December 29, 2009
The Daily Mail is really, really horrible
OK, we already knew this.
But as casual misogyny and general nastiness goes, the following headline is something of a paradigm example:
“Stripper jailed for lacing lover’s Angel Delight with poison“
Screams the Mail.
I don’t trawl the Mail website for entertainment. I know about this because the “stripper” in question is (deep breath) my girlfriend’s housemate’s ex-boyfriend’s sister.
A stripper, was she? Well even the Mail’s own article manages to note that:
“The court heard that Mardon carried out the attacks because she was in an abusive relationship and was forced to work as a stripper to bring in extra cash.”
From what I’m told, “abusive relationship” is something of an understatement. But for the Mail, it’s just a woman’s place in the home:
“She had a day job as a clerical assistant and had been pressured by him to work at night as a stripper.
Mardon would then return to the two-bedroom house in Thornbury, Bristol, owned by Martyn’s father. She lived there with Martyn and his brother and their father.
She would then be required to cook for the men and do the housework.”
Delightful.
leftoutside said,
December 29, 2009 at 11:54 pm
I loathe The Daily Mail. Everything I see renews my hatred, but that really is despicable.
Trofim said,
December 30, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Why do you use American date style?
Paul Sagar said,
December 30, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Cos it’s the WordPress default and I’ve never bothered changing it.
Does it matter?
Trofim said,
December 31, 2009 at 7:14 am
I like your example of student really reduplication. The first time I ever set eyes on a student, about 1973, I noticed that they never say “really + adjective”, it has to be “really really + adjective”. Why is that?
Trofim said,
December 31, 2009 at 7:34 am
Does the date format matter? To a lot of people it is confusing, if both day and month are 12 or less. If I had come across your blog accidentally, rather than from LC, I wouldn’t have known whether you were American or British, and I might have had to waste some time establishing which.
Excuse me what might appear to be linguistic pedantry, but as someone with a background in linguistic analysis, clarity and accuracy are vital components of efficient communication, and in forensic linguistics are the very stuff of the job. No offence, old cock.
Paul Sagar said,
December 31, 2009 at 11:00 am
Oh, ok. That’s a reasonable point, actually. I’ll try and sort it out at some stage. Thanks.