A strange, lonely and troubled columnist…
AMATEUR coroner and Daily Mail columnist Jan Moir is riding high in the Twitter trends again, with her follow-up article to last week’s hysterical rant about the death of Stephen Gately.
Moir apologises to the singer’s family for causing any distress, but defends her arguments. I don’t find her attempted back-track convincing; last week’s article was written in a certain way to create a definite impression and elicit a predictable reaction. To then whinge about that reaction, blame “misinterpretation” by people who hadn’t read the article or were part of an organised campaign, and then try to back away from what was pretty clear at the time does Moir’s credibility no favours. The only thing missing from today’s article was Moir telling us that some of her best friends are gay. Moir may have absolved herself in the narrow minds of Daily Mail readers, but the lack of adverts on her web page today suggests not everyone finds her prejudiced opinions acceptable.
“Absolutely none of this had anything to do with his sexuality. If he had been a heterosexual member of a boy band, I would have written exactly the same article.”
Sure Jan, sure.
She’s entitled to write what she likes, and people are entitled to see her as the bigoted Ms Piggy she so clearly is.
“Moir may have absolved herself in the narrow minds of Daily Mail readers … not everyone finds her prejudiced opinions acceptable” – will there be a better pastiche of unselfconscious liberal bigotry, preening and self-love than this effort this year I wonder? Or, possibly, just possibly, did the prejudiced opinions-despising Gonzo actually mean to be quite so opinionatedly prejudiced himself about everyone who reads the Mail? How hard to follow progressive thought so often is.
“Moir apologises to the singer’s family for causing any distress”
Actually, she doesn’t; she only “apologises” _if_ they thought the timing was bad. Because, you know, it was just a pure blind coincidence that there was a funeral about to happen when she wrote that article.
P.
Why the shock? Has no-one ever read the Daily Hitler before? This may be one of the least offensive columns ever published by them.
‘She’s entitled to write what she likes, and people are entitled to see her as the bigoted Ms Piggy she so clearly is. ‘
Nail on head RS. Ms Piggy indeed. A picture is worth a thousand words. the apology was rather pathetic.
Spit it out or swallow it. its only natural Jan
To paraphrase H L Mencken, “No journalist ever went broke by underestimating the intolerance levels of the Daily Mail readership”.
If you can type with two fingers and string together a sentence or two that can allow readers to feel smug in their detestation of Jews (but not Israel), catholics, more recently, muslims (excluding Saudis sometimes and the Aga Khan once), trade unionists, blacks, immigrants of any colour (other than very rich crooks), Irish, homosexuals, single mothers and their children, and workers in general then there’s always hope for you at the Daily Mail.
Rory
after covering presidential and local baltimore politics for a number of years, H L also said
“there is only one way to look at politicians. down”
apologies gonzo, i know its off thread but its friday nite. wtf
BG
the lack of adverts on her web page today suggests not everyone finds her prejudiced opinions acceptable.
Well spotted. You’re on the ball today.
I don’t normally go in for communal displays of righteous indignation but I find the reaction to this hateful piece reassuring.
It’s unlikely to change the Daily Mail (remember ‘Hurrah for the Blackshirts: Moseley’s men on the march’?), but it indicates that our society is a more tolerant place than in previous generations.
The experience of young gay guys now must be significantly better than that of those from even a decade ago. There’s more work to be done for sure, but we’re getting there.