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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have been shocked at this article?

26 replies

AmIReadingThisCorrectly · 15/06/2015 18:38

NC for privacy in case I'm being silly and have genuinely read this wrongly.
A former schoolfriend who I guess is trying to "make it" as a journalist has written an article about the various benefits of some dietary supplements and it's been published. However it just doesn't sit right with me, especially a part where it quotes a professor as predicting that humans are in danger of becoming a "race of morons" and then saying that this prediction is in danger of coming true with the "spiral of neurological disorders such as depression" amongst others.
As a sufferer of this myself I may be being a bit sensitive but it seems to genuinely label people with mental illness/autism etc as "morons".
AIBU and reading this wrongly or is this offensive? There have been a few comments made and the magazine is strongly denying it. The schoolfriend is someone I've not spoken to for years but I wouldn't have said they felt that way about depression etc.

Link is here (hopefully!): www.frostmagazine.com/2015/06/theres-something-fishy-about-our-lives-leading-experts-detail-new-research-and-science-concerning-brain-health/

OP posts:
Original poster
AmIReadingThisCorrectly · 15/06/2015 18:40

i'm really sorry, I don't know how to do a clicky link!Confused

OP posts:
OP posts:
Original poster
AmIReadingThisCorrectly · 15/06/2015 18:42

Sorted it - good old Google!Smile

OP posts:
zozzij · 15/06/2015 18:48

The magazine is described on its website as "A Thinkers Lifestyle Magazine." They're a bunch of thick arseholes who fancy themselves as intellectuals - they can't even punctuate "thinkers" correctly in this context for fuck's sake. They'd better start downing fish oil, pronto. Cunts.

Original poster
AmIReadingThisCorrectly · 15/06/2015 19:26

This is what I think is the worst bit in case people reading can't be bothered to read it all!

To have been shocked at this article?
OP posts:
hackmum · 15/06/2015 19:29

As far as I can tell, that article just seems to be a piece of advertorial for a product called Equazen.

Had a look at the rest of the site. It's very badly written.

longlistofexlovers · 15/06/2015 19:29

Just Googled the author, found her LinkedIn.

I wouldn't worry too much about what she thinks OP Wink

CrystalHaze · 15/06/2015 19:37

She wants to make it as a journalist? She might want to consider! laying off the exclamation marks! as they're making HER look a bit of a moron!

As are the ... ellipses she's scattered liberally ... throughout this dross.

Wink
Pippidoeswhatshewants · 15/06/2015 19:38

Sounds like a lot of pseudo-science bs to me, OP.
In the author's defence, the 'morons' seem to be a (attention grabbing) quote.

Hunter-gatherers must have been pretty sharp, if our species' decline started 10 000 years ago...

Coffeethrowtrampbitch · 15/06/2015 19:38

What arrant rubbish.

I have a rare neurological disorder and I would be very relieved to be prescribed fish oil instead of the toxic immune inhibitors and sky high levels of steroids which have wrecked my health for the past 3 years.

Except that then I would die, because fish oils have health benefits, they are not medicines.

I don't know what you should do, I imagine your journalist school friend has wedged their head up their ass so far it can only be removed with the aid of essential fats as a lubricant. Just be glad you made more of your education than they did!

Theas18 · 15/06/2015 19:42

I wonder if there will soon be a war with the big pharma manufacturers of equasym - branded methylphenidate used for adhd?

Seems an awfully close coincidence of name and medical area?

Original poster
AmIReadingThisCorrectly · 15/06/2015 19:45

OMG. Just googled the Professor's name along with the phrase "race of morons". Turns out he was badly misquoted a few years ago and had a hard time of it trying to prove he didn't say that.
Plus we can now add plagiarism to my (ex) friend's list of skills - the "moron" section is almost identical to one of the paragraphs I found on another site. The thing that's annoying me is that anyone speaking out about it and commenting to point out the clumsy wording and its subsequent meaning is instantly being accused of libel!

OP posts:
GirlSailor · 15/06/2015 19:45

As hack says, it's a not very good advertorial. If I was giving her advice I would say that this is more copywriting experience than journalism experience. I'm sure aspiring journalists are cheaper to hire than established copywriters though. I'm guessing she doesn't have too much writing experience from some of the errors but it's also been badly subbed so I'm guessing not much has been spent on it.

I agree that as well as unsubstantiated, the remarks about mental health and disabilities are pretty nasty but mentioned the above as I doubt people will take it seriously because of that. I doubt it will help your friend out either though and I doubt she was well paid for her efforts.

CrystalHaze · 15/06/2015 19:49

"I doubt she was well paid for her efforts"

I doubt she was paid at all ~ I'd bet it was one of those 'No money, but great exposure for you' jobbies Wink

Original poster
AmIReadingThisCorrectly · 15/06/2015 20:16

I think everyone submitting work to be published on that website does so without payment. You're making me feel much better, thanks for the replies so far Smile

OP posts:
gingersquirrels · 15/06/2015 20:44

I'm a journalist. I'm hooting with laughter at this pile of bollocks.

CateMercer · 16/06/2015 16:22

Actually 'thinker's' is correct. I like the site. It has lots of great content. As for the comment, I hope it was taken out of context. Bit silly.

LurkingHusband · 16/06/2015 16:37

Thinkers or Wankers ?

scatteroflight · 16/06/2015 17:03

I really don't know where people get the energy to be constantly offended. I imagine it's because they only read within their approved opinions and only have friends within an approved circle. Nothing outside of this ever penetrates their minds. So when something does get through by accident it is profoundly shocking.

It's related to the "safe space" phenomenon at school and university. People are so protected from unapproved views that it boggles their minds when they stumble across them later in life. Hence the horror at un-PC thought that might be expressed by an acquaintance on Facebook etc.

Original poster
AmIReadingThisCorrectly · 17/06/2015 07:39

Do you think that people with depression are morons then, Scatter?
Anyway - update. The article has been removed, both from ex-friend's Facebook page and the Frost magazine site. I guess it wasn't just me who thought it wasn't appropriate.

OP posts:
CateMercer · 17/06/2015 15:41

If they are an ex-friend how do you know it has been deleted from their FB page? It seems you have an agenda against this person.

LauraMipsum · 17/06/2015 16:24

Are you the aspiring journalist Cate?

CateMercer · 17/06/2015 16:31

It is also still published:

CateMercer · 17/06/2015 16:32

I am a journalist. Have been for 15 years.

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