Delingpole Misogyny No Shock Horror

After all the recent hooha about bad behaviour on Twitter by men directed at women, one might think that those males of a more intellectually minded bent might exercise a little tact and diplomacy towards their female counterparts for a while. But such thoughts are clearly beyond James “saviour of Western civilisation” Delingpole, whose ability to simultaneously open mouth and insert boot remains undimmed.

Definitely not fair and balanced

Del Boy had been addressed directly in a Tweet from Labour MP Stella Creasy, who, along with Caroline Criado Perez, has been the target of some monumentally unpleasant and threatening attacks of late. Ms Creasy declared that she was happy to debate with Del, as she considered his “Look at me, I’m laddish” Tweets to be not so much harassment as merely crass.

Sadly, Del Boy could not do something so straightforward as engage in discussion: he was, after all facing one of those rotten lefties, and as any fule kno, they’re all so totally thick when compared to the towering intellect of the great Delingpole. “I hope you’re not harassing me, Stella. Feels like it. Or trolling, possibly. Go and annoy somebody else” he sneered in her general direction.

Ms Creasy explained “[I] was calling out your crassness in such public comments as distinct to harassment – shame you can’t see [the] difference”, which prompted Del to overreach himself. “Stella, if you are sexually drawn to me I totally understand. I just think that Twitter come-ons are a bit crass for an MP” he quipped, thus dumping the “crass” attribute on Ms Creasy, and demonstrating his intellectual superiority.

Unfortunately, not everyone saw the rip-snortingly funny side of this riposte. Ms Creasy concluded – perhaps out of innate kindness and sympathy – that Del Boy had, for whatever reason, become Elephant’s Trunk and Mozart. Others were less forgiving: “Why are you such a creep James? ... Stupid man ... You never learn ... this makes you look like an ass”.

Even a prod from Owen Jones could not bring reality into Delingpole’s world. “Imagine Katie Hopkins but with literally no redeeming features whatsoever” he Tweeted, which was news to anyone who had already concluded that Ms Hopkins did not have any redeeming features in the first place. Someone suggested to Del that he apologise. “For what?” was the incredibly clever reply.

Of course, Del Boy will excuse himself by telling that he is only having one of those jolly libertarian jokes, and that anyone who objects is just so right-on and politically correct and generally up themselves, so it’s their fault if they’re so uptight and can’t have a laugh. Meanwhile, most of those in the real world will conclude that Delingpole isn’t half as clever or funny as he thinks he is.

And we all know he wouldn’t dare say that to Ms Creasy’s face. Say sorry, Del.