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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to report India Knight ...

58 replies

philkim · 15/07/2009 18:48

Am a long term lurker but feel very angry about this and can't think of what to do about it. India Knight today twittered:
"Also, imagine getting so cross about a social networking site. Like it, don't like it, whatevs. No need to have an epi."

My son has epilepsy and I find this offensive. Anything I can do about it?

OP posts:
oneopinionatedmother · 15/07/2009 20:38

india knights blog is moderated - i tried posting a comment in which i disagreed with her, it never appeared.

although i don't like her writing, and disagree with her in many respects, i do otoh think YABU

it's just one of those expressions that has slipped into the vernacular tbh - i'd never even considered what it actually meant until today. (i thought it might be as in 'epic rant')

SingingBear · 15/07/2009 20:39

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FabBakerGirlIsBack · 15/07/2009 20:41

Oh God, I say I nearly had a fit and never realised.

wolfnipplechips · 15/07/2009 20:42

actually in the when i read it i thought she meant epidural as well, have an epi in the sense of a bit is very teenagerish language for a journo.

CoteDAzur · 15/07/2009 21:00

I meant to say YABU, in case that wasn't clear from the rest of the post.

itchyandscratchy · 15/07/2009 21:06

i emailed her once beause in her first novel (before she'd had her dd) she described a character as a 'spaz'. I asked her now she'd had her dd did she regret using thoughtless language like that in the past. She didn't rply to me directly but she write about it in her ST column and she was quite sheepish about it.

I do believe lots of people (not necessarily including IK in this) use the word 'epi' without any thought. In the USA they use the word 'spaz' in the same way. they use it like you'd use the work 'idiot' or something. Not saying it's right... just thoughtless

Quattrocento · 15/07/2009 21:06

Ignore IK - really. Better for your blood pressure.

squeaver · 15/07/2009 21:11

Sooo?? What are you going to do???

cherryblossoms · 15/07/2009 21:16

I think I'd recommend the ignoring route. IK is known for her "right off" language, i suspect she rather enjoys assuming she's upsetting liberal sentiments. (And she assumes correctly - it does p.o. me, for example.)

That said, her stance on race and her change of (some) language after having a disabled daughter suggests that her insouciance is, indeed, born of the absence of a need to be conscious on various issues (like most of us, I guess).

So, if you feel strongly, I'd suggest tweeting back/writing - just don't expect a response.

But I suspect that Nancy and Quattro and Shiney have the best advice when they suggest you just stop following her.

You could try adding as aside to her that her rather unaware vocabulary ages her ... .

branflake81 · 15/07/2009 21:16

YABU. I have epilepsy and I don't find it offensive at all - it's just a turn of phrase. Life is too short to get upset about things like that.

Pendulum · 15/07/2009 21:19

I've never realised it was an epilepsy reference- thought it was spelt 'eppy'! Would not have crossed my mind that it would be offensive.

Original poster
philkim · 15/07/2009 21:29

Kids in bed. Thanks for all the messages and appreciate all the YANBUs (as well as the YABUs).

Epi is slang for epileptic fit and was common when I was a kid but seems to have disappeared a bit.

Cotedazur, there's a difference between a freak accident and a chronic illness so I'm not sure the 'bus' analogy is quite right.

I'm not sure what I am going to do, squeaver. Not keen on direct tweet (why? too confrontational for me). I just wanted to see whether I was being hypersensitive. Tell me what to do...

Tidey has a good point about the role of Twitter but I think this shows that using Twitter does raise questions about censorship vs offending people. Do people think it's OK to tweet something even it's going to offend?

OP posts:
fourkids · 15/07/2009 21:39

I think India Knight is probably not a very nice lady. If you skim over her column she comes across as a bit witty...a bit gritty maybe. But if you read closely and regularly it is easy to come to the opinion that she is quite a rude, judgemental (ha, hark at me!), insensitive, unpleasant woman. She is, I suspect, one of those people who tries to gain popularity by attracting attention to herself by bitching about other people. Not very clever really, (ha, hark at me again!).

I think that is offensive, and that she should know better. I am thinking about what you could/should do...I might come back if I think of somethng constructive!

hester · 15/07/2009 22:10

I've met IK - and I agree with fourkids.

IKnowWhoYouAre · 15/07/2009 22:16

I follow IK on Twitter and have found that I like her much more on there than I ever did from reading any of her columns. I have also sent her @ messages which she's replied to. And that's how Twitter works - it's a two way conversation. If you object to something somebody says, tell them, tell others if you feel the need. Don't waste your time whingeing about it on here. Tweeting is a two way street.

wolfnipplechips · 15/07/2009 22:23

IKnow, i don't think the op is whingeing on here she is being very sensible and checking out whether or not she is being unreasonable before she confronts Ik.

thingamajig · 15/07/2009 22:24

I have mental health problems and have often wondered whether it is worth getting cross when people use mad, insane, crazy, nuts etc in a negative way. But I think its a figure of speech, not a calculated insult and that there are worse things out there. So YANBU to be annoyed but try not to let it bother you.

saintlydamemrsturnip · 15/07/2009 22:26

Just tell her. She's very good at replying to emails. I've had a number of email conversations with her. I think she will modify as well.

RumourOfAHurricane · 15/07/2009 22:38

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Quattrocento · 15/07/2009 22:46

Burchill vs Knight

The problem that I have with IK is that she's so loud and so brash and so very very unoriginal.

I mean most of us have a quiet grumble about our weight and abstain from cakes for a day. IK writes a book about it. "Look at the New Meeeeee" But the thing is, the new IK looked uncannily like the old IK. And that was a bit sad really.

ilovemydogandmrobama · 15/07/2009 22:53

Agree with Quattro. She's a mediocre journalist.

besides, you are probably reaching a larger audience than her anyway

TheCrackFox · 15/07/2009 23:07

She really is dire, isn't she?

FioFio · 16/07/2009 07:49

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MaggieBeBold · 16/07/2009 07:55

I think if she's offensive across the board, then that does take a bit of the sting out of it. If she's singled out one disability or race or profession then that'd be harder to shrug off.

But leave a right-off comment on her blog! maybe the person moderating her blog will have a quick snigger at how popular their boss is!

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 16/07/2009 08:19

You should report her for being a ridiculous try hard who is attempting to speak like a teenager but sounds like a twat.

Seriously - she's in the public eye - she shouldn't use words like epi. Having a disabled child is no excuse.

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