Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Cartoons and confessions

I have a confession to make. Most weekends I buy and read a copy of the Mail on Sunday. Not for the politics, I should add, as much of the commentary in this particular paper makes me want to roll on the floor laughing or tear my hair out in despair.

I buy the paper for two reasons:

1. It often has a free DVD or CD and son 2 is obsessed with collecting these, even though he never watches or listens to them.

2. The back page of You magazine, which comes with it.

I used to really enjoy You magazine. Along with the frippery and aspirational lifestyle stuff I also found quite a bit of interesting family/society/relationship based journalism which on the whole did not share the political bias of the main paper. I think these articles have been less frequent and less good recently, but the back page of the magazine still grabs me.

I love the feminist cartoons 'Demented' by Jacky Fleming. I can so relate to them!

Then there is 'Liz Jones's Diary'.It is compulsive reading as I sit there thinking is this woman for real? I have never known anyone in real life who is so self-obsessed, vain and shallow and prepared to put up with such a seemingly bad relationship just to have a man around. The column is carrying the story on now from where the collected confessional columns in the book end. I don't know how much of the truth is embellished for journalistic effect but the juxtaposition with Jacky Fleming's cartoons can be very funny.

The spoilt whinging of Liz Jones could, if taken too seriously, set back the gains of feminism by years!

11 comments:

rilly super said...

self-obessesed, vain and shallow...but with a book deal cathy, sigh. Perhaps this is where we have been going wrong all this time...

Anonymous said...

I, too, am horribly fascinated by the goings-on chez Liz Jones.
I've formed the opinion over many months that she and the young novelist deserve each other, although obviously we have only her side of the story.
And ah yes, the book deal. I'm afraid we may have to suffer a little more in our own lives before other people want to read about them.

Cathy said...

Mmm. The book deal, the toy boy, the previous glamourous editorship of Marie Claire... Jealous? Me? Actually no.

You're both right. We need to wash ALL our dirty linen in public more often. But I wouldn't put my family through that.

Stay at home dad said...

I only wish that were true, beta mum. Unfortunately the Evening Standard (sorry Rilly) is full of Dhaliwal's excruciating self-absorption. Why I continue to shell out my 50p I have no idea...

Jan said...

My Sunday Mail arrives on Monday. It is bought on Sunday by my friend around the corner.
She reads it thoroughly and then posts it through my letterbox.
It is very kind indeed of her. ( Just in case she ever reads your blog, Cathy!)
And yes, L Jones and her life fascinates ( a little)
I sometimes wonder just WHAT her fella really thinks about all this airing of Islinton (is it??) linen?

Cathy said...

I don't often buy the Standard so I have managed to avoid most of Nirpal Singh Dhaliwals rants...have caught a few of his 'opinions' elsewhere though. The words chip and shoulder came to mind...

Does your kind friend keep the freebies for herself Jan?!

Cathy said...

Oh and good to see you here, SAHD!

Anne Brooke said...

I love the MonS - it's the only way I know what the gossip is!!

:))

A
xxx

Mutterings and Meanderings said...

I must confess to buying the MoS last weekend because I wanted Tubular Bells. Which is the more embarrassing confession?

Stay at home dad said...

Strangely, I picked up the ES this evening and it seems Jones is currently divorcing Dhaliwal and he's been chucked out of the marital house.

I offer no comment...

Cathy said...

M&M , no need to feel embarassed. As son 2 ran off with the Tubular Bells CD I said to hubby that I was sure I once had that album on vinyl or cassette. He just turned round and said 'Didn't we all?'

And yes, I am about the same vintage as Liz Jones...