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The problem with shaming people for Auschwitz selfies

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/craig-wight-1514086">Craig Wight</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edinburgh-napier-university-696">Edinburgh Napier University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/phiona-stanley-1514087">Phiona Stanley</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edinburgh-napier-university-696">Edinburgh Napier University</a></em></p> <p>Selfies have become the modern day equivalent of postcards, a way to share our travel experiences with family and friends on social media. It’s one thing to strike a goofy pose and snap a photo for Instagram on a beach or town square, but what if you are visiting a Holocaust memorial site?</p> <p>Taking fun, playful, even silly selfies at <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9566811/">dark tourism</a> sites such as <a href="https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/45182/1/chernobyl-grenfell-tower-unpacking-the-rise-of-the-dark-tourism-tragedy-selfie">Chernobyl</a> Japan’s <a href="https://www.selondoner.co.uk/life/12122023-dark-tourism-in-london">“suicide forests”</a> or concentration camps has become a regular occurrence. It is widely regarded as controversial and distasteful.</p> <p>In 2017, Israeli-German artist Shahak Shapira launched a project aimed at shaming visitors taking selfies at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Germany. The project was <a href="https://yolocaust.de/">called Yolocaust</a> – a portmanteau of internet slang Yolo (you only live once) and Holocaust. It juxtaposed historical photos of Nazi murder victims with visitors’ photos of themselves, juggling and jumping, posing and playing at the Berlin memorial.</p> <p>Ever since, online vigilantes have been empowered to shame Holocaust-site selfie takers on social media. Many have used “yolocaust” in comments as shorthand for censure, judgement, and moral panic.</p> <p>We <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02508281.2022.2153994">analysed hundreds</a> of these posts, captions and comments to see how the selfie-takers are perceived and punished by others online. We examined posts with location tags at the Auschwitz Memorial Museum in Poland and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin.</p> <p>Based on our analysis, we think it may be better that young people engage with Holocaust sites in their own way, rather than not engaging at all. We also suggest that some commenters may be just as guilty as the selfie-takers, using their comments to show themselves in a positive light. Paradoxically, this is precisely what they are shaming the selfie-takers for doing: centering themselves, using the Holocaust as a prop.</p> <p>Vigilantism and public shaming has been around for centuries – think angry villagers with pitchforks raised. Vigilantes take it upon themselves to prevent, investigate and punish perceived wrongdoings, usually without legal authority.</p> <p>Online vigilantes (often called “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azv118">digilantes</a>”) punish others for perceived transgressions online. They act when they feel that someone has committed a crime or social wrongdoing on the internet as a form of <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/05/19/americans-and-cancel-culture-where-some-see-calls-for-accountability-others-see-censorship-punishment/">cancel culture</a>. There is, of course, a fine line between constructively questioning someone’s choices and publicly shaming them.</p> <h2>Who gets shamed?</h2> <p>We found that it wasn’t just any photo (we also looked at non-selfie tourist photos) that attracted online shaming. Some people were more likely to receive negative comments than others, depending on age, gender, cultural identity, photo pose, facial expression and the captions accompanying the photos.</p> <p>Younger, more conventionally attractive people – especially women, and especially people posting in English or German – attracted many negative comments. In contrast, older and less conventionally “sexy” selfie-takers, men, and those posting in, for example, Italian or Russian tended to be ignored.</p> <p>Some of these patterns appear related to how young women are often sexualised and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14680777.2018.1447345">demeaned online</a>, especially when it comes to the selfies of women holding their bodies in “model-like” poses. To some commenters, it appears more acceptable to shame those who society already deems unserious and flippant.</p> <p>Location was also important. While the Berlin Memorial saw plenty of tourist behaviour deemed “disrespectful” by commenters, it was rare to encounter selfie-taking at Auschwitz. This may because Auschwitz is a paid visitor attraction offering structured tours.</p> <p>In contrast, the Berlin memorial is an art installation, always open and part of the streetscape. Its purpose and meaning may not be immediately apparent. This leaves room for the possibility that some Holocaust-site selfie-taking is an innocent, accidental part of tourism in Berlin.</p> <p>Another predictor of negative comments was the captions on the photos we examined. If the caption was flippant or suggested a lack of serious engagement with Holocaust history and memory, the photo attracted more critical comments. Those who made some attempt to justify or even intellectualise their selfie-taking were often excused censure.</p> <p>In one example, a young woman is pictured jumping between the concrete slabs of the Berlin memorial. But her picture is accompanied by a careful caption that explicitly questions whether her behaviour is ethical.</p> <p>She writes, “One part of you comes out, simply wanting to explore the structure for what it is physically. Another part of you says that you cannot take part in anything that brings you joy here”. As the caption appears to neutralise the fun selfie, her post escapes critical comments.</p> <h2>Think before you shame</h2> <p>Although the Auschwitz Memorial Museum <a href="https://twitter.com/AuschwitzMuseum/status/1108337507660451841?lang=en">tells visitors not to take selfies</a>, and while playful selfie-taking seems disrespectful, we don’t think it should be banned, as some online commenters have called for.</p> <p>We argue that it is more important to keep alive – however clumsily and imperfectly – the memory of the more than six million Jews and <a href="https://holocausteducation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/1.-Non-JewishVictimsOfNaziPersecutionMurder-Digital.pdf">millions of others</a> who were killed by the Nazis. Perhaps this is best done through people living their ordinary, complex, messy and often joyous lives, precisely as the Nazis’ victims could not.</p> <p>We also think it is important to question the motives of digilantes themselves. Some seem to be using their comments to display their own moral superiority, rather than trying to educate or influence the behaviour of the selfie-takers.</p> <p>Before you join the ranks of the digilantes and comment on something you think is disrespectful, think about why you’re doing it – these images, their captions and the comments show that there is often more nuance to “ethical” behaviour than can be captured in a photo.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224304/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/craig-wight-1514086">Craig Wight</a>, Associated Professor in Tourism, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edinburgh-napier-university-696">Edinburgh Napier University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/phiona-stanley-1514087">Phiona Stanley</a>, Associate Professor of Intercultural Communications (Tourism and Languages), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edinburgh-napier-university-696">Edinburgh Napier University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-problem-with-shaming-people-for-auschwitz-selfies-224304">original article</a>.</em></p>

International Travel

Oprah's weight-loss backflip: "I'm done with the shame"

<p>Oprah Winfrey has become one of the first A-list celebrities to openly admit that she has resorted to using weight loss medication after months of speculation, according to <em>Page Six</em>. </p> <p>“I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing,” she told <em>People Magazine</em>. </p> <p>“The fact that there’s a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for.”</p> <p>The 69-year-old added, “I’m absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself.”</p> <p>This reversal comes after the actress rocked a <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/body/slimmed-down-oprah-addresses-ozempic-rumours" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slimmed down look</a> at the premiere for the reboot of <em>The Color Purple </em>last week. </p> <p>She had previously denied using weight loss drugs in an episode of<em> Oprah Daily’s The Life You Want: The State of Weight, </em>where she said turning to weight loss medication is "the easy way out.”</p> <p>Although she did not disclose exactly which drug she took, or whether it was the celebrity favourite Type II diabetes medication Ozempic, the media mogul revealed the reason why she had a change of heart. </p> <p>She told <em>People Magazine</em> that she became more open to using a pharmaceutical after conducting a panel discussion with medical experts in July.</p> <p>“I had the biggest ‘aha’ along with many people in that audience,” she said. </p> <p>“I realised I’d been blaming myself all these years for being overweight, and I have a predisposition that no amount of willpower is going to control.”</p> <p>She also shared the success she has had with the unnamed medication, claiming that she gained only half a pound “instead of gaining eight pounds like [she] did last year,” after Thanksgiving. </p> <p>Winfrey added that ultimately it wasn't about the number on the scale but “it was a second shot for me to live a more vital and vibrant life.”</p> <p>The O Magazine founder also said that the medication were just a larger part of her health and fitness regimen, which includes hiking. </p> <p>“I know everybody thought I was on it, but I worked so damn hard. I know that if I’m not also working out and vigilant about all the other things, it doesn’t work for me.”</p> <p><em>Images: </em><em>Arturo Holmes/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images</em></p> <p> </p>

Body

"Shame on you!" Robert De Niro's courtroom outburst

<p>Robert De Niro has lost his temper in court, as his former assistant accused him of being abusive. </p> <p>The Oscar-winning actor is being sued by Graham Chase Robinson, who worked as his assistant from 2008 until several months into 2019, for millions of dollars after claiming he was abusive when they worked together. </p> <p>Robinson, 41, seeks $US12 million (approximately AUD$18 million) in damages for emotional distress and harm to her reputation, that she claims has left her jobless and unable to recover from the trauma of working for De Niro.</p> <p>The jury is also considering evidence pertaining to a lawsuit De Niro filed against Robinson in which he claimed that she stole things from him, including five million points that could be used for airline flights.</p> <p>De Niro is countersuing his former employee, seeking the return of three years of Robinson's salary.</p> <p>Robinson's attorney Andrew Macurdy interrogated the actor over some of his questionable behaviour, including allegations that he spoke to Robinson while he was urinating, and claims that he called her a "b***h" to her face.</p> <p>De Niro admitted that while he "got angry" at his former assistant, he was "never abusive".</p> <p>Growing frustrated with the line of questioning, he exclaimed, "You got us all here for this?" </p> <p>Eventually, he angrily looked toward Robinson and shouted, "Shame on you, Chase Robinson!"</p> <p>De Niro was also asked by Macurdy if he he sued Robinson before she sued him because he wanted publicity.</p> <p>"It draws attention to me. It's the last thing I wanted to do," De Niro said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

Dawn French hits back at "shameful" weight loss comments

<p>Dawn French has hit back at hurtful comments about her drastic weight loss almost a decade ago, admitting she "never rejected" the size she was. </p> <p>In 2014, the British comedian and actress dropped over 45kg after undergoing a hysterectomy following a terrifying cancer scare. </p> <p>The dramatic weight loss came after French's surgeon said she would heal better from the procedure if she lost weight. </p> <p>At the time, dozens of articles were written about French's transformation, praising her weight loss. </p> <p>Now, the 65-year-old has taken umbrage with the comments, telling <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/id-never-felt-so-ugly-how-dawn-french-learnt-to-love-her-flaws-3z95kc823" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Times</em></a> how unfair it is that women are in the public eye are often “reduced” to descriptions of their appearance.</p> <p>“I have never rejected the bigger woman I have been. Lots of people do it and say, ‘Oh, you look so much better – now you look well.’ And I think, ‘F*** off! Don’t judge that other person who I loved,’” she said.</p> <p>“[British singer] Alison Moyet is a very good friend and so often she has been reduced to descriptions of her physicality.”</p> <p>“She’s this giant talent, why reduce her to that? I’m not taking any s*** from anyone about any of it,” she said.</p> <p>French went on to reflect on the early days of her career, which began in the late 1980s alongside Jennifer Saunders. </p> <p>Despite the success of their BBC show <em>French and Saunders</em>, they were often described by how they looked, something she says “never” happened to their male colleagues.</p> <p>“For many years Jennifer [Saunders] and I were always described by how we looked, especially me, because I was the bigger one.”</p> <p>“It was always about ‘running to fat’ or ‘plump’, and they never said that about any of the male comedians.”</p> <p>“I absolutely own whatever my size is and I will call myself whatever I want. But if I feel like the intent is to shame me, I will not have it,” French said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Body

Richie and Gemma McCaw shame barefoot passenger on flight

<p>All Blacks star Richie McCaw and his Olympian wife Gemma have shared their displeasure after an inconsiderate passenger invaded their personal space on a flight to the Rugby World Cup in France. </p> <p>The couple - who were seated in economy class - were travelling with their young daughters Charlotte, 4, Grace, 2, and five-month-old Ella, when Gemma shared the video on Instagram. </p> <p>"Lovely pedi colour but I think I'll have to put my foot down for this one," she captioned the Instagram story, as she panned to reveal the strangers barefoot on her daughter's armrest.</p> <p>From across the aisle, Richie can be seen shaking his head in disgust. </p> <p>In the next update, the Olympian showed her eldest daughter Charlotte writing a polite message for the stranger. </p> <p>"Please put your foot down," the four-year-old wrote. </p> <p>"I don't want to put my foot in it so Charlotte thought of trying this approach," Gemma captioned the story. </p> <p>A few hours later Gemma revealed that the issue had been solved after a flight attendant stepped in. </p> <p>"Update on the foot gate: hostess stepped in and asked her to kindly remove her foot from the seat. All is well."</p> <p>Fans were quick to back the star, in an earlier post of the McCaw family at the airport. </p> <p>"Please tell that guy resting his bare foot on the arm of your daughters seat to bugger off and to put on some socks and to remove his foot from that personal space," wrote one fan. </p> <p>"Give that disgusting foot a shove after your daughter has drawn all over it," another commented. </p> <p>"Off to watch some footie," quipped a third with a foot emoji. </p> <p>"I hope you said something to the foot person, that is disgusting!!!" wrote a fourth. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Travel Trouble

"Shameful": Betting company slammed for 9-11 themed "Never Forget" promo

<p>DraftKings, a prominent sports betting company in the US, has found itself in hot water on social media this past Monday when it featured a parlay with a 9/11 theme on its mobile app – on the 22nd anniversary of the infamous terror attacks of September 11.</p> <p>Social media users were quick to share screenshots of the DraftKings app late on Sunday night, revealing a parlay named "Never Forget". This special parlay entailed wagering on the New York Mets, New York Yankees, and New York Jets to secure victories on Monday, marking the 22nd anniversary of the tragic terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre.</p> <p>The parlay's description urged users to "Bet these New York teams to win tonight on 9/11," drawing sharp criticism from the online community. Many expressed their disapproval of DraftKings seemingly attempting to profit from the solemn occasion.</p> <p>The parlay remained accessible on the app throughout Sunday night and into Monday morning, further fuelling public discontent over the sports betting company's decision.</p> <p>However, DraftKings eventually removed the parlay on Monday and issued an official apology for its inclusion. Their statement read, "We sincerely apologise for the featured parlay that was shared briefly in commemoration of 9/11. We respect the significance of this day for our country and especially for the families of those who were directly affected."</p> <p>Bret Eagleson, who leads the 9/11 Justice organisation, an advocacy group representing families and first responders, strongly condemned DraftKings' offer as "tone-deaf".</p> <p>Eagleson, whose father, Bruce, tragically lost his life in the World Trade Centre attacks, emphasised to the Associate Press: "It is shameful to use the national tragedy of 9/11 to promote a business. We need accountability, justice, and closure, not self-interest and shameless promotion."</p> <p>DraftKings did not disclose how many individuals placed bets as a result of the 9/11-themed offer, leaving questions unanswered regarding the status of those wagers - whether they remain valid or if they have been cancelled.</p> <p><em>Images: Twitter (X)</em></p>

Legal

Mum shamed and denied food for bottle feeding her baby

<p>A Brisbane mother has been left feeling "devastated, guilty and enraged" after being targeted by a controversial rule after she took her baby to the emergency room. </p> <p>It was the middle of the night when Sarah Stoddart's 12-week-old daughter became extremely unwell. </p> <p>The baby, who Sarah had decided to bottle feed, was vomiting and running a temperature, prompting her worried mother to take her to the emergency department of Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane's north. </p> <p>Things started to go wrong for Sarah when she was handed a "welcome sheet" after arriving at the hospital.</p> <p>"They had circled and brought to my attention that only breastfeeding mothers were entitled to meals," she <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/queensland-mum-denied-food-at-hospital-for-not-breastfeeding-child/f8ea2db9-b448-4ce8-8dfb-6e65657cc5ab" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" data-ylk="slk:told Nine News;cpos:5;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-rapid_p="12" data-v9y="1">told <em>Nine News</em></a>.</p> <p>"First of all [it] made me feel devastated and guilty but then quite enraged, that is a decision that is being made in this country and this state in 2023."</p> <p>Furious, Ms Stoddart claims staff eventually told her that they could "make an exception" and would "sneak through an approval" so that she could get fed.</p> <p>According to Sarah, her partner was at home looking after the couple's other kids, and the whole ordeal left her feeling guilty over a decision that was made for the health of their child.</p> <p>She added that mothers are "already struggling with enough" in the first trimester and "don't need the judgement from the government as to how they chose to feed their child".</p> <p>After speaking out about her treatment at the hospital and raising the issue with Metro North Health, the hospital has changed their policy.</p> <p>"The Prince Charles Hospital now provides meals to parents of children six months and under who are admitted into our care," Prince Charles Hospital said in a statement.</p> <p>"Parents of all patients admitted to the Paediatric Ward at The Prince Charles Hospital have access to food, water, tea and coffee. Further paid options, including fresh food vending machines, cafes and a stocked fridge, are accessible 24hrs a day."</p> <p>Queensland's Health Minister Shannon Fentiman she would work with other hospitals across the state to ensure a similar scenario does not occur again.</p> <p>"It shouldn't really matter whether you are breastfeeding or not, it should be about trying to make our parents who are doing the best they can to look after their sick kids as comfortable as possible," she said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine News</em></p>

Caring

"Shame on you": Parents' major backflip on their son's name causes outrage

<p>A father has come under fire after revealing he changed the name of his adopted son back to his biological name after almost a decade, so his biological son could have the legacy name instead. </p> <p>The man, named August, took to Reddit's popular "Am I The A**hole?" thread to ask for the opinions of strangers on the internet if he had made the right decision about his child's life. </p> <p>According to the dad-of-two, the name August has "gone back for five generations" in his family, and he had always planned on giving their child the name to continue the legacy. </p> <p>When he and his wife had been trying to conceive for many years, they decided to turn to adoption so they could have a family. </p> <p>They adopted a baby boy from Vietnam, whose birth name was Thien, and decided to have it legally changed to August VI.</p> <p>However, seven years later, the couple found out they were expecting a "miracle" baby together, and decided to switch their adopted son's moniker back to Thien so that they could give the name to their biological baby instead.</p> <p>The man's post, which has since been deleted, read, "My name is August V. My name goes back five generations now and it was always my plan to make my son August VI."</p> <p>"My wife and I were horrified to find out I was essentially firing blanks and was told I would essentially never be able to father kids - heartbreaking."</p> <p>"We started the adoption process right away looking in mostly foreign countries so it would go faster, and we were able to adopt a baby boy from Vietnam."</p> <p>"His first name was Thien but my wife agreed to change his name to August VI. We also agreed we would let nature take its course because miracles can happen."</p> <p>"Seven years later, a miracle did happen and my wife turned up unexpectedly pregnant."</p> <p>"I decided with my wife's agreement that because we now have a bio son, it is better to give the firstborn biological son the family name."</p> <p>The father went on to explain that changing Thein's name was not a huge deal, because even though his legal name is August, everyone referred to him as Thein. </p> <p>When the dad informed Thein's school about the change, word got out about their decision, leading to the gossip mill in their town dubbing them "social pariahs".</p> <p>"We are the subject of massive gossip - accusations of not loving Thein enough."</p> <p>"We've heard it all through closed mouth hushed tones. It's gotten so bad. So, am I the a**hole?"</p> <p>Redditors were quick to condemn the parents' decision, with many not holding back in order to make sure the father knew that he was, in fact, the a**hole. </p> <p>One person wrote, "You are the a**hole. People like you really shouldn't adopt."</p> <p>Another said, "You're the a**hole. You dragged your kid to a legal proceeding to make sure he knows his place will always be less than your bio son."</p> <p>"Great way to show your adopted child that biology trumps all. Shame on you and your wife," another user raged.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

Family & Pets

“They snack-shamed my three year old”: Mum fires up on school note

<p>An American mother has taken to social media to share her Pringle problem with the world. </p> <p>As Megan Peavey explained in her TikTok video, she’d sent her three-year-old son to school with some chips in his lunchbox to enjoy when snacktime rolled around. </p> <p>However, the staff at the school weren’t exactly of the opinion that Pringles were the right choice, going so far as to suggest Megan had purposefully done the wrong thing and given her child something ‘unhealthy’. </p> <p>“Look at what happened to me today,” she said in the now-private clip. “I sent my son to school with Pringles, which is a very age appropriate snack for a three year old.” </p> <p>She went on to explain that the school had responded by sending the boy home with his empty chip container, the line “please help us make healthy choices at school” written across it in bold black marker. </p> <p>“They wrote that on his Pringles cup,” she said, “they snack shamed my three year old, they snack shamed me, by writing that passive-aggressively on his trash.</p> <p>After asking viewers what they might do in that situation, she described how she got in touch with the school, calling them out on what they’d done, and they “did not label things as healthy and unhealthy” in their house “because that starts eating disorders”.</p> <p>“Do you think that’s ridiculous?” came her final question. “Because I f***ing do.” </p> <p>Megan later shared an update on the entire situation, outlining how she had spoken to the school’s director, and was told “it was passive-aggressive of me to keep sending Pringles after the note”. </p> <p>But, as she pointed out, she didn’t believe Pringles to be an ‘unhealthy’ snack like they did.</p> <p>“I consider things like Doritos, Cheetos, and Milky Way bars to be unhealthy,” she noted, before adding that she regularly sends her son to school with the likes of granola bars with his other snacks, and that she just would have appreciated the school speaking to her directly without leaping to the note. </p> <p>Megan stood her ground and didn’t apologise to the educators, before she “walked downstairs and I just checked my son out - we’re done there.”</p> <p>Her comments were flooded by fellow parents who were more than eager to back her up, with many noting that they may not have handled it so well themselves - one even wrote that she’d have sent her child with an entire tub and a handwritten “no thank you” the next day. </p> <p>“I cannot even explain how out of line and wild this seems to me - on the school's part," another said.</p> <p>“On his birthday…send pringles for EVERY kid in the class,” someone suggested.</p> <p>And one pre-k teacher even came forward to share her take, noting “never would I ever tell a family to 'make healthy choices'. My girls get a bag of chips with their sandwiches, along with fresh fruit."</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Family & Pets

Don’t let financial shame be your ruin: open conversations can help ease the burden of personal deb

<p>Nearly <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-nz/19th-ipsos-new-zealand-issues-monitor">two-thirds of New Zealanders</a> are worried about the cost of living, and a quarter are worried about <a href="https://www.canstar.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Consumer-Pulse-Report-NZ-2023-Final-4.pdf">putting food on the table</a>. But the <a href="https://visionwest.org.nz/food-hardship-part-one/">shame</a> that can come with financial stress is preventing some people from seeking help. </p> <p>According to a recent survey, a third of New Zealanders were not completely truthful with their family or partners about the state of their finances, and 12% <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/129477493/financial-infidelity-research-finds-kiwis-hiding-debts-from-their-partners">actively hid their debt</a>. This shame and worry about money can spill over into <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/concerns-buy-now-pay-later-schemes-could-fuel-addiction-as-kiwis-spend-17b-last-year/VOV3VIDIG2MZBGJEGPMLGWDMJI/">addiction</a>, <a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/i-had-serious-concussion-bad-credit-and-15000-debt-abuse-survivor">violence</a> and <a href="https://corporate.dukehealth.org/news/financial-strains-significantly-raise-risk-suicide-attempts">suicide</a>. </p> <p>Considering the effect of financial stress on our wellbeing, it is clear we need to overcome the financial stigma that prevents us from getting help. We also <a href="https://www.apa.org/topics/money/family-financial-strain">owe it to our kids</a> to break the taboo around money by communicating our worries and educating them on how to manage finances better. </p> <h2>The burden of growing debt</h2> <p><a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/300817697/mortgage-pain-homeowners-facing-repayment-hikes-of-up-to-900-a-fortnight">Ballooning mortgage repayments</a> are compounding the financial distress of many New Zealanders. At the beginning of 2023, an estimated 11.9% of home owners were behind on loan payments, with more than <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/485045/data-shows-430-000-new-zealanders-behind-in-credit-repayments-in-january">18,400 mortgagees in arrears</a>. </p> <div data-id="17"> </div> <p>Given the <a href="https://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/an/an-21-01-html">majority of household wealth</a> in New Zealand is in property, our financial vulnerability is closely linked to the ebbs and flows of the <a href="https://content.knightfrank.com/research/84/documents/en/global-house-price-index-q2-2021-8422.pdf">second most overinflated property market</a> in the world. </p> <p>There are also cultural reasons for growing financial distress. Many households have taken on significant debt to “<a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/7616361/Keeping-up-with-the-Joneses">keep up with the Joneses</a>” and to pursue the quintessential <a href="https://www.interest.co.nz/property/99890/westpac-commissioned-survey-suggests-many-new-zealanders-still-pine-quarter-acre">quarter-acre dream</a>. Social comparison and peer pressure act as powerful levers contributing to problem debt and over-indebtedness. </p> <p>The average household debt in New Zealand is more than <a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/households-debt-to-income">170% of gross household income</a>. That is higher than the United Kingdom (133%), Australia (113%) or Ireland (96%).</p> <h2>The rise of problem debt</h2> <p>And we are digging a deeper hole. Over the past year, <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/485045/data-shows-430-000-new-zealanders-behind-in-credit-repayments-in-january">demand for credit cards increased by 21.7%</a>. The use of personal debt such as personal loans and deferred payment schemes <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/demand-for-personal-credit-rises-arrears-also-up-as-cost-of-living-bites/YCEM74CII5FQBPJXO3UOG4Y3GY/">is also climbing</a>. There is a real risk this debt could become problem debt. </p> <p>Problem debt can have severe and wide-reaching consequences, including <a href="https://theconversation.com/over-300-000-new-zealanders-owe-more-than-they-own-is-this-a-problem-173497">housing insecurity</a>, <a href="http://www.socialinclusion.ie/publications/documents/2011_03_07_FinancialExclusionPublication.pdf">financial exclusion</a> (the inability to access debt at affordable interest rates), <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07409710.2012.652016?journalCode=gfof20">poor food choices</a> and a plethora of <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-14-489">health problems</a>. </p> <p>Yet, the hidden <a href="https://spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/sipr.12074">psychological</a> and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11205-008-9286-8">social cost of financial distress</a>remains often unspoken, overlooked and underestimated.</p> <p>Even before the pandemic, <a href="https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1909/S00616/research-shows-financial-stress-impacts-mental-wellbeing.htm">69% of New Zealanders were worried</a>about money. The share of people worrying about their financial situation was higher for women (74%), and particularly women aged 18-34 (82%). It is no coincidence that the latter are particularly at risk of problem debt through so-called <a href="https://acfr.aut.ac.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/691577/Gilbert-and-Scott-Study-2-Draft-v10Sept2022.pdf">“buy now, pay later” schemes</a>. </p> <p>The stigma of financial distress extends beyond the vulnerable and the marginalised in our society. A growing number of <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/467417/middle-income-families-hoping-for-help-in-budget-as-rising-costs-sting">middle-class New Zealanders </a> are quietly suffering financial distress, isolated by financial stigma and the taboos around discussing money. When pressed, one in two New Zealanders would rather <a href="https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU2203/S00384/research-shows-wed-rather-talk-about-politics-than-our-finances.htm">talk politics over money</a>. </p> <h2>Time to talk about money</h2> <p>Navigating financial distress and <a href="https://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2526&context=sulr">stigma</a> can feel overwhelming. Where money is a taboo subject, it may feel safer to withdraw, maintain false appearances, be secretive or shun social support. </p> <p>This tendency to avoid open discussions and suffer in silence can lead to <a href="https://loneliness.org.nz/lonely/at-home/financially-struggling/">feelings of isolation</a> and contribute to <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-financial-stress-can-affect-your-mental-health-and-5-things-that-can-help-201557">poor mental health</a>, such as depression, anxiety and emotional distress. </p> <p>Sadly, the trauma of living in financial distress can also <a href="http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/39442/1/1307565_Wakefield.pdf">break up families</a>. Losing the symbols of hard-gained success and facing the prospect of a reduced lifestyle can be tough. It often triggers feelings of personal failure and self doubt that deter us from taking proactive steps to talk openly and seek help. </p> <p>But what can families do to alleviate some of this distress?</p> <h2>Seek help</h2> <p>First, understand that <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/86767aac-98e0-4dae-8c5a-d3301b030703">you are not alone</a>. Over 300,000 New Zealanders <a href="https://theconversation.com/over-300-000-new-zealanders-owe-more-than-they-own-is-this-a-problem-173497">owe more than they earn</a>.</p> <p>Second, seek help. There are many services that help people work through their financial situation and formulate a plan. In the case of excessive debts, debt consolidation or <a href="https://goodshepherd.org.nz/debtsolve/">debt solution loans</a> may help reduce the overall burden and simplify your financial situation. </p> <p>For those struggling with increasing interest on their mortgages, reaching out to your bank early is critical. During the 2008 recession, banks in New Zealand <a href="https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/banks-exchange-letters-crown-support-distressed-mortgage-borrowers">worked with customers</a> to avoid defaulting on mortgages, including reducing servicing costs, capitalising interest and moving households to interest-only loans. It is essential to understand that the <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/real-estate/130677426/are-we-on-the-brink-of-a-wave-of-mortgagee-sales">banks do not want mortgagees to fail</a>, and that options exist.</p> <p>To help future generations avoid debt traps, we need open communication about money – also known as “<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10834-020-09736-2">financial socialisation</a>”. This includes developing values, sharing knowledge and promoting behaviours that help build <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1241099.pdf">financial viability and contribute to financial wellbeing</a>. </p> <p>The lessons about handling money from family and friends are crucial for <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02162/full">improving our children’s financial capability</a>, helping them be <a href="https://www.fsc.org.nz/it-starts-with-action-theme/growing-financially-resilient-kids">more financially resilient</a> and better able to survive the stresses we are experiencing now – and those <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/300836616/heres-how-much-household-costs-are-expected-to-increase">yet to come</a>.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-let-financial-shame-be-your-ruin-open-conversations-can-help-ease-the-burden-of-personal-debt-202496" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Retirement Income

“Why our union abandons us”: Actress Shannen Doherty publicly shames actor’s union

<p>Actress Shannen Doherty has put all cards on the table during her battle with breast cancer.</p> <p>The Beverly Hills 90210 star, 51, is undergoing treatment for stage IV breast cancer and took to Instagram to reveal she is struggling to source health insurance coverage as she’s unable to work.</p> <p>Doherty publicly shaded the actor’s union SAG-AFTRA and its president, The Nanny alum Fran Drescher, saying she has been “abandoned”. </p> <p>"<a href="https://www.instagram.com/officialfrandrescher/?hl=en">@officialfrandrescher</a> I'm curious for people like me who have worked since they were 10 and paid dues to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sagaftra/?hl=en">@sagaftra</a> how when we aren't able to work for health reasons why our union abandons us," she captioned her post.</p> <p>"I think we can do better for all our members and I think you're the person to do it. Health insurance shouldn't be based on annual income. It's a lifetime contribution.”</p> <p>"And for me and many others, we have paid a lifetime of dues to only be cancelled because we don't meet your current criteria. Not ok:, she added.</p> <p>The actress who was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, posted a selfie from hospital while she received IV treatment.”</p> <p>Drescher was elected president of SAG-AFTRA in 2021 and gave an inspired speech about the union during the 2023 Screen Actors Guild awards. </p> <p>The union stands for the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. It represents all media performers, including actors, singers, models and journalist, and provides support such as health and pension benefits.</p> <p>Drescher nor SAG-AFTRA have publicly addressed Doherty’s claims on her Instagram post but several of her Hollywood friends showed their support in the comments. </p> <p>"Too many of my friends have gone through this – it makes no sense. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sagaftra/?hl=en">@sagaftra</a> must do better!!" actress Busy Philipps commented.</p> <p>"The union is so tough on actors even considering working outside of it, but then completely abandons people when they need the union the most," actor Brian Austin Green wrote. </p> <p>"This isn't about bad mouthing for me. It's about raising awareness, helping create a conversation and hopefully reaching an end goal of change.”</p> <p>In 2015, Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her cancer then returned as Stage IV in 2020, three years after going into remission. </p> <p>"It's going to come out in a matter of days or a week that — I'm stage IV. So, my cancer came back. And that's why I'm here,” she told Good Morning America. "I don't think I've processed it. It's a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of ways."</p> <p>Doherty has taken on a small number of roles in TV since her diagnosis, most notably in 2019 for the BH 90210 reprisal.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

Movies

"Name and shame": Qantas baggage handler stood down over damning footage

<p dir="ltr">A Qantas baggage handler has been fired after he was filmed throwing luggage with such force that they fell on the floor. </p> <p dir="ltr">Footage shared to social media shows the disgruntled worker picking up the bags and transferring them angrily onto a trailer at Karratha Airport in West Australia’s Pilbara region. </p> <p dir="ltr">There were moments when the man would throw the bags and they would fall to the ground where he leaves them.</p> <p dir="ltr">Viewers were left fuming wondering if passengers would’ve had their property or items in the bag destroyed over the worker’s negligence. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I hope this was sent to city of Karratha and reported to bad if someone had something important in their bags and it got damaged,” someone wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Name and shame,” another commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He wouldn't have a job if he worked for Virgin,” another comment read. </p> <p dir="ltr">Qantas confirmed that the worker has been stood down as an investigation is underway into his behaviour.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We are disappointed with the behaviour in this video and we’ve raised it with our ground handling contractor for urgent action,” they said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Watch the footage <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/462858791322558/posts/1178957256379371/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

Travel Trouble

"Shame on you!”: Dr Teo’s rumoured fiancée comes to his defence

<p dir="ltr">Dr Charlie Teo’s alleged fiancée and former patient has spoken out publicly in defence of the disgraced surgeon and slammed recent media reports.</p> <p dir="ltr">Traci Griffiths hit out at reports initiated through a joint investigation by <em>60 Minutes</em> and Nine newspapers, resulting in claims emerging from disgruntled patients and their families that Dr Teo offered them false hope in performing procedures. </p> <p dir="ltr">One patient claimed Dr Teo operated on the wrong side of her brain, but the 64-year-old surgeon has since rejected and corrected this claim.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2b86c30b-7fff-18ee-8e25-082ef714f37b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">In the aftermath of these claims, Griffiths took to social media to defend Dr Teo, sharing a quote from Mister Rogers: “Honesty is often very hard. The truth is often painful. But the freedom it can bring is worth the trying.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CkIaIK6p6IC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CkIaIK6p6IC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Traci Griffiths (@veganforearth)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The model, animal activist, and pet apparel designer also shared a screenshot of a 60 Minutes exclusive article with Dr Teo, adding to the caption: “I’m so proud of this extraordinary human! He shouldn’t have to spend his time and energy constantly refuting all this media BS! #ShameonyouAustralia!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Griffiths also shared a link to the full 60 Minutes interview, in which Dr Teo told host Tracy Grimshaw that a current project could see him operate again in Australia while avoiding the hospital system and “politics of medicine”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I do have a project going on at the moment … at Blacktown, where they may be building an institute in my name that will be a centre of excellence for neurosurgery and neurosciences,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If there’s a place in Australia that says, ‘We want you with open arms, we love what you’re doing, we’re going to support you’, I’ll take it in a heartbeat.”</p> <p dir="ltr">This comes after the NSW Medical Council ruled that Dr Teo couldn’t perform procedures without written approval from an independent neurosurgeon in 2021, and amid recent reports he has been performing surgeries in Spain.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Griffith’s comments come days after she was spotted leaving a Sydney Gala event hand-in-hand with Dr Teo and flashed a diamond ring.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d6feeef7-7fff-50d2-d693-d6333c6535af"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">While Dr Teo has denied rumours that the pair are engaged, Ms Griffiths has shared photos of the pair with hashtags including “#ilovemyfiance” and “#myfiance”.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cedf4vsJEmI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cedf4vsJEmI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Traci Griffiths (@veganforearth)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Ms Griffiths received treatment from Dr Teo in 2011 after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour.</p> <p dir="ltr">While Dr Teo has admitted he made mistakes during his surgeries during a recent interview with <em>A Current Affair</em>, an investigation by <em><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/some-people-pay-the-price-risk-and-reward-in-charlie-teo-s-world-20221027-p5btfi.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sydney Morning Herald</a></em> reported that several families were unaware that the surgeon made mistakes while operating on their family members.</p> <p dir="ltr">Prasanta Barman, an engineer from India whose four-year-old son Mikolaj was operated on by Dr Teo, told the outlet that he “could not sleep the whole night” after hearing the admission that Dr Teo’s surgery had injured his son.</p> <p dir="ltr">Following the operation, Mikolaj didn’t walk again or speak and died months later.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is totally new to me. He never told us that something wrong happened during surgery and that led to his critical condition. I came to know this only now and that also from the TV,” Mr Barman said.</p> <p dir="ltr">In October 2018, Mr Barman paid $80,000 for Dr Teo to perform a 10-hour operation on Mikolaj at a Singapore hospital. The surgeon then spent ten minutes telling Mikolaj’s parents he had removed 85 percent of the tumour and that it appeared benign.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, Mr Barman said that after the operation Mikolaj was “in the bed in a vegetative state, he cannot play, he can just blink his eyes, and say yes or no to us”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3beab975-7fff-6e24-9967-73f7ccfebdc2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @veganforearth (Instagram)</em></p>

News

Airline responds to "fat-shaming" onboard comments

<p dir="ltr">Dr Sydney Watson – a US-based Australian journalist and political commentator – took to Twitter on October 11 to complain about being sat between two obese people on an American Airlines flight.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her mid-flight comments caused an immediate furore as she posted that “I am currently - literally - WEDGED between two OBESE people on my flight,” along with a photo of her personal space being invaded.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is absolutely NOT acceptable or okay. If fat people want to be fat, fine. But it is something else entirely when I'm stuck between you, with your arm rolls on my body, for 3 hours.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don't care if this is mean. My entire body is currently being touched against my wishes. I can't even put the arm rests down on either side because there's no f***ing room.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I'm sick of acting like fatness to this extent is normal. Let me assure you, it is not.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If you need a seat belt extender, you are TOO FAT TO BE ON A PLANE.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Buy two seats or don't fly.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I am currently - literally - WEDGED between two OBESE people on my flight.</p> <p>This is absolutely NOT acceptable or okay. If fat people want to be fat, fine. But it is something else entirely when I'm stuck between you, with your arm rolls on my body, for 3 hours. <a href="https://t.co/9uIqcpJO8I">pic.twitter.com/9uIqcpJO8I</a></p> <p>— Dr. Sydney Watson (@SydneyLWatson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyLWatson/status/1579609743244800006?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Dr Watson said she asked the passenger on her right if he wanted to move to sit next to his sister to which he declined.</p> <p dir="ltr">She continued the rest of her flight sitting uncomfortably with no air hostess offering to switch her seat.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her complaint went viral with the official American Airlines Twitter account responding to Dr Watson saying: “Our passengers come in all different sizes and shapes. We're sorry you were uncomfortable on your flight.”</p> <p dir="ltr">This however was not enough for Dr Watson who eventually found out that “what happened to me went against American Airlines own policies regarding overweight passengers.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A few days later after her initial flight, an American Airlines worker got in contact with Dr Watson apologising for the inconvenience and offered her a $150 Trip Credit.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I'd rather take the $150 American Airlines offered me as a refund and give it to someone who needs a PT or a gym membership,” she tweeted in response.</p> <p dir="ltr">Still furious at what occurred on the flight, Dr Watson said she has no regrets over being in the news for fat shaming.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I'm not sorry. I meant everything I said. Justifying obesity is NOT OKAY,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And, rock on to anyone trying to lose weight and change their lives. I believe in you.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Twitter/Instagram</em></p>

Travel Trouble

We need to talk about monkeypox without shame and blame

<p>The recent global outbreak of <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/diseases/monkeypox-mpx">monkeypox</a> largely among <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/07/26/1113713684/monkeypox-stigma-gay-community">men who have sex with men</a> has raised concerns homophobia will undermine effective prevention efforts. There are also fears the disease will fuel homophobic stigma and discrimination.</p> <p>Even the name monkeypox <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-in-a-name-why-giving-monkeypox-a-new-one-is-a-good-idea-185307">is stigmatising</a> due to long-held <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/08/01/1113908154/critics-say-monkeypox-is-a-racist-name-but-its-not-going-away-anytime-soon">racist appropriation of the term monkey</a> and the false implication the virus is transmitted by monkeys.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-covid-19-media-briefing--14-june-2022">World Health Organization</a> has said the name needs to change, but has not agreed on or announced a new one. Currently, <a href="https://www.aconhealth.org.au/monkeypox">advocates for the LGBTQA+ community</a> are using the term MPX, the term I will use here.</p> <p>MPX is, of course, not the first infectious disease to affect men who have sex with men. So there are things we must learn and things we must not repeat from the public health response to HIV.</p> <h2>Lessons from HIV</h2> <p>When HIV emerged among communities of gay and bisexual men in the 1980s, fear and uncertainty about the cause and nature of the virus led to <a href="https://theconversation.com/lessons-from-the-history-of-hiv-aids-in-australia-how-activism-changed-the-image-of-an-illness-4052">vilification of gay and bisexual men</a>.</p> <p>HIV was initially named “<a href="https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdfplus/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306348">gay-related immune deficiency</a>” or GRID and there was speculation it was caused by men’s excessive sex or drug use (specifically use of <a href="https://theconversation.com/weekly-dose-amyl-started-as-a-poison-antidote-now-a-common-party-drug-64610">amyl nitrate</a>).</p> <p>As well as sparking calls for a crackdown on the rights and freedoms of LGBTQA+ communities, the view gay and bisexual men were to blame for HIV obstructed effective public health responses.</p> <p>Famously, in the United States, then President Ronald Reagan <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/lgbtq-history-month-early-days-america-s-aids-crisis-n919701">made no public mention of HIV or AIDS</a> until more than 12,000 American citizens had died, and HIV had spread widely into many communities.</p> <p>Although today, globally, <a href="https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/fact-sheet">HIV affects more women</a> than men, it is still difficult to disentangle <a href="https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2012/august/20120828punitivelaws">HIV-related stigma from homophobia</a> or stigma against other affected populations, including injecting drug users or sex workers.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/charlie-sheen-and-ten-million-dollars-worth-of-hiv-stigma-50909">Stigma creates barriers</a> to HIV prevention as people are reluctant to talk about HIV or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-6156-4">seek testing</a> for fear of being associated with stigmatised groups. It also perpetuates a fundamental lack of empathy for people living with HIV.</p> <p>For these reasons, it’s important we don’t approach MPX in these terms.</p> <h2>A new approach?</h2> <p>There are <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-07-21/monkeypox-government-response-we-can-do-better">some reports</a> of MPX being used to justify homophobic sentiment or actions. However, a crucial difference between this disease and HIV is <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/blaming-gay-men-for-monkeypox-will-harm-everyone/">the world has learned</a> from HIV.</p> <p>There is now better understanding of the insidious ways <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(20)30127-3/fulltext">stigma and discrimination undermine public health</a>. HIV also taught us to be cautious about the potential for public health messaging to contribute to stigma, especially when an illness is associated with <a href="https://www.nihr.ac.uk/blog/the-perfect-storm-how-covid-19-public-health-messages-may-not-serve-ethnic-minority-communities/30257">marginalised cultural or racial groups</a>.</p> <p>Health policy makers have been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/23/un-denounces-homophobic-and-racist-reporting-on-monkeypox-spread">fast to condemn</a> stigmatising media reporting of MPX. Meanwhile the community-based HIV sector has mobilised existing infrastructure and experience to support <a href="https://www.acon.org.au/">advocacy and MPX education</a> for men who have sex with men.</p> <p>Importantly, we now have better knowledge about the effectiveness of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31210141/">sex-positive approaches</a> to preventing HIV and other sexually transmissible infections (STIs). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2019.1593787">Such approaches</a> affirm the pleasures and benefits of sex, aim to build open dialogue about safe sex and ensure people can seek testing without fear of judgement or backlash.</p> <h2>The impact of sexual moralising</h2> <p>We have learned lessons from HIV. However, MPX has exposed the ways sexual moralising is ever-present in public health, undermining sex-positive health promotion.</p> <p>Observers of early media responses to MPX note efforts to avoid stigmatising gay and bisexual men have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jun/23/monkeypox-outbreak-public-information-virus-homophobia">led to obtuse and confusing reporting</a> about the ways in which the disease, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-does-monkeypox-spread-an-epidemiologist-explains-why-it-isnt-an-sti-and-what-counts-as-close-contact-188130">although not classified as an STI</a>, can be spread through close physical contact and why gay and bisexual men may be at risk of exposure.</p> <p> </p> <p>Reporting has been deliberately vague because there is very limited cultural space for speaking about group sex, casual sex or sex with multiple partners without these practices, and people involved, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/04/opinion/monkeypox-communication.html">being shamed</a>.</p> <p>Despite increasing acceptance of sexual diversity, people’s <a href="https://www.ippf.org/sites/default/files/2016-10/Putting%20Sexuality%20back%20into%20Comprehensive%20Sexuality%20Education_0.pdf">right to engage in pleasurable sex</a> outside a married, monogamous relationship is rarely affirmed. Young women, for example, are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8296320/">shamed</a> for having “too many” sexual partners, while calls for comprehensive, <a href="https://theconversation.com/sex-ed-needs-to-talk-about-pleasure-and-fun-safe-sex-depends-on-it-and-condom-use-rises-176572">pleasure-based sex education</a> are controversial.</p> <p>While the world has come a long way toward acceptance of same-sex marriage, homophobia often drives condemnation of gay and bisexual men’s sexual cultures.</p> <p>This is most visible in relation to public health. For example, when pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) first became available to prevent HIV, public funding for it <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4566537">was critiqued</a> by some on the grounds this amounted to subsidising gay and bisexual men’s <a href="https://blogs.bmj.com/medical-ethics/2016/10/08/sex-and-other-sins-public-morality-public-health-and-funding-prep/">promiscuity</a>.</p> <p>When considered through the lens of public health, casual sex is <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-9566.2012.01475.x">often equated with irresponsibility</a>. People’s right to seek sex and intimacy can also be devalued or <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6951379/">seen as irrelevant</a>.</p> <p>We know, however, <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/11-02-2022-redefining-sexual-health-for-benefits-throughout-life">acknowledging the significance</a> of sexual identities and sexual connection in people’s lives is the best way to engage communities in sexual health promotion.</p> <h2>A sex-positive approach</h2> <p>As current vaccine supplies for MPX are limited in many jurisdictions, including Australia, <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-secures-450-000-new-monkeypox-vaccines-what-are-they-and-who-can-have-them-187691">priority access is being given</a> to high-risk groups, including men who have sex with men who have multiple sexual partners.</p> <p>Given men are being asked to disclose their sexual practices to obtain a vaccine, assurance of non-stigmatising health care will be essential for this program to be successful.</p> <p>A sex-positive approach to MPX prevention will also support more open conversations so people can gain a better handle on risk and prevention, no matter who they are.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188295/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jennifer-power-4215">Jennifer Power</a>, Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a></em></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-talk-about-monkeypox-without-shame-and-blame-188295">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

50-plus Baywatch star blows away body-shaming bullies

<p dir="ltr"><em>Baywatch</em> star Donna D’Errico shared a photo showing off her stunning figure and youthful looks.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 54-year-old took to Instagram wearing a light pink bikini and was squatting on the coffee table.</p> <p dir="ltr">D’Errico’s seemingly innocent photo was however a clap back at women who called her out for wearing an American flag-printed two-piece as she celebrated the Fourth of July. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Quite a few women complained about the 4th of July video I posted in a red white & blue bikini because they thought I was 'classier than that' and 'too old to wear a bikini' and, my favorite, 'desperate',” she wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Let me tell you something that might surprise you. I can actually wear and do literally whatever I want. </p> <p dir="ltr">“On that note, here is me in a bikini squatting on a coffee table.” </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgGM80mDOOY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgGM80mDOOY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Donna D'Errico (@donnaderrico)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Despite telling followers that she can “wear and do literally whatever I want”, D’Errico limited comments on her post. </p> <p dir="ltr">Those who were able to comment praised her comeback telling her that ignore anyone who tries to bring her down. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Be you. You are an amazing person no matter what,” someone wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Gorgeous and F anyone who tries to tear you down. You look incredible period,” another commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Good for you! If I looked that good I’d be posting pictures in a bikini every day!” another person wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Body

30-year-old single mum shamed for still living with her mother

<p>A 30-year-old woman has defended her choice to live at her mum’s house with her daughter following cruel trolls saying she should be “embarrassed”.</p> <p>Opening up about her living arrangement, the mum-of-one, Maggie says she doesn’t care about awful comments and plans to stay there “forever”, with her daughter Savvy.</p> <p>Posting a short video to her TikTok account, Maggie told her 10,000 followers what she often hears when people discover her situation.</p> <p>Over the top of a video that showed her holding Savvy in her arms, she wrote: “Are you embarrassed that you live at your parents with a baby at 30.”</p> <p>Hitting back, the young mother then shared a video of her and her daughter dancing and typed: “My mom’s house… and all the love my daughter gets here.”</p> <p>She then followed up her sentiments in the caption as she posted: “I turn 31 in 2 weeks and I told my mom that we’re going to live with her the rest of her life.”</p> <p>As well as enjoying spending time at her mum’s home, she added there was a further reason that she refuses to move out, sharing that the family have recently lost their father. </p> <p>Proving her point, insensitive trolls flocked to the comment section to have their say.</p> <p>One wrote: “Just sad. You’re too old.”</p> <p>Another added: “RIDICULOUS and embarrassing.”</p> <p>Fortunately, others were more sympathetic to Maggie and Savvy’s situation and praised her, saying they’d do exactly the same.</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Family & Pets

"Shame on you": Woman responds to vicious note left on car

<p>A British woman has fired back at a person who left a cruel, fat-shaming note on the windscreen of her car while she was grocery shopping.</p> <p>The woman, who remains anonymous, revealed her shock when she came back to her car to find a note after a minor incident she experienced while getting out of her car.</p> <p>In a recent post on social media, she recounted the events saying that she accidentally "tapped" another vehicle whilst opening her car door. She also said that the female driver whose car she tapped was parked across two spaces.</p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/Note.jpg" alt="" width="629" height="293" /></p> <p>Upon returning to her car after her shopping, she was shocked to find a cruel message which "hoped" for her to end up in an accident. The post read, "Fat people need to drive thin cars and be more polite. I hope you have an accident."</p> <p>The woman posted a photo of the note and addressed the driver behind the letter in the caption writing, "Shame on you for making such derogatory remarks about another person, you must be a very sad and bad person for wishing that someone has an accident. Glad I don't know you."</p> <p>She continued, "At 54 and size 12/14, I didn't take offence but this person doesn't know my journey and for her to make such a horrible comment and wish me harm is beyond belief."</p> <p>The post gained plenty of internet attention and the woman received an overwhelming amount of support from internet goers who condemned the note.</p> <p>"That's disgusting, what a terrible thing to even think, let alone put it in writing," one user wrote. Another added, "For someone to write this, they are sick and twisted. They certainly are not good members of society, so don't worry, they're letting out because their own life is horrendous."</p> <p><em>Images: Getty & Gloucester Live</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Mum shamed for putting "alcohol-free" vodka in child's lunchbox

<p>What's the difference between an alcohol-free bubbly drink and a soft drink? Although they sound the same, there is a world of a difference - as one NZ mum and gym director has discovered.</p> <p>After putting cans of zero alcohol Pals (a vodka seltzer) in her kids' lunchboxes, the mum shared a photo to Instagram with the caption: "perfect addition to school lunches too."</p> <p>While the drinks are free from alcohol the post caused a bit of a stir, especially on Twitter where a screenshot was shared.</p> <p>"I'm already imagining young kids grabbing the wrong Pals from the fridge for an after school drink ... very irresponsible marketing. And not from Pals," one person wrote.</p> <p>"Wow putting a non alcoholic drink in a school lunch! How irresponsible," another commented.</p> <p>When the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/mum-criticised-for-putting-zero-per-cent-alcohol-pals-in-childrens-lunchboxes/FG7IHR3MEPFBFACYPRT5MUURSE/" target="_blank">NZ Herald</a><span> </span>contacted the mum for comment she claimed that the post had been a "gag."</p> <p>"Just like I have the personal rights to pop down to the booze shop and purchase a zero per cent Heineken and put it into my kids lunch boxes. For a gag," she explained.</p> <p>"A lot of my content is appealing to the general population and our clients who can have a laugh, not those who have the capacity to spin something completely out of context and actually think I sent my kids to pre-school and school with a Pal in their lunch boxes."</p> <p>Alcohol-free beverages are becoming quite popular amongst a wife group of people, from pregnant and breastfeeding mums to non-drinkers to people who just want to cut down on their consumption.</p> <p>But there are still some misconceptions about them and how they differ from soft drink.</p> <p>Irene Falcone is the founder of Australia's first physical alc-free bottle shop,<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://sansdrinks.com.au/" target="_blank">Sans Drinks</a>.</p> <p>"Alc-free drinks are not soft drinks – they taste and smell just like alcohol," she says. "They have the same rules and regulations as alcohol."</p>

Food & Wine

Driver shamed after blocking traffic for photoshoot

<p>A woman has enraged hundreds of people after parking in the middle of a busy road to take photos of her car.</p> <p>Her antics were captured on video by a Canberra local and shared to Facebook on Friday where she was put on blast by a dozens of peeved locals.</p> <p>The person who filmed the incident, which took place at the start of May in the inner city suburb of Red Hill, said the woman blocked the road for 15 minutes while her friends took photos of her car.</p> <p>When people told her to move her car, she refused,” he wrote to a Facebook group.</p> <p>More than 200 people weighed in on the incident, many labelling the woman a “nuisance”.</p> <p>“She is a public nuisance and should be fined,” one person asserted.</p> <p>Someone else agreed, saying “she should be fined” over her “self absorbed behaviour”.</p> <p>“She’s breaking the road rules parking in an unsafe manner and should be lucky she didn’t get seen by the police,” another said.</p> <p>“Just shows lack of consideration for other people. An indication their basic respect for others is non existent,” someone else added.</p> <p>While most drivers were furious, some rugged it wouldn't have been difficult for drivers to simply go around her.</p> <p>“What’s the big deal? You could drive a Mack truck through the gap beside her. Let her take her photos, it’s not doing any harm,” one person wrote.</p> <p>“Why can’t people just be nice? Let her take the photos and move on,” another said.</p> <p>Many were left scratching their heads at how there were people defending her behaviour, with some arguing it was never acceptable to park in the middle of the road.</p> <p>“This is never OK, nor is it ever not absolutely baffling,” one wrote.</p> <p>“She should’ve pulled to the side instead of being inconsiderate of other drivers,” another said.</p>

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Mum shamed and denied food for bottle feeding her baby

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“They snack-shamed my three year old”: Mum fires up on school note

Don’t let financial shame be your ruin: open conversations can help ease the burden of personal deb

“Why our union abandons us”: Actress Shannen Doherty publicly shames actor’s union

"Name and shame": Qantas baggage handler stood down over damning footage

"Shame on you!”: Dr Teo’s rumoured fiancée comes to his defence

Airline responds to "fat-shaming" onboard comments

We need to talk about monkeypox without shame and blame

50-plus Baywatch star blows away body-shaming bullies

30-year-old single mum shamed for still living with her mother

"Shame on you": Woman responds to vicious note left on car

Mum shamed for putting "alcohol-free" vodka in child's lunchbox

Driver shamed after blocking traffic for photoshoot

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The problem with shaming people for Auschwitz selfies

Oprah's weight-loss backflip: "I'm done with the shame"

"Shame on you!" Robert De Niro's courtroom outburst

Dawn French hits back at "shameful" weight loss comments

Richie and Gemma McCaw shame barefoot passenger on flight

"Shameful": Betting company slammed for 9-11 themed "Never Forget" promo

Mum shamed and denied food for bottle feeding her baby

"Shame on you": Parents' major backflip on their son's name causes outrage

“They snack-shamed my three year old”: Mum fires up on school note

Don’t let financial shame be your ruin: open conversations can help ease the burden of personal deb

“Why our union abandons us”: Actress Shannen Doherty publicly shames actor’s union

"Name and shame": Qantas baggage handler stood down over damning footage

"Shame on you!”: Dr Teo’s rumoured fiancée comes to his defence

Airline responds to "fat-shaming" onboard comments

We need to talk about monkeypox without shame and blame

50-plus Baywatch star blows away body-shaming bullies

30-year-old single mum shamed for still living with her mother

"Shame on you": Woman responds to vicious note left on car

Mum shamed for putting "alcohol-free" vodka in child's lunchbox

Driver shamed after blocking traffic for photoshoot

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