Jack monroe challenged on twitter

[KarlWrenbury]

Maybe by a sock puppet account Etc but yes- how are they still not making ends meet after all this time ?

It's a truism that authors make nothing from their books. It really depends on the terms she got and the sales, doesn't it? Non-fiction books often do better. Silly to assume that just because someone has a book out they are rich but just as silly to assume that all authors make next to nothing from their books (I know a LOT of authors.)

I don't see what's so very working class about a parent who is a nurse and another in the fire service? That's no more working class financially than my own background.

I have been really poor (though before children, so I appreciate that adds an extra layer of difficulty) and am now, in my own view, extremely privileged compared to many - but at no point have I ever even been able to contemplate a £500,000 mortgage. I've never had a bloody Burberry coat so cry me a river about her having to sell hers! But I can own that I am not in the poverty space any more - she seems utterly unable to do that. She just seems to milk everything for all she can.

And her Patreon income is, to me, a bloody good standard of living.

I've followed her for a long time, I think she's a great campaigner and has done a lot of good. But she also seems a very complex person (or a complete mess, to be honest), and I do wonder what is going on behind the scenes. I don't believe she's made barely any money, not with her profile and sales. I could believe she is someone who manages money badly or spends/gives her money away so that she can continue to identify as poor, if that makes sense? I think there's a lot of deception (possibly self deception) involved.

But although I am baffled by all this stuff, yes she has done good work, made some very important points and raised awareness etc, and I credit her for that.

This.^

I'm afraid I can't forget the huge fuss she made over Jamie Oliver getting a "Cook economically with what's in your cupboards" gig at the beginning of lockdown. She banged on and on how "cheap cooking was her thing, and it should have been her etc", but when she got the chance she was an embarrassment and the other presenters had to carry her.

I wasn't a massive fan of JO, but I did think he made a very good job of that programme. and I saw him in a new light.

Not at all saying someone can't recover but there is a LOT of research into the long term effects of trauma on someone's life (for example look at the study around ACEs). It really isn't at all uncommon for someone with poor mental health and adhd for example to have knock on effects on budgetting and other areas. I sadly know many people for whom mental ill health/ trauma/poverty have touched many ares of their lives and it can be a lot to recover from. People can still struggle in so many ways.

I think she/they has MH issues and has based her career around her poverty so mistakenly thinks that I read her latest blog and it just didn’t ring true. Why tf would she/they be boiling soap to make shower gel??? Did I miss something? Why not use the bloody soap to wash in the shower?! It would last longer and she/they would save the electricity/gas spent on boiling up the soap bars. It just sounds daft.

And she hasn’t bought shampoo or conditioner for two years? Why not? You can get both for less than £1. And what does her son wash his hair with then?

She also mentions the fixed term of her rent but if she broke up 2 years ago, surely that 6 or 12 month fixed rental contract would have ended ages ago?

Reading what she wrote made me annoyed. Nothing sounded like she was genuinely poor. It was just ill-advised posturing.

*mistakenly thinks that she has to maintain that appearance

"She doesn't seem to actually DO anything? Most people would use their profile to earn money - either she hasn't worked to do that or hasn't managed to... She hasn't leveraged it effectively."

She is doing a hell of a lot (of good), it just seems to be that she's not doing whatever effectively to pay her bills.

I've followed her on Twitter for a while, and have just read that latest post. I'm a bit gobsmacked at all the stuff people are posting here about her. It is clear that she has quite significant mental and physical health challenges, on top of being neurodiverse and having a well documented trauma history. I don't suppose that is helped by her line of work/activism in the current political or economic situation. She is approached by, and helps a hell of a lot of individual people who are in dire straights, and being faced day in day out with the harsh reality of poverty in other people's lives must take it's toll. Being on the receiving end of comments like those on here and on the twitter thread - daily - must take it's toll.

Should she be off twitter? For her mental wellbeing, perhaps, but it's one of the main places she is present and as a public figure visibility is key.

I just think she is somebody who has a history of trauma (and clearly couldn't afford therapy), who is quite possibly paying off huge debts from her previous time in poverty, who has glaringly obvious mental and physical health difficulties, and is struggling. I don't get all the hate and why people think she is lying. I've been close to people with a not-dissimilar background, and it's fucking hard to pull yourself up out of all that shit.

Her dad's not "just a firefighter" though, is he? He did work in the fire service, and has lots of buy to let property in his home town. He is currently a director of 2 businesses and was awarded the MBE for his services to fostering.

Also you get a payment for actually signing to write a book, the royalties can be pittance but they are secondary. Most Instagram chefs get about £20k a book, and she’s one of the most famous ones.
She’s a bullshitter.

Im under the impression her illnesses control her rather than the other way round. ADHD if not managed effectively can ruin a persons life, including impulsive spending, unable to put a career/financial plan together and see it through, as well as the emotional dysregulation.

She claims to be in a fixed term rental agreement but has been in that house since 2019 and talked about signing a new contract in the last few months.
I saw that her company has been struck off/dissolved very recently.

I sadly know many people for whom mental ill health/ trauma/poverty have touched many ares of their lives and it can be a lot to recover from. People can still struggle in so many ways

I agree with that... I think that is true for myself also and people I know. It's just the way she is about it... I've just realised since I wrote my post above that I HAVE been super poor since I had kids, I've actually been homeless at one point due to circumstances that really weren't my fault and had to live in a caravan with a toddler, horrific damp, and no cooking facilities, and then a council house I couldn't afford to paint or buy a fridge for, I've had terrible mental health, neurodiversity... but the first place I go to isn't going on about how poor I am or flogging it for attention and I genuinely feel like JM does that (not a thing I would say lightly.) It's appreciating that other people were still worse off and that I am now not poor.

Neither is JM - she doesn't just "have nice things" like she says in her (dramatic!) blog post...she has a reasonable amount of money. When I had an apartment I couldn't afford, I moved....yeah, you pay the poor tax on that, but what other choice is there? It sucks and it's wrong but she is not the only person it's happened to. It's like the state of being poor is what got her where she is and she just can't let go of it, and I find it insulting honestly.

I don't hate her, have never interacted with her on twitter and have sympathy for her if she has mental health, physical health issues or other conditions (as do I and most other people, between all those). But I don't think it's wrong to discuss the inconsistencies of someone's claims when they're publically pleading poverty.

She says that this property is taking so much of her money because she got it with her ex, but couldnt get out of the contract.

I dont know whats so difficult to believe about a freelance disabled autistic single parent writer, is struggling for cash at the moment. She explains quite clearly in the article that shes nowhere near as poor as in the past but that its still hard. She mentions frugal moneysaving tips - like shes always done and what shes famous for.

This thread is horrid

They is a liar, a grifter, and a poverty tourist.

delighted to see them caught out in their lies.

and why people think she is lying
Because she does and tweets about everything so you can see the contradictions from one week to the next.

Does she provide anything in return for the Patreon payments? I use it for a couple of things, and for one I receive goods, periodically, and another I receive information/educational type emails and videos.

JM threads tend to get zapped pretty rapidly on here. I’m surprised this thread has lasted so long.

Shes discussing and debating moving in her post. She says its hard because its the longest shes lived somewhere and it feels like home, but will likely have to move. Shes done a blog post because she blogs. Thats what she does for a living.
How on earth is it insulting??

@Branleuse it’s the inconsistencies and lies. In the blog they is claiming they are cleaning their house with vinegar etc to save money, but only a few days ago was talking about having to use 2 bottles of zoflora to clean up after some animal. It’s also downright offensive to claim you were homeless when you were actually hosting coffee mornings for “mummies and daddies” in the area.

Yep, she's full of shit and I will be so pleased if the tide finally starts turning against her.
This.^
I'm afraid I can't forget the huge fuss she made over Jamie Oliver getting a "Cook economically with what's in your cupboards" gig at the beginning of lockdown. She banged on and on how "cheap cooking was her thing, and it should have been her etc", but when she got the chance she was an embarrassment and the other presenters had to carry her.
I wasn't a massive fan of JO, but I did think he made a very good job of that programme. and I saw him in a new light.

What about that would cause you to be pleased if the tide turned against her?

She was much more well known for cheap cooking being her thing - she had a point.

She wasn't good on TV when she got her opportunity, I know - I just don't think she knew it wouldn't suit her until after she'd had a go - her mental health had a big impact on her lack of success there. She tried it, it didn't work out, but why the hate?

(Yes I agree Jamie made a very good job of it, but with his years of experience on camera and large team behind him it's not that surprising.)

I agree about being able to discuss inconsistencies and also agree, with a pp, that she's done some good. So I hope this thread isn't removed.

@darisdet yes if you look through the tiers there are lists of what you get at each level.

There's a lot of work in meeting those!

I've only ever donated via her website and bought a few books.

The awareness Jack brings to poverty as a subject is unbeatable - there's so much value in that.

I wish Jack happiness and health (improved health as otherwise my comment looks really flippant and that's not meant)