Julie Burchill And A Sick Media Class

Last December, sad has-been Julie Burchill discovered that her then publisher, at whose insistence she had temporarily left Twitter, had decided not to publish her latest book. She declared that she was going to be a “cause célèbre”, and in this she was right. The only problem was that it was a campaign that developed not necessarily to her advantage.

Julie Burchill - repenting at leisure

This was because her departure from Twitter followed a defence of Rod Liddle’s mildly creepy admission that he did not go into teaching because he would have wanted to “shag the kids”. Liddle mentioned Year 10, which means pupils of ages 14 and 15. One of those passing severely adverse comment on Liddle’s article was Ash Sarkar.

Ash Sarkar

For having the audacity to object to her pal Rod’s outpourings, Ms Burchill subjected Ms Sarkar to an especially vicious tirade, the content of which resulted in Ms Sarkar instructing lawyers. The resulting threat of a defamation action, which Ms Burchill was almost certain to have lost, has now generated a suitably grovelling apology [HERE].

So far, so predictable and regrettable, but yet more instructive are Ms Sarkar’s comments on the affair [emphases mine]. “In December Julie Burchill accused me of worshipping a paedophile and called me an Islamist. After legal action, she has apologised in full for these falsehoods, for playing into ‘Islamophobic tropes’ and making ‘racist and misogynist’ comments about my appearance and sex life”. There was more.

“Women of colour in public life are subject to harassment, abuse and threats … Unfortunately, this isn't just the work of online trolls. It's facilitated and tacitly encouraged by some in the press … It's vital that we have an honest conversation about the nastier aspects of our media culture, and try and make it better for everyone”.

What Ms Sarkar might have meant by “some in the press” can be glimpsed by observing those who leapt to Ms Burchill’s defence, notably Brendan O’Neill of Spiked, so called because it should have been long ago, who claimed dishonestly that this was all about “cancel culture” and Ms Burchill had merely “made fun of Islam”. It was all such fun that Ms Sarkar had been subject to death threats, and threatened with sexual assault.

Defending the indefensible - Brendan O'Neill ...

Also leaping to Ms Burchill’s defence was the loathsome Toby Young and his so-called Free Speech Union, who declared that she was a member of his gang and “we will be taking up her case. Appeasement is like feeding a crocodile in the hope he will eat you last”. Tobes has thus far been silent on the result of Ms Sarkar’s legal action.

... the loathsome Tobes ...

These two less than totally august individuals were joined in their defence of Ms Burchill by self-promoting TalkRADIO host Julia Hartley Brewer, who demanded of Miqdaad Versi from the Muslim Council of Britain that he inform her what was Islamophobic about what had been said to Ms Sarkar. Ms Hartley Dooda has also been silent on the case thus far, preferring to propagate the myth that the dastardly EU is cancelling our vaccines.

... and Julia Hartley Dooda

Three representatives of our free and fearless press, all ready to defend Ms Burchill, and entirely by coincidence you understand, the kind of media people you would see at the increasingly alt-right Spectator magazine’s Summer parties. Along with Rod Liddle.

All ready to play the victim while defending the indefensible. Nasty aspects, indeed.

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