The Politics Thread 3.0

[KK]

It wasn't the Daily Mail that wrote it, it was columnist Sarah Vine (wife of Michael Gove) for the Daily Mail.

The paper did issue this to ITV News though:

For goodness sake, get a life! Sarah Vine’s piece, which was flagged as light-hearted, was a side-bar alongside a serious political story.

It appeared in an 84-page paper packed with important news and analysis, a front page exclusive on cost-cutting in the NHS and a health supplement devoted to women’s health issues.

For the record, the Mail was the paper which, more than any other, backed Theresa May for the top job. Again for the record, we often comment on the appearance of male politicians including Cameron’s waistline, Osborne’s hair, Corbyn’s clothes – and even Boris’s legs.

Is there a rule that says political coverage must be dull or has a po-faced BBC and left-wing commentariat, so obsessed by the Daily Mail, lost all sense of humour… and proportion?

Never missing an opportunity to shoehorn in an attack on the beeb.

[Squinty]

I just came.

[Rex Kramer]

So because it was written by Bride of Pob, that makes it alright?

[Moggy]

It wasn't the Daily Mail that wrote it, it was columnist Sarah Vine (wife of Michael Gove) for the Daily Mail.

Well the Daily Mail doesn't literally write anything itself, it's just a brand for a company that employs humans to write for it.

The fact that she wrote it for them and they not only printed it but put it in the front page, kind of makes it a Daily Mail article.

[Lagamorph]

A side bar alongside a serious story? It was over half of the front page!

[Errkal]

A side bar alongside a serious story? It was over half of the front page!

If you rotate the paper 90 degrees it was on one side. Obvs.

[Memento Mori]

It wasn't the Daily Mail that wrote it, it was columnist Sarah Vine (wife of Michael Gove) for the Daily Mail.

Well the Daily Mail doesn't literally write anything itself, it's just a brand for a company that employs humans to write for it.

The fact that she wrote it for them and they not only printed it but put it in the front page, kind of makes it a Daily Mail article.

My only experience with Sarah Vine's writing is the Sarah Vain parody column in Private Eye and yet I still guessed correctly that was her from excerpt you posted.

[DML]

They are desperately scrabbling because they know they have made a mistake.

[Meep]

I am kind of down today as I realised my country is in a seriously bad position. I was reading an article on the forecast for post-Brexit economics and NI is pretty much the most heavily hit part of the UK bar none, plus the political situation is in meltdown.

For the first time in my adult life I am kind it hard to have any kind of optimism about the future Northern Ireland. I cannot see anyway that things will not get worse over the next few years and it is really troubling. In the past I could always pick out potentials for good outcome but it seems doors are slamming shut all over.

I only hope that violence does not experience an resurgence on top of everything else.

[KK]

It wasn't the Daily Mail that wrote it, it was columnist Sarah Vine (wife of Michael Gove) for the Daily Mail.

Well the Daily Mail doesn't literally write anything itself, it's just a brand for a company that employs humans to write for it.

The fact that she wrote it for them and they not only printed it but put it in the front page, kind of makes it a Daily Mail article.

Columnists, whether it be magazines or newspapers, are usually separate from the overall newspaper structure though (including contractually - their pay is also fantastical relative to what they do). They rarely, if ever, work in the office, they're not the editorial voice of the publication (though they're pretty much always chosen to match the political leanings of it), they should in theory be allowed to write what they want; it doesn't necessarily mean the paper itself (as in the major players) have to agree with it, or have any opinion on it at all. You don't really see it as much any more but the caveat "the views expressed by such and such do not necessarily represent those of..." would be a pretty common site in the old days. She would have probably just sent it in and Paul Dacre loved it so much he decided to stick it on the front page.

The Daily Mail is taking most of the kicking for the headline, but Sarah Vine is pretty much getting away relatively unscathed. Were this a Katie Hopkins story instead it would be a different matter. Maybe the reaction there would have been more blasé, the scorn also directed more at her personally.

[Rex Kramer]

Give the poor woman a break, she has to have sex with Michael Gove.

[KK]

[Rex Kramer]

More like

[Knoyleo]

Rex, KKlein just posted that picture.

[Return_of_the_STAR]

I've noticed that most articles that are considered sexism towards women on the daily mail are actually written by women. The most demeaning articles and stories about women are usually also in women's mags which are also written by women.

[captain red dog]

I find it frustrating how the Mail are just trying to paint any critics of that front page as snowflake lefties. I don't like a lot of this social justice warrior culture we seem to have these days but I just don't see how they can defend that front page. But for me it just confirms the point that the mainstream media is shanked. They lack the ability to effectively report on any story now. You seem to have half the media defending that article and the other half criticising it, whilst the genuine issues like Meep raised are just hidden in the small print.

Meep, when it comes to NI I don't see any sensible solution now other than a united Ireland. I really hope it doesn't break down into violence again, but unfortunately I don't think we are enough generations out from the Troubles to cool the urge to take up arms. It's a sorry state of affairs at the moment and the power sharing arrangement seems completely impractical. I don't think the people can ever be served well by that arrangement.

[DML]

The thing is its not even as if it's just the sexism thing....it's just so ridiculous. It's reminds me of the 'sadness on his eye' meme.

[Moggy]

Most of the "social justice warrior culture" is just bollocks cooked up by misogynistic racists to deflect from their horrendous opinions.

"**Horrific racism**"
"Don't say that!"
"Urghh SJW! You're just playing the race card!"

[Grumpy David]

twitter.com/MartinDaubney/status/846750603409854464

An interesting point.

I actually thought The Guardian cartoon was quite amusing, if a little obvious of an image (did assume however it was vag prone bone, not sodomy!). The Mail article lacks humour. Swing and a miss.

[Benzin]

When did being 'liberal' become a label to insult people with?

Of course, comparing the two images like that is silly, what is the context of the cartoon? What does the accompanying article say?

How anyone can say that that front page is satire though is probably wired a bit strangely...