To be cynical about David Beckham's latest antics

[Perriwinkle]

Yes, we've heard how absolutely marvellous it is that he's going to be donating the wags he'll earn during his 5 month stint at Paris St Germain to a French children's charity (and don't get me wrong I'm sure it is for the charity) but I really don't swallow this whole altruistic Francis of Assisi line.

I've heard people referring to him as "a real class act" but if he really was a "class act" would he not have done this privately, without the fanfare and circus of a full blown press conference in front of the world's media - which, incidentially, most normal footallers, irrespective of how good they are, never have when they sign for new other clubs. Most seem content to manage with a quick photo opportunity holding up the new club's shirt.

Does this deeply altruistic act have anything to do I wonder, with the fact that his wife has a burgeoning career as a fashion designer and would love to be lauded in Paris and taken into the hearts of the French?

Does it have anything to do with furthering the "Beckham brand"?

Does it have anything to do with wanting a knighthood?

Does it have anything to do with boosting an already planet-sized ego?

Does it have anything to do with Beckham's relentless worldwide charm offensive and the seeming obsessive desire to be adored?

I'd say a resounding yes to all of the above.

Realistically there is a huge personal and financial benefit to be derived by David Beckham from making what is, in reality, the equivalent in relative monetary terms of about a £20 charity donation to your average person.

He used to just sound thick too but yesterday I noticed that an annoying smugness appears to have crept into his voice

[DumSpiroSpero]

Give the bloke a break! I loathe football and the whole culture around it but:

He's donating the money to charity where it will do good whatever his motives may be.

We don't know that his motives are suspicious - as someone else as pointed out, it could just be that as he already has more money than he knows what to do with and it's only a 5 month contract he though 'Sod it, why not?'

Regardless of the charity donation, by choosing Paris SG over one of the other options he has probably made a good move for his whole family, not just for himself. Career benefits for Posh and the opportunity for their kids and their UK based family to spend more time together after years in America.

There's no point whingeing about him having press conferences - the public are interested in celebrities, PSG want to show off their new signing - he probably had no say in the publicity involved whatsoever.

I think he came across pretty well tbh.

[DumSpiroSpero]

Agree that the tax situation may have given his altruistic streak a nudge in the right direction, admittedly, but a charity will benefit anyway - so what!

[Sparklingbrook]

This grated my carrot too. I wonder how many auditions he had and how many other kids were up for the part?

Unconnected to charity debacle but hey. Why do they continually shove those children in our faces?

[Footface]

I love Vikki B, think she great. Completely selfish and pretty open about it too.

And yanbu it really pisses me off the he couldn't just donate it without the fanfare, it's so obviously a publicity stunt. It's crumbs to them

I don't shout from the roof top when I throw 20p in the charity basket

[landofsoapandglory]

I doubt he had any auditions Sparkling, he only got the part because he is a Beckham! There are better looking kids in the Next Directory!

Wasn't it last week that Brooklyn was in the papers because he was in Cheslsea's Academy?

Yes it was! They are never going to go away, are they?

[Sparklingbrook]

No they aren't land Do children wear Burberry flasher macs in RL? He likes to go out in a suit and a bowler hat according to his mother. Yeah right.

[Southeastdweller]

land I think we're going to be seeing a lot more of them in the media now most of the clan have moved back here. Can't wait.

That Daily Mail article was interesting, written by someone who I understand has an excellent reputation in sports journalism.

[Sparklingbrook]

They said on Radio One this week that all other Spice Girls follow VB on Twitter, but she doesn't follow any of them back. Selfish much?

[mrsjay]

brooklyn goes out in a bowler hat WHAT yeah right poor kid has it shoved on his head by vicky b is probably a designer pals of hers ideas that all boys are wearing them

[landofsoapandglory]

I can't wait either Sparkling!

[mrsbunnylove]

i agree. its a business/career ploy. it will have been mapped out with a business manager. beckham's a brand, not a man, not a family.

[MechanicalTheatre]

Like others have said, at least he's doing it. Doesn't really matter too much what the motivation is, in the grand scheme of things.

I find it weird when people call him thick as well. Maybe he's not academically clever, but he's a really intelligent footballer.

[BumBiscuits]

Agree that it is a stunt but if a charity is going to benefit, and possibly others will copy him, I can't see the harm.

On another note VB behaves as if she's mortified that she was ever a Spice. That's sad.

[mrsjay]

Agree that it is a stunt but if a charity is going to benefit, and possibly others will copy him, I can't see the harm.

I spose you are right just publicity stunts like this really get on my wick

[BumBiscuits]

Oh totally agree, mrsjay but when he's on the tellybox, look away or change channel or even shout at him to fuck the fuck off, there are ways round it

[mrsjay]

yes i humphed at him

[CotherMuckingFunt]

Maybe, just maybe he offered to give his wages yo the charity and they asked him to announce it. Having such a high profile person being seen to support them will raise their profile and attract more donations. I don't doubt that he'll be getting a huge amount back from this but perhaps it wasn't him who wanted the fanfare?

[JakeBullet]

YAB a bit U as DB and his family do masses of stufc for charity which is never publicised. I can think of one case where a seriously physically disabled little girl benefitted from a highly specialised and expensive bed which was bought and paid for by the Beckhams under the proviso of "no publicity". They do masses of charitable stuff.
My hope is that publicity stunt or not it might kick start other obscenely paid footbsllers into similar stuff.

[Sparklingbrook]

He could go and work for the charity for 5 months instead?

[mrsjay]

TBF i think he does loads of charity work sparkling and not in the public eye he has a football thing and they do have childrens chairites they work for, I suppose ( and this is sticking in my throat) his grand gesture the other day is a good thing may show up other slebs to do it, as long as i dont need to see VB pouty face I can cope

[trixymalixy]

I also think that anything that could possibly give young footballers an example of an appropriate way to behave can only be a good thing. There are so many examples of appalling behaviour by pro footballers out there.

[hackmum]

YABU. It doesn't really matter why he's doing it - at least he's doing it. However much you dislike someone, I think you ought to give them credit when they do something good. (With the exception of Jimmy Savile, who only used his charity work as a means of getting access to vulnerable children.)

[IDontKnowWhereMyMedalsAre]

I agree Trixy. I would far rather my Ds heard about DB giving his wages to charity thatn those other footballers with their racist comments, toasting or roasting (whagtever its called), rapists (alleged or otherwise). Good luck to him, it would seem that its a win win except for those on MN getting too het up about what essentially is something and nothing (IMHO).

[Perriwinkle]

Yes, it's a "win win situation" blah blah blah.

But to Beckham, the money being donated represents the equivlent of the likes of us bunging a charity a quid. So no big deal there really. It was hardly worth shouting about really was it? Would have showed so much more class if he'd made it a condition in his contract not to make it public.

Contrary to popular belief, every year many professional footballers establish chartiable foundations in their name. No one here appears to realise that though, assuming instead that Beckham is doign somethjing groundbreaking and setting a prescedent that others should/will follow. Bollocks.

The reason you don't know about what the others do is because they go about it quietly and discretely and unlike Sir Beckam, don't purposely and intentionally create an absolute media circus around everything they do, motivated solely by the desire to raise their public profiles.

OK so David Beckham made a big public hoo-ha about making a charity donation and he does some other charity work too. Well, so do literally hundreds of other professional footballers the world over, whether through their football clubs or privately.

Why then is David Beckham singled out for being such a "top bloke", such a "class act" and philanthropist of the bloody year for doing what all the others do?

I just don't get how this man has some sort of aura around him which brainwashes people into thinking he's some sort of "national treasure". In reality he's just another ridiculously tattooed, ridiculously rich, ridiculously self absorbed footballer/model with an ego the size of a planet who does a bit of charity work here and there, just like all the rest.

He doesn't do anything different or special to mark him out from all the rest in my view, oh, apart from know how to network to get himself into positions where he can raise his profile still further, and to seemingly possess an uncanny knack of conning people into thinking that while he's doing so he's working tirelessly and being so very altruistic and patriotic! .

[JakeBullet]

...but periwinkle....he has also been doing charitable stuff very quietly for years.