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The constant sharing of intimate images of women without consent shines a light on how women are seen in our society: things to be looked at, owned and consumed. Objects.

In the #MeToo era, naive groups of people often declare that the treatment of women as purely sexual objects for men to consume is long gone. Other groups say this treatment has never even existed, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Some even say women deserve their personal images shared without consent; if they took the picture in the first place, they were asking for it.

Following numerous incredibly painful rape cases in this country, healthcare scandals which throw female lives away and the Repeal movement, women have had to face emotional trauma in the Emerald Isle. Rape culture is alive and well in our society, yet most have been desensitised to it.

Every few days, a reminder rears its ugly head to show us what we can’t forget, to nudge us into submission and point out the fact that women today still have to protect ourselves at all times and we can’t forget it.

Today’s reminder comes from a Reddit page by the charming name of ‘Irish Sluts’. TheJournal.ie reported that a page was sharing intimate images of young women without their consent online, with sexually explicit commentary by the website’s users. No doubt derogatory language was chosen about the women’s body and appearance.

“The content includes portraits of families, social media posts, and images of women walking in public or in the gym, but there are also nude photographs taken in more intimate settings. Details of where the women live and where they attend college or school are also posted on the site,” it was reported, with the Garda Síochana confirming. Members of the group also made sure to request ‘nudes’ from counties all over the country, mentioning specific women by name.

One woman said that she was alerted about her image being used in the group when a male friend saw it in a WhatsApp chat and alerted her, she told TheJournal.ie. “I got a call from a friend of mine who said that my photo was being sent around lots of WhatsApp groups,” she said.

Speaking anonymously, the woman said she felt violated and “nearly got sick” when she discovered the Reddit page. The Gardaí can’t carry out much action unless you’re underage, and the advice is to actually contact the group itself to solve the matter. So essentially there is zero authority who can regain control over the private images of you and return them to the owner, making the internet an even more dangerous place.

This isn’t the first incident, of course, and it won’t be the last. ‘Revenge porn’ is alive and well; the habit of using sexually explicit images of an ex partner in order to use against them with malicious intent, such as posting them online or sending them to an employer.

A friend of another victim of this site told TheJournal.ie: “I’m not under any illusions that these types of things go on in parts of the internet, but this is very Ireland orientated and I can’t get my head around the fact that it happens so blatantly on a mainstream site like reddit that has businesses advertising on it, etc. People are posting personal details on some pictures, names, addresses, etc. It’s not sitting right with me that these girls can be put in this type of physical/mental danger without them knowing especially given some of the other things in the news cycle in the last few days.”

Brendan Howlin, Labour leader, has said that Ireland is extremely far behind when it comes to dealing with the issue of revenge porn. The Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill aims for a six-month prison sentence upon conviction, but is still before the Oireachtas. While time is ticking, the internet is abusing images of women all over Ireland.

Literally the only law protecting against the distribution of images such as these without permission is contained in the Non Fatal Offences Against The Person Act. There is a subsection of this act which deals with harassment but no specific laws in place to guard against revenge porn or unconsensual sharing of personal or explicit images.

What does this say about how the men of Ireland see us?

Most of us will be able to distinctly recall the infamous Belfast rape trial involving four Ulster Rugby players; Stuart Olding, Paddy Jackson, Rory Harrison and Blane McIlroy. Whether you were team I Believe Her or not, the language used in the WhatsApp group featuring the four men about the alleged victim and Irish women in general was beyond disturbing.

Image: JOE.ie

Toxic masculinity, entitlement and objectification reeks from texts such as these, but why does society continue to believe that wealthy, white, heterosexual young men with privilege are incapable of rape and sexual assault? They discuss women as sex objects for their fetishization, and why wouldn’t they go any further than that? Humiliation is the first step to dehumanise a person. Once someone is dehumanised enough, it becomes easier and easier to mistreat them.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The #UCD200 became a huge scandal that spawned an investigation after claims of a Facebook group involving 200 UCD students who were sharing nonconsensual sexually explicit images of women without their knowledge were made public. The investigation found no evidence, but one of the most noteworthy aspects of the incident was how easily believable it was. This happens to women every single day, I have lost count of friends who have had private and intimate images of themselves shared without their consent; myself included.

The language used by Irish men is mirrored in the sexual assault trials and courtrooms; the recent Cork case involving a young woman who accused a man of raping her in an alley had her underwear used as evidence against her. A female barrister held up a lacy thong, and claimed that only a woman who WANTED to have sex would wear something like that.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Women are often the ones tearing down fellow women with language; toxic femininity is alive and well. We have been taught to compete with each other to win the attention, the approval of men. 

The language used to describe women, to portray them as either seductive prostitutes or prudes, ‘sluts’ or nuns, feeds the narrative that what you wear, how much you drink, and your sexual past plays a part in your victimhood. You can’t be a victim if you were asking for it, according to the courts of this nation.

Acquittal doesn’t mean innocence, as anyone who has experienced the Irish sexual violence criminal justice system understands more than they should have to. Why wouldn’t Irish men speak of women in such terms, when they won’t ever have to experience any consequences? Why wouldn’t they join in the lad banter, the ‘locker room talk’ if it leads to a boost in their pride, their status, their brotherhood?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Words have power, they have meaning. Language leads to action, action leads to harm, and most of the time the harm is suffered by Irish women. Why? The patriarchy, toxic masculinity, rape culture; all of it allows Irish men to feel a level of invincibility which encourages them. In Dublin, many of the ‘elite’ schools are segregated by gender; men and women at a young age with privilege only interact on nights out, at school discos most of the time. With alcohol and not many clothes covering them, women are deemed as useless without their looks, but a woman who is sexually provocative is a ‘slut’, a ‘whore’, ‘asking for it’. We are presumed guilty until proven innocent, handed double standards we can never beat, and fear for our safety the second it turns dark, much to the obliviousness of men.

Of course, rape and sexual assault occur where men are the victims, and find it incredibly difficult to speak about or get help due to the culture of masculinity where being a victim is shamed. Only by spreading awareness, and actual facts as well as sexual consent training and sexual education can we reduce the horrifying statistics.

I was given a single self-defence class at school. Just one. The main thing it taught me was that in the instance of rape, you are to yell the word, ‘fire’, because only then will someone come to offer aid.

A viral post on Facebook by a user named Drew McKenna shared a passage from Jackson Katz’ book named The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How All Men Can Help. A prominent social researcher, he decided to test his audience on the ways which they protect themselves on a daily basis from sexual assault. The results were alarming, but not surprising.

The reaction from the male side is especially interesting;

“He first describes the reaction on the male side. “At first there is a kind of awkward silence as the men try to figure out if they’ve been asked a trick question. The silence gives way to a smattering of nervous laughter. Occasionally, a young a guy will raise his hand and say, ‘I stay out of prison.’ This is typically followed by another moment of laughter, before someone finally raises his hand and soberly states, “Nothing. I don’t think about it.'”

Of course, the women could talk all day about how they defend themselves from the threat of rape or sexual assault. “As the men sit in stunned silence, the women recount safety precautions they take as part of their daily routine.” The replies were then arranged into a list, contrasting with the male answers. From holding your car keys between your fingers, never leaving drinks unattended, using a male voice on an answering machine, not wearing headphones in public, not using car parks or parking in dimly lit areas, not meeting a man in private on dates- it paints a horrible picture of the normality of female self-protection, and the total lack of awareness from the male point of view. More men than I can say have refused to walk me home, brought me a drink without watching what men around him were doing to it, spoken in a disgusting manner about women; all without realising that they were causing harm.

All men believe they are good.

“I moved on her like a b****, but I couldn’t get there. And she was married. “I did try and f*** her.”

“You know, I’m automatically attracted to beautiful—I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the p****. You can do anything.”

Many Irish men like to believe that Donald Trump is an anomaly, something to be laughed at, not feared. Irish women know better. The vast majority of us can report that we’ve been sexually harassed, one-in-four of us will report being sexually assaulted compared to one-in-71 men. A report by Union of Students Ireland (USI) in 2013 found that 1 in 7 people will experience some form of unwanted sexual contact during their time in college. The reports of femicide this year are equally terrifying, with the majority of cases occurring where the perpetrator was a husband, boyfriend or partner of the woman killed. 

The line between harassment and assault is easily crossed. Words are just the beginning.

Feature image; Everyday Feminism

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We simply adore the insane theories floating around about the finale of HBO's Game of Thrones. Hook it up to our veins; we simply can't get enough. No matter how unlikely or fantastical the theory seems, we're suckers for conspiracies.

This latest one truly has us shook, and it's essentially the matter of Drogon possibly having a royal baby of her own. Yes, you read that right…MORE DRAGONS?

We are well aware of how clever George RR Martin and the show-runners are, and they truly love a good twist in the scaly tail. Eagle-eyed fans are speculating that a clue is hidden in plain sight, in the season eight theme tune.

Did Daenerys Targaryen’s most badass dragon have babies? The theme song relates to Dany's most valuable dragon, who has been absent from the tail end of season four until halfway through season five with no explanation.

Well, what if good old Drogon is actually FEMALE and spent her spare time laying eggs and hatching new dragons. One of the rings in the theme tune has four dragons clearly branded on it, with one larger than the other three.

Imagine if Mrs Drogon flew back to absolutely torch Euron Greyjoy's fleet and the Red Keep with her spawn? We would be absolutely shrieking with the drama.

Meanwhile a fan on Reddit, Justzxcvbnm, suggested;

"Drogon is the only one who disappeared, the only one who drove herds and took them all like roasted sheep. What made me rethink this theory was after I saw an episode five promo where Euron Greyjoy looks up at the sky and hears a roar of himself."

"Hears that the 'grunt' is very different and gets scared. Since he has seen the dragons for a long time he wouldn’t be scared for just a dragon, but what if theres more dragons? They also came up with counter-arguments to those convinced that Drogon is male."

It's believed in Westeros by Septon Barth and Maester Aemon that dragons don't have a defined sex, but this means that they can possibly change sex if needed. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Storm Crow Alehouse (@stormcrowalehouse) on

Dany is currently down two dragons (RIP Rhaegal and Viserion), so this plot twist is absolutely crucial for her takedown of Queen Cersei Lannister and King's Landing.

Rhaegal tragically lost his life last week at the hands of Euron, and we're betting Danaerys wants cold, hard revenge. We want it too.

Poor Viserion was murdered by the Night King and then turned into an evil blue-eyed wight that could breathe crystal flames. Thank God for Arya Stark and her ninja ways for ending that mess.

Stay tuned to see whether this amazing theory comes to life, we are PRAYING that it does for Dany's sake. If her character arc ends in her madness we will be writing letters to DB Weiss and David Benioff.

Feature image: Instagram/@danaerys.targeryn

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Scarlett Johansson has faced more than her fair share of sexist tirades against her as the highest paid woman in Hollywood.

The Avengers actress has previously experienced unsolicited nudes of her leaking online, and is now speaking out against the onslaught of deepfake pornography featuring her face generated onto the bodies of porn stars.

'Deepfake' (a 'deep learning' and 'fake' portmaneau) is a form of artificial intelligence human image synthesis technique. It can combine and superimpose images and videos to create fake footage of a person which never actually happened.

This means that deepfake has led to an onslaught of pornography featuring famous celebrity fames generated onto porn star's bodies, and it's essentially unregulated according to the Washington Post.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Scarlett Johansson (@seriouslyscarlett) on

 A hacker was sent to prison for 12 years in 2012 following a leak of nude images of Johansson and other A-List celebrities such as Jennifer Lawrence. 

When it comes to deepfakes, arrests can be irrepressibly difficult to make. AI-generated videos of the star's face on porn star's bodies have plagued the actress, and she has chosen to speak out;

"I think it’s a useless pursuit, legally, mostly because the internet is a vast wormhole of darkness that eats itself,” she tells the Washington Post.

She implies that the time has come for her to give up her relentless pursuit, due to the impossibility of the technology itself. Tracking down the culprits within and outside of the US is a tedious task.

“The internet is just another place where sex sells and vulnerable people are preyed upon,” she says, in a weary tone.

"Every country has their own legalese regarding the right to your own image, so while you may be able to take down sites in the U.S. that are using your face, the same rules might not apply in Germany," she comments, in exasperation.

"Even if you copyright pictures with your image that belong to you, the same copyright laws don’t apply overseas. I have sadly been down this road many, many times."

"The fact is that trying to protect yourself from the internet and its depravity is basically a lost cause, for the most part." Anyone is vulnerable to exploitative attacks such as these when it comes to the power of the web.

She suggests that the black hole of the internet is so depraved, "it's only a matter of time" before any individual will be targeted.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Scarlett Johansson (@seriouslyscarlett) on

A number of internet giants have taken steps to police fake AI pornography, and porn in general on their sites, such as Reddit and Tumblr.

However, PornHub had claimed to have taken down and "banned" deepfakes ten months ago, yet there are still videos uploaded of Scarlett Johansson today.

Seems fruitless, and disturbing.

We certainly hope steps will be taken to regulate technology such as this in the future, the dangers of deepfakes are countless; between hoaxes, fake terrorism videos, false threats and identity theft/impersonation for pornography, its a dark, deep web out there.

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If you've ever acted as bridesmaid for a friend, you'll likely have bent over backwards to ensure her day ran as smoothly as humanely possible.

And if you've tied the knot, you'll have likely relied on your bridesmaids for everything from blister plasters to pep talks.

It's an unwritten rule that when it comes to weddings, the bride comes first, and the bridesmaids pick up the slack, right?

Well, not if a recent post on Reddit is anything go by.

Reaching out to 'married Redditors', a user asked them to cast their mind back and reflect on the 'most obnoxious request made by one of their guests', and one woman's response took the absolute biscuit.

Married Redditors, what was the most obnoxious request made by one of your wedding guests? from AskReddit

"One of the bridesmaids brought her fiancé to the wedding, and wanted our photographer to do an impromptu engagement photo shoot. Photographer laughed in her face," the woman told fellow followers.

Unsurprisingly, Reddit users fell on this response with shock, with one person replying: "It'll never cease to amaze me just how trashy and cheap people can be."

"As a photographer…that's awesome. It is a dick move to ask that, especially at someone's wedding, geez," added another.

"I hate that sh*t so much. If you want to come up and ask to book a photoshoot a different day that's fine here's a business card, but don't expect free work," added another.

Seriously, though…

Oh, and one more thing while we have you! Don't forget that you can catch up on all your favourite shows for free for a month right here, so sign up now!

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The kindness of strangers has the potential to see you through the darkest of times, as one woman recently discovered after an encounter with her local barista.

In a post which was recently uploaded to Reddit, a coffee shop employee shared a card he received from a regular customer after he consoled her during a particularly upsetting period in her life.

"You are all too good for this world," began the note addressed to the 'Tuesday 5th Sept morning staff."

"Imagine finding out that your boyfriend has a massively pregnant wife that you knew nothing about," it continues.

"Imagine getting zero hours of sleep because you know you have to work with him and see him stupid, cheating, lying, stupid freaking face – all day."

"Now imagine going to your favourite coffee spot, ordering your favourite drink, having the team listen to your stupid problems, tell you that you’re sure as shit too good for f*ckboys like that, make sure that your drink is the best damn white coffee kicker you’ve ever had, then tell you it’s free."

Yesterday a woman came through our stand upset, we hooked her up with her drink on us. Today, we received this. from MadeMeSmile

The note goes onto explain that its writer was truly overwhelmed by the staff's generosity and kindness, adding: "I ugly cried the whole way to work. That was literally the most you could have done for me and I am so grateful for your kindness."

After apologising for 'busting out in tears', she concluded the card with a nod to the future, writing: "Please accept this seed paper as an apology and grow love with it."

Unsurprisingly, Reddit users are all over this thread, with one writing: "Wow, that's really special. I hope everything turns out alright for her."

"Whenever you perform an act of kindness, however small, you never know how much it might affect other people. Good on you and your coworkers."

"People just need to know they are heard and they matter. Whether it's your time or your coffee, it shows they matter to someone." added another..

And yes, we're crying.

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Most of us would feel truly flattered to be included in a friend's bridal party, right?

The role of bridesmaid indicates a deep friendship, and while we'd be honoured to stand next to our friend on her wedding day, we'd be reluctant to bid money in order to secure the role.

However, it sounds like that's exactly what some women will be doing if a recent thread on Reddit is anything to go by.

In a post which has stunned internet users, a woman has taken to the site to reveal that her sister has made the decision to hold an auction where the women in her life can bid money to take on the role of bridesmaid.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, the bride-to-be and her fiancé will be using the money to pay for their wedding and subsequent honeymoon.

"She still hasn't chosen her bridesmaids. Instead, she has sent out dozens of invitations, to various girls," wrote sistersbridesmaids. "It's an invite to attend and participate in a 'bidding auction: on the six spots in her bridal party."

"Whichever six of all these chicks bid the most will be the bridesmaids. There's also an auction for being her maid of honour," she continued.

"My sister is kind of shallow (bet you'd never have guessed, right?) and mainly only associates with rich people, or more accurately people with rich families since none of these young 20s girls have ever held a job in their life unless it's at their parents' investment firm."

"So most of the people she sent these to have the money for this kind of thing," the Reddit user explained before highlighting that this is by no means typical across her entire friend group.

"But I know she also sent a few to older friends of hers, like from high school or earlier, who she's not only lost touch with as they got older but also were from lower income backgrounds. She has no awareness about how inappropriate it is in many ways."

Sisterbridesmaid explained that she has refused to RSVP to the event, before being offered advice by members of the public.

"If being your sister is not enough reason for me to automatically be in your bridal party, I'm not interested. Have fun playing games with your friends, Sis," wrote one.

"Your sister is a nutter. If the pre-wedding shenanigans are at this level of idiocy, you can bet it'll be hideous for anyone who is 'lucky' enough to purchase themselves a spot," opined another.

"Maybe bid the equivalent value of a toaster, and let the others battle it out amongst themselves."

They're probably onto something.

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With easy access to maps, planes, trains and boats, it's safe to say the world has been thoroughly explored by now.

However, much like people who believe the earth is flat, this Reddit user believes that Finland doesn't exist.

The user, named Raregan, baffled the Internet with his theory, as he believes Finland is just Eastern Europe and the 'imaginative' country was named after fish…

Oh, and he also claims that the UN has altered maps of the world as part of a worldwide conspiracy theory.

Raregan writes: "The idea that an entire country is made up seems so bizarre that nobody would ever believe it, making it easy to do."

He continued on to say that Japan is at the heart of the lies, since Finland's biggest company, Nokia, is Japanese.

And apparently, Russia and Sweden "go along with it."

Raregan continues: "Finland's main company, Nokia, is apparently owned by the Japanese and they're a main player in this.

"Now as for 'why' people would want to invent Finland as a country that's a bit more in depth and there's a few reasons as to why Sweden and Russia go along with it but it's mostly to do with Japanese fishing rights.

"You see the Japanese love their sushi but tight fishing regulations and public outcry mean they can't fish as much as they want.

"So after the Cold War they agreed with Russia to create a 'landmass' called Finland where they could fish. 

"The fish is then transported through Russia where a small percentage of the food is given to the population, and then is shipped to Japan under the disguise of 'Nokia' products.

"Japan is apparently one of the worlds largest importers of Nokia products despite the fact that 'nobody there owns a Nokia phone' apparently.

"The crux of all this however, and my favourite part, is the homage that the Japanese gave to this entire conspiracy theory.

"What do fish have? Fins. Therefore they named their imaginary country Finland."

Err… Are you as confused as we are?

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When it comes to weddings, every couple will do their utmost to make the day, and all it entails, as personal to them as possible.

And while there's no doubt that many bride and grooms put their own authentic touch on proceedings, one groom-to-be went above and beyond to ensure his wedding ring was utterly unique.

In a tribute to his new bride, Reddit user, Im_High_Tech, told users that he decided to engrave his wedding band with his wife's fingerprints, and we are absolutely bowled over.

Explaining the process online, he wrote: "I had her fingerprint a piece of paper 70 times."

"I then took a photo of the fingerprint and cleaned up the image. Fingerprints are very messy on a microscopic level so they need tweaking."

"Several years ago, I saw some guy made a similar design using wood and I thought it would be great to make my wedding band more unique than the stuff you buy at the store."

"So I got in contact with a company online that designs custom jewelry, and asked them to make it out of white gold with black plating on the ridges," he added.

After sending the print and ring specs to the custom jeweller, this thoughtful groom's idea became a reality, and he now boasts a ring nobody else in the world owns.

And we're not crying, you are.
 

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Do you have makeup palettes coming out of your ears at this stage (same)? 

Image result for all urban decay palettes

Well, if you do, we suggest you take a leaf out of this guy's book, and build yourself a makeup organiser from LEGO! 

That's right ladies… Lego! 

A Reddit user recently posted an image of her new palette organiser, which her kind-hearted boyfriend built for her using Lego.  

Image result for lego

In addition to the glorious pink and green palette holder, the girl's boyfriend also built a lipstick holder from pink Lego pieces. 

Someone give this man an award, or something!

Fair play to him!  

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Unless they're a particularly close friend or relative, it's difficult to muster up enthusiasm for the grainy ultrasound images which are appearing on our social media feeds with increasing frequency.

While we're thrilled for the happy mum or dad-to-be, we'd by lying if we said we could see more than a blurry outline nestled among even blurrier blobs.

(And no, we definitely can't see the similarity to your cousin Mick.)

But at the same time, we're generally able to see the difference between an ultrasound and a popular Italian dish…unlike one woman on Facebook whose recent remark is now going viral.

That lasagna looks crisp…

After spotting an upload, she made the mistake of offering her opinion only to be told she had mistaken a foetus for a family dinner-time favourite.

Beneath an ultrasound on her newsfeed, she wrote: "That lasagna looks crisp" to which the person responsible for the upload replied: "That's my daugher."

And if you need us, we'll be lying in a darkened room. 

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The entire plot of Game of Thrones Season Seven has reportedly been leaked online.

Fans of the hit show were left in turmoil today after a report by GOT community site Watchers on the Wall suggested that a Reddit leak of the plot may well be legitimate.

According to The Huffington Post, Reddit user awayforthelads shared Season Seven spoilers online three weeks ago, but it wasn’t until Watchers on the Wall confirmed some of the leaked details by comparing them to set photographs and source information that viewers began to take the leak seriously.

So what did this mysterious Reddit user predict?

WARNING: THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO LOOK AWAY!

If the leak’s claims are correct, Dany and Jon Snow hook up, the Wall falls, Arya kills Littlefinger, Jon does not find out who his real parents are, Jon’s real name is Aegon, Olenna acknowledges that she poisoned Joffrey, Cersei is pregnant, Targaryen recognises Jon and the White Walkers take control of one of Dany’s dragons.

Naturally, fans of the show have been left distraught by news of the leak.  Many have taken to Twitter to discuss their internal state of struggle.

 

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Look, we're no stranger to the odd fashion faux pas.

From accidentally flashing our cleavage to forgetting to pull up our zipper, there's rarely a day goes by when we don't question ourselves and our ability to properly dress ourselves.

But when it comes down to choosing our clothes, we generally avoid any garments that might suggest we're packing some serious heat in the crotch department… for obvious reasons.

Unfortunately, the news hasn't reached one particular clothing line who chose to design a pair of leggings adorned with the world's most famous landmarks

So far, so educational right?

And it would be if they hadn't decided to position the Leaning Tower of Pisa in the crotch area of the damn pants.

Reddit, the site that keeps on giving.

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