Len Pennie: Scots poet encourages young women to follow their dreams but warns to be prepared for 'inappropriate' male comments

Scots poet Len Pennie has encouraged young women to follow their dreams but warns them to be aware that doing so online will expose them to “uncomfortable” comments from men.

She said lots of women ask for advice on how to follow in her footsteps – content creation on social media – but believes it would be “disingenuous” to omit the plain fact that inappropriate comments come with the territory – even if it shouldn’t be the case.

Ms Pennie, known online as Miss Punny Pennie, shared her message in a TikTok video on Thursday night then re-posted it to her Twitter followers.

She included a screenshot of a comment an older man had written under another of her videos which read: “She’s right people, there’s no nudity… I’ve checked all her videos and there's none… at all.”

Describing the risks she runs by replying to a comment like this the St Andrews University student said she could lose her channel and all her content, and face harsh backlash from people claiming she is “demonising men” or “going on about misogyny” too much.

But the fact remains that comments like this are deeply inappropriate and make her uncomfortable.

She said: “Every single video that I go on on TikTok, where there's a young woman in the video, there will be at least one comment by a much older man, either sexualising her, objectifying her or otherwise being inappropriate towards her.

Len Pennie: Scots poet encourages young women to follow their dreams but warns to be prepared for 'inappropriate' male comments. (Picture credit: Len Pennie)

"I know that's indicative of a societal issue. I don't know who has told men that it's appropriate to do things like that, but it's not.

"I don’t even know why I’m making this video because people will think I'm just complaining, but it’s really demoralising.”

The 22-year-old went on to address any young girls watching her video saying if they have a passion they should absolutely follow it, before leaving a final message to any male viewers.

"If you’ve got something you want to talk about online, do it,” she said to the women.

"But be warned that things like this will happen.

"And to the men watching this, if it’s you stop doing it. And if it’s not you, call it out.”

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