I was pondering on the values of various newspapers today, after seeing the front page of one of our right-wing, very old-fashioned, hidebound tabloids. It gave the entire from page over to the headline "What's Really Wrong with the Queen". I looked at it for a bit and thought, "with all that's happening in the world, that was the only thing you could find for your headline??"
Not the millions of refugees in Syria?? The hundreds of thousands dead?? The dreadful situation we've left behind us in Iraq?? The child-soldiers of the Congo?? The fact that North Korea is sabre-rattling again - and might just be reckless enough to plunge the world into war??
None of that is as important as a minor stomach bug??
Last week my personal choice for tabloid reading had a front page devoted to the news that the UK might repeal the Human Rights Act and withdraw from the European Court of Human Rights. Which considering the UK was one of the main backers of the project originally seems pretty daft. Not to mention worrying for British citizens. It also had a very small pic of HM and a note, "Queen in hospital with gastroenteritis" to one side of the page. On that same day one of the tabloids had a front page almost entirely taken up with the screamer "Sick Queen Rushed to Hospital."
The Queen has a stomach bug - she is still performing her duties within the palace - giving out medals, attending the Privy Council meetings, signing stuff, etc. but she's cancelled any appointments for outside tasks. Understandable - with stomach bugs you like to be as close to your loo as possible.
Lots of people get mild stomach bugs. Lots of people get serious stomach bugs. We've got a problem with norvovirus in this area at the moment. There are restrictions on visiting at the hospital, several people at work have been off with it.
So why the hell are the papers acting like she's on death's doorstep??
Tossers.
There's a reason that the satirical magazine Private Eye calls the press (usually known as "Fleet Street" after the street where all the newspapers used to have their offices) The Street of Shame.
Ze
- (The) Devil Wears Prada
- Chapter 9 of Saving My Daughter by devildream69 (dvlwears-prada).
- Beyond the Call by duwinter (dvlwears-prada).
(A) Game of Thrones
- Queen by Storms (GirlGay).
Glee
- I'm Not Over You by icicle33 (brittana).
Grey's Anatomy
- Phone Calls - Early Birds by neolithicdream (callie-arizona).
Law & Order: SVU
- Holiday Short – Peace Corps Day by sunsetwriter (Alex-Liv-Lovers).
Merlin
- Kissing Death and Losing My Breath by A Girl Named Truth (Ladies of Camelot).
Original
- Part 14 of A Chance Encounter by Bobbie Halchishak (Royal Academy of Bards).
- Part 1 of Lessons in Cartography by Geonn Cannon (His blog).
- Part 2 of Lessons in Cartography by Geonn Cannon (His blog).
Pitch Perfect
- It's Not Really an Age-Old Rivalry by theagonyofblank (GirlSlash).
Rizzoli & Isles
- Winds of Change by Holly H. Harrigton (Royal Academy of Bards).
Warehouse 13
- Part 6 of Ours by a_windsor (Meet at Gunpoint).
No comments:
Post a Comment