AIBU to be shocked at this level of vitriol in an article targeted at one woman by another, even though it's in the Daily Mail?

[Chocolateseashells]

DM article. Linking this reluctantly as it brings more traffic to the site but you need to read it to see how low it sinks.

Disclaimer:
Yes I know AIBU for reading the DM in the first place and I certainly won't be doing so EVER again.

Just idly scanned this yesterday and was shocked that Amanda Platell refers to Fern Britton as having had a "girth the size of an elephant" along with all sorts of other sexist vitriol about being a "comely middle-aged mum" (wasn't aware being either was something about which one should feel shame ).

I know the DM is no friend of women but am I alone in being shocked that a female "writer" would engage in such worthless "journalism" against another female?

I don't know much about Fern Britton except that she's a TV presenter, but AIBU to be shocked that this article was deemed acceptable to be published in 2020?

Tbh, this really isn't about FB. It's more about the fact that it seems you can publish something like this about any woman in these seemingly "enlightened" times and no one bats an eyelid?

I’m not going to click on the link but I get the gist. It’s depressing what some people do for a living to get money and attention, but more depressing that people actually read and believe this rubbish.

X post LaMarschallin (taking your post at face value and without any irony attached; it's sometimes difficult to tell on Mnsnet)

Apologies in turn. I guess I'm a bit out of the loop and hadn't realised it had got so bad.

Call me naieve but I was genuinely shocked.

Have you ever seen Amanda Platell on Question Time? She's a rancid, self-loathing guttersnipe, a wannabe Katie Hopkins, with a terrible case of internalised misogyny. I'm not surprised.

She should be put in a spiked barrel along with Piers Morgan and several others, and rolled down a hill.

Goodness, bitchy female-against-female journalism is exactly what I expect from the DM. They do it because it sells papers. People love something to get all outraged about - or else to fervently agree with, especially if it’s something the average person doesn’t like to voice in public.

The piece of bitch-female-journalism I will never forget, was the nasty piece about Princess Diana in (I think) the Mail on Sunday - which was on sale on the very morning we all heard that she’d died during the night.

I forget the journalist’s name, but that was one piece she must have bitterly regretted for a very long time. IIRC she received an awful lot of hate mail and I dare say she either had to change her pen name, or resign herself to selling no pieces for quite a while.

it's all about clicks. So if you are the mumsnetter who sees one of these Mail articles - thanks for taking one for the team. So we don't boost their links by hurrying over to the site, you can copy/paste it here. This link is to an explanation of how Do Not Link works (it's valid for other sites where you don't want to increase their click-rate)

donotlink.it/

In essence, the journalist is saying that an ordinary looking woman in her 60s has no right to end her marriage to her hot younger husband and she'll never find anyone else who could possibly love her, seeing as she used to be the size of an elephant.

Charming.

Call me naieve but I was genuinely shocked.

Fair enough.

I'll leave the thread to let others get on with the proper debate.

Just as a by-the-by (genuine, honour bright), both Hadley Freeman's book "Be Awesome" and Lucy Mangan's book "Hopscotch and Handbags"* have chapters with brilliant satires of the DM's style of journalism.
Not a plug, btw - both available at libraries.

*The only book I've literally wet myself reading
(It was on a long flight and I hate going to the toilet on planes)

Juliette20 hear hear to that ! Believe it or not I remember seeing AP on various news "commentary" type programmes years ago before I lived overseas when she seemed quite intelligent and appeared to have a modicum of integrity. Shame she appears to have sold out since... what an embarrassment to womankind. I turn off the TV when Piers Morgan appears.

And have you perhaps never considered, Amanda, that she doesn't in fact want another man, that women can be very happy when single and the measure of a woman is not determined by a) being in a relationship and b) how young and attractive your partner is?

No, probably not.

LaMarschallin thanks for those links. Very much appreciated and will definitely have a look, but maybe not on a plane

Gettinglikemymother oh God yes I remember the scandal about that particular hideous article . Just horrible.

I have just remembered a friend being outraged by an article on Zara Tindall who was described as looking "healthy" on the back of a horse when she had just returned to elite level eventing after the birth of one of her DC. And of course the article was accomplished by a close up of her thighs in jodhpurs. Just sick really. So yes, I probably shouldn't be surprised by the vitriol aimed at MM or FB for that matter.

Just hideous I agree Cassidy

Brefugee thanks very much for link - that is really useful - and a small step towards fighting back I guess. I didn't even know that "do not link" links existed!

A glance at the Daily Mail's headlines (in the doctor's waiting room/at the local library!!) is enough to tell you what you need to know, but I have to admit I did click. I don't normally get past the headlines and on to the 'opinion' type gossip columns, so this has shocked me. I realise the OP has pointed out the woman against woman aspect, but I'm not terribly keen on human against human either, to say the least. it reminded me of something from a few months back. I watched the documentary about Jade Goody and, although I was not a fan, I was disgusted by some of the insults about her physical appearance by the gutter press, referring to her as a pig and such like. I remember thinking 'That's awful. You wouldn't be allowed to say that now'. But, bloody hell, it seems you can still say whatever you like. The comments about Jesy Nelson were spiteful and unnecessary and, further down, referring to Jo Brand as 'the lardie one'. Christ on a bike, I really must be living in a bubble because I didn't think people wrote stuff like that anymore.

Give it 6 months and they’ll be pictures they’ll have pap’ed in swimwear saying either ‘sad and lonely Fearne spend summer on her own in idyllic holiday destination’ or ‘Fearne found love again DESPITE her being whatever age she is....’
I loathe the Mail

Aaaaah ... the Daily Wail ... it's a national institution isn't it! If only occasionally it didnt do some really good journalism and undercover things, it would be totally atrocious tat and could be dismissed altogether because of it's bread and butter items like this ... but just occasionally it surprises and turns up real news that others dont cover or find out about.

Christ on a bike, I really must be living in a bubble because I didn't think people wrote stuff like that anymore.

YY This is exactly why I posted Clinkymonkey; I thought "there must^ be some sort of law against this but apparently not?

And just to repeat, the article was in the main body of the paper when it first appeared, or it would have escaped my notice too.

Not that that excuses my reading any of it frankly and I won't be doing so again.

I didn't read the article (I never go to MailOnline, even if I really really want to know something ) but I got the gist... It's so depressing.

Unfortunately these monkeys run the circus now

Yes I guess that is also true Hepsibar loathe though I am to admit it. It's certainly cleverly done despite the appalling misogyny and awful typos. It also has the occasional good wildlife photograph.

The bad definitely outweighs and undermines the credibility of the good though.

There is a balance to be struck and I think this particular article (I am sure there are many others) is beyond the pail. It's so puerile; the average fifth former could do better.

Woman with a face like an anteater.

It's what she does.

And what you do, apparently @BoreOfWhabylon. Can’t you find a way of making a point without picking on a woman’s appearance?

Don't feel bad OP - I've heard all the criticisms of and nicknames for the Daily Mail but I'm still shocked that they'd stoop to something like this.

Rightly or wrongly, I assumed the DM stream of abuse was all aimed at immigrants and other groups that the adorable right wing aren't fans of. Obviously that's not OK either - hence why I don't read it - but I naively thought these were their target victims.

I would have thought that a white, middle class, family-friendly presenter like Fern would have been safe from their nastiness. Apparently they're not fans of women either though, didn't appreciate that... I had no idea that the DM likes to spread its vitriol quite so far and wide.

On the week where Katie Hopkins has been suspended on Twitter, maybe the tide is starting to turn? I can but hope.

I am sure you are right Foslady .

The article mentions depression so I hope FB doesn't read any of this hideousness. It's bad enough having the circumstances of your divorce splashed over the papers.

I support the daily mail printing stuff like this, long may it continue.
I don't read it and don't agree but our press freedoms are being eroded. It's a dangerous world when we no longer have a free press.

Yeah I'm shocked it's printed. Very sad. I doubt that's what she was intended to use her education for.

Thanks ExhaustedFlamingo. I'm relieved others are shocked too.

I'll honestly never get this as long as I live.

Daily Mail readers starting threads about something they're upset about that they read in the Daily Mail

There have been so many over the years.

And yes yes they're all just 'idly scanning' or they tripped in the street and accidentally landed head first into the pages and accidentally read it...

But seriously, just stop reading it and stop financing them by posting links if you don't like the newspaper.

I’m not shocked. Women can be bitches. I once left a job where the majority were women because of it. It was toxic

Indeed Marshmello

Obviously I"m all in favour of press freedom Crockof but this is about commercialism too. Let's not pretend this is about ground- breaking journalism.