Deirdre Fidge
Deirdre Fidge is a Melbourne-based comedian, writer and social worker.
Eight relationships to celebrate on Valentine's Day Opinion
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From your local barista to the neighbour who brings in your bin every week, take the opportunity on February 14 to honour all the love in your life, writes Deirdre Fidge.
Topics: relationships, people, offbeat, popular-culture, australia
Solitude is glory, but loneliness is pain. It's time to reach out Opinion
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We need to do more to stop the scourge of loneliness, writes Deirdre Fidge. If that means responding to an online ad for a fishing buddy, so be it.
Topics: relationships, welfare, mental-health, internet-culture, social-media
Six new lolly flavours Australia needs now Opinion
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Confectionery brand Allen's is inviting the public to vote on new lolly flavours, but their choices are a little disappointing, writes Deirdre Fidge. Here are some better ideas.
Topics: youth, internet-culture, social-media, offbeat, popular-culture, australia
Why you should be nice to retail staff
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Heading to the Boxing Day sales? Show a little compassion for retail staff, writes Deirdre Fidge. You'd be surprised how much abuse they endure.
Awkward chats you'll have at your Christmas party, and how to deal with them Opinion
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Work Christmas parties can be awkward at best, permanently scarring at worst. Take Deirdre Fidge's advice and be prepared for this year's festivities.
Topics: work, relationships, offbeat, australia
Excuse me, but why aren't you 'Bikini Body' ready? Opinion
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The summer weight loss dialogue that begins around daylight savings each year is so very boring. It's time to ditch the diet talk and ban the term "bikini body" from entering your lexicon.
Topics: feminism, women, womens-health, shame, diet-and-nutrition
Megan and Tiffany: Love doesn't need labelling Opinion
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The public's obsession with Tiffany Scanlon and Megan Marx's relationship is a reminder that we still don't consider bisexual relationships 'real', writes Deirdre Fidge.
Topics: gays-and-lesbians, relationships, sexuality, people, popular-culture, social-media, australia
Weight Watchers sends mood lights to help women feel less self-conscious in bed Opinion
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One can only imagine the conversation that occurred during marketing meetings when Weight Watchers decided to send women 'mood lights' to help improve their sex lives.
Topics: sexuality, women, advertising, social-media, womens-health, australia
A handy guide on how to avoid the spread of rudeness at work Opinion
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A university study uses ego depletion theory to find out if bad moods are contagious in the workplace, and what to do to avoid spreading one.
Topics: emotions, workplace, psychology, australia
Life getting you down? There are always dogs
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More people are realising the benefits of using dogs in therapeutic settings, writes Deirdre Fidge. After all, dogs never judge — only love.
Topics: emotions, welfare, youth, animals, mental-health, veterans
Namer's remorse: 6 tips for living with a unique name Opinion
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A new survey shows one in five mothers regrets what they named their baby. Is your name Isis, or Moon Unit? Then this guide is for you.
Topics: babies, parenting, social-media, offbeat
Why women-only ride-sharing services are revolutionary Opinion
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Ride-sharing services for women only are not discriminatory. You only need to listen to women who feel unsafe catching cabs at night to understand why.
Topics: feminism, women, antisocial-behaviour, laws, mobile-phones, wireless-communication, australia
Body shaming 101: A guide on what not to do Opinion
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From TV presenters to Olympic athletes, all women are subjected to scrutiny and inappropriate commentary on their appearance, writes Deirdre Fidge.
Topics: health, womens-health, mental-health, australia
Pink tax and emotional labour: what the census should have asked women
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As she filled out the census, Deirdre Fidge couldn't help noticing it was distinctly lacking in questions pertaining to Australia's lady folk. How many hours do you spend smiling? How much Pink Tax do you pay?
Topics: comedy-humour, government-and-politics, wireless-communication, feminism, women, australia
In defence of cargo pants, and other 'daggy' clothes
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Calls this week for cargo shorts to be banned should be ignored, writes Deirdre Fridge. Pocketed pants and legionnaire's hats are as practical as they are fashionable.
Topics: popular-culture, photography, fashion, offbeat
Let them drink cockroach milk: Why get angry about hipster foods?
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Making fun of hipsters and their quest for wellness is getting old, writes Deirdre Fidge.
Topics: popular-culture, diet-and-nutrition, beverages, offbeat, internet-culture, australia
Making light of darkness: The importance of the first-person narrative Opinion
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Should a comedian's jokes about her miscarriage be taboo? We shouldn't be too quick to judge how or why someone shares their story, and realise that sometimes humour can be the best way to process.
Topics: media, community-and-society
'Look up'? How about you rack off Opinion
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I'm sick of being told to look up from my phone. I'm tired of social media posts mocking a supposed addiction to technology (shared without a hint of irony). The apps on my phone help me to be more social.
Topics: social-media, society, mobile-phones, internet-culture
Even your language submits to gender stereotypes Opinion
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So apparently what you write on Facebook can reveal whether you're a guy, girl or just super angry at Q&A this week. Want to know more? Then play our fun new game called "Guess That Gender" based on a selection of social media updates.
Topics: social-media, community-and-society, languages
Public transport: Why are people shunning this daily circus? Opinion
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A new study reveals daily commuters would rather battle traffic congestion than get public transport to work. Why? Join me and my friends The Groomer and The Spreader on a train next time.
Topics: transport, community-and-society, road-transport
Forget 'angry', where's the new 'jealousy like' emoji? Opinion
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Sure, Facebook's new variations of "like" are great, but why stop at things like "love" and "angry"? Where's the gritted-teeth face for when you know you should respond to someone's good news, but are secretly jealous?
Topics: social-media, internet-culture, information-and-communication, community-and-society
Stalking, actually: These films are really quite creepy when you look closer Opinion
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The problem with films about male stalking - sorry, 'courtship' - is that they play into the dangerous trope that if you wear a woman down enough, she'll give in.
Topics: relationships, romance-films, film
Why women should celebrate Galentine's Day
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Valentine's Day is an opportunity for women to celebrate "ladies being ladies". Love is love, after all.
Topics: feminism, relationships, women
The science of Resting Bitch Face
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A new study shows both men and women suffer from Resting Bitch Face. But why do we expect everyone to be constantly smiling, asks Deidre Fidge. It's disingenuous and it makes your cheeks hurt.
Topics: emotions, women, weird-and-wonderful
The Good Old Days of sunburn and cancer Opinion
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Could it be that decades of research have shown that UV rays are in fact quite harmful? Heavens, no, don't be silly. The FUN POLICE are just trying to ruin everything.
Topics: skin-cancer, safety-education, safety, travel-health-and-safety
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