Katy Preen
Bio
Research scientist, author & artist based in Manchester, UK. Strident feminist, SJW, proudly working-class.
Stories (58/0)
Playing With Fire... And Hire
Look, I said it’s over. Let’s just draw a line under it and move on. Crazy bitch, why doesn’t she get that I’m not interested? Not to worry. I’ll get it taken care of. Look, I've found myself in a spot of bother. Can you help me clear it up? Good, things are sorted now. Just a bit of woman trouble. Another psycho ex, eh? Yeah, but not to worry, tagged & bagged, amirite, lads? Wa-hey!
By Katy Preen7 years ago in Viva
Is Cousin Marriage Really All That Bad?
Oh, this is going to be a fun one – I can see some of you squirming in your seats already! And that's the thing, isn't it? Cousin marriages are a bit icky, a thing to be mocked or pitied, in Western culture at least. You might wonder why we even need to explore this topic, I mean, it's just a bit gross, yeah? Who'd ever want to marry their cousin? Unless they live in a trailer park, amirite? Well, I grew up in a place where those sorts of jokes were common, so maybe I'm the right person to break this one down. Let's begin by looking at the legal situation.
By Katy Preen7 years ago in Humans
Priti Patel's Lovely Holiday
Another day, another embarrassment for Theresa May's government. If there are any more resignations, the Cabinet is going to be a very lonely place. This time, it was the turn of Priti Patel to hand in her notice. I wonder who's next — it's rather exciting! Anyway, the UK government will probably have legitimacy until at least the weekend, so let's take a look at this one misdemeanour along the way to the implosion of the Conservative Party.
By Katy Preen7 years ago in The Swamp
Owning The Space
A friend of mine just set out for a day’s shopping, but returned unexpectedly soon after having gotten splashed by a vehicle driving through a puddle. This has happened to me, and in similar circumstances. My friend saw the vehicle coming, and noticed how the driver sped up and swerved into the puddle. There was no doubt about it; this was a deliberate act.
By Katy Preen7 years ago in Viva
Business Affairs
Some interesting conversations have begun since the spreadsheet of 40 Tory “sex pests” was leaked on the internet. This has happened in a wider climate of weeding out harassers and misogynists, so it’s quite easy to get caught up in the flow. But there is a problematic element to this, in that the list was described as a “dirty dossier” of “sex pests,” when it in fact contains allegations ranging from serious transgressions down to MPs having consensual affairs. Obviously there is a need for sensitivity and nuance, so as to not minimise the most serious offences, or to be puritanical about those engaging in sexual activities that are none of anyone else’s business. Having seen a copy of the list (if you haven’t by now, just Google “tory spreadsheet” and you’ll find it), it seems like the co-authors were Mary Whitehouse and Benny Hill, based on the language used (“fornicated,” “handsy”). It’s like a cross between a Carry On film script, and the list of reasons for entry to a Victorian women’s asylum. Another reason to exercise caution — it sounds as though it was written to titillate, belying the reality of the claims within.
By Katy Preen7 years ago in Journal
We Need to Talk About Kevin (Spacey)
The news broke this week over Kevin Spacey coming out… as both a sexual harasser and as a gay man. It’s finally (finally!) open season on sexual predators, so understandably everyone is mighty pissed off — not just because of this transgression, but because it seems that his coming out is designed to excuse or minimise it. It’s not a great look — LGBT people have put up with decades of abuse comparing them with child molesters and perverts, and this statement is sadly going to get all sorts crawling out of the woodwork.
By Katy Preen7 years ago in Viva
Doyle Syndrome
I had to check that there wasn’t a real illness called Doyle Syndrome prior to writing this post, and there isn’t, so we’re good. Although if there was, I’d just call it Mrs. Doyle syndrome — which may give you some idea as to where this is going. My memory was jolted by an article published on The Establishment, “This Is Why Consent Doesn’t Exist For Disabled Folks,” which goes in to the numerous ways in which disabled people are required to give more of themselves in order to get the same treatment as able-bodied people. An important issue it raises is the stripping of agency from disabled individuals by the able-bodied.
By Katy Preen7 years ago in Longevity
Dear Theresa
I know that you’re having a tough time. Your job is probably the most difficult and thankless in the whole country, and yet it is also coveted by those you should be able to rely on. I say that it is the most difficult not lightly; because jobs of comparable complexity and status have largely gone overseas. And so you are left to sort out this mess, and what a damned fine mess it is.
By Katy Preen7 years ago in The Swamp
When in Disgrace with Fortune and Men's Eyes
The title of this piece is the first line of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29, which is analysed in detail here. The poem itself doesn’t have much to do with this topic, but taking the first eight lines in isolation, it sounds a lot like how it feels to be a woman in a male-dominated workplace:
By Katy Preen7 years ago in Viva
My First Protest
The Conservative Party Conference was in Manchester last week, and plenty of people were unhappy about it. This isn’t a huge surprise as they’re lagging behind in the polls, social problems are rife, and the government is single-mindedly pushing through a disastrous exit from the European Union — a move that will leave the UK worse off on just about every metric. Still, we have to respect the Will of the People — even if they’re too uninformed to know what’s good for them (the UK media and government have become notorious for downplaying the EU's successes in Britain and exaggerating the negatives).
By Katy Preen7 years ago in The Swamp