Why are modern crime novelists so obsessed with the torture of women?

I have just returned from a 2-week holiday and am feeling rather disgusted with the state of modern book publishing.

I have always enjoyed crime novels on holidays for the trashy fun that they should be but over the past fortnight found myself disgusted with the abundance of rape and violence that pepper almost all the mass market novels in the bestseller lists.

Why do Kathy Reichs, James Patterson (and his numerous "co authors"), Karin Slaughter, Patricia Cornwell all assume that the only crime their readers are interested in is the rape, murder and mutilation of young women?

They revel in it. I just finished Swimsuit by James Patterson (or rather written by Maxine Paetro but bares Patterson's name to ensure it shifts millions of copies) and it is by far one of the worst examples of this. Dozens of rapes and murders described in graphic details for no reason. No plotting or tension, just a list of rapes. The ending? The murderer gets murdered in a snuff film. Or he doesn't. We don't know. The book is utterly pointless unless you are aroused by the idea of a woman being raped before being decapitated with her head attached to a ceiling fan so that the head spins around the room. Or how about a women being strangled to death while she is being raped?

I have not made any of this up. These are just two of the many atrocities Patterson / Peatro describe with no skill whatsoever. The entire book is sick, unnecessary, offensive and made me feel rather ill and spoiled my sunbathing.

Which would be my own fault if I had purchased a book packaged like a torture porn film like Hostel or Last House On The Left. But I had not. I had purchased a book by the world's most successful author (he churns out so much of this garbage that he sells more books than Dan Brown, Stephen King and J.K. Rowling put together) from WH Smith sporting one of the covers illustrated above. Does anything about the cover above say to you 'Rapey head chopping'?

The cover of the edition I purchased at Toronto Pearson airport also states that it is his 'most satisfying book since Kiss The Girls'. Satisfying? Interesting choice of word. Not only would Patrick Bateman himself be sickened by this book, it has also alienated Patterson's own fans with 120 Amazon reviews granting it a 1-star review and only 38 a 5-star review. More of his fans hate his lazy output than actually enjoy it.

Surely he and other crime novelists can broaden their horizons a bit? There are other crimes out there. The mob are a pretty exciting bunch, how about featuring them? Or bank robberies. Or diamond smuggling.

Or anything other than sexual assaults and mutilation of young women.

Most disturbingly, the majority of these books are written by women so I am extremely confused as to their motivations. Are they under the misguided view that by graphically describing rapes in pornographic detail they are highlighting the awfulness of sexual assault?

These hack trash pedellers need to check out the work of genuinely thrilling crime novelists such as Simon Kernick and Mark Billingham. These masters of the genre do not need to resort to crude lists of atrocities as they have refined literary chops and the understanding of narrative.

I gave up reading Patterson's book a few years ago when he stopped not only writing his novels but in all liklihood, reading them also. I thought I'd pick this one up because it looked like it might be a bit of pulpy fun.

I will not be making this mistake again.

Marks & Spencers decide misogyny is the best way to sell bras

M&S just can't seem to get it right. Since 1884 until about a decade ago they were adored for their simple, well priced clothing. But then they tried to do that terrible thing that befalls many a retailer.

They tried to be cool.

In today's Metro is the most tragic and appallingly offensive decision in their history. Presumably a decision made by the new Chief Executive Marc Bolland (formerly of Morrisons), there is a full page ad featuring a pair of breasts with a large font stating: "Perfect fits".

See what they've done there?

How hilarious... How witty...

No, how Razzle of them.

Bolland is the man who thought Nick Hancock would be a good ambassador for his previous brand. Put that decision in Room 101.

I would argue that this advert is a betrayal of every woman who has ever shopped at M&S. To reduce their branding to an advert that looks more like a spread in Zoo or Nuts magazine than an advert for a high street retailer

And what exactly are M&S trying to achieve? The only possible repercussion of this is that they might sell a few more over-sized lacy bras to perverts for them to masturbate into.

Was that the intention M&S? If it is, then I would ask that Bolland be the one charged with mopping up the changing rooms at closing time.

Please withdraw these ads as soon as possible, M&S. I know there's a recession but resorting to the objectification of women and pathetic porn-y stunts is beyond desperate. I for one will not be purchasing any more of their lunchtime snacks until these appalling ads are a distant memory.

But let's be honest about M&S' real problems. If their fashion designs were half as tasty as their ready meals, they'd be on the cover of U.S. Vogue every month.

Danny Dyer

There won't be many of you that haven't already heard about the uproar over Danny Dyer's column in Zoo magazine last week but for the sake of posterity, here is what happened. Dyer writes an advice column for the magazine, in which men write to him with their woes. In last week's edition, 23-year old Alex from Manchester wrote in to ask how he should get over his girlfriend. Dyer's thoughtful advice was as follows:

"You've got nothing to worry about, son. I'd suggest going out on a rampage with the boys, getting on the booze and smashing anything that moves. Then, when some bird falls for you, you can turn the tables and break her heart. Of course, the other option is to cut your ex's face, and then no one will want her."

Seriously, what the fuck?

In some ways I am glad this has happened because it has brought into the public forum, what many of us have known for years. That these magazines are designed solely to promote hatred of women.

Just to be clear, this is not 'lad culture' or 'Loaded culture'. That was about drinking and football and the worship of women. I was a Loaded reader in the 90s and it was a truly great magazine. It was the reason I wanted to get into magazines. And if you think the original Loaded was anything like the current filthy rag of the same name, think again.

90s lad culture was not necessarily always a positive thing but neither was it dangerous. Nuts and Zoo are not capturing the zeitgeist unless you count the fact that rapes and domestic violence are on the up and here are two magazines devoted to ensuring they continue to rise. Porn is bad but porn is on the top shelf. Zoo and Nuts are next to Country Life and Heat. Now I know the latter is most likely read by misogynists and the former is determined to make every woman feel like shit about her body but they are not the same as the two manuals for trainee rapists. Porn objectifies women. Zoo and Nuts promote the hatred of women and the belief that they are second class citizens.

All three major political parties failed to put women's issues at the forefront of their campaigns. Whoever decides to do so in time for the inevitable reelection in six months, will get my vote. Well, provided they agree to curb the excesses of these rotten rags under the incitement to violence act that is.

The Bad Boy Of Feminism comes to the Soho Theatre

I will be performing Bad Boy Of Feminism for the very last time at the Soho Theatre in June:

http://www.sohotheatre.com/pl1883.html

This will be an extended and updated version of the show to the performances I did last year. Feminism really could not be more relevant than it is today so the show is constantly evolving as ore things make me angry about the treatment of women in 2010.

Please do come and join me. I will be handing out free copies of my favourite feminst literature at the end of the show (along with free drinks!) including Natasha Walters's powerful new work, rare vintage copies of the wonderful Spare Rib magazine and my favourite texts by bell hooks.

Hope to see you there!

The Noughtie Girl's Guide to Feminism by Ellie Levenson (Book review)

I have been a fan of Ellie Levenson's wise, witty and well informed writing for some time. Her journalism in The Guardian and The Independent has often proved to be the most insightful commentary of modern feminism in the mainstream press. Do check out her wise words here:

http://www.ellielevenson.co.uk/page2.htm

As anyone who has seen my show will know, I believe that feminism is more important in 2010 than ever before. Yet less people are proud to call themselves feminists. People grossly misunderstand what the movement is about which is why Ellie Levenson's wonderful book is such an important piece of work. She is an excellent writer and she expertly weaves every point to a naturally funny and informative conclusion. She ingeniously takes this very important subject and makes it fun and enjoyable which is precisely what is required. I adore this book and have bought copies for many people to spread the word.

The best praise I can give, is that many people will have started to read this book not thinking they were feminists, but by the end of the book changed their minds. I obviously attempt the sam ething with my show by asking people to raise their hands at the beginning and end if they would consider themselves feminists. My aim is every night to double the figure but of kate I have been failing.

This book is a great deal of fun but argues a very important point very persausively. In short, it is required reading for all.

Living Dolls: The Return Of Sexism by Natasha Walter (Book review)

Natasha Walter's The New Feminism came out in 1999, when I was months away from completing my Women's Studies degree at Kingston University. It was required reading for everyone on my course because it provided a profound and enlightening insight in to the state of feminism at the end of the twentieth century and provided a conclusion to all we had learned over three years.

So, I have been excited to read Living Dolls since its publication a month ago. Walter is arguably the most important feminist in the public eye today. She has a remarkable way of brining important issues of oppression in to the forefront of public debate while never allowing media outlets to paint her as a controversialist. Highly intelligent, she is always careful to not convey her points in a hectoring manner which is what makes this book such an important work. I was fascinated by every word and devoured it in three days. It makes grim, depressing reading at times but ultimately the mere existence of this work is enough to bring hope for the future.

Anyone doubting the importance of feminism in 2010 must read this book without fail. I am actually planning on bulk buying copies to give to audience members who fail to raise their hands as proud feminists at the end of my show at the Soho Theatre in June. In short, what I often fail to achieve in 70 minutes of stand up, she does so expertly over 238 pages.

She is passionate about her views but never appears radical, which is very important as this book is clearly aimed at those who do not normally choose to read feminist literature. She is always empathetic with her subjects, an incredible feat considering the belligerence of some. The opening chapter makes for disturbing reading when she attends a Nuts Magazine event to recruit new glamour models. Speaking with contestenst, agents and promoters she is never judgemental, only inquisible and this style reaps hugely telling responses from those who initially claim to being 'liberated' by flashing their breasts at baying mobs of men.

Those of us with an interest will already know the appalling statistics for rape convictions in the UK (6%) and be horrified by the glamourisation of prostitution by the mainstream media but Walter gets to the root of the problem and this work as as impressive a piece of investagative journalism as it is a work of feminist literature.

My only complaint would be the cover of the book. As a Photo Editor I can obviously appreciate that it is a very clever image depicting the appalling way in which women are pressured by society from childhood to the grave to be doll-like but why does it have to be so salacious? Surely Walter's publishers are not using sex to sell her book? I do not read men's magazines in public due to the female nudity on the cover. Yet I did get some judgmental looks from people who glanced at the Barbie doll in the vaginal area and clocked the word 'sexism' in the title as if I was reading some kind of training manual for misogynists. Which is funny, because I remember being concerned about the same thing when reading Naomi Wolf's provocatively covered, disappointing follow-up to The Beauty Myth, Promiscuities came in 1998.

Walter's book is arguably more important that Wolf's seminal debut. Ignorance has left many thinking things are equal in 2010 and they are not. As she points out complacency is the most dangerous enemy so don't delay on purchasing Living Dolls immediately.

Or come to my show at the Soho Theatre in June and I will give you one free!

The Feminist Library in London

I have just been to visit the Feminist Library in Lambeth. Wow, what an incredible resource. I wish I had visited when I was studying for my degree. They have everything you could dream of from classic Emily Dickinson poetry, rare Alice Walker first editions, long out-of-print bell hooks rarities to amazing second wave feminist literature including fanzines, original protest flyers and badges. You name it, they have it. I was shown around by the lovely and hugely knowledgeable Sarah who does an amazing job keeping these historical pieces impeccably stored, catalogued and filed. I could have talked to her all day.

Formerly known as the Women's Research and Resorce Centre, the Feminist Library was set up in 1975 by a group of women keen to record and document the Women's Liberation Movement and safeguard its history. I was blown away by the literature they have in the archive. There ae over 5000 non-fiction books dating from 1900 to present day, 2,500 works of fiction and thousands of rare periodicals including every edition of the much missed Spare Rib magazine. They even have some duplicate copies for sale so I was lucky enough to fill some gaps in my collection at a far more reasonable price than you are expected to pay on eBay for these treasures.

The library is run entirely by volunteers, and is open every Saturday between 11am and 5pm or at other times by appointment. I implore you to visit and when you do, you will be in no doubt that you need to help support the library.

I will certainly be signing up to become a friend of the library and am planning a comedy fundraiser later in the year to help support their excellent work.

It is located on the 1st floor at 5 Westminster Bridge Road, a five minute walk from Lambeth South tube. Get in touch and head there for a visit. You won't regret it.

Email: admin@feministlibrary.co.uk.

Website: http://feministlibrary.co.uk/