"Girls need more career help, says Clegg's wife Miriam" Grrrr

[Portofino]

BBC link here.

I like some of her comments but despite the fact they mention that she out earns her husband, the headline still seems to place her as being worthy of an opinion because of who she is married too.

What's wrong with "says top lawyer"?

Maybe I am just being pissy.....

Yeah, that's quite funny it's so bad.

Of course, porto, the press does have a very difficult dilemma, as the wretched woman didn't change her name, so if they refer to her by name, how would we know who she was married to?!

Irony alert..

however, if they didn't mention who she was married to..wouldn't we all wonder why she was being asked her opinion specifically? It would be different if it were say

"Girls need more career help, says Clinton's wife Hillary"

But certainly the headline could do with a less 1950s headline

I'm with you OP. It's ridiculous that they seem to think people will only know who she is if you mention her male partner and the head line implies that it's only worth reporting what she says because of who she's married to. How very dare she not take her husband's name and still expect people to know who she is (and listen to her! )

She is a top international lawyer. Why should her opinion not be worth listening to? What she said was perfectly valid. It makes me a bit sad that it only got reported (probably) because of who her husband is, rather than because of who she is.

I also secretly wondered if she knows Xenia

Oh, porto.

You've not understood this modern world, have you?

But seriously ... isn't it a load of shit?!

It is.

Sorry if I didn't come across as clear in my post, I don't think her opinion is not valid, I just don't think the Telegraph (the article the bbc article is based on) would have gone to her speficially if not for the link? Otherwise it would just be "lawyer says obvious thing?"

And "irony alert" was directed at the BBc not at the OP!

I think the fact that they call her Miriam Clegg in the web address is probably more offensive.

www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/10360903/Miriam-Clegg-Why-Im-calling-on-brilliant-British-women-to-go-back-to-school.html

Oh, I got it!

You're right, it is incredibly rude.

I know, I know. Woman says something is not news. But they considered her comments important enough to publish but could have reported it so much better,

It almost makes me wonder if someone didn't deliberately report it this way, to do her down.

Yes, it is depressing. On a number of counts.

Firstly, because 'top lawyer says something about inequality isn't news in its own right. Any number of colleagues I used to know could have given a talk like that, or written a paper, and wouldn't have been given any coverage in the legal press, let alone national. She is only considered worth listening to because of who her husband is. Because that type of issue isn't high profile like random witterings of the CBI or Lord Sugar.

Secondly, because they decided to listen to her because of who she is married to, but then didn't just accept that we knew who she was, it had to hammer home her link.

I saw that and asked DH if the BBC were taking the piss.

He did not find it hard to see why.

I mean sure she is of interest to the public via her husband BUT surely they could have found a different way of putting it in a headline without simply referring to her as someone's wife? The juxtaposition was just screamingly awful.

Even putting part of her name in there would be better.

"Girls should aim high - Clegg's wife".

Honestly.

The Torygraph's headline is better. DH proved yet again how wonderful he is by getting the issue straight away.

Penguins, I know.

Miriam, if you should happen to be a MNetter I feel your fucking pain.

They always call her Miriam Clegg. Assholes. I have been known to shout her real name at the radio when they do it

Why does this have to nit picked?

I am trying to convince myself the BBC has portrayed her as Clegg's wife to make the article more appealing to the general public, as opposed to her being "just another lawyer", she is "famous." But that's just depressed me even more.

I agree, she should be quoted as "Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, the deputy PM's wife." (Accepting the reality that she will always be linked to her husband in press reports.)

It's not just that she's been portrayed as 'Clegg's wife' to make her appeal to the general public. The only reason that the BBC is listening to what she is saying at all is because she is 'Clegg's wife'.

Sadly, feminist issues are given such a low profile and interest in the press that the only way to sell them is with some form of fame. And hers is her husband's. I couldn't begin to count the number of City women who could have said all of this but would never have been given the platform to do so.

I read an article in Grazia about her yesterday with a pretty much identical title .

(Obviously, I was reduced to buying Grazia to read with my Sainsbury's coffee because they don't stock Spare Rib )

Still trying to be optimistic. She is wise to use her soapbox as shout it from the rooftops then.

Yes, I am rather fond of Miriam. I like the fact that she doesn't waft around looking fragrant and hanging off her husband's every word. No nauseating 'my hero' stuff for her. She's busy, no she's not bloody coming to your little speech. I like that about her.

And yes, since she has a profile she didn't choose, good on her for using it in a positive way instead of waxing lyrical on her favourite pie filling.