Mail Bad Taste Hypocrisy

By now, anyone interested – and many who aren’t – will know that professional slob Jeremy Clarkson went on the BBC’s One Show yesterday evening and opined that public sector workers who went on strike that day should be executed in front of their families. There have been several thousands of complaints, and the presenters apologised for Jezza’s outburst at the end of the show.

This has given the obedient hackery of the legendarily foul mouthed Paul Dacre a problem: the BBC is a hate figure, and those using its programmes to say controversial things – pace Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand – are routinely vilified by the Mail. But strikers are also A Very Bad Thing. Which way do they face on this crucial matter of national interest?

Meanwhile, Young Dave has chipped in with his ninepence worth and said it was “a silly thing to say”. Jolly bed sheow, eh? Also piling in has been “shagger” Prescott, who has pointed out that Jezza gets bunged around a million notes a year by the Beeb for his slobbery. Dave Spart, er, sorry, Prentis of Unison called for Clarkson to be sacked, although in defence of Prentis one has to remember that his members have already been on the wrong end of an awful lot of media demonisation.

Clarkson also gained no friends from the rail industry and the emergency services by whingeing about his train being held up following what is usually referred to as “a person under a train”, or, put more directly, suicide. The Mail has decided in this case to take the opposite angle to the Ross and Brand row: first has come a piece in the main part of the site quoting all the politicians and union leaders.

Then in the “Right Minds” part, where all the froth and rant brigade are assembled in one enormous e-dustbin, the “where’s your sense of humour?” angle is worked over, firstly by Maily Telegraph refugee Melissa Kite, who tells “Humourless whingers who complain about Jeremy Clarkson should be taken out and shot”, which might sound original, except that she cribbed the idea from James “saviour of Western civilisation” Delingpole on her old paper.

Del Boy’s headline was “Jeremy Clarkson’s critics should be taken out and shot”, following which Del laments “the English language is an extraordinarily rich and nuanced thing”. That may be why he has difficulty staying within its bounds and resorting to calling those disagreeing with him “libtards”, “eco-loons”, “eco-fascists”, “ecotards” and “eco Nazis”, among other similarly abusive invective.

Back at the Mail, Ms Kite is joined by Chris Moncrieff, whose post is titled “Jeremy Clarkson: long live bad taste”, and who whines about political correctness. But they didn’t have a problem keeping schtum when the Dacre attack doggies laid into Ross and Brand, did they? Wonder if it’s something to do with Dacre hating strikers? Probably a lot to do with Dacre hating strikers.