So Ian Hislop thinks Gordon Brown came on Mumsnet because it "wasn't too tough." Can we have Ian Hislop on a webchat please...

[nigglewiggle]

The cheek!!

Also who said "that's the cringiest thing I've ever heard." You've been mentioned on HIGNFY .

On the subject of sneering - HIGNFY sneers at women full stop, doesn't it?

Hislop looks visibly shaken on those rare occasions when the person sitting next to him is a female.

Pah. All those Cambridge types beating around the bush instead of just getting their cocks out and seeing who's biggest...plus a few comedians trying to drum up ticket sales to their 'One Night at the Apollo'. Whataloadafarkinbollox.

Oh good, a thread asking exactly what I hoped would be asked

yes please

If you're not an MN poster - and I imagine IH is not - then the idea of the PM taking part in a Q&A session on a site called Mumsnet is v probably snigger-worthy.
I dont think his face-wrinkling was at MNers but at the thought of the PM choosing this rather than, as he mentioned, hignfy or question time.
The idea being that it was a rather lightweight choice in comparison to the things he doesnt participate in.
I dont see whats so wrong with what he said.

Saw it - it was a lazy swipe at mumsnet as insignificant and easy media: he is intelligent, he does play tennis, he does appear in Cranbrook, he is also arrogant and patronising to those beneath his notice which includes 90% of those who live near him and live ordinary little lives out of the glare of the chattering classes. if he came on here it would be to demonstrate what a man of the people he really is and I for one will be off.

I'd love to see him on MN.

I don't think the man has a clue about motherhood, but I think he'd hold his own.

What was it- young mums swear word information exchange?

made me grimace.

So much so I almost resembled him.And then I remembered previous webchats and grinned.

He'd not dare come in

It was lazy though, the assumption that mums are not worthy/able to aks sensible, insightful difficult questions and only want to know about biscuits and simpering girlie things.
And the HIGNFY writers have to be blamed mostly for posing the question in that manner. twats.

Why is MN a 'lightweight' choice? Because it's frequented by women with children?

MN has a history of webchats with all sorts of 'heavyweights'. It's a direct line to parents ie. a great sample of a huge proportion of the population. Why wouldn't the PM - or any savvy politician - want to talk to us?

Hislop is a twat.

Oh, come on, be realistic. I love Mumsnet as much as anyone, but I think we're in danger of over-stating its reputation here.

TB - its a perfectly legitimate choice, but it is what it is; a Q&A session with members of the public.

(thank gawd for bibbity)

I think it was the implication that because it is Mumsnet it is somehow lightweight that angered me. Especially when you know how articulate and intelligent we can all be (sometimes)

ian hislop behaved like a twat

BUt if the site was called something else it wouldn't have been commented on like that. It's the fact it was MUMSnet.

Tennisnet
Scooternet
Dagenhamnet
TopGearnet
SoftwareProgrammernet

I think IH's reaction would have been the same.

DADSnet...

I think it was because it was a sentence that he said it in a sneering fashion.

The wind changed and he DID stick like that...

I think Ian may be eaten alive by the net cast by mums. How very dare he! He'd better start rehearsing now!

It was definitely said in the manor of "you are not worthy of the PM's time".
Seeing as all we do is exchange information about our precious babies.

I understand we are fairly insignificant when it comes to political commentary, but where did any of the political parties start? In small groups discussing issues that were important to them!
I would love for MN to be the media which galvanises women and men to make a real differences in their lives.

DO you know what JV? I very much doubt that.

salvolatile - my friend's sister used to commute in London and once, when reading the HIGNFY book, Ian Hislop sat next to her and chatted to her about it. After that he used to sit next to her regularly and chat about her family, life, etc. She's really nice but not gorgeous or in any way posh/influential, so it always struck me that he might actually be a bit shy in public and not that comfortable with himself. Of course, I don't know that this is the case. Personally I prefer Paul Merton - silliness as opposed to snideness every time.

P.S. I enjoyed The Island - except the modern bit at the beginning and end. Feel very brave for saying that in the face of all you highbrow lot slating it

Thing is, you could pick vast swathes of this site and he'd be justified in his sneering (however protective of those bits MNers feel).

Hey, though, maybe he could do a video chat with Greensleeves? She and Piers Morgan really hit it off, after all

do you think he'd bring his side kick with him?

Hey. Look. Let's not be too defensive here. It was satire here. Why do we need to worry too much what he thinks of MN? The question was asked. Many of us would scoff if we heard about Other Parenting Sites had asked him about, oh, what colour socks he was wearing.

if you're not 'in' you don't get the tone do you?

I think MN could rework it's reputation as hard-hitting by doing something on the BNP, meself...