You want proof that the media is male-dominated? Look no further for your proof than the ludicrous level of attention given to the news that Anna Arrowsmith (or to give her her industry name, Anna Span, the UK’s first female porn director) is standing for the Liberal Democrats in Gravesend at the next general election. Anna has an article on today’s Guardian Comment is Free website explaining her decision to stand for Parliament – here’s an excerpt:
Since news of my selection broke on Thursday, many people have asked me why I want to be an MP. The answer is: for exactly the same reason I decided to start making pornography for women more than 12 years ago. Someone had to do it and it didn’t look like anyone else was going to – at least not with the drive, enthusiasm and determination that I could offer. The unfortunate truth is that there are far too few female MPs in this country compared to the rest of the world.
Did you know that Rwanda has the highest number of female MPs of all countries at 53%? Imagine living in a country with a female majority! Well, here I am again thinking that another male-dominated field needs challenging.
And what does she hope to achieve if elected?
I am the type of person who needs a challenge. I achieved much in my last career and now I want to broaden my campaign to other pressing issues such as why this or previous governments don’t think they have a responsibility to give young people something productive and engaging to do with their spare time. … That, among other issues, is why I am making the transition from porn to Parliament.
Watch this space; I’ve got a lot of – for want of a better word – balls.
You can read Anna’s article in full here.
Good luck, Anna!
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8 Comments
While I dislike novelty candidates in general, we could certainly use more openly sex-positive MPs. Even many of the Lib Dem MPs are fairly stiff-necked, although it’s hard to tell how much of that is just an attempt not to upset prudish voters.
I don’t see any evidence that Ms Arrowsmith is, in any way, a ‘novelty’ candidate. She appears to have gone through the normal approval and selection process.
It has been interesting to hear Ann Widdecombe condemning her candidacy on the grounds that people expect MPs to have a higher ‘moral standing’ than Ms Arrowsmith. I do wonder where she has been for the past year, or indeed where she was when the Tories were accepting large donations from Peter Stringfellow.
How patronising to describe her as a ‘novelty candidate’. Are you a novelty poster?
How very unexpected from that weirdo Widdecombe – and let’s face it – someone who, by their own admission has never had sex is hardly qualified to comment.
Good luck to Anna. Having people like Anna as a candidate make me proud to be a member of the Liberal Democrats.
A novelty candidate is anybody where the media obsesses over some detail of their background that has got nothing to do with politics. This one obviously qualifies.
@ Andrew
So who’s fault is it?
The writer on Lib Dem who is part of the media or…as you said?
Good to know, the media is your be and end all. Nice. Perceptive. Far sighted and oh so Liberal.
What choice do you have if the media spins your story because you have a ‘good story’?
Andrew, please inform us because this seems like a pathetically narrow minded club of ‘as long as you look like me..’
I’d be far happier being represented by Anna than I would be being represented by one of the squadron of former city boys the Tories are putting forward. I have fewer concerns about her morality than I do about men who have been entirely motivated by greed in their previous employment.
I so wish I’d thought of that to say to the television journalist who asked me for comment on Friday, but I hadn’t read anything about the story before he asked me so I basically said “Woah, not going there” 🙁
good luck Anna,
Just make sure you have plenty of opportunity to speak to people, so they actually have something to base their opinions on..for the moment every (wo)man and his or her dog have plenty to say about you being a porn film director..but what do they have to say about what you have to say? Nothing. Make sure you have plenty to say on real issues, then they might find themselves in a position to say something constructive or might have to stop and think rather than just rant!!
good luck and again, good luck. Porn is like cigarettes and alcohol. If nobody bought / consumed then these so called “evil” things wouldn’t exist! But exist they do and in abundance. Can we accept that please and move on to more serious issues?
David
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[…] carries an interview with the Lib Dems’ candidate for Gravesham in Kent, Anna Arrowsmith, who shot to prominence last week owing to her successful career as the UK’s first female director of […]