27/09/2012

Cheers, Grazia

I honestly don't have a vehement hatred towards Grazia magazine, but it's annoyed me two weeks in a row now - so this will be another Grazia-bashing post. I'm sorry. In my defence, the article that's made me sacrifice any diversity of topics recently, is horrendous.
The article is titled: 'He wouldn't even sip champagne on our wedding day', and is a woman's account of the torture of being married to a teetotaller. It's written as if he's killed someone. The wife, Mary-Ann, says she's spent the 13 years they've been together 'persuading him to have a drink', and says 'by the time we realised we wanted to be more than just friends, I liked him too much not to go out with him just because he was teetotal'. Is it just me or does that make it sound as though 'teetotal' is slang for 'has sexual feelings towards goats'?
She says, 'I've come to realise dating a teetotaller is one of those things that you get used to. Everyone has their own quirks'. Since when was deciding not to drink a 'quirk'? Surely it's as much of a lifestyle choice as being a regular drinker?
Mary-Ann goes on to say, in regards to being teetotal, ''When you love someone, you're meant to accept them for who they are'. Should such a popular magazine really publish that?
She says that people probably think her husband is a recovering alcoholic - and sadly this is probably true. I made the decision to give up alcohol just under a year ago. Although it hasn't come up a lot in conversations - I do dread being offered a drink. It's the same as being vegetarian - why are we looked down on for giving something up? Something unhealthy, in fact? Surely me standing with a glass of water is less of a nuisance than the 40-year-old mid-life-crisis-victim who gets drunk just to boast about it on Monday in the office?
I think it's completely irresponsible of Grazia to publish the article with this tone, and make a teetotaller out to be some kind of leper.

6 comments:

  1. I totally agree, Grazia shouldn't publish stuff like that! And how wrong, to say that it was a 'quirk'! Really interesting post x

    alphabet-m.blogspot.co.uk

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  2. Thank you! Yeah, it was such an odd article. I've had a peek at your blog - you've just inspired me to buy Carmex lip balm! x

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  3. such a nice post *_* your blog is very lovely and interesting *_* maybe follow? im glad if you visit my blog, too! keep in touch!

    xx
    beauthi.blogspot.com

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  4. Completely agree. In fact, I was just in the process of sending a note to Grazia with similar thoughts when I found your blog. As a teetotaller myself, I would be appalled if my boyfriend expressed similar thoughts to Mary-Ann!

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  5. Hi Kate, thanks for reading! I'm sure there's a few people that have sent in a letter expressing the same thing - or at least, I hope so!

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