WHAT.
I mean
W H A T?!?!?!?!?!
Here I am in that parallel universe again. In my
world, abuse and encouraging abuse is not good. But in this other place – the
real world - the media, the PM and some others seem to think Fabricant’s own
special brand of misogyny and public encouragement of violence is ok. Shouldn't
this behaviour be hideously unacceptable – from anyone - let alone a publicly
funded, supposedly well-educated, high profile figure? Aren't we condemning
this sort of thing in other parts of the world?
A few weeks ago Cameron was on the trendy
bandwagon ‘solving’ the Nigerian school girl kidnapping by tweeting a selfie
(in the wake of people with more moral credibility doing the same). In that
situation Neanderthal behaviour towards educated black females was
unacceptable.
In response to Fabricant’s Taliban-esqu reaction
to Yasmin Alibhai Brown we are told that really it’s a non-story. After all
Fabricant is just a bit of a character.What does that mean? Is a Fabricant in fact a
Bladerunner type Replicant only weirder looking and less use?
Also – there was that sort of apology.
When my children were little I explained to them
that an apology with a ‘but’ doesn’t really count. Either apologise or don’t
and take the consequences.
Fabricant’s ‘but’ was so hot on the heels of his
half-hearted non-apology as to render it void. Considering how Theresa May was
carpeted for a too brief apology I wait without much hope to see if anyone is
going to take Fabricant to task for his disgusting tweet followed by transparent lack of sincerity.
Then there was the (also belated) claim that it
was a joke. P – leeeease. I don’t claim to be an expert but in the comedy clubs
I’ve played and the festivals and comedy competitions I've had a little success
in, the requirement for a joke is usually that it is funny on some level.
Are we really trouncing the Taliban’s attitude
to women and education while accepting that a Tory MP can threaten violence to
an intelligent outspoken Asian woman in this country because she irritates him?
Yes that is a rhetorical question because I know
we are. In the bizarre circus of the real, this kind of double think goes on all
the time.
I recall a few months back a young nobody tried
to encourage others via facebook to join
in riots. No one responded because he was a nobody. However, he was pursued by
the police – as Fabricant has not been – and received a custodial sentence - as
Fabricant wont. Fabricant’s gross comment appears to have added to the
abuse received by Ms Brown but nothing AT ALL it seems, is going to happen to
him as a consequence.
In my parallel universe where people are
supposed to be subject to the same laws, moral standards and sanctions, this
makes no sense.
Fabricant formed the urge to punch an
intelligent educated black woman just the way the Taliban get the urge to shoot
them. Then he was moronic enough to tweet his vileness, which just adds to the
ongoing normalisation of misogyny.
I’m fairly sure that in the vicinity of this
asinine Tory arsehole I might get the urge to kick him but I
wouldn't advertise the fact! That would be silly.
This week’s recommended blog from the archives –
by way of light relief and contrast;
Blog 3 Depressed
Poet’s society.