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Original poster

SUCH an offensive article....

31 replies

LostMyIdentityAlongTheWay · 31/05/2011 23:18

It was the Daily Torygraph - got it as a freebie from Hay Festival, otherwise I'd never buy it. A piece in there by a chap who has got a kid with Downs. And he made this comment about how his wife is twigging that all these 'celebrities' have really late miscarriages... and isn't it weird that they can happen at the time when tests show up Downs etc etc...

The obvious implication from his article was that slebs are aborting foetuses / babies (call them what you want, that's not the point of my post) because they have Downs.

I read it this morning and this evening just got SO annoyed by this. What an awful thing to write. It's totally his opinion, it's NOT based on fact - how fucking Torygraphy is that anyway... lots of innuendo and suggestion, rather then factual reporting...

Imagine if you were a sleb / non-sleb who has had a late m/c - and you read this piece. I can't even begin to imagine how it might make you feel. If you did abort for that reason, it's not like you need an additional guilt trip, FFS, and if it was a spontaneous m/c, you don't need to read a loathesome piece like it either.

Grrrr. Did anybody else read it? Am I being too sensitive here?

OP posts:
NulliusInVerba · 01/06/2011 00:14

Ive read worse. I read a comment on a message board that the celebs in question obviously miscarried their babies because they are too figure concious and vain, and so starved their babies to death.

But yes, id be suprised if there arent complains from the celebs in question. Whats the chances of them all, kelly brooke, amanda holden, lily allen etc having downs babies?

EricNorthmansMistress · 01/06/2011 08:22

That's so vile Angry

funnyspelling · 01/06/2011 09:52

The test for downs is at 12 weeks NOT five months or seven months. I expect slebs are human beings as well and bond with their babies....

kreecherlivesupstairs · 01/06/2011 09:54

Nasty, some people are just nasty (and loons).

aldiwhore · 01/06/2011 09:55

YANBU... some people should shut up. Vile comments. Whether they might be true or not is nobodies business.

whitechocolatebuttons · 01/06/2011 09:58

ugh. thats really offensive.

troisgarcons · 01/06/2011 10:02

He has a point in that you rarely see celebs with imperfect children. I can only think of John Travolata and that bloke out of the boy band who was in corrie who have children with ASD. Katie Price with Harvey. Off the top of my head I can't think of any Hollywood celebs with anything other than mainstream children. But I don't read pap magazines and follow gossip columns either.

BertieBasset · 01/06/2011 10:03

Horrible thing to say.

And medically incorrect surely? I thought nuchal fold scans can show if there are any problems with a baby. My friend had to have a cvs at 12 weeks due to potential problems but thankfully she and baby are fine.

It's wicked to make those sorts of aspertions about anyone.

xstitch · 01/06/2011 10:07

That's disgusting thing to write Shock. I do hope none of the poor families directly affected read it.

Birdsgottafly · 01/06/2011 10:07

I havn't read the article but it sounds as though he has tried to start a debate in the wrong way. If he is not skilled in that department and given the facts that it has been reported by the DM, it could be coming across in a completley different way that it has been said or meant.

It must be very difficult to look at your child with downs and realise that there are people out there that do not think that they should be born.

It is such an emotive subject it should be left alone by papers such the DM, mind you i cannot think of any subject the DM should be reporting on.

diabolo · 01/06/2011 10:07

I read the same article in the Times on Monday and thought it would raise a few eyebrows. I'm sure it does happen, but to tar everyone who has a late miscarriage with the same brush is awful.

StewieGriffinsMom · 01/06/2011 10:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SpringchickenGoldBrass · 01/06/2011 10:12

It;s because women are all evil selfish bitches, of course. WHo can't be trusted to make decisions for themselves. It's like the myth about 'too posh to push' elective C-sections (A c-section does a lot more short-term damage to the body than an unproblematic vaginal birth, it;s not a 'soft option') and comes from a deep hatred of women and a fear that they are no longer controllable - look, they are making decisions without men's permission! BAAAWWW!.

xstitch · 01/06/2011 10:15

Even it was true that they had had abortions it would have been a very heartbreaking and more importantly personal decision for the couple involved. It really is nobody else's decision to make.

SardineQueen · 01/06/2011 10:28

Shock that is absolutely unbelievable. What a total bastard. As if those women haven't gone through enough without having that thrown at them. Who the fuck does he think he is?

SardineQueen · 01/06/2011 10:30

troisgarcons the proportion of children in the general population with "visible" disabilities isn't that high, so I don't think you can imply that celebrities are doing anything different to average people in the population just because you can't think of many.

SardineQueen · 01/06/2011 10:30

They are people too, with actual feelings, believe it or not.

howsthatworkingforyou · 01/06/2011 10:31

That is awful.

howsthatworkingforyou · 01/06/2011 10:33

was gonna report the article can't find it though

Original poster
LostMyIdentityAlongTheWay · 01/06/2011 10:34

Oh God. Sorry all... it was in The Times. I do apologise. And now look like a total idiot for being too happy to fling mud at the Torygraph (which I still maintain does that sort of thing...)

However - despite my lack of detail - I'm glad to know it's not just me that found this really objectionable.

I did pick up on the 'surely you're implying they are having illegal abortions' point he made - I couldn't think of ANY test done at 5 months or so, which would make his general tone of article even worse - inaccurate (pot, kettle, anybody? Blush - as well as offensive.

I hate sleb culture myself and avoid it like the plague - I just about know that Lily Allen lost a child recently, but more than that I couldn't tell you... but the fact that I loathe media bollocks is neither here nor there in this instance. Just dreadful, really....

OP posts:
troisgarcons · 01/06/2011 10:35

No, I know, as I said, I can't think of any off the top of my head. British celebs yes, Hollywood stars no.

DillyDaydreaming · 01/06/2011 10:36

I read it too and it was dreadful.

SardineQueen · 01/06/2011 10:37

It's not illegal to abort late on if there is serious disability though.

(Wonders if this is going to get into an abortion debate and hopes not).

But the vast vast majority of abortions carried out in the UK are earlier on. So is he implying that celebrities like to wait much longer than average people. Or what.

What a bastard.

Original poster
LostMyIdentityAlongTheWay · 01/06/2011 10:40

Oh, SardineQueen, totally agree, that was NOT the point of my post, I assure you! I
Well, I think I'm off to try and dig out the article again and see whether I can find sufficient grounds to complain. I am just so irritated by it. Grrrrr

OP posts:
troisgarcons · 01/06/2011 10:41

I would have thought that a lot of late miscarriage is down to age, both mother and father. No 'nice' way to put it - but if you are going to wait until you are well established, can pick up again on your earning power and status, you are going to be somewhat mature. The older we get the risk increases of miscarriage, and of 'defects'. (don't like the term defects but I can't think of a more appropriate word)

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