Ladette or Lady?

[raindance]

For those DDers who live in the UK ... have you been watching "From Ladette to Lady"?  For others, check this webpage http://www.itv.com/page.asp?partid=3521.  

Setting aside the eccentricities of "reality" television, what did you think of the programmes?  Are you a "ladette" or a "lady"?  Do you think it matters?

Raindance

[gee4]

You know Rain, I only watched one episode and it happened to be last night.  It was very interesting to see who actually wanted it the most.

I'm definitely not a ladette but would say I'm not quite a lady either.  I find I get on with guys more so than girls and probably that's because I love sport including football.  Most of my g'friends are not into sport of any kind and I find I then miss out on talking about it.  I usually chat to the guys in work about football and as we all support different teams, we have a real laugh.

Some of those girls on that programme could never change neither do I think they ever wanted to.  However, the girl who came second in my opinion really tried and you could see she wanted to be different and have guys treat her as such - I mean everyone girl deserves to be treated like a lady, no?

G

[ecogirl]

I've been watching it but wasn't in last night and have taped the final episode - so don't tell me who won!  I think the girl who was the gas fitter tried the hardest (sorry didn't work out their names).  I've got to say I'm nearer a 'lady' and definitely not a ladette.  I spent my childhood being teased for being 'posh' which I'm not I was just taught to talk properly and don't drop my 't's, 'h's or anything else.  To add to my identity crisis I once worked for a very old, established company and was accused of being common by one of the directors.  I can't win!

I think being a lady matters but not to the extent the finishing school was teaching.  The part that truly shocked me was when one girl admitted to sleeping with anyone, even complete strangers, when she was drunk.  My generation had aids and other sexually transmitted diseases constantly in the news and it is almost unmentioned now, so I think there is a whole new generation that does not understand the possible dangers of casual sex.  

I'm sounding like a complete prude but I can go out a get drunk with the girls too!

caroleanne

[raindance]

I thought parts of the programmes were hilarious, but then they must have been heavily edited.   They were interesting, though, and I think they indicate a growing concern about behaviour.  

Lucy Clayton College - which is where the "principal" of Eggleston Hall was, in fact, principal - has now merged with the secretarial college where I trained.  It's amusing to recall, but we were expected to behave in a certain way, to be ladylike, and "finishing" was an element of our training, although we didn't do any cooking or sewing.  I remember we were not allowed to take paid work whilst we were at college and we were NEVER allowed to wear trousers.  Denim skirts with frayed hems and opaque tights with holes were all the rage among the younger girls in my day, and we could wear those garments however hideous we looked, but never even the smartest, tailored trousers. Mind you, we had lovely tutors and a very good training.

I thought that the remarks made by Hayley, the winner of the Ladette to Lady competition, in her graduation speech were very good.  She said that being a lady was more about kindness etc rather than flower-arranging and other accomplishments.  Ladies, in my opinion, were never about stuffiness or prissiness, but more about enjoyment of life within workable parameters.

Raindance