Mad Mel Leaves The Spectator
As always, you hear it here last.
I’ve just noticed that Mad Mel Philips’ blog has gone from The Spectator; she made the announcement on Thursday. The blog will continue, but independent of The Spectator and so far without comments.
It’s not entirely surprising. Seemingly without any form of editorial control or supervision, Mad Mel was free to make the most ludicrous, wounding and stupid blog posts, yet do so under the respectable and official umbrella of The Spectator itself.
This was bad enough when she posted claims that Saddam Husain really did have weapons of mass destruction, hidden in secret bunkers below the Euphrates and then secretly shipped to Syria. Or when she continued to claim that she was right about the MMR vaccine and that Dr Andrew Wakefield was the victim of the medical establishment. Such views were seen as endearingly bonkers.
Likewise her views on evolution, or suspicion that President Obama is a Muslim.
Things got serious when Mel started to use the blog to make specific allegations against individuals. Specifically, back in November she and the poor old Spectator were forced to apologise and pay up for falsely claiming that Mohamed Sawalha had called Jews in Britain evil/obnoxious.
To their credit, some of the other Spectator columnists/bloggers, notably Rod Liddle often found Mad Mel’s views amusing and/or insane. Who knows whether she was asked to leave, or left of her own accord?
Either way, I’m glad The Spectator is rid of her. I’m hardly a fan of the magazine, but always have time for right wingers such as Max Hastings, Mathew Parris, Michael Portillo, Rod Liddle and the like. I may well disagree with everything they say, but at least they are generally logical, lack Mel’s hysterical tone and exaggerations, and don’t go for the personal attack in same unerring way she does.
Likewise I’m glad her blog will continue. She performs a valuable function as the authentic voice and attitude of Zionist extremism, and she may be unique in being an authentic British neocon. By turns she’s ignorant, grossly offensive and bonkers - and that’s a great thing for Palestinian cause.
I’ve just noticed that Mad Mel Philips’ blog has gone from The Spectator; she made the announcement on Thursday. The blog will continue, but independent of The Spectator and so far without comments.
It’s not entirely surprising. Seemingly without any form of editorial control or supervision, Mad Mel was free to make the most ludicrous, wounding and stupid blog posts, yet do so under the respectable and official umbrella of The Spectator itself.
This was bad enough when she posted claims that Saddam Husain really did have weapons of mass destruction, hidden in secret bunkers below the Euphrates and then secretly shipped to Syria. Or when she continued to claim that she was right about the MMR vaccine and that Dr Andrew Wakefield was the victim of the medical establishment. Such views were seen as endearingly bonkers.
Likewise her views on evolution, or suspicion that President Obama is a Muslim.
Things got serious when Mel started to use the blog to make specific allegations against individuals. Specifically, back in November she and the poor old Spectator were forced to apologise and pay up for falsely claiming that Mohamed Sawalha had called Jews in Britain evil/obnoxious.
To their credit, some of the other Spectator columnists/bloggers, notably Rod Liddle often found Mad Mel’s views amusing and/or insane. Who knows whether she was asked to leave, or left of her own accord?
Either way, I’m glad The Spectator is rid of her. I’m hardly a fan of the magazine, but always have time for right wingers such as Max Hastings, Mathew Parris, Michael Portillo, Rod Liddle and the like. I may well disagree with everything they say, but at least they are generally logical, lack Mel’s hysterical tone and exaggerations, and don’t go for the personal attack in same unerring way she does.
Likewise I’m glad her blog will continue. She performs a valuable function as the authentic voice and attitude of Zionist extremism, and she may be unique in being an authentic British neocon. By turns she’s ignorant, grossly offensive and bonkers - and that’s a great thing for Palestinian cause.
Labels: Mad Mel Phillips
posted by roGER at 8:51 am
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