Sun Anti-German Lottery Bigotry
[Update at end of post]
Sometimes a paper comes out with a front page story that does not seem to justify all the screaming headlines, the hype, and the effort. That is the first impression given by today’s Sun splash, as obedient Murdoch doggie Andrew “Nosey” Parker brings readers “LOTTERY EXCLUSIVE … THE £33M QUESTIONS”. Yes, the Sun has decided it is a fit and proper body to adjudicate on National Lottery claims.
And that’s worth a front page splash? Really? Doesn’t the paper have anything else to tell its readers today? But then, the online headline gives the game away: “Crackpot or jackpot? Even German Sue's ex doesn't believe she's got the £33m winning Lotto ticket”. Ah, the woman who may have had a winning ticket, but left it in a pair of jeans which were then put in the wash, is GERMAN. All is now clear.
It’s a straightforward slice of bigotry, then: at the most convenient time, the anti-EU dog whistle is applied to a story which is only of interest to those who send begging letters to pools and lottery winners - and irresponsible hacks and pundits whose behaviour only serves to encourage them. Susanne Hinte was born in Dortmund. And in Dortmund, they talk foreign. They also have SCARY MUSLIM MIGRANTS.
The front page “questions” are equally trumped up. “Why did she not show off her ticket?” asks the headline. Why the stuff should she? There is only one body she needs to “show it off” to, and that is lottery organiser Camelot. “Why do family & close pals doubt her?” readers are asked. This is on the basis of a sceptical - anonymous - neighbour, and her former partner saying “I’ll believe it when I see it”.
It gets worse: “Why has she got 4 different identities?” screams the headline. She has four aliases, which is not the same thing, and in any case, so what? What does that prove, other than the Sun had to invent something to make up the numbers? And finally we get “Did she really put ticket in the wash?” which is Camelot’s business, thanks. None of that justifies going after a lottery claimant. And there is one more problem for the Sun.
They talked to the anonymous neighbour. They talked to her ex-partner. But the Murdoch doggies did not talk to Ms Hinte. The best they can do is to quote from her Facebook page. And, as she says, “Not once have I said I have the winning ticket … The ticket did have the winning numbers on it. Camelot will do the checks so as it stands nobody knows if it’s the winner”. Hardly worth a front page splash, is it?
Unless, of course, the Sun wants to get all those jealous of others’ lottery winnings angry at the prospect of a BLOODY FOREIGNER taking THEIR winnings. Someone coming OVER HERE winning OUR LOTTERY. And there are all those QUESTIONS about it, so Sun readers will know that IT’S NOT FAIR. Strange that all the other papers managed to put something on their front pages without resorting to those tactics.
The Sun - encouraging bigotry and xenophobia since 1969. No change there, then.
[UPDATE 27 January 0940 hours: the Sun just cannot let this story go, to the event that it has put it on the front page for a second day, showing what it claims to be the laundered Lottery ticket with the headline "NOT THE FULL TICKET"
The Murdoch faithful have also managed to find what they first call a "friend" of Susanne Hinte, although it is then conceded that the person concerned is a "former friend". Most conveniently, the "former friend" thinks the idea that Ms Hinte has a winning ticket is rubbish.
The analysis of the "Gran's tatty printout" also notes that the identifying number of the ticket is not merely absent, but that it has been "Conveniently obliterated", just to make sure readers know what to think. Those readers are also reminded that we're talking about a "German Gran".
How the Sun got their sight of the alleged winning ticket is not clear - did money change hands? But what readers do not have pointed out to them is that if Lottery organisers Camelot have sufficient doubts, they will not pay out.
That is their business, and theirs alone. Meanwhile, the Sun's obsessive pursuit of someone mainly because they were born in Germany continues. Not that they're a bunch of bigots, you understand]
They would do better to question someone who definitely won the lottery by using aliases who went by the name of Fox, Green or was it Shapps?
ReplyDeleteIf someone like Jeremy NaughtieWord can win a prize seat in a No 10 Downing Street Cabinet Reshuffle it seems obvious that the names must be drawn out of a hat located possibly in a News Corp office. It's probably the Bullyingdon Way of Doing Things.
The Mail is having ago at her for having six points on her licence. No, I don't see the relevance either.
ReplyDeleteNot that I feel much sympathy for her. Hundreds have claimed the prize without courting press coverage.
Nothing too new here. I remember back in 1994 the 'outrage' over the first jackpot winner being of Pakistani origin (from west Yorkshire I think). Lots of comments about one of 'them' winning 'our' money, questions along the lines of 'are that lot allowed to gamble?' and many others not getting the concept of random chance.
ReplyDeleteYou can always count on the Scum cowards to go after the little people.
ReplyDeleteBut ask them to go after, say, Canary Wharf banker thieves or Yank oligarchs and they run a mile to hide behind Aunty Murdoch's skirts.
Gutless doesn't begin to describe it.
Far be it from me to appear to suggest that the gutter press might actually be onto something, but I'd lay very large odds that this person is the genuine winner, whatever their nationality is. Their story has more holes in it than a Swiss cheese. The ticket "accidentally" went into the wash, allowing just the bits with the numbers on to be seen. Oh yeah? Now we hear that they sent their damaged ticket to Camelot for verification by post. Well obviously, you have a ticket which is worth £33m so the safest and most secure way to get it there is to chuck it in the post, and hope the Royal Mail don't manage to lose it. LMFAO.
ReplyDeleteI'd lay much shorter odds that she gets done for fraud. At least she's had her fifteen minutes of fame.
The only thing the gutter press is onto is the gutter.
ReplyDeleteThe Sun is a rag, and picking on the woman's nationality is the norm for this gutter rag. But the woman has form, she ripped off someone in my family, so this is probably a scam as well
ReplyDeleteSeeing quite a few articles involving comments lifted from Facebook.
ReplyDeleteThat's when they aren't stealing photos of people and doctoring them.
Something else they will get a kicking for.
You'll never catch me data mining and being generally idiotic.
ReplyDeleteThere is a rumour circulating that I have told Somebody when I was drunk that Alex my partner does naughty stuff.
Another effort to swindle the lottery money; far fetched arguments. Keeping up with the lottery results regularly I do not remember any news saying that the pot was paid out to the spoiled ticket. Still on the other hand the story gives another reason to play online, Icelotto review. At least the ticket will be safe, huh?
ReplyDelete