Chains of Love

When someone says: “I’m jealous because I love you”, it’s like a sudden chain snaps on – it can both connect and imprison.

Would you believe your lover if he told you he had never been attracted to another woman? Of course not. It’s a sweet thing to say, but you know it can’t be completely true.

It’s a wonderful fact of life that we can be attracted to all sorts of people in all sorts of interesting ways. The question is: why (and where) do we draw the line in a monogamous romantic relationship?

Beast & Beauty

The Vampire Nosferatu appeared on the silver screen in 1922 and now Twilight: Eclipse is breaking records at the box office. Dracula the rat-like beast has become Edward the sparkling vegetarian.

What happened?

Shoes

Carrie Bradshaw understands shoes. I do not.

It's a contemporary stereotype that women must have a relationship with their foot-covering - well, my relationship is one of HATE. My housemate reports an increased heart-rate at the thought of shoes and owns at least one pair that she knows she can never wear. I would much prefer to walk the world barefoot, but am prevented by temperature and glass shards.

"Why is it that girls seem to like walking barefoot more than guys?" my lover asked me.

My answer: women's shoes are not made for comfort. I associate pleasure with the thought of being free from blisters, high heels and thoughts of style.

What are female shoes for then?

Shortlist is from Mars, Stylist is from Venus

I like to think that I’m a woman. I’ve got all the right biological bits, pink was my favourite colour when I was a girl and no one has ever complained about me ticking the “female” box on a form.

But there are times of confusion: like when I walk to the London tube on Wednesday and Thursday mornings.

On Wednesdays, someone tends to offer me the free magazine Stylist, which I studiously avoid because I know from previous experience that my book of the moment is likely to entertain me more. On Thursdays, I have to corner the nearest vendor and pull the free Shortlist from their hands in order to enjoy the one morning read that distracts me from my book of the moment.

I love Shortlist, but it always causes a twinge of gender confusion because the magazine is blatantly targeted at MEN. The magazines are partnered and mirror each other in many ways, but one is blatantly intended for women and the other is for men.

So I thought I would pick up both magazines this week and find out what a “real woman” or “real man” should be.