I'm Jack Monroe. Ask me anything.

[MxJackMonroe]

Hi Mumsnet.

It seems every time I am in the news, a MN thread about all things transgender crops up. I didn't see the last one (yesterday?) as I don't come on here very often these days - people who eavesdrop etc etc. I was cooking in a tent in a muddy field all day, having a ball, not googling myself on the internet!

The thread was deleted - which was nothing to do with me, nor my lawyer. The day I call him about a MN thread is the day I pack everything in for good. So far only the Mail and Hopkins have had legal action taken against them, and both for quite serious statements. I'm not rich enough nor quite bothered enough to call him every time someone says mean words on the internets.

ANYWAY. Threads about me tend to get deleted. So here's a new one. Because there are clearly some questions that keep coming up, criticisms that I could answer, speculation I could clarify and untruths that could do with correction.

So I'm taking questions. I'm an adult and I take an awful lot of criticism and unkindness online, on the chin. I am pretty mentally stable right now, and feel this could be a constructive discussion.

In order to stop this descending into pandemonium, using general 'chair' rules, to start with I'll take one question from each user - if it's quiet and everything gets answered, feel free to add follow up questions.

It doesn't have to be about boobs, dresses, hormones. Literally ask me anything.

MN - please don't delete this thread. I think people have valid things to say and I'm here with my big girl/boy pants on to hear them.

Over to you.

Sorry, but I've never heard of you!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Monroe

I don't understand why Jack is getting such a hard time on here....

Nobody has forced her to do this though.

She chose to post a thread all about herself, invited people to "ask her anything", and then linked to it on Twitter.

She has actively sought this entire interaction.

She has actively sought this entire interaction To be fair, MNers started it with the threads over the last few days. If I found a thread slagging me off and willfully misunderstanding my position on things I'd like to think I'd come on to engage in a more positive way too.
If you don't like Jack, don't find them interesting or don't know who they are then you can always read another thread. MN has many more...

Ah but the thread was discussing a newspaper interview that she did, it wasn't based on a random doorstepper paparazzi getting pictures of her. I think that (?) makes a difference. It was a thread to discuss the news, not to slag her off (afaik, I actually missed the original thread)

To pick another person who doesn't have abhorrent views (so to not use Katie Hopkins, basically) but generally talks about good things with a few little issues, are we allowed to discuss articles by Owen Jones?

If you don't like Jack, don't find them interesting or don't know who they are then you can always read another thread.

I don't particularly like her (nowadays) but I do find the contradiction between her supposed inability to cope with media attention and her active courting of it quite interesting in a morbid way.

Nicola, she's a fairly well known cook who came out as trans and then keeps slagging off MN posters in interviews.

Not exactly fair. I made a reference to an absolute monstering I got on here, where people were saying my son should be taken away from me because I am trans.

What's happened to the libel action against Katie Hopkins? (From the Wiki link above)

She has actively sought this entire interaction

Yes. Because I wanted to hear from people so I understand what the issues are. I wanted to engage. I wanted to discuss. I wanted to learn, as well as put my side across. How is this a terrible thing?

I have not read that thread, Jack, but I was on an earlier thread that you quoted from in the Guardian, where you completely misrepresented what posters had said.

planning plastic surgery, as celebrities are inclined to do

I was considering a chest reduction 10 years before I wrote a book. I am in teo minds about it and considering all of my options very cautiously before making a firm decision.

Where I' misrepresented or where the printed and carefully chosen snippet of a 3 hour interview misrepresented it?

What's happened to the libel action against Katie Hopkins? (From the Wiki link above)

Still in progress.

Never heard of you, but will look you up now!!!

He looks like a replacement member of Union J

I was going for the love child of Debbie Harry and David Bowie, myself.

Huh. This started off so well and I skipped to the end to see people getting irate. Not sure why someone else's life has to conform to anyone else's standards as long as they're not directly harming anyone, or why it's a bad thing that someone wants to deal with criticism directly. Jack, you seem like a thoroughly decent person.

I assume that as you are only responding to points I made to other posters, rather than the question I actually asked you, even though you started a thread asking for only one question from each poster, and I have followed your instructions.

It is totally irrelevant to me how long you have been planning plastic surgery for. It doesn't change the fact that for young women, you are yet another female celeb having plastic surgery.

Oh had someone else already asked JM why she actively seeks attention despite the seemingly negative impact that media exposure has had on her mental health? confused

I, er, turn down 95% of media interviews and never seek them out myself. I have never called a newsdesk or rang a journalist to sell a story. I frequently make my social media private to buy myself some breathing space. I moved out of london to southend to escape the bubble. There's an awful lot I keep in.

prettylegs that wiki link above is a good start I think for learning about Jack Monroe.

Jack assuming you have input into / write your own wiki entry? i.e. you approve it and don't think it's misrepresenting you?

What does feminism mean to you ?

I answered this yesterday. I'll dig it out.

It is absolutely incredible that on an 'ask me anything' thread you are questioning me!

Here is the quote:

'I was heavily criticised by some users on Mumsnet for my “proposed removal of a pair of healthy breasts”, as though breasts are a trophy, and I am a fool to part with mine. Perhaps so, but this body dysphoria runs deep, and I would be a fool to tolerate it when I don’t have to.'

Nobody on that thread, on a feminist board remotely suggested breasts are a trophy, and you claiming that is just relying on the misogyny of your Guardian audience.

Because I wanted to hear from people so I understand what the issues are. I wanted to engage. I wanted to discuss. I wanted to learn, as well as put my side across. How is this a terrible thing?

I did not say that your posting of this thread is a terrible thing.

My point - in response to someone saying that they "didn't know why you were getting such a hard time" - was that you yourself initiated this entire discussion about yourself. It didn't have to happen at all

Were you born Jack Monroe?

I was born a baby. Not a bleached blonde 28 year old author with a child in a Vivienne Westwood dress, no.

It is absolutely incredible that on an 'ask me anything' thread you are questioning me!

Apologies, I didn't realise I wasn't allowed to ask questions in my responses. Can you point me to the rules please so I can ensure I don't break them again? Thank you.