Tag Archives: uk

Celebrities, Move To Sunny London!

Kate Torgovnick/Kate-Book.comAugust 10, 2011 //

Are you desperate for British citizenship? There was a time when you’d have to find a nice British national to marry you. But no more! Now all you have to do to set up permanent residence in the UK is win an Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe, or BAFTA or at least get nominated for one of these awards. Yep, you read that right. Yesterday the British government signed into law a new immigration class—Tier 1—that’s designed to attract celebrities and those of “exceptional talent.”

As the Hollywood Reporter points out, this is very unfortunate timing. Considering that London and several other British cities are entering their fourth night of riots, in which major looting is happening, many buildings are burning, and four people have died so far. Keep reading »

Deadbeat Dads Should Be Stigmatized Like Drunk Drivers, Says UK Prime Minister

Jessica WakemanJune 20, 2011 //

Deadbeat dads should be stigmatized by society just like drunk drivers, UK Prime Minister David Cameron wrote in a Father’s Day article for the Telegraph newspaper. Cameron blasted what he called “runaway” fathers and said society should be “genuinely hostile” and make them feel the “full force of shame heaped upon them.” The prime minister wrote:

“They should be looked at like [drunk] drivers, people who are beyond the pale. They need the message rammed home to them, from every part of our culture, that what they’re doing is wrong — that leaving single mothers, who do a heroic job against all odds, to fend for themselves simply isn’t acceptable.”

He also tooted his own horn on his plan to give tax breaks to married couples, which some people believe encourage stability. Keep reading »

Oh No, There’s A British “Jersey Shore” — It’s Called “Geordie Shore”

Jessica WakemanApril 28, 2011 //

American culture is spreading throughout the world … spreading like herpes. Behold, a British version of “Jersey Shore” on MTV UK: “Geordie Shore” stars thickly accented lads and lasses Jay, Vicky, Gary, Charlotte-Letitia, James, Sophie, Greg and Holly — who says she is “fierce, flirty and I’ve got double Fs!” — in the northeastern city of Newcastle. It’ll air Tuesday, May 24 at 10 p.m. in the UK. British “Jersey Shore” proves the allure of fake tans, tube tops, and puking your guts out is indeed universal. But — serious question — do they fist pump?

[MTV UK]
[BBC]
[BuzzFeed] Keep reading »

Meet The Black Arrow, A Lady Superhero Who Saves Abused Pets

Jessica WakemanMarch 6, 2011 //

I love a superheroine as much as the next feminist, especially one who loves the fuzzy am-i-nals as much as I do. Meet “Black Arrow,” an anonymous British woman who fights evil in the form of people who abuse their pets. “I make sure people aren’t abusing their animals,” Black Arrow told The Sun newspaper. “I serve justice to those who deserve it. We stand for those who cannot, because we can.” (Unfortunately, the tabloid-eriffic Sun didn’t get a single detail on just how Black Arrow does this.) For six years, the London lass has stuck up for animals who are abused — presumably without crassly objectifying women in the process. You hear that, PETA? [The Sun UK, Coventry Telegraph UK] Keep reading »

Rich Lady’s Jokes About Cutting Back Turn Out Not To Be So Funny To Not-Rich People

Jessica WakemanJanuary 19, 2011 //

Rich people are having a hard time, y’all! Cutting back on helicopter rides. Re-soling shoes instead of buying new pairs. No new clothes, handbags or makeup. It utter cruelty is what it is! These are the tongue-in-cheek gripes of Lisa Unwin, who blogged anonymously at a blog called Austerity Mum about cutting back on expenses with her husband, Ashley Unwin, a honcho at PricewaterhouseCoopers in London. The 44-year-old former Deloitte communications director, who now is a stay-at-home mom, blogged jokingly about downgrading the family vacation from the Maldives to Morocco and her hubby’s disdain for Prada shirts. According to the blog This Is London, Lisa Unwin referred also to her two children as “the diva in waiting” and “the smallest man with the biggest attitude” — charming! — and told readers the Unwin’s new Georgian-style home in east London cost “squillions.” Keep reading »

There’s A Show Called “My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding” About Gyspy Teen Brides

Jessica WakemanJanuary 19, 2011 //

Don’t let anyone tell you reality TV shows are a scourge on American television. We may have “16 & Pregnant” and “Jersey Shore,” but the UK has “My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.” Apparently in its second year, “My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding” follows teen brides from Europe’s gypsy clans, the Romany and the Travellers. Generally speaking, gypsies tend to live nomadic lives and travel from place to place. Last night’s episode featured 17-year-old Josie and 19-year-old Swanley, who married in July only five months after they met. Had you pressed the “mute” button, however, it would be difficult to tell Josie and Swanley were having a gypsy wedding: she wore a fluffy white confection of a dress and a garter, her bridesmaids were decked out in Spanish-style fuchsia dresses, and a priest performed the ceremony in a church. (You can see some over-the-top wedding looks from stills from the first season of “My Bit Fat Gypsy Wedding” on the Guardian’s web site.) And despite the stereotypes that gypsies live on the streets, or travel around in caravans, Josie lived inside a house. According to the Daily Mail UK, the most “gypsy” thing about the bride and groom on “My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding” is their unconventional-mixed-with-completely-conventional lifestyle. Keep reading »

9 Tips For Befriending A Brit

Judy BatalionJune 30, 2010 //

Between the BP oil spill and the U.S. and U.K. facing off during the World Cup, the “special relationship” across the pond has gotten seriously strained in the past few weeks. This is unfortunate considering that—as I learned from spending a decade in London—creating any relationship with a Brit is not an easy task. As a 32-year-old comic in England, I suffered for years from “cultural autism,” not understanding the bulk of people’s actions and words. Or at least what they meant in “English.” I was lost in a morass of professional, social and romantic rules, constantly making shameful mistakes. But I eventually decoded the etiquette of the glorious Brits by researching their anthropology and, uh, marrying one. Here are my hard-culled tips to U.S. travelers who set off to the U.K., a land where not everyone is an American-loving Hugh Grant or Hugh Laurie. (Although everyone is called Hugh).
Keep reading »

British Sexual Harassment PSA Tells Men To Stop Being Gross

Jessica WakemanJune 2, 2010 //

I wish America would show stuff like this on television: the Welsh government in the U.K. has released a PSA about sexual harassment. It outlines all the ways dudes think they’re being really suave when they’re actually being totally douchey. I really like that the message isn’t just a blanket “sexual harassment is bad!” but it shows how getting honked, whistled and leered at all adds up. [One Step Too Far, BBC] Keep reading »

British Youth Get Domestic Violence 101

Ami AngelowiczAugust 11, 2009 //

During grad school, I worked part-time in a gift shop for extra money. I’ll never forget the day glamorous, model-esque bookkeeper Lucy came into work wearing dark Chanel sunglasses. I could tell something wasn’t right. “What’s going on?” I asked. Lucy lifted her sunglasses to reveal two black eyes. Thus began my crusade to help Lucy get out of her abusive relationship, which resulted in me picking up her and her suitcases on a dark corner at night, her boyfriend threatening to “beat the crap” out of me, and Lucy heading straight back to him eventually. This was my first but sadly not my last time seeing the destructive domestic violence cycle. It left me feeling angry and helpless, wishing there was something more I could do. Keep reading »

An Orgasm A Day Keeps The Doctor Away, British Kids Are Told

Jessica WakemanJuly 13, 2009 //

Jeebus. Why does everybody get so freaked out when adults dare to talk about teenagers masturbating, considering horny 13-year-old guys probably jerk off more than anyone in the world? Alas, there’s drama in Sheffield, England, because medical professionals are circulating a pamphlet to teens which suggests that self-pleasure might be more satisfying than, oh, having sex before they’re ready or getting knocked up. The pamphlet is called “Pleasure” and it says:

“An orgasm a day keeps the doctor away….Health promotion experts advocate five portions of fruit and veg a day and 30 minutes’ physical activity three times a week. What about sex or masturbation twice a week?”

Keep reading »

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