the elephant in the room

Taking some ‘M.E’ time

2018-06-13 by Elephants Voice

Hello loyal readers/subscribers/followers, Firstly, I’d like to say thank you! Your continued support and interaction with Elephant’s Voice resulted in my university awarding me a First-class for DMP – the module connected to the site. It was awarded not only for my own effort and professionalism on the site but your reactions to it. Thank you, thank you, thank YOU! Without your views, clicks, shares and comments I would not be graduating with the classification that I am in four weeks time. […]

Categories: Health, Personal • Tags: blog, blogger, bloggerswanted, blogging, care, CFS, ChronicFatigue, ChronicFatigueSyndrome, controversy, diary, disabled, followers, Health, hospital, internet, letter, M.E., ME, MECFS, mentalhealth, metime, metoyou, MyalgicEncephalomyelitis, NHS, Personal, private, silence, spoonie, time, timeout, twitter, wordpress

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: M.E. and me

2018-04-05 by Elephants Voice

This will be the first time I’ve published any content directly relating, and somewhat recognising, my disease. I think that it is important for readers to know and for me to admit, because my illness is my most vulnerable area and I’ve never felt the need to put into words how I feel and struggle in case others attack that side of me – a side you’ll learn already attacks itself. “Charlie, your test results tell us that you’ve got M.E.” […]

Categories: Advice, Feature, Health, opinion, Personal • Tags: anxiety, bedbound, benefits, bound, CFS, CFS/ME, ChronicFatigueSyndrome, Death, depression, diagnosis, disability, disabled, disease, Health, housebound, ill, journey, lynngilderdale, M.E., ME, merrycrofts, mobility, MyalgicEncephalomyelitis, mystory, NHS, Personal, poorly, reality, relapse, remission, story, sufferer, suffering, suicide, tiredness, welfarebenefit, wheelchair

DOCUMENTARY: Life’s a Drag

2018-03-13 by Elephants Voice

As part of a university module (Advanced Documentary) myself and two other students (Angelina Masih and Tom Whitby) created the (below) short documentary film. Reigning Queen Bee The Witch Blair is living a dual life, funding his on-stage persona with his day job as an admin professional. His sharp-wit and love for Disney is driving his drag career, where he often mixes his strong political opinions into his act. We followed Blair, both in and out of the wig, to see if […]

Categories: documentary, Feature • Tags: bar, documentary, drag, dragqueen, exclusive, Feature, film, gay, interview, leeds, leedscitycentre, lgbt, media, performance, pride, queenbee, reigning, shortfilm, show, viaduct, viaductshowbar

Brits White Rose: empty gesture or the pin change?

2018-02-22 by Elephants Voice

The #TimesUp and #MeToo movements have gained momentum at recent awards ceremonies such as the Golden Globes, Grammys and the Brits. But are the celebrities taking part really making a difference or merely a gesture? The Brit awards organising body, the British Phonographic Industry, invited artists and guests attending to wear a white rose pin as a “symbol of solidarity” however, interestingly, a reason why was not stated in the memo. The roses were met with a mixed response as some chose […]

Categories: Debate, Feature, feminism, News, opinion • Tags: #metoo, #TimesUp, brits, feminism, feminist, gesture, goldenglobes, grammys, grope, harassment, harveyweinstein, hollywood, men, music, musicindustry, rape, sexualabuse, sexualharassment, weinstein, whiterose, women

America: Should Trump be tackling mental health or his lax gun laws?

2018-02-16 by Elephants Voice

Valentine’s Day saw another school shooting in America, as the bulletins lit up phone screens across the world a debate was born within the grief. Should Trump’s America keep the right to bare arms or introduce strict gun laws? Teleprompter Trump, as described by The Guardian, (not to be mistaken with Twitter Trump) came dangerously close to blaming the victims of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. When describing the suspect as “mentally disturbed” and stressing the importance of reporting warning signs […]

Categories: Feature, News, opinion, Personal, Politics • Tags: america, fatalities, gun, killing, massacre, sandyhook, schoolshooting, shooting, shootings, trump, trumpsamerica, valentinesday

Period porn: free membership for those menstruating

2018-02-07 by Elephants Voice

Yes, we are about to talk masturbation (again). Don’t be shy, we’re also talking about periods. It’s like a two-for-one deal this week. Pornhub, you know what it is don’t look all innocent, has just launched a new campaign called “F*ck Your Period” – and they mean it literally. Described as an: “Educational campaign championing various benefits of orgasming during the menstrual cycle.” The popular porn site is welcoming women to their page and getting them to put down the comfort food and […]

Categories: CONFIDENCE, Debate, Feature, feminism • Tags: blood, CONFIDENCE, cramps, fingering, girl, hd, hormones, masturbation, menstrating, mothernature, period, pornhub, pornhubperiod, sex, video, women

Grid Girls: Formula One change up a gear and kick start the race towards equality within sport

2018-01-31 by Elephants Voice

F1 have publicly announced the end of ‘grid girls’, effective from the start of the next world championship in March. The organisation announced that the change was to mark that they are “at odds with modern-day societal norms”. Does this mark the start of a change in sport? Have F1 started a whole new race… Grid girls are a F1 tradition, though they are not the only sport with outdated cultural norms, boxing have a similar tradition. The girls are models used in promotional […]

Categories: Debate, Feature, feminism, News, Politics • Tags: car, equality, f1, feminism, feminist, formulaone, girls, gridgirls, racing, sexism, sexist, sexualisation, women

Smear-ya-later! Why designer vaginas are to blame for women ignoring Cancer risk

2018-01-25 by Elephants Voice

Women are choosing to risk their health rather than feel uncomfortable for two minutes in the nurses chair. New research released this week from Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust has shown that so many young women are choosing to skip their cervical smear because they’re embarrassed by their own vagina’s. Over 2,000 took part in the survey and the results reflected just how serious an affect the porn industry has had on women’s self esteem: designer vagina’s are now normality – or so women […]

Categories: Debate, Feature, feminism, Health, News • Tags: Advice, boyfriend, feminism, feminist, girlfriend, Health, help, labia, labiaminor, labiaplasty, lifestyle, mentalhealth, Personal, porn, sex, statistics, vagina, women

Take Out the Trolls: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Sharlene who’s Fernando’s fun was spoilt by trending hashtag

2018-01-17 by Elephants Voice

One of Take Me Out’s ‘Flirty 30’ became the victim of a top trending Twitter hashtag last week after a wardrobe malfunction. But, is trolling now an unwanted side effect of airtime? 2016 Miss Universe Great Britain finalist, Sharlene Bayliss, found herself targeted by keyboard warriors after winning a trip to Fernando’s on the programme last week. Viewers at home had taken to Twitter to attack the 21 year old for a wardrobe malfunction in her jumpsuit that inadvertently attracted attention in between her legs. […]

Categories: Celebrity, feminism, opinion, Politics • Tags: bullying, camel, dating, insult, paddy, series, sharlene, sharlenebayliss, takemeout, takeout, trolling, trolls, tv, twitter