On 20th September, this is my england name-checked a favoured organ of this organ, when observing a new application of a device much favoured across the quality spectrum of the great British press - the use of 'fruity girl' pictures to illustrate otherwise potentially dull news items.
The name-checking was of Private Eye, whose scribes never tired of the annual joke of pointing out how the newspapers always illustrate their stories about the relentless upward surge of A-Level and GCSE pass rates with eye-catching pictures of appealing teenage chicks.
this is my england was surprised to notice the same approach to photo selection being taken by the 'papers when reporting the ongoing attempts by Essex County Council to evict the occupants of illegally occupied plots at a travellers' site at Dale Farm near Basildon. Even in this context, readers of some rags were treated to an eyeful of youthful blonde totty.
That this was a surprise, felt this is my england, was down to how travelling folk are usually portrayed by our press and many of their readers:
But surely we're all supposed to hate gypo/pikey/diddicoy scum, aren't we? Isn't it positively mainstream to discuss them in terms we'd never dream of using with reference to any other minority? I would have thought, then, that flagging up the existence of teenage totty in their midst is unwise in the extreme. It might stimulate some level of sympathetic feeling for the people of the road.
Imagine the delight experienced here at this is my england global HQ when the September 30th edition of the Eye was purchased and this was found:
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| Private Eye & this is my england: spot the difference |
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