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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be annoyed with the Daily Mail on Miriam Gonzalez Durantez's behalf?

56 replies

Oenopod · 14/05/2010 16:15

I know I shouldn't have looked but I followed a link from somewhere on here and arrived at the DM website.

There were at least two articles about and/or referring to Nick Clegg's wife as Mrs Clegg or Miriam Clegg, when that is not her name.

She has made it abundantly clear that her name is Miriam Gonzalez Durantez.

More irritatingly the DM were referring to her correctly in March and early April, but then she made a comment about how patronising it was for the media to devote so much time to the spouses, and since then the DM seems to be making a point by taking her identity away and deliberately calling her something that (IMO) puts her in her place, so to speak.

So AIBU? Or should I just stop following links to the DM?

OP posts:
Original poster
Oenopod · 14/05/2010 16:53

i can see where you're coming from mayorquimby but (sorry about this) take a look at today's article:

warning -links to daily mail

So it's all about her and 'letting her hair down AT LAST!' - nothing to do with nick clegg or politics. So she gets the spot light on just her and with the wrong name.

Only 4 weeks ago they were still calling her by her real name.

OP posts:
AbsOfCroissant · 14/05/2010 16:55

Well, I do honestly think she looks like a horse in drag. I wasn't saying I was being nauseous over her, but the really fawny fawny articles the DM has produced.

In the famous words of the leader of the Neutral Planet in Futurama - I have no strong feelings either way (about SamCam)

Cartoose · 14/05/2010 16:56

Such a petty "article". The language speaks volumes. 'War of the wives' ridiculous!

Original poster
Oenopod · 14/05/2010 16:58

Yes, the articles about Samantha Cameron's supposed wondrousness are nauseating, but I stand by the holding off on insulting her.

OP posts:
doggiesayswoof · 14/05/2010 17:00

clumsymum, Cherie Booth is known by that name pretty widely. She uses it professionally.

OP I know it's childish and not sisterly to insult Sam Cameron's looks - but there you go, I am puzzled by all the comments about how gorgeous she is. I'm not insulting her because she's married to a tory.

AMumInScotland · 14/05/2010 17:01

Having read the article, it's really quite nauseating.
"normally publicity-shy wife ... had seemed reluctant to join the so-called ?war of the wives? during the election campaign"

"last night may well signal a change in strategy now that her husband is the country?s second most powerful man. ...keen to heighten their public profiles and edge out of the shadow cast by Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife."

Um, no - she hasn't changed some "strategy" - she went along to a charity event and you decided to make a story out of it

Original poster
Oenopod · 14/05/2010 17:10

Exactly Muminscotland. But at least the charity event might have got some extra coverage out of it so there's a silver lining!

OP posts:
Miggsie · 14/05/2010 17:15

Yup, Spanish women keep their names on marriage. Boy children take dad's name, girl's the mums. This is why I know a Spanish lady and there are 3 surnames in the house.

It is also not legally imperative for a woman to change her name to her husband's. It is a cultural norm, but a woman can keep her own name...I did.

Yes, the DM hate any type of woman who has a mind of their own. I sometimes think the DM exists solely so narrow minded twits can read it and do cats bum mouths all day (like they need to practise).

TheHeathenOfSuburbia · 14/05/2010 17:16

Lucky they managed to get a photo up her skirt, too, don't think the article would have been complete without that.

MagicMountain · 14/05/2010 17:18

YANBU.

I don't know why calling yourself Napoleon is a problem, though, MiS.

Original poster
Oenopod · 14/05/2010 17:23

Am I allowed to admit that I'm secretly pleased that my first AIBU generated 30-odd posts in an hour and was quite a dignified debate!?

OP posts:
Original poster
Oenopod · 14/05/2010 17:25

heathen - not only that but the caption pointed out that she was a mother-of-three wearing an above-the-knee skirt - shock horror!

OP posts:
MunchkinsMumof2 · 14/05/2010 17:34

Count yourself vey lucky, even blessed Oenopod that your first foray into AIBU has gone so well as my burns are still healing from my 1st ever thread in Chat which resulted in 113 posts, much flaming and name-calling. you are lucky to be left unscathed

Original poster
Oenopod · 14/05/2010 17:42

Ooh I missed that. I won't ask what it was about for fear of resurrecting the fire for you. I hope you recovered!

OP posts:
ImSoNotTelling · 14/05/2010 17:43

YANBU

what most of the others have said

It's not her name FGS

MunchkinsMumof2 · 14/05/2010 17:45

Thanks oenopod, it wasn't pleasant and had me in tears! I thought Chat was ok and that asking opinions about issues was "safe" but I was wrong.FWIW you are DNBU

Original poster
Oenopod · 14/05/2010 17:50

Oh dear - remember that it is just words and without faces to put to names it is easier to be ruthless in expressing opinions. Hope you have better luck next time!

And thank you to everyone who agreed INBU. (And thanks for the dissenting voices - I listened but still don't agree!)

OP posts:
RebeccaRarebit · 14/05/2010 18:03

I think SamCam is very pretty and wears lovely clothes. I am very shallow.

Ivykaty44 · 14/05/2010 18:07

the daily mail hate anyone foreign, it is there job in their eyes to be vile and nasty to anyone who dares to be foreign and marry and english man - well sort of english.

links to the dm to get the links and and get the number of hits on the dm site up far and beyond what they would be otherwise

Silver1 · 14/05/2010 18:11

I think Miriam Gonzalez Durantez is a tough cookie, she is a partner in quite a tough law firm, she will have faced worse challenges to her self esteem on the climb to her current job, so I doubt she is as bothered as the OP and a few others, that said I think it is disrespectful.
Will she face worse, probably, does she care- I doubt it.

Original poster
Oenopod · 14/05/2010 18:14

I did think about the upping of the DM's hits by making the link. But felt you needed to read it to believe it!

OP posts:
hildegarde · 14/05/2010 18:33

I noticed that too... they were blatantly doing it just to be cheeky! I had the same thought, that she's not the DM type, snubs the press, and I guess they're no great fans of her husband either (remember the 'Nazi' headlines a few weeks ago?).

Especially hilarious that near the end they wrote something like "Mrs. Clegg, who prefers to be known as Miriam Gonzalez Durantez..." as if it was some silly affectation. It's her name! I've never heard of this "Mrs Clegg" before.

(Miggsie, I think the usual Spanish way is that you have the surnames of both of your grandfathers... e.g. Juan Lopez Martinez marries Miriam Gonzales Durantes, and the children get one surname from each, the surname that their parents got from their dad. e.g. Littl'un Lopez Gonzales (I think the paternal surname comes first). So yeah, there are 3 surnames in a typical house, but it's a bit more complicated...)

oceryo · 14/05/2010 18:51

The DM were comparing photos of the two women, Samantha Cameron with makeup on and Miriam Gonzales Durantes without. Why is it in the slightest bit relevant or newsworthy whether either of them is wearing makeup?

Bramshott · 14/05/2010 18:57

The DM probably think their readers are too stupid to work out who she is if they say "Miriam Gonzales Durantez"

2shoes · 14/05/2010 18:57

cheers..I had never heard of her.
but them who is she?

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