…
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If I have learned anything over the last few months, it’s that asking for help is hard. For me, it’s akin to admitting failure. I don’t mind so much if it’s a little thing, like please open this can for me because I have scrawny little arms and no patience. But when it comes to…
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Little monsters across Australia are screaming Gaga, as the lady herself tours the country and treats fans to thrills, spills and everything in between. Whether you love or hate her, everyone has an opinion about the lady who is breaking all the rules of normality. A singer, film maker, fashion diva, gay activist, and number…
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The Australian Burlesque Festival is entering its third year and looks set to be bigger and better than ever. Running over the 7-24 June, the festival will be home to your local favourite burlesque performers as well as some fabulous international acts. I had the chance to interview Dolores Daiquiri from VIC who is the…
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So it’s that time of the month and you’re feeling crappy. If you were living in any other historical period you may just well find yourself segregated from the rest of your community, you know, just to make you feel good about it. Oh, and you’ll be told that your menses is poisonous. The belief…
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