Execrable piece on JKR in “The Independent” 13/10/24

[NitroNine]

It’s an opinion piece, which the author seems to have understood as meaning “actively avoid facts & research, just wang on”. His ramblings are focused on her tweet about Butlins turfing (?terfing) 5 male people out of the women’s loos (then apologising because said male people feel entitled to use facilities for those of the opposite sex); a situation FWR have been discussing here.

The “sad new low” is this absolute trash being published by a once-reputable publication. Idiot selfish man whining about how he liked ready “Harry Potter” when he was younger - & immediately demonstrating he’d not even understood Rowling’s children’s books, let alone these far more serious issues.

An alarming number of the comments are ascientific twaddle &/or regurgitations of the full gamut of unsubstantiated claims.., definite suggestion, too, of Shenanigans, with comments in odd mixtures of US & UK English (NB not Canadian English, which does of course blend the two, but a clunky mixing of terms as of copy-pasting) 🤨

Sad indeed, OP. I used to quite like the Indie.

The comments under any article about gender issues are usually overwhelmingly gender critical. (That's why The Guardian doesn't allow them). The comments now seem to have been disabled possibly because they've detected some unusual activity. There's a news report https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/jk-rowling-butlin-s-trans-women-toilet-b2628456.html#comments-area with some lively comments underneath. I've been reading the Independent for a while and there are an unusually large number of pro gender ideology comments on that one too. I think the Independent is cynically using JK Rowling to get people to read and comment on articles.

Dude sounds like a country Victorian clergyman having a rant about things of which he does not know.

Much is made of how security 'slammed against walls', 'dragged them out' as if that's outrageous behaviour - but that means these 5 men were refusing to leave and caused a scene. Security were just doing their jobs.

Who reads The Independent now? It is irrelevant, dull and in love with its own perceived virtue.

Clickbait. ((Shrugs))

I don't think any mainstream news source has credibility these days. They all read like comics.

If you click through to the guy's profile, he also has an opinion piece on why the Harry Potter tv series is doomed to failure, and why Rosie Duffield is a terrible person. Basically, he's just another man who gets very angry at women who stand up for their rights.

The Independent was once a great newspaper - I find it sad that it's reduced to publishing trash like this.

Yes - there seems to be the return of a Victorian morality. Women must only speak when men (or pompous youngsters) decree. You see it occasionally on here when one of the more rigid minded posters with a dislike of women starts dominating a thread, solely focused on stopping women voice their opinions.

I just like the word execrable

BezMills I know, here I am, a veritable litany of wow! words at my fingertips & somehow I’m posting on MN & that utter nugget is being paid actual money for the twaddle he produces. Hélas, the world, it is cruel & unjust.

O tempore o mores

I was going to write that if he's a freelance journalist, he's probably not being paid very much. I know people who have written for the Voices section and the fee is negligible. But it turns out he's actually a commissioning editor and columnist for the section. He still probably doesn't get paid that much, but the very fact that a newspaper is willing to pay him a salary to churn out this drivel on a regular basis is a sad indictment of the Independent's values.

Followed this on X where the comments were less favourable. His response to one shows how little he thinks of any concerns raised.

https://x.com/womenssocire/status/1845543052716458446?s=46&t=ZX_bLozRqm8etdGICMcAvA

Pink News for people who’ve never heard of Pink News.

What an angry little man

Agreed, people who leave quietly don't get slammed against a wall. Security have to be very careful in using force though as other wise they can lose their license and I have no doubt the usual mob have already reported this yo the SIA

Well I’m not going to click on the link as misogynists don’t deserve the clicks, but it is ridiculous how people can be defending 5 men who were so persistent in occupying the women’s toilets that there was time to call security while they were all still in there. I don’t think they just wanted to pee….

Well, I'm newish to all of this but my Instagram and Threads are flooded with vile comments about JK Rowling. Pure hatred from young men and women. :(

What's your thoughts on the issue, @snugasbuginarug ?

@Ereshkigalangcleg My thoughts are some of you, super articulate people with clear understanding of the issues, need to be a bit more present on Instagram and Threads and subtly try and bring some sense back.

I think many of us have given Meta up for lost, but I know what you mean.

I found it interesting that the columnist didn't address the incident itself directly (5 transwomen in a ladies' toilet at the same time?) but used the space to write about JKR's bigotry only. There wasn't much in it we haven't heard already.

@PriOn1 Here's an archive link if you want to avoid giving him clicks for his clickbaity article:

https://archive.ph/Tdo1q

Yeuch. Can't believe how far the Independent has fallen.

@snugasbuginarug I am on Threads and everyone hates JKR, Rosie Duffield, Elon Musk and TwitterX. I block block block.