Welcome to My TED Talk (Unfiltered Edition)

Hi friends! This blog post is probably not going to be for everybody, and that's okay, but it is going to be about everything I need to rant about right now. And we all know I lean more to the left side of politics, am progressive, and all the TERFS will probably call me "woke" but woke isn't a bad thing - it means you are progressive, educated, and for human rights. Please enjoy my rants -my TED talk hehe.

TW: mentions of SA, general leftist views, critiques of binaries. I've tried to sprinkle in a bit of humour here and there for ya'll.

PIN IT

PIN IT

Welcome to My TED Talk (Unfiltered Edition)

• If someone has a preferred name, call them that preferred name even if it's not their legal name. And just spell their name right too. I like being called Ash, call me Ash but if you're going to go ahead and call me Ashleigh, spell it right. Don't spell it Ashley, it's just so disrespectful. Anyway, I hate my name, call me Ash.

• If someone says no to an alcoholic drink, don't force them to drink. People don't have to have a reason not to have alcohol.

• Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Trans rights = human rights. F*ck you JK Rowling - you have so much money to spread your gross agenda, you're not even thinking about the implications this is going to have on people. A trans woman has never a$$aulted me, but do you know who has? Biological males/cis men.

• Sex and gender are different - people get indoctrinated into a binary system, but it's wrong. Use the correct pronouns and don't assume what genitalia someone has. It's not really any of our business.

• Don't be racist - to anyone, everyone deserves to be treated equally.

• Trump, JD Vance, and Elon Musk are disgusting criminals. Refugees deserve a home. They are not criminals - Trump IS.

• Free Palestine AND STOP m*rdering children.

• The women who went up to space, what are YOU doing for feminism? You gotta do something rather than promote capitalistic joy rides because you are rich.

• I hate when people shut you down for experiencing joy - yes the world is sh*t right now but it doesn't mean we can't experience joy for little things. Joy is magical. We all need a little bit of sparkle.

• I also hate when people shut you down for expressing your opinion, especially when it's important.

• Traditional gender roles are gross and outdated, and the "manosphere" and toxic masculinity are problematic.

• We NEED more people in the world like Stephen King, David Tennant, John Oliver, Emma Watson, Abbie Chatfield, Alan Ritchson, etc. And just activists in general.

• It's scary to think what will happen to me in Australia if someone like Peter Dutton gets in.

• I wish I could go for a walk at night in the dark, but it's scary. Nothing is stopping me, except the thought of someone k*dnapping me.

• Victims in true crime stories should be talked about more than the criminals.

• Casey Anthony is weird - see my thoughts on her "here".

• If someone says NO, they don't have to go any further. No means no. End of.

• Being self-employed (aka me) is STILL a job - I still earn income. Sure, it's not always consistent, but I can still pay my bills and buy some luxuries.

• There is a problem with AI - well, a lot of problems, but one big problem is climate change - AI uses SOOOO much water, and everyone is out here making action figures of themselves. Yes, they're cute, but I don't think we should be using AI as much as we are.

• I just learned about ghost apples and I thought that they were cool (not a rant, just a thought). I also learned that Easter Chocolate tastes nicer because of its shape and how the cocoa notes are released when you bite into the chocolate - just interesting.

• There is nothing wrong with being religious, BUT don't force it on someone. And being religious doesn't give you the right to tell women what to do with their bodies.

• Charity door knockers scare me.

• I love Basil Brush.

• Why are chip bags full of so much air? I want more chippies!

• It annoys me when people jokingly call someone fat. Body inclusivity is important.

• If you are rude to waiters, you are an a$$hole. Same goes for anyone working retail/hospo - they deserve to be treated like an equal. Don't yell at them if someone else makes a mistake or even if they do. They're more likely to help you if you're nice to them.

• Why don't people respect other people's boundaries? Especially mine.

• Tattoos don't make someone a bad person. Doing bad things does.

• Not all women adhere to becoming a mother.

• I am and have always been pro-choice. Men do not get to control women's bodies. If men want a say, they should stop SA'ing women and having sex with women.

• R*pe culture exists. Don't tell me otherwise. It's not a social construct. And that's coming from someone who mostly has a social constructionist view on things.

• It's important to care for others.

• I hate not having a bath.

• It sucks that women have to take their drinks into the bathroom with them because of how common it is for the drink to get spiked. Don't leave your drink unattended.

• I hate how streaming services have come full circle, creative destruction, and just gone back to ads.

• Black people just wanna be called Black people.

• Healthcare should be free.

• Just because you were brought up in a different time or generation doesn't mean you can't educate yourself on progressive things.

• The over-se*ualisation of anime girls is weird and creepy.

• Why does Melbourne not cater to deaf people? Can't you put something on the board if there's a delay or change in where the train is? I can't hear the voice-overs at all and I know others can't - so what do deaf people do?

• The suburb Facebook page is literally just people posting pictures of healthy-looking cats going out and about on their daily adventures - they're most likely not lost. I get that some people don't agree about letting cats roam, but it's what cats do. They will get themselves home.

• Bus drivers in Melbourne are terrifying.

• Why does Revs even exist?

• Why can't a mince and cheese pie just be called a mince and cheese pie in Australia? It took me so long to work out that it was a steak and cheese pie - but in NZ a steak and cheese pie has big bits of steak. GRR.

• There should be more bookstores.

• Rich people should be doing more to help poverty and climate change.

• No one should ever have to work a busy shift on their own, should always be minimum two people.

• Please stay to the left, if you can.

• If you're in a peaceful place, maybe don't keep yelling out to create echoes and laughing to p*ss everyone else off.

• I'm clearly waiting to take a photo, if you just stand on the bridge there it's gonna annoy me. It also annoys me when you take a photo of strangers when they ask and they don't offer to take one back.

• Facebook comments are dumb.

• TikTok isn't stealing your data, but Facebook always has been.

• Foxes are cute, but also a little bit scary with how high they can jump.

• Why are the hot springs closed??? UGHHHHH. I'm mad at myself here for not checking.

• That dude who said Abbie Chatfield was doing marketing wrong is an idiot. She literally said activism isn't marketing - how can you not see the difference.

• With the passing of the pope (RIP), it's kinda scary to think that the world by end up going backwards even more. I just want progression and equality for everyone.

• I just want energyyyyyy!

• Yes, I get bloated and look fat sometimes. I have a chronic illness. No, I'm not pregnant.

• It grinds my gears when people assume tone via text or message - you don't always know.

• Why am I bad at slow travel? Whenever I travel, I want to pack in as much as possible. My body hates it but I feel like that's what I should be doing.

• I've been spending so much time wanting the weather to be cold and now it's cold, I'm complaining that I'm cold.

• I just wish someone would ask me how I am for once.

• Having to censor so much online is annoying.

  
  

Thanks for reading! I'll try write some more light-hearted stuff soon but today I just needed to rant. Much love,

Ash x