AIBU to think that Giles Coren's column about Ukraine is disgusting?

[chipbutties4ever]

I know that it is supposed to be satire, but I can't find any humour in Giles Coren's article about Ukraine today. It makes me want to cancel my Times subscription. A few days ago a maternity hospital was bombed and terrified families are being shelled while they try to escape! The whole world could be dragged into a nuclear conflict.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/giles-coren-in-a-cage-fight-ill-take-mad-vlad-over-truss-cp9vgrl6h

(It is behind a paywall, but the general gist is that he's bored of people talking about the war, no one cares about Ukraine because it's far away, and maybe the Russians aren't so bad, and what if the Ukranians really are Nazis. I've also attached some screengrabs). Maybe I'm not clever enough to appreciate Giles' sophisticated brand of satire. I didn't go to public school or Oxford University like he did, but even The Times' readers who tend to applaud his sneering restaurant reviews in the comments seem to be appalled.

Oh wow. Yeah he’s taken that too far. Completely misjudged the crowd. That’s so rough.

@MFY79

I am a Pole living in UK, myself and many people I know are actively involved helping Ukrainians running away from war. I attached a photo of the babies rescued from an orphanage, temporarily looked after by volunteers. They are housed at the rail station while suitable accommodation is found. As much as I try I can't find anything funny about the war. I was reduced to tears reading that article.

😢 heartbreaking

@Boood

Nobody ever starts a thread when he writes a good column. He did one about Alexander Mosley that was really humane and compassionate, and clearly from the heart. And his one on the London property market last week was absolutely spot on.

Not seen a column about Mosley but if you mean "Chairman Kim might buy Chelsea" it was neither funny nor original - there wasn't a comment it in which hadn't already been made by a dozen other writers that week, usually with more insight, wit or both.

@chipbutties4ever

I'm very tempted to cancel my subscription. He also wrote this very worrying article about having his "sexiest holiday" ever with his three year old daughter that I also can't believe The Times ever published and surely must be a huge red flag.

Wtf Joking about child abuse is also not ok.

He's done some decent tv, that show with Sue Perkins was good though might be because she is good! Love his sister, she has pretty sharp wit too that not everyone gets

I cancelled my subscription because of him. Massive prick.

Why does the UK media have so many pet that are only known, due to what their parents did?

@tttigress

Why does the UK media have so many pet that are only known, due to what their parents did?

Nepotism. The British class system.

@tttigress

Why does the UK media have so many pet that are only known, due to what their parents did?

The class system, same class system whose existence is vigorously denied on pretty much any thread here discussing class.

Yes to the class system but additionally it's down to the connections, particularly in the entertainment . If you have family members successful in the business then you already have one foot on the ladder. They can get by with pretty limited talent.

@mrshoho

Yes to the class system but additionally it's down to the connections, particularly in the entertainment . If you have family members successful in the business then you already have one foot on the ladder. They can get by with pretty limited talent.

Don't tell that to Laurence Fox as he will shoot you down for claiming that he had privilege. He will deny that his family connections helped him in anyway get into acting.

@SheldonesqueTheBstard

Must be hard when the sister got the brains and the looks.

Take the shame instead mate.

Yup!

Yes odious-she's glorious!

@mrshoho

Yes to the class system but additionally it's down to the connections, particularly in the entertainment . If you have family members successful in the business then you already have one foot on the ladder. They can get by with pretty limited talent.

Yes, much as I quite like him and she's quite good, I feel irked that Chris Packham's step daughter now has a career on all of those Winterwatch etc programmes. Did she have an audition?

I think he can get carried away and think he’s cleverer than he is.

Chris packhams stepdaughter did live broadcasts with him every morning in lockdown when nobody else could. She was very good and knowledgeable so guess that was her audition.

@mrshoho

Yes to the class system but additionally it's down to the connections, particularly in the entertainment . If you have family members successful in the business then you already have one foot on the ladder. They can get by with pretty limited talent.

It's the old, but still true, maxim of It's not what you know, it's who you know.

They do hate it when it is pointed out to them.

You have to wonder how many children of celebrities would have made it / had as much brand recognition if they had not been children of celebrities...

And then Lawrence Fox gets upset when he gets called privileged

Tbh if every article and programme in the British media had to have a credit or byline explaining the personal relationships of the writer to the commissioning editor, we might become a bit more enlightened.

'At school with the editor'
'Married to school/University friend of the editor'
'Ex illicit girlfriend of the commissioning editor's university tutor'
'Brother in law of the commissioning editor's best friend'

So true.

@cakeorwine

You have to wonder how many children of celebrities would have made it / had as much brand recognition if they had not been children of celebrities...

And then Lawrence Fox gets upset when he gets called privileged

Absolutely, would the Beckham children have got the gigs they did/do if their surname had been Smith? Brooklyn Beckham's risible Photo Book was a particular low, there are way more talented photographers from far less privileged backgrounds if it hadn't been for the cachet of his name and the influence of his parents that book would never have made it out of the starting blocks let alone be published and promoted.

I posted a comment below his article on The Times website which was removed immediately. It was totally innocuous but mentioned his awful comments regarding Dawn Foster which I must assume was taboo. I reposted saying it was an odd world that we live in where my comment was removed but his "satirical piece" could be published.

Giles has issued a worm-like apology via Instagram (it seems he's too scared to return to Twitter after celebrating Dawn Foster's death blew up on him). In the comments all the usual suspects congratulate him on his wonderful satirical article - Piers Morgan, Jeremy Clarkson, and also Kitty Dimbleby, herself a recipient of "daddy got me a job" privilege.

@chipbutties4ever

Giles has issued a worm-like apology via Instagram (it seems he's too scared to return to Twitter after celebrating Dawn Foster's death blew up on him). In the comments all the usual suspects congratulate him on his wonderful satirical article - Piers Morgan, Jeremy Clarkson, and also Kitty Dimbleby, herself a recipient of "daddy got me a job" privilege.

I bet they do.

Giles who?

The article about Ukraine was vile whether or not it was satire, and his Instagram apology was cringeworthy. Also Giles definitely lies about his height. He is a pathetic, inadequate man who passes himself off as being 5 foot 9 when really he's several inches shorter than that. Deep seated insecurity is at the root of all his satire that punches down. Like his terrible novel, every time something he's written blows up he claims it is only a joke, apart from when he mocked the death of Dawn Foster which he is completely silent about. He's like Schrodinger's Douchebag.