Friday, December 22, 2006

THE STREETS ARE IN DISTRESS


I may be presumptious in writing this, but I wanted to comment on the terrible journalism surrounding this Ipswich prostitute murder case. Specifically after the arrest of the first man, whose name I believe is Tom Stephens.


Anyway, I read in the Star, and more pointedly the Metro, their personality analysis of this man, by looking at his Myspace page. As a myspace regular, the level of ignorance here was higher than I have ever witnessed in my life. Now excuse me if I don't get the quotes exactly right, but I am little hungover and am writing from memory. The first point one of these papers made was that they highlighted that Mr Stephens was a loner who used social networking sites. He was on the site for friends and 'serious relationships'. AS IF IT WAS WHAT HE WROTE. It's an option you put down. Some people see it as a dating site. Some people go on there for a laugh to see what will happen. The picture painted was that by going on an internet social site made you a weirdo. Anyway, the next point was that they said he described himself as 'athletic'. AS IF IT WAS WHAT HE FUCKING WROTE. It's an option. They also said that he called himself 'The Bishop'. Granted, he did write this. But nowhere di he say that his name was the Bishop. His name is Tom and under the photo it says Tom. In the area where you write a quote, he put 'The Bishop' presumably because he's into said comic character.


Deep breath. It was also said that his hero is Hong kong Phooey, and it made out that this was a loner's answer, because who could possibly have a cartoon character as their hero. What irks me most about this is

a) he's now been released, probably completely innocent and their hard investigative work is in vain but most importantly

b) all the fucking Daily Mail readers (I didn't read the Daily Mail's coverage but it probably all but crucified him for ever having sex with a prostitute) now think that anyone with a Myspace page is a pervert and borderline serial killer. Jesus, you look at anyone's page and they say something stupid about themselves. If I was arrested and they looked at my page they would probably say' this man is a deranged loner who delusionally sees himself as the living embodiement of David Niven'.


It reminds me of an Eddie Izzard bit where he goes into a newsagent tv'd up asking for a packet of crisps. 'What, you eat crisps? I'd thought you wanted to shag them'.


Small mindedness pisses me off, and I have now cancelled my Daily Mail.

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