Top of the posts: 50 Cent, 50 Shades and 1830s

By Laura Davis
Notebook
Friday, 13 July 2012 at 5:24 pm

This week saw the conviction of James John and Josie Connors who kept homeless workers as slaves at a Bedfordshire caravan site. Manuel Barcia writes of our collective responsibility to pay attention to the reality that such situations can still transpire: “Just because slavery was abolished more than two centuries ago, it doesn’t mean it is something that’s confined to the history books”.

As diet guides and carb-avoiding tips saturate magazines, Ilona Burton looks at the increasing trend of restricting calories from food in favour of calories from alcohol. With young girls vulnerable to emulating celebrities, the idea of “food-swapping” is sometimes far from a healthy one.

Yesterday, the High Court ruled that Tulisa Contostavlos’ ex-boyfriend MC Ultra Edwards was responsible for causing the publication of the sex tape which was watched by millions in March. Although the singer has proved that she was not complicit in its release, Mr Edwards will see no criminal repercussions for his actions.

If the mantra that sex sells is true, then it would explain why the topic of asexuality is rarely tackled in the media. David Jay describes how asexuality is not tied to any sort of pathology, and even in our in highly sexualized culture, the asexual community is finally starting to be acknowledged.

Months after people first started whispering about the kinky trilogy, the topic of 50 Shades of Grey is riding high. Our debate this week discussed whether the submissive relationship seen in the novel was degrading to women. Nat Guest also praises the books for bringing erotic literature into the harsh lights of the tube: “Women are not only reading it; they’re reading it brazenly on the train, sharing it with friends, perhaps lending their own (ahem) well-thumbed copy.”

With the release of Chernobyl Diaries, Thom Davies remarks upon the shameless insensitivity of the film. As effects from the worst technological disaster in human history still remain 26 years on, he feels that in does it act to way reflect the devastation for Chernobyl victims.

As pregnancy is the leading cause of death for teenage girls in the developing world, Marie Staunton asserts that both access to contraception and should be prioritised, as well as much greater efforts to stop child marriage and rape. “Married girls with little or no schooling often have a limited awareness of their rights and simply lack the knowledge and power to negotiate safer sex.”

Elsewhere Lee Williams finds some disturbing comparisons between now and the banking trouble in the 1830s, Nicky Clark criticises 50 Cents’ comments on “special ed kids”, Alex Masters reviews the new Android 4.1 ‘Jelly Bean’, Susan Wels shares her expertise on the mystery of Amelia Earhart, Team Sky performance engineer Martin Ayres reveals how the riders unwind, Alex Hare interviews Sony World Photographer of the Year Mitch Dobrowner with some of his beautiful landscape shots included and despite only being up four hours, Janey Godley’s blog about the live-tweeting of a couple’s very public row is already proving popular.

Here are the most read blogs from the past week, as determined by stats.

1. Drunkorexia: A stupid name, but a serious problem By Ilona Burton

2. Tulisa Contostavlos may have won the sex tape court case, but the damage is irreparable By Laura Davis

3. My fifty cents on 50 cent and autism By Nicky Clark

4. Fifty Shades of Porn By Nat Guest

5. Android 4.1 ‘Jelly Bean’ Review By Alex Masters

6. Earhart had a feeling she might not survive By Susan Wels

7. The general population is finally learning that asexual people exist By David Jay

8. On The Road: Bradley Wiggins does a perfect recreation of Alan Partridge’s ‘Dan!, Dan!, DAN! By Martin Ayres

9. Pregnancy: The leading cause of death for teenage girls in the developing world By Marie Staunton

10. The real Chernobyl Diaries: notes from Ukraine By Thom Davies

11. The Photography Blog: A chat with Sony World Photographer of the Year Mitch Dobrowner By Alex Hare