Page 2 | Richard Coles embarrassing himself

LadyBracknellsHandbagg · 2025-08-17T17:08:05+00:00

Why do these mediocre men need to keep speaking? You’d think this was written by a 12 year old, who uses the word ‘baddie’ ffs? 🤦♀️ It’s so full of virtue signalling, ‘look at me with all these young people showing them how cool I am’ it’s absolutely tragic.

GallantKumquat · 23/08/2025 09:19

LittleBitofBread · 22/08/2025 18:07

I fear you haven't understood me.

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"because any form of subtlety or understatement gets you misinterpreted by someone."
😬

DenizenOfAisleOfShame · 23/08/2025 07:53

Shedmistress · 23/08/2025 07:04

Stating that all the young people he was out with think a certain author is a baddie isn't 'neutral'.

If I inferred you were a baddie in a completely unrelated thread, you'd be rightly asking 'what's that got to do with anything'.

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I’m not sure I understand. Do you mean that Coles is wrong to generalise? Or that it’s not true that the young think badly of JKR? Or something else?

FWIW, I take ‘baddie’ to be a sort of pantomime description, as in ‘goodies and baddies’. I don’t think it carries much force.

Cinaferna · 23/08/2025 07:04

ThatCyanSheep · 17/08/2025 18:30

What I find bizarre is how he can sit there as a rich celebrity and think it’s a good thing the younger generation don’t think they’ll ever buy a house

Does he think it's a good thing?

Shedmistress · 23/08/2025 07:04

DenizenOfAisleOfShame · 23/08/2025 04:59

I can’t see the issue. He’s not endorsing any (misguided) antagonism towards JKR. He’s just commenting neutrally on young people as he finds them.

Stating that all the young people he was out with think a certain author is a baddie isn't 'neutral'.

If I inferred you were a baddie in a completely unrelated thread, you'd be rightly asking 'what's that got to do with anything'.

DenizenOfAisleOfShame · 23/08/2025 04:59

I can’t see the issue. He’s not endorsing any (misguided) antagonism towards JKR. He’s just commenting neutrally on young people as he finds them.

Mapletree1985 · 23/08/2025 04:21

LittleBitofBread · 22/08/2025 18:48

Hard copy ? from the library?

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I want to read the review, not the book.

Mapletree1985 · 23/08/2025 04:21

I can only access a sampling of reviews (all 4 or 5 stars) without an account.

Lins77 · 22/08/2025 20:50

He's 63, hardly elderly. Not even pension age 😭

iseethembloom · 22/08/2025 19:04

Mapletree1985 · 22/08/2025 18:40

I'm very interested, but can't read it without an Amazon account. Which I don't have.

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Go to Amazon.co.uk

Search ‘The Madness of Grief’

Filter one-star reviews. The one by PaleFire is my review.

He came through the page as absolutely tone-deaf and insensitive.

LittleBitofBread · 22/08/2025 18:48

Mapletree1985 · 22/08/2025 18:40

I'm very interested, but can't read it without an Amazon account. Which I don't have.

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Hard copy ? from the library?

Mapletree1985 · 22/08/2025 18:40

iseethembloom · 22/08/2025 17:20

I read his book about grief and have never disliked a book more than I disliked this. The review is quite lengthy (on Amazon) and is one of the very few one-star reviews, if you’re interested.

I'm very interested, but can't read it without an Amazon account. Which I don't have.

DworkinWasRight · 22/08/2025 18:35

LittleBitofBread · 22/08/2025 15:56

I haven't actually looked at the comments on Twitter. I presume he got a roasting?
I think he thought (misguidedly) that he could make some gentle points about generational differences and friendship despite them, mention one of the figures that in his experience younger people are discussing, sit on the fence about it, and that would be the end of that.
I will miss him on Twitter.

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Yes, that’s exactly what he was doing. So many people on social media are absolutely hopeless at discerning nuance or tone of voice, though.

LittleBitofBread · 22/08/2025 18:07

Timeforabitofpeace · 22/08/2025 18:05

@littlebitofbreadOver 60 a joke is it? You’re no feminist.

I fear you haven't understood me.

Timeforabitofpeace · 22/08/2025 18:05

@littlebitofbreadOver 60 a joke is it? You’re no feminist.

iseethembloom · 22/08/2025 17:20

I read his book about grief and have never disliked a book more than I disliked this. The review is quite lengthy (on Amazon) and is one of the very few one-star reviews, if you’re interested.

LittleBitofBread · 22/08/2025 17:14

theilltemperedmaggotintheheartofthelaw · 22/08/2025 16:25

People wrongly assumed he'd dissed JKR and administered a punishment beating, which must have come as a bit of a shock. I don't think X is a very suitable medium for the elderly, because any form of subtlety or understatement gets you misinterpreted by someone. He should have stuck with the flowers and seabirds.

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'the elderly,' how rude, isn't he 60-something?
I agree he should have just kept posting what he'd made himself for his tea, and snaps of his many holidays and work trips.
Hopefully he'll come back.

LittleBitofBread · 22/08/2025 17:13

Timeforabitofpeace · 22/08/2025 16:22

Well he isn’t wrong, imo. Young people do pretty much think those things, whether you or I like it or not. Don’t blame the messenger or turn him into a hate figure (which this board is quite practised at) .

I'm not blaming the messenger. I think he made a silly mistake and underestimated the level of vitriol certain groups of people spew on Twitter.

theilltemperedmaggotintheheartofthelaw · 22/08/2025 16:25

LittleBitofBread · 22/08/2025 15:56

I haven't actually looked at the comments on Twitter. I presume he got a roasting?
I think he thought (misguidedly) that he could make some gentle points about generational differences and friendship despite them, mention one of the figures that in his experience younger people are discussing, sit on the fence about it, and that would be the end of that.
I will miss him on Twitter.

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People wrongly assumed he'd dissed JKR and administered a punishment beating, which must have come as a bit of a shock. I don't think X is a very suitable medium for the elderly, because any form of subtlety or understatement gets you misinterpreted by someone. He should have stuck with the flowers and seabirds.

Timeforabitofpeace · 22/08/2025 16:22

Well he isn’t wrong, imo. Young people do pretty much think those things, whether you or I like it or not. Don’t blame the messenger or turn him into a hate figure (which this board is quite practised at) .

CurlewKate · 22/08/2025 16:18

LittleBitofBread · 22/08/2025 15:56

I haven't actually looked at the comments on Twitter. I presume he got a roasting?
I think he thought (misguidedly) that he could make some gentle points about generational differences and friendship despite them, mention one of the figures that in his experience younger people are discussing, sit on the fence about it, and that would be the end of that.
I will miss him on Twitter.

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So will I.

LittleBitofBread · 22/08/2025 15:56

KilkennyCats · 22/08/2025 15:41

Well, yes. And people are wondering why he’s chosen to.
Presumably he must have thought he had good reason, but he was clearly mistaken when he then felt the need to delete his whole twitter account because he couldn’t handled being questioned on it.

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I haven't actually looked at the comments on Twitter. I presume he got a roasting?
I think he thought (misguidedly) that he could make some gentle points about generational differences and friendship despite them, mention one of the figures that in his experience younger people are discussing, sit on the fence about it, and that would be the end of that.
I will miss him on Twitter.

KilkennyCats · 22/08/2025 15:41

LittleBitofBread · 22/08/2025 13:33

Jesus Christ.
Nobody ‘has’ to type anything into any social media platform at all.
People do, though.
We could make a long list of things people don’t have to do and yet choose to do.

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Well, yes. And people are wondering why he’s chosen to.
Presumably he must have thought he had good reason, but he was clearly mistaken when he then felt the need to delete his whole twitter account because he couldn’t handled being questioned on it.

CurlewKate · 22/08/2025 13:54

LittleBitofBread · 22/08/2025 13:33

Jesus Christ.
Nobody ‘has’ to type anything into any social media platform at all.
People do, though.
We could make a long list of things people don’t have to do and yet choose to do.

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Indeed. The OP didn’t “have” to c&p RC’s
message in the first place!!!🤣

LittleBitofBread · 22/08/2025 13:33

Shedmistress · 22/08/2025 13:24

He didn't have to type her name at all, is the point. He could have just had a meal and paid his share and gone home.

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Jesus Christ.
Nobody ‘has’ to type anything into any social media platform at all.
People do, though.
We could make a long list of things people don’t have to do and yet choose to do.

Shedmistress · 22/08/2025 13:24

LittleBitofBread · 22/08/2025 13:12

He didn’t call her a baddie. He said they think she is one.
Yes, he used that word, but it is part of his usual posting style to be mild and somewhat old-fashioned in his turn of phrase.

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He didn't have to type her name at all, is the point. He could have just had a meal and paid his share and gone home.