# 26 (2013) Joanna Lumley And The 'R' Word

Joanna Lumley took a beating on xojane last week and to be honest I'm not sure why. Yes girls you do have the right to get as drunk as you like, crawl around in the street and throw up down your own clothing. I guess that's the joy of living in the Western world. But that does not mean the rest of society has to pretend it's okay. Because it isn't. And let's leave the whole rape thing aside for just one nano-second and ask what's the matter with having a little sense of self worth, pride and a bit of dignity anyway?

To get it into context here's a bit of background to this story, which I clearly missed the first time around. And I am still at a loss. Apparently getting pissed and staggering home on your own, vulnerable and unable to defend yourself should not make you more susceptible to law breakers. Well maybe in an ideal world but are you actually kidding me? Do you people not realise that the world we live in is full of monsters, opportunists and lawbreakers.

We all have to take responsibility, on some 

level, for our own safety

Do you think a thief, a violent thug, someone off their head on drink or drugs who happens to pass you, or a rapist out on the prowl gives a rat's arse about your rights or what the law is?

It's your right (source)

 Do you think he (or indeed she) isn't going to see you as the perfect victim whatever the crime whether it is premeditated or opportunist? I am not saying you deserve to get singled out, hell no. But please look at what you are doing and the danger you are putting yourself in. Don't you think you are potentially putting yourself in harms way? What if you drunkenly stagger under a car driving past you? Is that the drivers fault or yours?

I am equally amazed (though I shouldn't be) that everyone has picked on Lumley for including the 'rape' word. I guess it's what everyone wants to read. So let's see what she actually said:

'I promise you it is better to look after yourself properly, which means 

behave properly, be polite, be on time, dress properly – I don’t mean dully – but 

don’t be sick in the gutter at midnight in a silly dress with no money to get a 

taxi home, because somebody will take advantage of you, either they’ll rape you, or 

they’ll knock you on the head or they’ll rob you.

Please tell me what is so wrong with this sensible piece of advice? PLEASE! Because I do not understand what is so bad about it. Apparently she has no right to say this? Why? Because she hasn't been raped or robbed whilst out on the piss?

Joanna's character from 'Absolutely Fabulous' may 

have been drunken, loud mouthed Patsy but we 

took the piss out of her, right? (source)

I'm not going to deny I had my share of late nights out when I was younger. Yes I got drunk and yes I may have been wandering around at 5am waiting for my ride home but I never ever went out on my own and I certainly never tried to get home on my own. Because I was fully aware that there's a nutter on every street corner.

So good on you Ms Lumley, I don't have a problem with what you're saying. Because it looks to me like good advice.