![\"Photo:](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/xmas.jpg\" "\\"xmas\\"")
<\/a>Left to right: I thought Fornarina's hyper-feminine snowlady was sort of cute, but Jen was severely unnerved; the xmas card I'm trying to avoid; M&S pops cooking on the right, and socks and Top Gear merch on the left. <\/p><\/div>\n
Following on from Sarah’s post, I conducted a team survey.\u00a0 The result? The following peek into our own wishlists, plus our gift ideas for the friendly feminist in your life. It might be too late to order some items, but maybe we’ll spark an idea or two.<\/p>\n
There’s a range of tastes in force at BR Towers, so in a way,
conversely, this post stands as proof that categorising anyone by labels
when it comes to predicting what they’ll like – even
‘feminist’<\/em> – is often a fool’s game. But
what the hell. S’better than yer average “For Him! For
Her!” Superdrug sleighbell slew, eh?<\/p>\n
Turn up your recordings of Christmas Wrapping<\/em><\/a> please, for…<\/p>\n
“This Hated By The Daily Mail T-shirt<\/strong> <\/a>‘s going
right on my wishlist.” Wear with pride!<\/p>\n BPAL:
mini sample bottles. They call 'em "imps'
ears". <\/p><\/div>\n
In the realm of\u00a0 traditional-lady-gifts, Jen recommends
perfume… with a difference. Check out the eldritch
alterna-goth world of Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab<\/strong><\/a>. Refreshingly
not <\/em> taking an exclusively “for her”
angle, their unisex scents are oil-based, concentrated
and long-lasting, doubling as room-oils. You’ll
not find descriptors like “polished metallic
notes, glossy leather, and frankincense” down your
local Boots! (Downsides? The site’s an arse to
navigate – but persevere, it’s worth it
– and you’ll need to email them and state
you’re ordering from outside the US.)<\/p>\n
Where
did<\/em> she get that Greek Alphabet tea towel?
Alas, the Cure-listening queen of the Alphabet
of Feminin<\/em>ism<\/a> is keeping that one secret,
but says of Women Who Read Are Dangerous<\/strong><\/a>,
edited by Stefan Bollen, “This is a
lovely book; got it for Christmas last year
myself.” It’s a coffee-table
compendium of art depicting women reading,
accompanied by (says Amazon) “politely fiery text which serves to remind
one that, in the not too dim and distant
past, for a woman to be seen absorbed in a
book was considered at best a selfish act
and at worst a subversive
one<\/em>.”<\/p>\n
What else? “For the parent,
I’d say
Noel
Streatfeild’s Ballet
Shoes<\/a><\/strong> (in its non-pink
and sparkly format) is a wonderfully
feminist work for kids – the men
in it mostly just leave the women to
become highly successful on their own,
through education and hard work
(don’t forget the shurely-lesbian
Dr Jakes and Dr Smith). The fact that
Petrova shuns the girly stuff and
becomes a pilot is particularly
pleasing.”<\/p>\n
After initially considering the
perfume-pants-and-shoes ladypresent
tropes for a moment,<\/p>\n SHINY.<\/p><\/div>\n
Sarah will happily accept the shoes,
as long as they’re a shiny,
stompy set of
Doc
Martens<\/a><\/strong>. Pants?
Well, if you must, what about Who Made Your
Pants<\/strong><\/a>, a
women’s collective who
make sexy underwear ethically
from offcuts? Or if
there’s gotta be a romance
novel, let’s make it an
interesting one, like The Glass Books of the Dream
Eaters<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n
“Anne Taintor<\/strong>
magnets! Examples here<\/a>,
here<\/a>,
and [fave:
make your own damn
dinner<\/em>] here<\/a>.
Or there’s this
‘‘Reading is
Sexy’
T-shirt<\/strong>
<\/a>…”<\/p>\n
Anything else?
“Sticker
Sisters<\/strong>
do lots of cool
things.”
Agreed –
try these
‘Action
Not
Glamor’
shoelaces<\/a><\/strong>
for size. Or
the
corresponding
tee!<\/a> (US
spelling;
universal
sentiment.) Or
this ‘Brave
Girl’
tee<\/a>!<\/p>\n
Finally,
Sarah
reckons you
could do
worse than
pop one of
the
Alanna<\/strong>
books by
Tamora
Pierce<\/strong>
in
someone’s
Christmas
stocking
–
“They’re
for
children\/teens,\u00a0but
I
don’t
think
they
hold up
too
badly
for
adults
who want
a
right-on
but
undemanding
fantasy
read.
There’s
a magic
cat, a
lot of
sword
fighting
and a
surprisingly
healthy
and
sensible
attitude
to sex.
Here’s
the
first
one (of
four) on
Amazon<\/a>.”<\/p>\n
“I
want
to
buy
everyone
the
Avatar:
The
Last
Airbender
<\/strong>
TV
series
boxset<\/a>.
(And
I
mean
everyone:
boys,
girls,
geeks,
non-geeks,
everyone
else,
it’s
good
for
all.)
Not<\/strong>
the
movie,
no.”<\/p>\n
Anything
else?
“Membership
to
the
UK
Wolf
Conservation
Trust<\/a><\/strong>.
You
can
go
for
walks
in
the
forest
with
wolves.
Yes,
really.”<\/p>\n
“Picture
books!\u00a0
I
love
picture
books.\u00a0
Didn’t
you
love
them
as
a
child?\u00a0
Who
didn’t!\u00a0
What’s
going
on
with
us
stopping
reading
them,
then?\u00a0
It’s
nonsense.\u00a0
Picture
books
are
the
greatest,
and
there’s
a
whole
world
of
completely
fabulous
queer-friendly
picture
books<\/strong>
out
there
that
I
just
wish
I’d
had
as
a
kid.\u00a0
But
now
we’re
adults
and
we
get
to
spend
how
we
like…
and
one
of
those
ways
can
be
picture
books.\u00a0
Because
we
can<\/em>.\u00a0
Here’s
a
little
selection
of
my
favourites…”<\/p>\n
And
Tango
Makes
Three<\/strong><\/a>:
“You’ll
have
heard
of
this
one,
presumably.\u00a0
It
was
banned
in
some
schools
in
America.\u00a0
It’s
a
book
about
penguins
who
love
each
other
–
also,
it’s
based
on
a
true
story.\u00a0
And
it
was
banned
because
the
penguins
who
love
each
other
are
boys!\u00a0
What
an
amazing
world
we
live
in.”<\/p>\n
King
And
King<\/strong><\/strong><\/a>:
“I
bought
this
straight
out
before
I
read
it
because
it
sounded
so
perfect.\u00a0
It
is
indeed
perfect.\u00a0
I
cried
all
over
it
and
I’m
not
even
ashamed
to
say
so.\u00a0
It’s
one
of
the
reasons
I’m
not
allowed
in
childrens’
book
sections
any
more.”<\/a><\/p>\n
I
task
Rhian,
fresh
from
her
recent
post
on
punk<\/a>,
and
now
the
latest
addition
to
our
team
(YEAH)
with
providing
a
music
recommendation.
I’m
not
disappointed.<\/p>\n
“Hmm.
How
about
the
Indelicates
<\/strong>album,
Songs
for
Swinging
Lovers<\/strong>?
Based
not
only
on
Julia
Indelicate
being
one
of
the
most
incisively
outspoken
radical
feminists
currently
hammering
a
keyboard,
but
also
on
the
band’s
method
of
DIY
distribution
which
means
you
can
officially
pay
what
you
like,
including
zero,
to
download
their
stuff.
The
album
is
available
here<\/a>.”<\/p>\n
What
about
a
vintage
poster?
Casual
misogyny
may
be
rife
in
wartime
propaganda,
but
you
can’t
beat
Rosie
the
Riveter,
co-opted
for
years
as
a
feminist
icon,
for
a
bit
of
wallspiration.
We
can
do
it!
<\/em>Here’s
a
page
of
posters
featuring
Rosie-related
imagery<\/a><\/strong>.
Or
you
could
boldly
brave
the
Imperial
War
Museum
shop,
bypassing
the
more
patronising
end
of
the
poster
archive
(I’m
looking
at
you,
Keep
Mum,
she’s
not
so
dumb<\/em>),
for
this
mighty
number<\/a><\/strong>,
which
is
up
on
the
wall
at
BR
Towers.<\/p>\n
Readables?
I
dig
Alison
Bechdel<\/strong>‘s
autobiographical
Fun
Home<\/strong><\/a>
(Jen
also
attests
to
this,
as
I
threw
it
her
way
in
November
for
her
birthday).
Or
how
about
recent
Booker-scooper
Hilary
Mantel’s
haunting
novel
Beyond
Black<\/strong><\/a>,
which
features
a
complex
pair
of
women
at
its
centre,
one
of
whom
is
psychic?
Or
the
book
which
reminded
us
to
get
off
our
arses
and
start
this
site,
Reclaiming
the
F-Word<\/strong><\/a>?<\/p>\nTEAM BADREP’S FIRST EVER
CHRISTMAS WISHLIST<\/h3>\n
JENNI says…<\/h3>\n
<\/a>
HODGE says…<\/h3>\n
SARAH C says…<\/h3>\n
<\/a>
SARAH J says…<\/h3>\n
STEPHEN
B
says…<\/h3>\n
MARKGRAF
says…<\/h3>\n
\n10,000
Dresses<\/strong><\/a>:
“I
want
this
so
badly
I
don’t
even
know
what
to
do
with
myself.\u00a0
I
can’t
give
you
a
full
pr\u00e9cis<\/em>
of
it
because
I
haven’t
read
it
yet!\u00a0
But
it
came
to
me
highly
recommended,
and
frankly,
we
need
trans
visibility
that
isn’t
risible
or
offensive.
Yeah!”<\/p>\n
RHIAN
says…<\/h3>\n
I
say…<\/h3>\n