Saying things is pretty much guaranteed to provoke an annoyed response from someone; the joy and curse of journalism is being able to do this at scale (ditto the joy & curse of eg Twitter). Beautifully written article in any case.
I contacted my local paper after reading their article about people reserving parking spaces outside their homes with bins. It's something I've had to do *occasionally* when I've had builders working on my house. But I was trying to use it as a way to get my local council to make my street a 20 mph zone because it's very near a school and I'm concerned about the kids' safety, and even - one-way, because it becomes a one-way street with solid parking down each side. Only no one knows which way to drive up it.
I posed for some deliberately grumpy photos in my street. Then the paper syndicated it with a couple of nationals - one of which was The Sun.
I deliberately avoided all comment sections because I knew what would happen - people who didn't read the article and entirely decided I was selfish for wanting to reserve a spot for my car (plot twist - I didn't even own a car at the time!). I believe even cyclists were rude about me, despite me saying in the article that a 20 mph zone and one-way street would be safer for them too. Oh, and I also mentioned in the article that I'm deaf, and people using my street like a racetrack is dangerous for anyone who's disabled, but let's ignore that too. I was very likely called a "Karen" too, which is what happens if you're a woman over 30 who airs an opinion.
Even the Jeremy Vine show got in touch and wanted me to appear, but I said no. I know what happened to my mum, who was invited onto Kilroy to talk about being the mum to a child with Down's, only to have Kilroy and his crowd baying at her for "selfishly" having a child when she was over 40.
And no, the council haven't changed the speed limit in my street, or made it one-way. But at least I tried, even though it meant putting myself on the line. :-/
That's the trouble with the media and social media, anything to get attention. People will deliberately choose to misrepresent what someone has said for it to fit their agenda..
And yes, Australia is a wonderful country, and you definitely get more than '7'!
Try mentioning in a local BBC radio interview that you don't think a new tallow infused £5 banknote is something you want to handle in your tiny Vegetarian/ Vegan Restaurant and see how that explodes. Next day Sky news are waiting outside, you get accused of wanting to cost the country £25 million pounds, and my absolute favourite comment: "I hope you get herpes and die you c--t"
Australians are usually pretty good with satire - except for Daily Telegraph readers, who are the same people that think Katie Price’s boobs are real. I personally enjoyed the piece and agree you are definitely a London 7. But outside Substack I’m unlikely to comment because there are too many morons out there, so please don’t take it as representative! PS I’m not related to your in-laws.
The mobs only read the headlines now, as you imply. It's astonishing to read comments about articles now, which now seem mostly by people who missed the message or didn't read it at all.
I abhor the absolutely automatic response of many media outlets whose ‘editors, hungry for hate clicks’ as you put it, cynically twist every single story they come across to make it negative. They know what they are doing, and they know that they are deliberately disseminating falsehoods. They behave as if they don't understand irony—yet of course they do. Shame on their criminal disingenuousness, and their destruction of all the principles of journalism
Try mentioning in a local BBC radio interview that you don't think a new tallow infused £5 banknote is something you want to handle in your tiny Vegetarian/ Vegan Restaurant and see how that explodes. Next day Sky news are waiting outside, you get accused of wanting to cost the country £25 million pounds, and my absolute favourite comment: "I hope you get herpes and die you c--t"
I had an article edited to shreds by my superior - I'd taken an assignment that was clearly meant to be misogynistic and written it from a feminist viewpoint, thinking I was being clever and doing my part to raise the bar for the publication. Of course, they edited it right back to misogyny and left my byline on. Cue calls and texts with death threats for weeks, commenters ripping my physical appearance apart, and even finding and sharing my personal details. The site didn't do anything to shut it down because they were getting a lot of ad traffic. I stopped working for them pretty much immediately.
If you wrote at any time about taxing people who didn’t get jabbed, you are a zero immediately. Have you updated that piece since AZ got taken off the market for all its awful side effects?
NOW you have explained why you you (meaning me) would not want to live in Australia (or most other places for that matter..and I do)...and only (good old times) Brits get it
#SatireSavesLives - We remain, your devotedly affectionate in-laws
Saying things is pretty much guaranteed to provoke an annoyed response from someone; the joy and curse of journalism is being able to do this at scale (ditto the joy & curse of eg Twitter). Beautifully written article in any case.
I wouldn’t describe you as cute but as your uncle I’d certainly support your claim of being a seven, then of course I am your uncle
I contacted my local paper after reading their article about people reserving parking spaces outside their homes with bins. It's something I've had to do *occasionally* when I've had builders working on my house. But I was trying to use it as a way to get my local council to make my street a 20 mph zone because it's very near a school and I'm concerned about the kids' safety, and even - one-way, because it becomes a one-way street with solid parking down each side. Only no one knows which way to drive up it.
I posed for some deliberately grumpy photos in my street. Then the paper syndicated it with a couple of nationals - one of which was The Sun.
I deliberately avoided all comment sections because I knew what would happen - people who didn't read the article and entirely decided I was selfish for wanting to reserve a spot for my car (plot twist - I didn't even own a car at the time!). I believe even cyclists were rude about me, despite me saying in the article that a 20 mph zone and one-way street would be safer for them too. Oh, and I also mentioned in the article that I'm deaf, and people using my street like a racetrack is dangerous for anyone who's disabled, but let's ignore that too. I was very likely called a "Karen" too, which is what happens if you're a woman over 30 who airs an opinion.
Even the Jeremy Vine show got in touch and wanted me to appear, but I said no. I know what happened to my mum, who was invited onto Kilroy to talk about being the mum to a child with Down's, only to have Kilroy and his crowd baying at her for "selfishly" having a child when she was over 40.
And no, the council haven't changed the speed limit in my street, or made it one-way. But at least I tried, even though it meant putting myself on the line. :-/
That's the trouble with the media and social media, anything to get attention. People will deliberately choose to misrepresent what someone has said for it to fit their agenda..
And yes, Australia is a wonderful country, and you definitely get more than '7'!
I’d def give u a 10!
Sounds as if “Poe’s Law” extends beyond social media tweets and might have to be applied any article containing humour and irony :)
Try mentioning in a local BBC radio interview that you don't think a new tallow infused £5 banknote is something you want to handle in your tiny Vegetarian/ Vegan Restaurant and see how that explodes. Next day Sky news are waiting outside, you get accused of wanting to cost the country £25 million pounds, and my absolute favourite comment: "I hope you get herpes and die you c--t"
Australians are usually pretty good with satire - except for Daily Telegraph readers, who are the same people that think Katie Price’s boobs are real. I personally enjoyed the piece and agree you are definitely a London 7. But outside Substack I’m unlikely to comment because there are too many morons out there, so please don’t take it as representative! PS I’m not related to your in-laws.
Not me running to google Katie Price’s boobs to see if I can tell
The mobs only read the headlines now, as you imply. It's astonishing to read comments about articles now, which now seem mostly by people who missed the message or didn't read it at all.
I abhor the absolutely automatic response of many media outlets whose ‘editors, hungry for hate clicks’ as you put it, cynically twist every single story they come across to make it negative. They know what they are doing, and they know that they are deliberately disseminating falsehoods. They behave as if they don't understand irony—yet of course they do. Shame on their criminal disingenuousness, and their destruction of all the principles of journalism
Try mentioning in a local BBC radio interview that you don't think a new tallow infused £5 banknote is something you want to handle in your tiny Vegetarian/ Vegan Restaurant and see how that explodes. Next day Sky news are waiting outside, you get accused of wanting to cost the country £25 million pounds, and my absolute favourite comment: "I hope you get herpes and die you c--t"
I had an article edited to shreds by my superior - I'd taken an assignment that was clearly meant to be misogynistic and written it from a feminist viewpoint, thinking I was being clever and doing my part to raise the bar for the publication. Of course, they edited it right back to misogyny and left my byline on. Cue calls and texts with death threats for weeks, commenters ripping my physical appearance apart, and even finding and sharing my personal details. The site didn't do anything to shut it down because they were getting a lot of ad traffic. I stopped working for them pretty much immediately.
If you wrote at any time about taxing people who didn’t get jabbed, you are a zero immediately. Have you updated that piece since AZ got taken off the market for all its awful side effects?
NOW you have explained why you you (meaning me) would not want to live in Australia (or most other places for that matter..and I do)...and only (good old times) Brits get it