Ash Sarkar - twitter really is grim

[Xanthangum]

The story is in the papers now: www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/reading-stabbings-muslim-journalist-death-22227933

I'm diametrically opposed to Ash's views on some issues. But this is quite clearly a) racist bullying, b) misogynistic bullying and c) people using a very horrible incident to unleash their own prejudiced vile viewpoints.

@kojolo

Hardly a wild projection.

You suggested I was writing in the style of the Daily Mail. Now that is a wild projection.

And if you're going to make veiled insinuations about my character you have no claim to the moral high ground.

I was trying to understand why on earth she would pose in that vacuous way. There is no need for any of this.

People were even claiming the victims were being given first aid in the photo, which means the camera must have had a very impressive zoom as she was in a park in Hackney.

I'm in my 40s and thus not part of the selfie generation, but that's exactly how that reads to me, as a generational thing. People Ash's age take and post photos of almost every moment of their lives. There really isn't anything extra "vacuous" about being in shorts in one of those photos, it's just summer.

People were even claiming the victims were being given first aid in the photo, which means the camera must have had a very impressive zoom as she was in a park in Hackney.

And here you were thinking that that tiny blob in the background was an ant or a ladybird.

I can't understand that AS defames and is disrespectful to two women who are pillars of Feminism (with Julie Bindel, it wasn't 'criticism', it was defamation, without doing an ounce of research) and now Feminism means that we have to feel sorry for her. No thanks.

You don't have to feel sorry for her, but there's no possible feminist interpretation that doesn't identify a problem with a woman getting rape threats because of something she posted on social media.

@TheProdigalKittensReturn

I'm in my 40s and thus not part of the selfie generation, but that's exactly how that reads to me, as a generational thing. People Ash's age take and post photos of almost every moment of their lives. There really isn't anything extra "vacuous" about being in shorts in one of those photos, it's just summer.

She's 28, hardly a teenager.

I'm well aware from younger relatives and friends on social media that they take lots of selfies but they put them on their personal facebook accounts. Not work ones. I can't imagine my NHS relative, my teacher relative or my postgrad student relative posing in pink shorts on their work accounts. I'm perfectly entitled to call this vacuous because that's what it is.

Just another example of male violence being used as an excuse to bully women I guess

This. It works in all directions of the political divide too. I saw a ‘delightful’ character threatening Dominic Raab that his wife would be gang-raped after take-the-knee-gate last week.

My nephew is about her age and just as selfie prone. DH took him to a football exhibition game a couple of years ago and he spent so much time taking selfies with players in the background that DH confiscated his phone for the duration of the game. They all do it, no idea why but they do.

I was trying to understand why on earth she would pose in that vacuous way. There is no need for any of this

Vacuous is exactly the right word. I could understand it (just) if posted on a private friends and family account but on what is her work account?

I'm also not inclined, just because someone else has been nasty to Sarkar and she's a woman, to give her a free pass on her own vacuous narcissism.

DidoLamenting

And this gem "I'm literally a Communist"

m.facebook.com/novaramedia/videos/2601690043205480/

So she's a communist? What's that got to do with anything?

Morgan was being both a dickhead and a very poor interviewer in that clip. He kept saying over and over again how she was such an Obama supporter, and completely ignoring her correcting him to point out she isn't, just talking over her instead. She'd already told him she was a communist, which he also ignored. So she got a bit flustered like you do when you're trying to get a point across to someone either too thick or too mysognist (or both) to listen.

Not sure what your point is in this...

Am I in the feminism board here or have I wandered into somewhere else by mistake? It doesn't feel like fwr

I've already explained on several posts what my objection to Sarkar's nonsensical posts about being a "luxury Communist"

I don't have much time for anyone who thinks Communism is a viable form of government- particularly when in Sarkar's case claiming to be a Communist seems to be for some sort of cool points.

Hopefully we can get past people's feelings about her pose in the photo.

Clymene

Am I in the feminism board here or have I wandered into somewhere else by mistake? It doesn'tfeellike fwr

Why? Someone has been nasty to Sarkar on twitter and we're supposed to wipe the slate clean and forget what a poisonous little twerp she is?

Vacuous is exactly the right word. I could understand it (just) if posted on a private friends and family account but on what is her work account?

This seems like very strange criticism to me. She's a media personality, she doesn't have a "work account" - this is her work. Her work is to further her own brand and, regardless of what you think of her views, she's been bloody successful at it. She really doesn't need advice on managing her Twitter account from us lot.

I'm with @kojolo on this one. Take apart her views all you want but knock her for taking a selfie in shorts? Not on board with that.

It's not the poisonous little twerp bit I'm objecting to Dido.

@twoHopes

Vacuous is exactly the right word. I could understand it (just) if posted on a private friends and family account but on what is her work account?

This seems like very strange criticism to me. She's a media personality, she doesn't have a "work account" - this is her work. Her work is to further her own brand and, regardless of what you think of her views, she's been bloody successful at it. She really doesn't need advice on managing her Twitter account from us lot.

I'm with @kojolo on this one. Take apart her views all you want but knock her for taking a selfie in shorts? Not on board with that.

She's a media personality?

Ok, got it. Now the shorts and the pose make sense.

I thought she had pretentions towards journalism or academia but evidence of ability in those fields was pretty thin.

DidoLamenting

The point is not whether communism is viable. The point it that her views on it, or anything else, are irrelevant to the issue at hand. NO-ONE should be subjected to that kind of online abuse based on stupid invention of guilt for something they haven't done. regardless of where they are on the political or any other spectrum.

She identifies as a journalist. but we all know that "identifies as" means "but is not".

The abuse she is getting is undeserved and vile. I disagree with some of her views. Both these things can be true at once.

She's not a communist, no matter what she claims. Her class analysis is woeful.
And her narcissism knows no bounds if she felt last night was a good time to post a posing selfie in a park.
But no-one deserves abuse and death threats. Perhaps she may pause before she instigates pile-ons in future or supports OJ in his. Although I doubt either of them possess that degree of self-reflection.

I'm in my 40s and thus not part of the selfie generation, but that's exactly how that reads to me, as a generational thing. People Ash's age take and post photos of almost every moment of their lives. There really isn't anything extra "vacuous" about being in shorts in one of those photos, it's just summer.

Totally agree. This thread has gone in a disappointing direction.

@ATomeOfOnesOwn

She's not a communist, no matter what she claims. Her class analysis is woeful. And her narcissism knows no bounds if she felt last night was a good time to post a posing selfie in a park. But no-one deserves abuse and death threats. Perhaps she may pause before she instigates pile-ons in future or supports OJ in his. Although I doubt either of them possess that degree of self-reflection.

She posted it before the news of the murders. It really was just a standard issue selfie of a person having fun in the park.

It's true though, whatever else there is to say about proper Communists, they do at least understand the importance of structural analysis.

Why is her outfit relevant, sorry?