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Original poster

To think Katie Hopkins has gone too far this time to tweet about low life expectancy in Scotland.

144 replies

Cuddlydragon · 01/12/2013 16:51

She's a hired gun, I get that she's paid to be provocative but tweeting about a low life expectancy in Scotland in derogatory terms yesterday of all days is a comment too far. There's a twitter storm about her comments and a petition asking tv channels to not use her services again. I hope they take notice.

OP posts:
BeigeBuffet · 03/12/2013 10:37

I'm Welsh and have great sympathy for the Scots. The things that get said about the Welsh are as offensive as the things said about the Scots and it's rarely challenged.

I wasn't aware that Katie H had made further tweets about the Scottish, and far be it from me to defend a vicious and nasty troll, but I do still think that actually in some cases she has raised up the agenda issues that are rarely talked about.

When she says for example that women shouldn't have maternity leave or other stupid things, it means that 1, maternity leave is discussed and 2, anyone who makes a sensible argument about the value and worth of ML then automatically wins the argument.

If she wasn't there, we wouldn't have this argument and these type of issues wouldn't be discussed.

Revengeofkarma · 03/12/2013 10:49

But nothing really gets discussed.

X issue.
KH:"I'm against it for this really insulting reason."
Chorus: "That's really insulting! Why is this vile woman on our televisions?"

Round and round about why she's utterly vile.

I have heard a lot of talk about her (especially in Exeter, as people see her, worked with her and husbands are viewed as at risk). Yawn. However, I have yet to hear one actual discussion about the supposed issues she's raised. Not one. Not about Scottish health, attachment parenting, children's names and snobbish prejudice, maternity leave or anything else. If anything, her ghastly views get accepted somewhere in ranting about her as somehow the new norm.

Tardigrade · 03/12/2013 11:43

Can I just mention a couple of things? Smile First of all she didn't even get her facts right - the figure is not for life expectancy. Before anybody worries about your Scottish granny not lasting much longer, the figure is for Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) The figure for England is a few year's higher - mainly raised by figures for the South East. Manchester has a male HLE of 55 years.

Her tweet was after the Clutha tragedy. She then compounded it with many more. I suspect that a PA has noticed that there really was a lot of genuine anger and that her employers may actually take note of a large petition and suggested an apology.

I have signed the petition. I never usually respond to the silly woman - I don't watch her, buy papers with her in or anything else, she's just a troll. I don't think I'm 'giving her more attention' by signing. It is hopefully a way of speaking up & saying - 'Nope, that's enough. We don't want this brand of offensive 'social commentary' - not big, not clever, not funny.' Maybe it'll make her employers think twice - will the shock factor outweigh the potential boycott.

Hopefully this'll send her back under her stone.

OrlandoWoolf · 03/12/2013 11:50

I just wish someone would challenge her. Not her views but actually "her" and what she does. What makes her qualified to talk about business women on the TV and the Jeremy Vine show?
To ask her what she's actually achieved?
What has she done today to make her feel proud Grin
What effect her stuff has on her children?

cannotfuckingbelievethis · 03/12/2013 11:52

She's an utter arsehole but I've just read some comments on FB along the lines of "we'll see how smart you are when I turn up on your door step with a knife at your throat" so this whole topic has brought a LOT of arseholes out of the woodwork.

Ignore her. She's like an extra smelly fart. Makes you want to boak when you first realize it's there but if try to ignore it and get on with things you won't notice it after a while (and it will eventually go away.)

Death threats are just fucking silly though.

flipchart · 03/12/2013 11:54

I just wish someone would challenge her
She would only gurn and roll her eyes and carry on looking odd!

Revengeofkarma · 03/12/2013 11:59

She isn't qualified. But they don't ask her on to provide a qualified voice of reason. They ask her on because she generates column inches. She's Samantha Brick, just left the Mail for the Sun is all.

The end of her media career is nigh. I think we are at most two This Mornjng appearances before Philip Schofield, fully supported by his management, walks off set and refuses to interview her, thus garnering rating and the supposed high ground. 18-24 months will be the bankruptcy and divorce stories.

To paraphrase Dean Wermer: gobby, dumb and man-eating is no way to go through life, son.

OrlandoWoolf · 03/12/2013 12:03

It really annoys me when Jeremy Vine introduces her as a businesswoman.

Because she isn't.

Ubik1 · 03/12/2013 12:08

In some ways, if we remove her oxygen of publicity, then we remove some of the topics we could all talk about.

What you think people in Scotland don't talk about the low life expectancy of some of its most vulnerable people?????? You think we don't talk about that???? None of this is new and there is a huge amount of work and research going on to find out why this is, and how it can be helped. Perhaps Katie would like to talk to the academics and medics about this? Find out the environmental and social causes of this? Or would that require a little but of work on her part?

She's a fucking disgrace. Especially in the light of what happened to Glasgow on Friday.

Leonas · 03/12/2013 12:10

I don't agree that without her these issues wouldn't be discussed - I think that her ridiculous comments on these issues detract from their importance. When she was on This Morning with Peaches Geldoff, her daft comments and 'it's all a bit knit your own yoghurt' attitude meant that Peaches had to spend most of the interview dismissing her stupidity rather than actually explaining why she parents the way she does and the benefits of it.
I disagree with pretty much everything she says but I doubt she actually treats her children/ their peers the way she says she does or they would have no friends and be the most unhappy children ever.
She is just used to cause controversy and I just wish the programmes/ papers she is involved with would allow someone with a reasonable, balanced, informed point of view to join a debate rather than just infuriating people!

HorsePetal · 03/12/2013 12:11

I've signed the petition - not that I watch or buy or read anything that may have her in it but because I can't stand the genuine hurt and offence that she causes to others.

I do also wonder about her mental health (seriously). If someone is behind her, encouraging her to make these comments in order to encourage higher TV ratings then they should be ashamed Hmm

Screamqueen · 03/12/2013 12:15

flipchart you are wrong, she said it the night after the crash, not before.

OrlandoWoolf · 03/12/2013 12:17

I think she has to be careful as she is becoming very provocative and one day she will go too far. She will upset someone and that could make her a physical target.

flipchart · 03/12/2013 12:18

I take it back then.
I heard that it was before and since seen that it was after. Then I saw other reports that contradicted that!!

Tweeting inane comments after the accident is just asking for trouble!

fancyanotherfez · 03/12/2013 12:21

Part of me is delighted that she did this. I'm just waiting for her to become so toxic that her entire unpleasant 'career' implodes around her ears and I never have to switch off from programmes that I quite want to watch because she is on the ever again! She has so little self awareness and is desparate for fame and attention that it is bound to happen one day

Tardigrade · 03/12/2013 12:33

On the 1st of December she answered the question 'Who have you upset now?' with 'just Scotland. it is ok - no one significant'

While I am not in the least bothered how she views Scotland or the people in it, this was posted a full day after the Clutha crash and in her next tweet she refers to the petitions and jokes about them. The idea that this was bad timing and poorly judged hadn't occurred to her then.

Ubik1 · 03/12/2013 12:33

But even if the accident had never happened, the tweets are incredibly offensive!

Because she is talking about real people. People who will work until the day they die (because yes alot of these people work) and will never see retirement, grandchildren, have a little holiday. And it's due to generations of poverty, poor social/housing conditions, poor mental health and the strategies people employ to cope: ie fags, alcohol.

It's real, and any decent person would be angry about it

fancyanotherfez · 03/12/2013 12:35

Leonas Whether she treats her children the way she says is neither here nor there (and actually according to some in the know on this thread, they don't have any friends!) I don't doubt that she explains to them that mummy's job is to say stupid things, but that it pays for their ipads or whatever. What she is too stupid to realise is that when the iPad is broken and forgotten about, her children will remember that they were friendless and humiliated on a nearly daily basis because of her.

OrlandoWoolf · 03/12/2013 12:36

I think she has little emotional intelligence TBH. Or common sense. Sometimes you have to just shut up. Even if you want to be the pantomime villain, there are times when that's appropriate and times when it's not.

Revengeofkarma · 03/12/2013 12:54

Bearing in mind she also claims to think its ok to skip her kids birthdays to work because "birthdays are like trains, another one will come along" I really, really don't think her kids are any sort of priority.

People miss their kid's birthdays due to work. It happens. But to be so publicly flip and dismissive about it.....

When the kids are older and having the whole "I hate you!!!" Tantrums, it isn't going to help her corner to have this all easily found on YouTube.

Leonas · 03/12/2013 13:09

I suppose I just hope that other mothers at her children's school etc are brave enough to let their children socialise with hers, although it would take a very thick skinned parent to do so!
I do wonder how much she actually believes what she is saying? Her time in the limelight will be limited - I signed the petition too, not because I am Scottish but because it upsets me that the public are treated with such distain and expected to take someone like her as an expert and voice of reason. Don't we deserve better as readers/ viewers?!

sashh · 03/12/2013 14:18

That's so sad Revenge, who would be so mean that they would take it out on her kids?

She does.

In public.

In the press.

In tweets.

Their teenage years are going to be interesting.

jonicomelately · 03/12/2013 15:00

I think we should list the companies who advertise in the This Morning slots when she appears and boycott them. I know it's OTT but I fucking despise her.

Mintyy · 03/12/2013 15:12

She has basically sold her soul for the fame. She is a fool. She is a troll. But although she gives me the rage, its the fact that the BBC and ITV encourage her by giving her a voice that makes me absolutely furious to boiling point and beyond.

ProfondoRosso · 03/12/2013 15:43

Agree with Ubik - we're fully aware in Scotland about the health issues faced by our most vulnerable. Her tweet would have been offensive regardless - it's no laughing matter.

She has apologised for her 'timing,' but has not retracted any of the offensive things she's said. I normally just turn over and ignore her if she's on TV, but this time I am truly angry. We are fully capable of entering into debate on the issues she talks about without her.

Circumstances matter this time. Obviously denigrating people for their names/jobs/social circumstances is abhorrent whichever way we look at it. But this time, people are dead. They are dead. Families in my city will not have their loved ones with them for Christmas. This is too close to home, in many ways.

A full, frank apology from her is necessary. Or all media outlets dropping her (I believe Carol Thatcher was booted off a regular spot on the One Show for racist comments a while ago). I don't like to wish ill on others, but how will she like it when she has no money coming in, when she can't get a day's work? Whatever she feels, it will be nowhere near the pain she has caused certain, directly affected people with her idiocy these past few days.