issue 22// vol 47 life & style // no. 13

The debate over
WB Nee

» A look at the polarizing phenomenon
of this non-sausage festivity

Brandon Yip
Senior Columnist

 

L2"* night: it is a code word directed

‘o men meaning, “Fuck off, I don’t want
sausage tonight!” Or to be less dramatic
and especially less sarcastic, ladies night is
an overt signal for men to let women have a
night out alone. There is absolutely nothing
wrong with that; Hollywood films such as
Coyote Ugly, Rough Night, and Magic Mike
epitomize and glorify the “ladies night”
theme.

According to the South China Morning
Post, ladies night was originally a western
idea. It has been banned in the UK and
in certain areas of the US because it was
ruled that ladies discounts are unlawful
gender-based price discrimination. Ladies
night has oftentimes been a big feature at
restaurants and especially at nightclubs

 

and strip clubs—entailing free cover,
discounted drinks, and male strippers.

But the concept of ladies night has not
always been fully embraced and continues
to create controversy. In early 2020, a bar
in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai nightlife district
received negative backlash for promoting a
ladies night event offering “No Bra Sunday.”
Women who showed up wearing no bra
would be offered free shots. Safe to say,
the promotion did not get much “support”
on social media. There was viral wrath
from women (and some men) hence the
promotion was ultimately cancelled—and
a-hum left to “hang” shall we say.

Victoria O'Keefe, a real estate fund
director was concerned after seeing an
ad for a venue named Carnegies. The
establishment, known for its bar-top
dancing and hedonistic ladies nights,
posted an ad on its Facebook page for a

>» Important and obscure vaginal facts

Sunday promotion with the tag line, “No
Bra No Problem!” O’Keefe said a friend
shared the ad in their private WhatsApp
group chat. “It’s literally saying, ‘I want to
see women’s nipples. I’m not individually
offended, but I think it should be called
for what it is: sexual exploitation. It
perpetuates misogynism,’ O’Keefe told the
South China Morning Post in March 2020.
O'Keefe further stated that bars having
such promotions are not only degrading to
women— but also puts women's safety at
risk. “As a bar, you have a responsibility to
take care of people. I hear lots of stories of
people having their drinks spiked [in bars
throughout Hong Kong]. This misogynistic
agenda is saying, ‘Come down here so we
can all ogle at you. It’s a c***** marketing
strategy and shows desperation.”
Moreover, other women have been
even more outspoken about ladies night
stating it is archaic and needs to be
abolished and that it only objectifies
and degrades women. Anna E. Boch, an
editorial writer for The Harvard Crimson,
offered her thoughts about ladies night in
a September 2010 article: “Ladies nights are
not a manifestation of women’s liberation.
Though veiled as events designed to
pamper women—a treat—they in fact serve
as a cattle call to increase the female-to-
male ratio. Advertising a ladies night will
bring in women looking to save money
and will bring in men looking for women.
Arguably, the women who go to ladies
nights may also be interested in pursuing
men there, but the system is designed to
favour a male’s chances of finding a female
partner. Women primary value on ladies
nights is as sexualized objects of attraction
for men, not as paying customers.”
Nevertheless, Richard Ford from
his 20 book Rights Gone Wrong: How

Luana Ross
Contributor

 

nyone with a vagina should get to know the

important basics about maintaining their
genitals—but there is simply too much to know.
Here are some facts you might have already
known, and some you certainly won't know
(unless you're some sort of vaginal-health wizard).

SEX-RELATED HEALTH TIPS

Sex is a potentially perilous activity for your
vagina, so it’s very important to do your research
before embarking on a sexual journey. Any foreign
objects entering your vagina have the potential to
bring bacteria—so make sure to pee after you have
sex as that clears your system out and can prevent
potential STIs.

Cleaning yourself after sex is just as
important as keeping clean while practicing the
act, however. Putting a penis or sex toy into your
asshole and then immediately putting it into your
vagina will transfer fecal matter and other types
of unwelcome bacteria into the sensitive area;
if you're going to do anal it’s essential to change
condoms—or, alternatively, go from vaginal sex to
anal.

On the topics of condoms however, if you are
new to using condoms you should really test if you
are allergic to latex. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, between one and
six percent of the population is born with a latex
allergy; do a skin test with latex, and if you are
allergic, explore alternative methods of protection
(there are many non-latex condoms for example).

Porn definitely can confuse many about what
is normal and what is not—and most times, porn
is an utterly abnormal representation of sex. While
hardcore porn may look fun, reproducing it at
home may lead to vaginal trauma if you aren't safe.
Another point to consider is that most women in
pornographic videos tend to have a very skinny
or flat labia (vagina lips)—and while you feel like
your vagina might be abnormal, it is actually quite
common for porn stars to get a cosmetic surgery
called labiaplasty to reduce the size of their vagina
lips.

YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE

On the topic of feeling abnormal, there are so
many misconceptions what is normal when it
comes to vaginas. While hymens are often a big
part of the discussion when it comes to a girl
going through puberty, many women are simply
born without hymens. And while women’s
sexual pleasure is often portrayed in media to be
associated to penetrative sex, in fact, the majority
of women do not experience vaginal orgasms
reliably—so clitoral orgasms are actually the
priority for most.

Also, if you're worried you are the only person
who has gotten something stuck in their vagina—
youd be totally wrong. Many will misplace a
tampon or condom up there. Getting something
stuck in there may seem terrifying, but your cervix
wall will save the day and prevent anything from
going further into your body. (Buttholes are a
different story, however.)

Last but not least: vaginas love to breathe.
Always wear cotton underwear—and consider
sleeping in the nude!

Law Corrupts the Struggle for Equality
published on slate.com states John
Banzhaf, a law professor at George
Washington University, encouraged his
students to sue to end ladies nights.
Banzhaf’s argument was ladies night,

in his view, is in principle impossible to
differentiate from discriminatory customs
that disparage women. He believes that
discrimination is discrimination. Ford
writes in response to Banzhaf’s viewpoint,
“Using this kind of logic, offering your

seat on the bus to a woman because of her
sex is just as bad as making black people
sit in the back of the bus because of their
race.” As well, writer Chris Bodenner in

his September 2o10 article about ladies
night published in The Atlantic, believes
ladies night is discriminatory and sexist:
“I'm not especially animated by this double
standard, but on the face of it, the disparate
cost of drinks based on gender seems pretty
damn discriminatory. What if a club owner
wanted to attract more white patrons by
offering them a special discount?”

Yashi Marwaha, in an article she
wrote for iDiva.com in March 2020, did not
seem bothered that ladies night has often
been accused of being misogynistic and
degrading to women. But instead, what
she found most offensive and disrespectful
was the lack of drink options available for
women during ladies night: “Not only has
‘ladies night’ become a spectacle for stags
who are out to ‘look at beautiful women’
and maybe hit on them and try their luck,
it is a great way for nightclubs to attract
larger crowds and make more money, all
in the name of ‘celebrating women’ And if
women are being celebrated indeed, then
at least up your alcohol game and let us
choose what we would like to drink.”