Sigh

[oursin]

Further to my irritated comment yesterday about report on new exhibit of botanical painting at Kew Gardens, where straight after mentions of women botanical artists who did daring things in pursuit of their art the tradition is dissed as kitchen-sink spinsters. Grrrr. Still annoyed.

Yay for Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, and

Comments

[oursin]

Someone has never been in one of the many, many galleries all over the world with those Dutch-school flower paintings - either with other objects in a still life, or all on their herbaceous tod. Okay, may not count as in the tradition of meticulous botanical depiction, but does, I think, count as Real Mynheers Paint Flowers.

[smellingbottle]

I suppose at least Viv Groskop does point out the consumer stupidity of the parent concierge thing, and the desperation of having to pay to join a community that will admit you - but I agreee that she appears not to register that we're all busy, whether or not we're parents. And, even leaving aside the vile Oberver Woman Monthly, the Guardian could use a lot more actively critical approaches to the glossy consumerist high-maintenance hyper-parenting compulsory super-grooming nonsense it peddles far too often. Given that the vast majority of my female friends do not appear to feel the compulsion to waste their valuable time on waxing their public hair into amusing shapes while frantically eliminating all other body hair/running catered children's parties/ Botoxing/buying and discarding as dictated the items on the Going Up/Going Down lists etc etc, I do find myself wondering who these journalists are writing for. Because I don't know them, these creatures passively bowing to pressures clearly driven by the drive to Sell Things, whether

[smellingbottle]

Pubic hair, dammit! Although female pubic hair seems to be increasingly a matter of public importance, given the Central Importance given to taming and trimming it in any publication aimed at women.

[oursin]

Oh for the days when Mary Quant did her pubes in an amusing 60s heart shape, courtesy of her husband and his electric razor.

[parthenia14]

I agree totally. It's amazingly out of touch.

I've always assumed it was a Secret London Thing, even though the Londoners I know seem to lead rather less precious lives.

[parthenia14]

We arranged a party for my daughter the other day, where we bought the play-centre party deal (food, climbing frames, party bags); we just have to supply the cake. I don't quite see how it counts as Mumcierging; it doesn't feel posh enough, for one thing. Maybe if we were paying someone to hand-craft the party bags out of organic vellum, perhaps, but I think most people get over that phase.

(Also £145 a month???? That's a massive amount of money).

[antisoppist]

I thought these concierge services already existed for non-parents - especially high-powered, rich, male ones - and Viv Groskop's point is that they are now being extended to target the yummy mummy market.

I'm not sure when "concierge" started being used to mean "universal PA/lifestyle manager". It makes me think of some grumpy elderly woman dressed in black refusing to let you into a block of flats.