To actually feel a little SORRY for Liz Jones

[LibrasBiscuitsOfFortune]

Here:
www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1202314/Liz-Jones-I-loathe-smug-modern-mums--I-want-one.html

she gets linked to quite a lot on Mumsnet (which is why I end up reading her drivel, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it).

She just seems so UNHAPPY. I think she doth protest too much about not wanting children, I think she may have the body of a skinny 17 r old but she has the personality of medusa, she has this irrational NEED to slag off and denigrate anyone who doesn't have her lifestyle. I am surprise she HAS any friends if this is the way she talks about them in the media, part of me wonders if before every column she emails them and says "don't worry about what I am going to say about you this week it's only so I can afford more designer handbags - love you really".
However I am in a forgiving mood this morning, so instead of thinking all of this is because she is not a nice person, I am going to put it down to the fact she must be dreadfully unhappy with her life.

So AIBU to feel sorry for Liz Jones or is she really just a harriden?

tbh it is only now I have children that I truly sympathise with the desire not to have children! Not that I regret my decision - i just understand what you could gain from a life w/out them - I certainly don't think anyone should criticise those who are childless.

But those who have children are not easily lumped together into a stereotype anymore than those w/out. It is a nonsense to try.

Having suffered from serious anorexia myself in my twenties I totally understand the hugeness of the struggle. But to be still locked in that pattern for the whole of one's adulthood, up to age 50, is desperately sad. Absolutely desperate. It is a miserable life, living with that level of self loathing and self denial. And I speak with experience.

She came over very bitter to me. Very self consumed. I don't think she looks that great either, would rather have a 'muffin' belly like she said her friends have than look like her. Fancy calling her friend's child 'horrid', poor kid.

I am totally with you on that one poface. Now I just feel really really sorry for her.

yradisTheSeer I would like to point out, as the OP, I am NOT saying it's sad or that I'm sorry for her that she is childless, I too have very happy childless friends BUT she doesn't really seem that happy with her life IN ANY RESPECT. She seems to hate her friends, her body, HER WHOLE LIFE.

Of course this being mumsnet the main focus became her attitude towards children in the article but really all her opinions are quite bitter.

Bigmouthstrikesagain - Oh dearie me why did I click on that link?! Actually I'm glad I did. It was worth it for this alone, which 'shurely' must be destined for Private Eye and Pseuds Corner

'Time passed: sighs of steam, the transformative nudge of hot metal through dimpled cotton, the pleasant scent of scorch filling the kitchen. I did five shirts in a sort of dazed, absthe sleeves, and then I went upstairs to find some more. I was enjoying myself so much that I even wondered about the tea towels'

You gotta admire that. It's a wonder she didn't go the whole hog and have a milkmaids outfit made and get everyone to eat cake when the bread ran out

I think the difference between her and other single women without children, is that she probably has that choice made for her by way of her bitter, dried up personality.She seems very insecure, and for the recored, I DO think she looks 50, she looks like a 50 year old trying to look like a 35 year old. Pigtails are not a good look once youve left year 5 IMO.

Libra - I agree with you. I was only talking about her opinions on children earlier.

her husband was hideous. And agree that the friend who commented her lovely garden was wasted on her was a twat. But I do wonder why she attracts such awful people.

Its probably all made up.

Everything I've ever read by or about Liz Jones and her ex-husband has made me wince. Everyone is entitled to their opinions but only the Daily Mail would be interested in printing them! They may be very nice people in real life but their writing makes it failry clear they are both completely self-obsessed and shallow.

Who cares if she doesn't want kids? Plenty of my friends don't but no-one thinks that's particularly worthy of comment. And why can't you like kids and animals?

anniemac ooo i bet she is ,I dont know anyone who didnt get a tiny bit precious when their puppy has chewed their leather sofa ,new shoes etc

bigmouth, so true about really appreciating the child free life AFTER you have children, and it's too late.
That article you liked to made me want to puke

This is the vile woman who paraded her problems with he DH ad nauseum in the Sunday Mail. She openly admitted that she DEMANDED diamond earrings then threw an almighty wobbbly as they were gold not platinum and form the wrong retailer. No wonder he did a runner with Daphne

I do feel sorry for her somewhat but she expouses such utter rubbish about women, motherhood and childlessness that I can't take her seriously.

She is SO immature. How dare she make so many silly judgments and opinions which are fundementally wrong?

I don't know WHY the Daily Mail employ her!!!

Her writing is very poor quality, opinionated and biased. She is not helping women achieve more at all. She does not understand the struggles of motherhood so she should SHUT UP!

What she says seems as much for effect and controversy as it does her actual view point. She is childless, she made a choice so she should stick to it and be happy.

I disagree with nearly everything she said in this article from mothers to the NHS to how pets are as valuable as children etc.

It's like never having had cancer and saying 'oh well, it can't be that bad, get some chemo and you'll be fine! She has no experience of motherhood, so is not qualified to comment it.

She needs to take early retirement and stop offending so many people with her ignorance. She's a bitter, lonely middle aged bore and when I'm 50 I hope I'm happier than she is!!

Fancy comparing chickens with children! I've got 4 cats and 3 kids but my cats are cute pets , not human beings. I love them but it can only go so far.

She needs to take on board other's opinions of her views. I just want to shout at the woman- GROW UP! You made your bed- lie in it dear.If she's so happy being childless and divorced why is she moaning?

I'll never read one of her articles again and although I can perfectly understand why she has not had kids, to attack people who have is wrong.

She know s nothing of the struggles and challenges of motherhood, so she should keep quiet as she has nothing useful or valid to say.

She is a victim of today's society too- put her career before kids, left on the shelf, etc. Most women still can't really have it all and for her it is now too late. A shame. One day women will be able to have both. She is clearly not a natural mother , so she should be content to live her life with out belittling others.

Feminism has a good way to go in many respects both in UK and more so globally. As a jounalist in the public eye she should be championing women's equality just like the Fawcet Society instead of writing rubbish.

Honestly, I really think she should be sacked- as much as I hate the Daily Mail they can do better than her. It's not just sensationalism, it's potentially harmful to the genreal public who could form negative and ignorant views and opinions about women with children.

I feel sorry for the friends of hers that she has slagged off! Bet the amount of christmas cards this year halves!!

I think this thread should be mailed over to her work so she can see what people think!

You're all obsessed with her and her article has attracted over 100 responses on here - so from a journalistic perspective she is very good at her job.

We seem to be hearing a lot from Liz Jones lately. I think she is getting ever more desperate to find things to write about, no doubt she has been shocked to find out how much money it takes to support all her animals' expensive therapies/manicures/organic diets etc.
Apart from writing about her own shallow, selfish, slightly deranged existance, she probably doesn't have any other way of making money. Can you imagine her holding down a normal job, one where she has to get on with other people every day?

Years ago she used to bang on in her column about wanting a child and preparing for social worker interviews so they could be approved for adopting. So which is the truth?

Children certainly wouldn't have made her any happier. She doesn't seem to have much of a knack for happiness, and for that I do feel sorry for her.

I agree with those who said she comes across as unhappy and bitter.

In all honesty though, I expect to disagree with stuff in the Daily Mail. I assume that the entire purpose of the paper is to provide a platform for views I don't agree with. I get much more annoyed at the vitriolic 'child free' articles that seem to regularly crop up in the Observer/Guardian and which are often juxtaposed with some nauseating nonsense about how wonderful motherhood is etc (and even more dismayed by the comments on both). It annoys me because those newspapers imagine themselves to be champions of the feminist cause etc, etc, but this all seems completely divisive and counterproductive. I don't see what's to be gained from setting women against each other in this way.

I don't really see how anyone else's decision to have kids or not is any of my business. Or why I should care about it any more than I care about their choice of electricity provider or wallpaper.

"You're all obsessed with her and her article has attracted over 100 responses on here - so from a journalistic perspective she is very good at her job. "

You're right but I think she was hoping to come over as insightful or witty or even acerbic rather than just sad.