This Post Is About What You Think It’s About (Sort Of)

In my post earlier, I mentioned that I wasn’t going to comment on the events in London this week, and I stand by that.

But I will comment on those who use the events of Wednesday afternoon to push their agenda.

Shortly after the incident, Katie Hopkins was interviewed by that bastion of impartial disinformation, Fox News. In that interview, she described Londoners as being “cowed and afraid”.

Now I appreciate that this is a shooting fish in a barrel situation, but Katie Hopkins can fuck right off.

Londoners are neither cowed nor afraid. Aware, yes. Vigilant, most definitely. But cowed and afraid? Nonsense. I’m yet to speak to any resident of London who isn’t approaching their day-to-day life in exactly the same way as any resident of any other major city around the world, whether they have been subjected to a terrorist attack or not: with a resolute determination to carry on as normal.

Hopkins is nothing more than a failed reality TV contestant trying to make a name for herself by spouting the most vile bile she can. Open a dictionary to see what the definition of “knee-jerk” is, and there’s a picture of Hopkins (there isn’t, but there should be).

She lost a court case recently for implying that the claimant, Jack Monroe, had defaced or vandalised war memorials. (She sent him a Tweet which read: “Scrawled on any memorials recently? Vandalised the memory of those who fought for your freedom. Grandma got any more medals?”) Monroe was awarded £24,000 in damages.

But this wasn’t the first time Hopkins has been sued. In 2016, Mail Online was forced to pay £150,000 to a Muslim family whom Hopkins had falsely accused of extremist links

All of which would be hilarious, had it had any semblance of effect on her.

There is of course, nothing overtly funny about any attack such as the one which took place on Wednesday; that said, there is humour – and truth – to be found in any situation, and props on this occasion goes to a tweet I saw shortly after the identity of the attacker had been announced:

You can see how popular that was.

Farage was, of course, on air on LBC Radio on Wednesday night. I didn’t listen, I could imagine what he was saying. I’m sure (ahem) that he oversaw a fair and reasoned debate. The only time I’ve ever listened to Farage on LBC was when he was interviewed by James O’Brien, who I now officially love, in the run up to the Brexit referendum. This lasts just shy of 20 minutes, but is well worth your time:

I appreciate that I’m arguably adding to the problem with this post, but I don’t understand why Hopkins and Farage are still given the oxygen of publicity. Or any oxygen, for that matter.

Hopkins, Farage: prepare yourself for the worst than can happen to you. I’ve chosen a song from the early 1990s that seems appropriate:

Ugly Kid Joe – Everything About You

BAM! Eat music, motherlovers.

More soon.