Flannelled Fool Fabrication Falls Flat

[Update at end of post]

There is one serious drawback to constantly spinning reality to suit your personal agenda: folks see through it and after a while you get called out. Carry on and you get called out even more, and the pay-offs become less understanding and more terse as the rest of the real world loses patience. Today has brought a superb example from the spin capital of the UK blogosphere.

I'm more important than the Guardian, cos I'm on telly!

And that can only mean the assembled rabble at the Guido Fawkes blog, more specifically the odious flannelled fool Henry Cole, who has tried it on with former but now reformed Daily Star freelance Rich Peppiatt – highly sound bloke and good friend of this blog – over the Kate photo controversy. Rich had a piece published in the deeply subversive Guardian’s media section (read it HERE).

This contrasted the media attitudes to the photos of Prince Harry with the rather different approach to the Kate controversy. Rich points out that the Super Soaraway Currant Bun was quick to defend its public interest angle (although arguably there wasn’t one) on the Harry photos, while getting amazingly righteous when it came to the Duchess Of Cambridge, partly because its earlier defence impressed nobody.

So in waded Cole, in all probability miffed because, although he and the perpetually thirsty Paul Staines are always on the look-out to put the boot in on the Guardian and its journalists, he’s jealous that someone he does not approve of has been published in a quality title, while he has to scrabble around the Fawkes blog and the group rantfest that is the deeply dishonest Commentator.

“Yo @RichPeppiatt” began Cole, clearly keen to show he’s not averse to getting down with less posh folk when it’s in his interest to do so. Prince Harry is alleged to have “invited the photographer in”. Yeah, right. That would be a young woman who happened to have a camera phone, as opposed to a pro wielding a DSLR with a thwacking great long lens on it. Know the difference, Hen.

“His security failed” blusters the flannelled fool. Ho yus. Like any of the party was packing a piece and got away with it. Fortunately, Rich put the buffoon out of his misery by cutting through the bullshit and putting him straight: “One had tits, the other didn’t?” he pointed out. Also, as I pointed out earlier, one mention of Diana is enough to cause even the Fourth Estate to pause and engage brain.

Sadly, when it comes to engaging brain, Master Cole is not one of those involved. Another fine mess, once again.

[UPDATE 18 September 1040 hours: Master Cole has taken his reading of this post very badly, as with every occasion when he receives less than adulatory comment. He protested to Rich Peppiatt - goodness knows why - calling me Rich's "fanboy". Seriously.

The flannelled fool blubbered that his previous Twitter conversation had been "perfectly amiable" - a contradiction in terms where Cole is concerned - before describing my post as being "in the most sensationalist [sic] and selective tabloid style". What colour is the pot, kettle? And which blog is trusted by only 4%, less even than postings on Facebook? But, as the man said, there's more.

Cole, discovering that Rich wasn't for intervening, pretended that he wasn't annoyed at being called out yet again for being a prat, suggesting amusement. But the repetition of his over-used "creepy" smear suggests he's out of insults. Anyone charitably inclined should email him with suggestions for new ones. Another fine mess, once again]