guardian columnist calls for assassination

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guess the "write to ohio" campaign wasn't dumb enough.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3952091.stm

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 02:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Its becoming rather sad that even humour is something dangerous anymore. I really worry.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 02:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Er, humour is dangerous these days, that should have said. I'm so tired today.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 02:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Vaguely related: Loved their headline today for a piece on Richard Desmond.

Richard Desmond: My Struggle

― stet (stet), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 04:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh look, it's comeuppance. Bush goes around killing other people and calling for the death of other famous despots, so it's only fair someone should call for his death. BFW.

― Core of Sphagnum (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 04:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Er, humour is dangerous these days, that should have said. I'm so tired today.

Actually for American English your original sentence was just fine! I was hoping Aussies used "anymore" like that too.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 04:30 (twenty-one years ago)

this article is bullshit; the guardian is bullshit.

airing fantasies of killing people in print is kind of a no-no. (cf. ann coulter) (cf. any journalism class you may have slept thru as well)

― g--ff (gcannon), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 04:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Hah. Mainstream journalism regularly exhibits behaviour far more disgusting than merely wishing for some bloke's death.

― Core of Sphagnum (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 04:59 (twenty-one years ago)

"some bloke"?

is this a put on, or can i ask for some examples?

― g--ff (gcannon), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 05:43 (twenty-one years ago)

- Arbitrarily and single-handedly deciding some person is guilty of something-or-other, and chasing them around and bad-naming them, destroying their life in the process

- Deliberately and unfairly associating certain crimes with certain nationalities, perpetuating racist myths

- Chasing around famous people, prying into their personal lives and making their existence a living hell [some like it, some don't]

All that's infinitely more harmful and less ethical than just wishing death on some twat who kills people.

― Core of Sphagnum (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 05:50 (twenty-one years ago)

As the news article says, none of the regular readers of that column are likely to complain. I read it; for Brooker, it was nothing out of the ordinary. He regularly calls for the deaths of various celebrities, after all.

― caitlin (caitlin), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 06:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Isnt it a humour column? Does satire not escape the "normal" ethics of actual Proper Journalism? I mean thats its point innit?

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 06:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Mind you this is reminding me of the "Albrechtsen was pack raped by Media Watch!" editorial the Australian ran t'other week. Sick fucks.

(They used "pack rape" to mean a TV journalist was hounding her. Very very poor, The Oz)

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 06:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, it's a humourous (sp?) TV criticism column - he shoehorned Bush into it by talking about the presidential debates.

― caitlin (caitlin), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 06:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Sounds like a fuss over nothing then in that case. Its not like it was an editorial saying "I beseech maniacs, rise up and have a pop at the bastard!"

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 06:15 (twenty-one years ago)

(and I think ILX already covered it on the thread about the Guardian's Clark County campaign)

― caitlin (caitlin), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 06:16 (twenty-one years ago)

My feeling is that the freepers and Drudge found it and went 'look!'.

Charlie Brooker writes a TV column called Screen Burn for the Guide, the Guardian's Saturday listings mag. Guide stuff has only recently started appearing online. And they seem to be standing by the man who gave the world Nathan Barley.

― suzy (suzy), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 06:52 (twenty-one years ago)

god knows, you couldn't say something like that in the US anymore. so good on him.

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 06:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh wait, it's Brooker.

Get a fucking grip people.

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 07:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I think Bush should pay the ultimate penalty for what he has done to his people. But that will be decided not by me or Charlie Booker, but by the citizens of the United States of America in one form or another. The Americans are capable of conducting the trial themselves.

― Momus (Momus), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 08:27 (twenty-one years ago)

big deal, Brooker wishes death on people every week - usually Vernon Kaye. the American election is everyone's business, unfortunately.

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 08:30 (twenty-one years ago)

The citizens of the United States of America currently seem pretty keen on four more years of Bush.

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 08:30 (twenty-one years ago)

'they' didn't four years ago...

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 08:32 (twenty-one years ago)

The thing is, Mannion, Charlie Brooker has a weekly column in the Guardian Guide and you don't.

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 08:35 (twenty-one years ago)

"The citizens of the United States of America currently seem pretty keen on four more years of Bush. "

50%, that is.

― supercub, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 08:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Blair got in on 37% of the vote last time. That would seem sufficient.

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 08:38 (twenty-one years ago)

yes, that clearly IS the thing...but i've got my eye on Lee-Potter's vacated slot now - someone's gotta set those nimbys straight.

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 08:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I could imagine you writing her column, unironically.

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 08:47 (twenty-one years ago)

i would call for a sassy nation

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 08:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Not in the Daily Mail you couldn't. You would have to call for a "ladylike" nation instead.

Peter Cook once wrote a rabidly right-wing weekly column for the Mail in the '70s but he said he only did it for the money and wrote what he thought the editor wanted.

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 09:00 (twenty-one years ago)

there's a few people doing that for the Mail today. they are in no shape or form as gifted as Peter Cook tho. what a shame.

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 09:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Blair got in on 37% of the vote last time.

40.7%. I thought I'd get in there before Robin. Kinda irrelevant wrt a two-party system like the US.

I'm glad MC and SM have chummed up. I didn't realise it was a double act.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 09:50 (twenty-one years ago)

For some reason I imagined this would be David Aaronovitich calling for the assassionation of Yasser Arafat

― What did you do in the war, Dadaismus? (Dada), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 09:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Well the Guardian certainly ought to apologise for employing him. Especially all that nonsense about sleeping with his kids in the British Museum overnight - one for the Paedofinder General, I reckon.

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 10:15 (twenty-one years ago)

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