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AIBU?

To find it deeply annoying that a tribute to a female politician calls her coquettish?

18 replies

bamboostalks · 04/04/2014 22:26

Watching BBC news and news item on Margo MacDonald, who died today, describes her as coquettish. This is the opening comment on the whole of her life. I mean seriously? No one would have described Tony Benn in such a demeaning manner. Ok as an adjective buried in a researched biography but such casual sexism just gets my goat.

OP posts:

Report

WorraLiberty · 04/04/2014 22:49

Tony Benn wasn't particularly flirty though was he?

DioneTheDiabolist · 04/04/2014 22:51

Was she coquettish?

EBearhug · 04/04/2014 22:55

I agree. I can't imagine a male politician being described as a bit of a flirt, or a ladies' man or whatever the male equivalent of coquettish might be, even if he was.

Treasa24 · 05/04/2014 00:05

Lazy journalism - at best. Vague, meaningless description of anyone and actually very disrespectful in an obituary piece.

YANBU - not at all.

smokeandglitter · 05/04/2014 00:08

Maybe she wanted that.

Salmotrutta · 05/04/2014 00:12

I remember Margo MacDonald in her Heyday.

She was a straight talking woman.

Nothing coquettish IMHO.

Salmotrutta · 05/04/2014 00:14

In fact, I think she might have eaten for breakfast anyone who described her as coquettish.

LindyHemming · 05/04/2014 00:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Caitlin17 · 05/04/2014 00:55

I disagree she would have been annoyed. She was flirty, she was very pretty and she did project a bit of a blonde bombshell image.

She was a remarkable woman. I don't agree with most of her politics but I'd have voted for her if she'd been my constituency candidate.

lessonsintightropes · 05/04/2014 01:24

How do you think Alan Clark was described?! If it's who she was I think it would be too euphemistic not to mention it tbh.

tilliebob · 05/04/2014 01:35

I doubt she'd mind, and if she did, she'd have her own way to put the comment down. Very upset today about her death - not that I agreed with all her politics, but I thought she really cared about her constituents and dealt with her Parkinsons with great courage.

Caitlin17 · 05/04/2014 01:36

She had a twinkle in her eye, even at the end.

montysma1 · 05/04/2014 02:36

I actually thought that the reporting I heardwas respectful and affectionate.

bamboostalks · 05/04/2014 07:35

A coquette is Scarlett O'Hara. Why on earth would that be the opening adjective to describe a politician's life when there's no evidence that she was one. As for the comparison to Alan Clark, well his life was entirely different with plenty of evidence to support whatever label you wish to attribute. But of course, his legacy is primarily one of witty diarist etc not someone who had an inappropriate predication for very young girls.

OP posts:

ExcuseTypos · 05/04/2014 07:45

I heard someone describe her on Radio 4 as coquettish as she would be discussing political things one minute then the next looking at the jewellery on the shopping channel. That isn't coquettish is it?

NiceTabard · 05/04/2014 07:55

I have found the coverage around this bizarre as well, and certainly surprised by the BBC take.

Financeprincess · 05/04/2014 13:06

'Coquettish' implies silly and empty-headed. It's a pretty poor compliment to a trail-blazing female politician, in my view.

tznett · 06/04/2014 20:34

YANBU

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