To be irritated that my colleague who buys the Daily Mail calls herself left-wing?

[babybore]

I have recently been sharing my office with an (academic and medical) Dr who I do not know very well yet. We have had one passing conversation about politics where she said she held left-wing views as does her partner.

Why then does she buy the Daily Mail?! Seriously, I don't get it.

[bookwormmum]

See what the other side are thinking?

[nimnom]

Why does anyone read the Daily Mail?

[bookwormmum]

To get loads of crappy old films on dvd? .

[notnowbernard]

My Dad is left-wing and buys the Mail. Says it gives him an idea of what the loonies are on thinking

[babybore]

bookwormmum - dp's mum and dad send us those dvds in the post, bless them.

[babybore]

Maybe it is a keeping your enemy closer type thing but by buying it she's increasing their circulation. I don't know her well enough to ask her about it (without it coming across as a little aggressive...).

[paolosgirl]

Why did my Grandfather, who was a rabid Tory, buy the Scottish Daily Record?

Unless you take your newspaper very seriously, and truly believe that it reflects who you are, then I think you need to be a bit more relaxed about it

[Desiderata]

Oh, dear.

Look, for the thousandth time, it is just a newspaper. It does not define who you are or what you believe in. If you think it does, than you're a snob. Honestly.

I read it, on the rare occasions when I decide to splash out on a newspaper. I mostly read it because it's vfm .. there are more pages for your money.

It does not make me PolPot, Idi Amin, Adolf, Mussolini or Caecescu.

[bookwormmum]

My parents read the DM. Their idea of a crappy newspaper is the NoTW or the S*n.

[Snaf]

True, Desiderata, but it doesn't make you a left-winger, either!

[babybore]

I don't see why it's snobbish to want to read something that reflects your own world views. That's why I buy the Guardian (or, er, read it online mostly) even if it is annoying and smug at times.

[paolosgirl]

Oh crap. The Guardian is one of the most irritating, self righteous, up it's own backside pile of keech there is.

[NadineBaggott]

what Desi said with knobs on

[babybore]

Paolosgirl, it is self-righteous but it's the best of the bunch. Anyway, maybe I was being unreasonable. I don't get how someone with left-wing views can read the mail and not hate it, unless they are just not connecting things at all!

[AliciaMum]

So what is a good newspaper??

[Desiderata]

That was a blindingly good question, Alicia

[SueBarooeeooeeooooo]

I don't buy a newspaper, I read them online. I go on the Al Jazeera and the Fox news website. Doesn't make me a Republican from Saudi Arabia.

The Daily Mail is funny. It's very diverting way to spend a spare twenty minutes playing 'guess which person you're supposed to hate?' before the end of any given DM article.

And, if pushed, my views are probably right of centre. But I still read the Guardian, too.

[chipkid]

you should not judge a person based on what newspapers/books they choose to read when they are relaxing.

I read mainly crappy fiction-because I have to read so much during my working day. My leisure reading is confined to a few pages before bed. That however does not make me intellectually inferior to those who read classics.

[Beenleigh]

YANBU to be irritated with somone who reads the Daily Mail

[paolosgirl]

The Guardian is the best of what bunch???!

[Desiderata]

So, I would irritate you then, Beenleigh?

[chipkid]

I love the fact that the DM always gives you the value of a person's house when describing anything that has happened to them

[Tortington]

i think its makes you PolPot, Idi Amin, Adolf, Mussolini or Caecescu.

[Beenleigh]

Sorry Desi, badly worded, you wouldn't irritate me, although your mail reading would, and I suspect we'd get along better if we didn;t talk about politics ,

[paolosgirl]

Honestly - you'd make a snap judgement about whether or not you'd be friends with someone based on their newspaper alone?

How far does that extend into other areas of your life?