The Sun’s gay witch-hunt
I saw this story mentioned in another paper (just to make it clear I don’t read The Sun) and was incensed. The Scum today has a story titled PC’s Facebook ’spanking’ in which it has branded a Police Constable a “security risk” because he has a Facebook page where “visitors to his page are invited to ‘bite, grope, lick or spank’ him.” Half of Fleet Street is on Facebook and anyone with half a brain could explain that most users have a common application installed allowing your friends to do all manner of actions in addition to poking. One can even throw a sheep at you or chest-bump you.
Does this constitute as a legitimate story? No, it constitutes as a witch-hunt just because the PC is homosexual. It’s frightening the extent to which tabloids will go to misrepresent anyone using blogs or social networking sites just because they have a vendetta.
Not long ago the Daily Mail did a hatchet job on blogger (and civil servant) Owen Barder and accused him of comparing Bush to Hitler and said the blog was “sexually explicit” because he had published details of his private sex life. In fact, as Unity and Tim Worstall pointed out, they attributed comments to Barder that had actually been quoted (from other blogs) or made by readers.
It’s become all too typical these days. Is it any surprise bloggers are suspicious of the media?
The non-story would only be a story if there was something that could be used to blackmail the policeman. But as he does not care who knows, what is the problem? Perhaps rather than outright homophobia, it is just sensationalism. If a heterosexual lady police officer had done the same thing, you know that it would receive similar coverage.
To be fair to the Sun though, on the same page that Sunny links to, they provide a Bollywood Babes Cricket XI (down the left-hand side).
The Sun, proprieter Rupert Murdoch.
MySpace, proprieter Rupert Murdoch.
Facebook, proprieter not Rupert Murdoch.
It’s not about homosexuals. It’s about trashing Facebook.
Good point Max.
oooh that’s subtle.
How can you be outraged about something so silly, Sunny?
What’s black and red and Rupert all over?
can’t see the rupert angle meself.
after all, all publicity is good publicity, innit
can’t see the point of facebook either, although i opened an account a couple of weeks ago, just to see
How could knowing that a transport officer is gay possibly assist terrorists?
“Here’s the plan. This officer is a known homosexual. I checked on Facebook. Therefore Dave will seduce him whilst we sneak past him and blow up the trains. It is foolproof. Oh, sorry, Dave, is there a problem?”
Maybe they should introduce sheep throwing onto MySpace?
Brilliant Katy. However, he was a transport officer; he now guards Her Majesty.
Excellent point Max, probably bang on the money too…
As one would do in Facebook…
*Vladimir throws a load of Shit at the Sun*
Rumbold - oh. I didn’t spot that. But I feel my point stands nonetheless.
Interestingly The Times (proprietor: R Murdoch) has also been running a Facebook scare story
Apparently Oxford colleges have been using photos on Facebook to identify students breaking the rules, then fining them!
I see a pattern.
Which also outraged me. Not one bat, or pair of pads among them.
(Kismet, I believe I have sufficiently set up the joke for you. If you would now like to knock it for six with some suitable witticim about balls and helmets, then I would be much obliged.)
I love face book.
Why do they always target gay witches?