The House may have decided in favour of the Opposition (116 to 282, with 42 abstentions, to be exact) but I'm still incredibly proud that I was asked to take part in the debate "This House Regards Jordan as a Feminist Icon" at the Cambridge Union.
I received an email from the Union's president saying that the audience loved the debate (their first that was all female) and that it was one of the best that they've seen in Cambridge.
There was lots of laughter: the best icebreaker probably came from
Louise Chunn, who opened with, "Imagine a man who is famous. But he
doesn't write, he doesn't act and he doesn't sing. He does have a
ten-inch surgically enhanced penis. His name is Gordon."
Despite my absolute terror of public speaking, I learned so much, and was blown away both by the excellent speeches given by my team members Louise Court, Jenni Trent-Hughes and Abi Titmuss as well as Edwina Currie, Louise Chunn and student debater Jo Box on the Opposition.
Thank you Cambridge!
I watched you debate at the Union and thought you were fantastic. Best debate I've ever watched. Thank you for coming!
Posted by: Joe | Tuesday, 06 May 2008 at 12:09 AM
That's a much better share of the vote than I thought you'd get. You should have been drafted into Ken's team last week!
Posted by: James | Tuesday, 06 May 2008 at 01:41 AM
I look forward to an all male debate on whether women at cambridge are silly spoilt little things who have never done a day's work in their lives so have the time to prattle on abour feminism all day long... Oh but that would be considered sexist of course...
Hypocrisy! Chauvinism! Sexism! Double standards! But then I have heard some wimmin like it both ways...
Posted by: Mikkkey | Tuesday, 06 May 2008 at 09:10 AM
Are there any men only debates planned?
How about:
This House believes feminism has nothing to do with women
Posted by: Ken Hughes | Thursday, 08 May 2008 at 10:34 PM
(in reply to Ken Hughes)
So, why doesn't feminism have anything to do with women?
Or is it a secret only to be divulged to a male audience?
Posted by: Jood | Friday, 09 May 2008 at 01:01 PM
(in reply to Jood)
Did Communism have anything to do with workers?
Posted by: Ken Hughes | Friday, 09 May 2008 at 03:21 PM
Mikkkey, I'm so glad your incisive mind has penetrated into this problem with such clarity!... seriously though, while hypocrisy, sexism and double standards are real problems (for everyone, not just you), being offensive is not going to help you make your point.
As for being (as a female Cambridge student) a "silly spoilt little [thing] who [has] never done a day's work in [her life] so have the time to prattle on abour feminism all day long..." you have to work damned hard to get into Cambridge and even harder to stay there and do well. And there's a great deal less being spoiled around the place than the Daily Mail will have you believe. I suspect the men here would laugh that suggestion from the House out of the Union.
Posted by: Chan | Saturday, 31 May 2008 at 05:25 PM