People comparing Cummings to Caroline Flack

[panhandledrama]

I am quite shocked to see a number of posts in the last few days comparing the media treatment of Dominic Cummings to that of Caroline Flack . And how we need to #bekind
Surely there is no comparison! Caroline was a minor celebrity who was hounded due to a domestic incident
Cummings told us as a nation what we can't do and then did it himself while other people lost jobs and couldn't say goodbye to dying loved ones due to sticking to HIS rules. People are outraged that other (labour) mp's have done similar but they aren't the prime ministers puppet master

Surely people can see that these are totally different scenarios and people have a right to be outraged this time!

[KaronAVyrus]

Do you think you could have just added this to one of the 78 other threads about Dominic Cummings?

(And no I’m not a Tory not and I do think he broke the rules)

[ProSocial]

I agree. Totally different scenarios. I wouldn't even put them in the same bracket.
Even before the domestic incident - Caroline Flack was trolled mercilessly on DM comments and things like this. Looking at the on line DM articles now, certain celebrities - Rita Ora, Cardi B, Gemma Collins, Sam Smith etc also attract a lot of negative comments, same as Caroline did.
But yes, DC and Caroline Flack - both public figures but are otherwise so different - it's defiinitely not comparing like with like.

[DesignedForLife]

I think it’s fair.

The man is being hounded by paparazzi. Sky News dorstepped his elderly innocent parents. That is horrific.

The allegations against Flack were just as serious. No I don’t approve of what he did, but this is being blown out of proportion and the media are guilty as hell.

[Needamanicure]

I think it is completely different.

One was trolled for how she looked/men she dated etc etc.

The other is a government advisor who advises on guidelines for the current crisis and then interprets his guidelines differently for his own personal reasons. Some people think he should be sacked - different

[BeingonFBdoesntmakeittrue]

I'm seen some pretty horrific things written about him the last few days on MN. Anger/outrage is okay if that's how people feel but vile comments are unecessary.

If I read those things about me and had hoardes of press shouting outside my house and harassing my family, that would easily push me to suicide. I don't think it will with DC but it did with CF I think that's why people made the comparison.

[ArriettyJones]

Who made that comparison?

[VladmirsPoutine]

Totally ridiculous comparison. That said the amount of threads on him leads me to think eventually his position will become untenable. Isn't Mumsnet a vote swinger?

[PheasantPlucker1]

The paparazzi are putting him and his family at real fucking risk. He cant even leave his house without crowds all over him, and lets not forget his kids hearing the abuse shouted.

Of course he was wrong, but he wasnt the only one. This has become a witch hunt.

[therona]

Caroline Flack physically assaulted her partner in his sleep with a lamp and was mercilessly trolled by the press and people on twitter for it. The incident is very serious and should not be reduced to a "domestic incident". I agree with the comparison because Cummings' treatment on social media and in the press is compatible to Flack's.

[x2boys]

The endless threads about this are extremely irritating ,so so many people feel their not unique opinion requires a new thread 🙄,I think he's a dick in fact going by the news a large part of conservative MP,S also think he should resign but seriously how many more threads are needed to repeat the same thing ?

[bigchris]

People seem to ignore the fact that his four year old son was hospitalised

[bigchris]

Cummings told us as a nation what we can't do

Nope he's an advisor, not the PM

[DahliaDay]

I think it’s a fair comparison..

[EstherEliza]

The treatment by the media was the same. It's a witch hunt.

[CelestialSpanking]

I’ve seen these comparisons from well meaning people on my SM and it’s winding me up tbh. There is no comparison to be had because these are 2 totally different circumstances.

That said, the press should never be hanging round outside someone’s house like that especially when a child lives there. I do understand why they’re pissed off- the odious wanker is laying an awful lot of the blame on the media. Ironically from what I can tell the only journalist been caught out and out lying so far in this whole saga is his own stupid shithead wife

[Eskarina1]

I really don't care about Dominic Cummings. I care that our prime minister retrospectively clarified the law to allow huge wiggle room which no one else realised they had (nor indeed did the police). It's a huge huge line the Government has crossed and the 'be kind' phrase is being used to shut anger at that down.

[Nousernameforme]

Paparazzi ought to be banned anyway especially at this time if they can't social distance.

The thing is with DC he did something really wrong and then fed the public a load of really obvious lies has shown no sign that what he did was wrong or that he is sorry. He can't be allowed to get away with that.

No he shouldn't be hounded but we also shouldn't forget what he did and let them brush it under the carpet

[Smartcasual]

The comparison is totally ridiculous.

The press are doing a good job of holding DC to account. It suits his narrative to frame press scrutiny as harassment.

Applying a #bekind narrative to this particular set of circumstances conveniently allows Dominic Cummings to escape public accountability.

One was a private individual who happened to be a celebrity.
One is a government representative delivering policy which he then flouted and then lied or at least obfuscated about what he did.

If he wanted to avoid this level of intense press scrutiny he should have at least had the decency to sit in the Rose Garden and say "I'm sorry, I was wrong" and suffer the consequences.

[BeeePeee]

Cummings is a senior part of the government. The media are right to keep up the pressure. The situation is incomparable to Caroline flack.

[Somanysocks]

Whether he did anything wrong or not, he has been vindicated by the absolute hypocrisy of journalists swarming around him, of people swarming to beaches, or the many number of other stupid things people have done.

I'm not aware he has killed anyone and it has all been blown so far out of proportion, let us hope he does not have suicidal tendencies.

[strugglingwithdeciding]

The media are atrocious it's one thing printing the story but hounding him outside house even at one point with his son in his arms and housing his elderly parents is a step to far
He realesed his statement end of speaking to him running with stories you can't stop but no need to be camped outside houses of anyone
And you never know how you could push anyone to the edge
They are going beyond reporting the story at times as they often do

[RandomLondoner]

Cummings told us as a nation what we can't do and then did it himself

No he didn't tell us. He's not a politician. He's not even a proper civil servant. He's nobody, in terms of responsibility. No matter how big his role in drawing up the rules, it's the politicians he advises on whom 100% of responsibility falls.

99% of people who want him out would not have heard for him but for a campaign started by people who want him out. (Not just people who oppose him for political reasons, media make their living from conducting witch-hunts, regardless of the politics of the target.)

[RandomLondoner]

heard of him

[Crazydoglady1980]

It’s a fair comparison, at the end of the day he is just a man who made a choice. It doesn’t matter if we agree with the choice or not, he doesn’t deserve to be hounded from the press and the paparazzi!
He is an advisor, he give opinions and advice. It is down to ministers to decide what actions to take on that advice.
When he closes his door at the end of the day, he is still experiencing the same abuse that Caroline experienced. The possible loss of his job, massive impact on his whole family, not being able to turn on the TV without seeing everyone’s views on what he has done.
At the end of the day there should be a limit on the amount of pressure press put in people. Because that is what they are at the end of the day. Just people!

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

I don’t feel a particular need to be kind to Dominic Cummings. He dishes it out and I am sure he can take it.
However I do think people need to remember he’s human not some demonic droid because it affects a sensible assessment of his actions.
Eg of course he would want his wife and child to be somewhere other than his known address after having death threats, of course his wife is going to write an article that misdirects readers into assuming they were in London rather than telling everyone about their safe place, it hardly makes her a pathological liar.