Papers

[andrewducker]

The front of every tabloid this morning was the Jackson trial, which I have zero interest in.

The Guardian was covering some kind of sporting event, about which I care even less.

The Independent led with the world first of brain cells being created in a laboratory, which is likely to be very good news (in the long term) for an awful lot of people and lead to huge medical advantages.

I feel vaguely smug about my choice of paper.

Comments

[laserboy.livejournal.com]

I don't buy newspapers at all. I keep up with scientific developments through journals etc for work. I'm hardcore. ;-)

--
Would you have cared more about the Jackson trial if he'd been found guilty? Personally I'm glad he wasn't guilty and I'm glad that his innocence is getting so much attention. Anyone who's been accused of something so awful deserves at least 24 hours of media support. Now I hope he can concentrate on a producing role and put everything, including Neverland, behind him.

[andrewducker]

I just don't care about Michael Jackson full stop. I don't really care about any of his music bar a vague fondness for a couple of tracks over 10 years old, and I don't really care about him apart from a vague sympathy for anyone so warped by their upbringing.

[laserboy.livejournal.com]

Each to his own. "Guy accused of child molestation actually not guilty" is a story that's arguably more worthy than "Kiddie fiddler gets sent down", so I'm happy to cut them some slack for a few days.

[andrewducker]

It is more worthy. But there's one of those in the paper every month or so.

I guess I'm just bored of the cult of celebrity.

[octopoid-horror.livejournal.com]

No. You prefer cult "celebrities" ie Warren Ellis, Neil Gaiman et al.

I read the news online, so see a fairly random front page...

I look at the metro on the way to work for Nemi

[andrewducker]

I don't care that those people are famous - I care that they have interesting ideas. I look forward to entries by heron61 just as much, or theferret.

[octopoid-horror.livejournal.com]

*actually chokes on his coffee*

In rl conversations, if you refer to Warren Ellis, Wil Wheaton, Neil gaiman etc and the things that they've said on their blogs or whatever, you'll use their names. You don't nearly as much with other non-internet-or-otherwise-celebrity people. And it can't be that you use those names to get people to go look, because you'll drop them into conversation with people who (i'd imagine) you know have no interest in those people.

You may not, of course, be aware that you do this.

[andrewducker]

It goes to show how much attention you pay to what I say - I've been to Wil's home page maybe twice ever :->

Warren Ellis says interesting things quite a lot, and Neil Gaiman forwards on interesting links and mentions of his new projects (both of which I find interesting). I do know that I've mentioned TheFerrett at least twice this week to people, but that is, admittedly, rarer.

Also, saying "Neil Gaiman was writing about X" needs no explanation for most of my friends. Saying "TheFerrett, who is this guy off of LJ, was writing about X" usually makes for odd looks, and is therefore likely to be mentioned less.

And I can't imagine who I'v ementioned either Gaiman or Ellis to who'd have no knowledge of the names. I possibly have, but I'd tend to only use them when talking to non-work people, who generally are comics reading freaks.

[channelpenguin.livejournal.com]

Why??? Like very other comic strip they have ever had in the Metro it is neither funny nor interesting in anyway whatsoever. I can only presume that the writer/artists PAY the paper to take their strips as they are uniformly so bad.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

I completely agree. I feel sorry for him and see the whole mess as a sign of how badly freaks and eccentrics are treated in the US.

[nickys.livejournal.com]

I think the Morning Star had a report on child labour as its front page.

[mirukux.livejournal.com]

the independent is a great paper. i was so happy when they changed to a tabloid sided edition, so much more manigable for on the bus/train/etc.

[a-pawson.livejournal.com]

Like you I don't care about Mr jackson one way or the other, but I have found it fascinating reading what the jurors said after the trial. The judge allowed them to speak to the press after the trial. They held a presss conference at which they explained the reasoning behind their verdict and exactly how they had come to their decisions.

As far as I am aware it is very rare for a jury to be allowed to explain themselves in this way. What they said restores a fair bit of my faith in jury trials as they seem to have managed to cut through all the hype, celebrity and hysteria, and got down to actually making sense of the evidence.

[diotina.livejournal.com]

Hee! I had exactly the same reaction at the newsagents - ask F! Incidentally, mind if we come around to watch the last Who episode at yours? Haven't seen you and the Ed in ages...

[andrewducker]

Sure, sounds cool. Be nice to see the pair of you (and we can show off our new living room)

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

Hey I thought you were coming round to watch the last episode at mine on Saturday?

[xquiq.livejournal.com]

I felt pretty smug myself, although certain colleagues still felt the need to tell me I red a 'hippy paper'.

[xquiq.livejournal.com]

Um yes - 'read' clearly.

[andrewducker]

Sure you're not a Guardian reader?

[octopoid-horror.livejournal.com]

Heh. I still refer to it as the Grauniad. Interestingly, it's actually the paper with the least typos in the UK. It has a team dedicated to ensuring that there are none, due to their past problems that led to the reputation....

[alienspacebat.livejournal.com]

I think they changed their layout halfway through the print run. The copy I had delivered to my hotel room in England had the Jackson story on the front page.

[broin.livejournal.com]

Thought: a newspaper that makes you smug or complacent is not challenging.

Go read The Sun tomorra. :)

[andrewducker]

The Independent frequently has articles and opinion pieces that make me scream with rage - being nominally independent they have writers on both the left and the right, including Tory ex-MPs, and they carry opinion pieces by shadow members of cabinet from time to time. I vastly prefer this approach to The Guardian's, which felt entirely complacent and like it had the answers.

[broin.livejournal.com]

So you're not reading The Sun, then? =)

[andrewducker]

Not right now. But I actually get to read a tabloid of some kind about once a month, when I'm on a bus home and someone's left it lying there.

I can actually deal with The Sun, which is merely offensive in standard blokeish ways. It's The Mail which makes me want to nuke the planet.

[broin.livejournal.com]

Mmm. Yes. Went to the pub recently, and I had a choice between the Daily Record and Mail. Tried the Mail.

The world seemed so cruel and unpleasant, and forriners were coming to take my jobs/women/sausages.