Former MP Matthew Parris caused outrage in his Times column last week by suggesting that cyclists should be beheaded. Under a headline reading "What's smug and deserves to be decapitated?", he wrote "A festive custom we could do worse than foster would be stringing piano wire across country lanes to decapitate cyclists". He commented that cyclists have "brutish disregard for all other road users".
After cyclist organisations had complained he later printed an apology, saying that he meant it humorously, but had made a misjudgement.
I too find it outrageous. Outrageous that he has decided to apologise for offending the obviously frail sensibilities of this arrogant bunch. There's a sort of sense of self fulfilling prophecy about the number of complaints received from this unsocial group, and I find it disgusting that Parris has backed down over an article which was so obviously designed to be humorous.
What's the point of The Times giving column inches to someone who runs for cover when one of the most basic of journalistic duties is challenged - that of creating outrage through humour.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
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3 comments:
"Most basic of journalistic duties" is to create outrage through humor?
Since when? I thought it was to report the facts of an event.
You really don't like apologies at all, do you? So it seems to ME, now that I visit your blog.
But I suppose you'll want me to apologize for that.
Please don't come back to my blog.
Not even to respond to my comment!
Just don't read me. Apparently I have nothing worthwhile to say, in your eyes.
Everybody has something worthwhile to say Tracie, it's just that we all have different opinions.
If you don't value other people's opinions, and only want visitors to your blog to have exactly the same views as you, that's fine.
Extremely narrow minded in my opinion, but fine.
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