My blog gently weeps

(Hi I'm Helen Flanagan of Daily Mail fame)

Like a spurned lover Diary of a Madman has been quite neglected recently. It's true I've been investing a lot of time in my new blog http://couloulthakid.blogspot.ie/ (shameless plug achieved). I'm finding it hard to come up with anything worthwhile to write on this blog as the other one takes up most of my brain cells as it requires me to write in it weekly. That's not to say I'm still not highly opinionated or still find things that upset me regularly that I need to rant about. 

Such as the Irony of the Daily Mail asking why we seemingly care so much about Helen Flanagan (don't worry I had to google her too) aka Katie Webster of former Coronation Street fame. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2395196/Helen-Flanagan-Wild-child-little-girl-lost-The-mixed-world-Britains-fame-hungry-C-lister-.html

The claim she's a fame hungry C-list celebrity whose 15 minutes of fame must surely be near and end. Her crime? From what I can tell she's an attractive young woman (with a quite impressive bosom) that daily uploads pictures of herself duck facing in various states of undress onto the World Wide Web via various social media outlets. Her fans and detractors lap it up. The Daily Mail can't get enough and regularly has its knickers in a twist about her latest 'exploits' (just Google the words Helen Flanagan and the Daily Mail). 

To think this once great bastion of news reporting and journalism In Britain now trades in this kind of slop celeb worshiping shit that was once reserved only for the glossy magazines. I was going to say it's amazing, but it's not, every paper no matter how highbrow it was once perceived dedicates page upon page to these people. These 'celebrities' that we 'need' to know about to go about our daily life's, their latest fashion choices, their latest stumblings out of nightclubs, their weight loss/gain, their latest dietary plan..All in all who gives a shit? it seems quite a lot of people give a shit. Which is an absolute pity.  A pity these news outlets don't fawn or dedicate some many column inches to the real news because real news is boring who wants to hear about people being slaughtered in Egypt? Or some depressing crap news about the economy?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2386912/World-War-One-German-soldiers-perspective-Hundreds-images-rare-insight-the-Great-War-rarely-see.html 

I found a brilliant tongue in cheek response to this article on life for a German soldier in trenches duringWorld War I this guy hit the nail however crudley on the head - 'Booooorrrrrriiiinnnngggg this all happened ages ago...what's rhianna up to? any new tulisa bikini pics?? - talkinsense, Middle England, United Kingdom, 

8/8/2013 

19:44===And this sums up the rancid rats that those who gave their lives an ALL sides fought for. I hope you never need my help, because you won’t get it. - jumperjobbie , Glasgow, United Kingdom, 09/8/2013 11:36 

I suspect you may just have missed the sarcasm in the original post? :-)

- View from a Hill, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, 9/8/2013 12:21'

A comment which in turn got 14 'dislikes' unsuprisingly as the person in Wolverhampton rightly pointed out I think people missed the point. It just seems Journalism like everything else is dumbing down. Why bother challenging people anymore? However I'm just as bad I wish I had the balls or brains to start a new movement, to inspire people.

Another bit of trash journalism caught my eye recently from Australia - http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-bars/as-two-irish-pubs-close-we-ask-whether-they8217ve-had-their-day/story-fn93ypt9-1226690295223. 

I can see the 'journalist' in question is attempting to be 'funny' but he's not. It's a stereotype-laden piece of shit that should never have been printed. But hey guess what in this age of instant gratification the journalist in question Anthony Sharwood got what he wanted as he achieved his 5 minutes of fame as his twitter account went into meltdown as angry and pacified Irish people either berated him or agreed with him. Is this the future of journalism? I hope not.

Although like all stereotypes there is a hint of truth in them. One person in the comment section (these guys are good) touched on something I feel should be more widely reported on, our current generation of young Irish men and women giving Ireland a bad name down under (and I know not everyone is doing it, but I witnessed it and added to it in my time in Australia).

'While 'white' Australians do indeed enjoy a drink. It's more a throw some shrimp on the barbie and crack open a few cold ones. Not drink yourself silly from the time you finish work on Friday until the early hours of Monday morning. Irish people have historically enjoyed a 'loveable drunken rogue' reputation among 'white' Australians, many of whom will tell you they're convict Irish and so will identify with a certain idea of Irishness. 

However, the 'new' Irish arriving in Australia are changing this. Their 'antics' tend to remind 'white' Australians of nothing more than the Aboriginals and all the negative connotations that come from racist 'white' Australia with regard to the indigenous people. The recently arrived Irish are seen as pissheads who are a little bit more reliable in attending work than Aboriginals (only a little bit. I know of people/companies who will - on the quiet - refuse to hire Irish because of the drinking). 

Of course, Australia is a genuinely multicultural society. So the drunken abandon so beloved of Irish people does not play at all with the Vietnamese-Australians, Chinese-Australians, Filipino-Australian, Greek-Australians, Italian-Australians etc. 

Successive generations of Irish people turned racist stereotypes into virtues of the 'loveable Irish rogues who like to drink'. The newest generation of Irish to hit Australia's shores are turning back the clock to the racist stereotypes without any of the virtues.'

But I'm part of the problem the typical keyboard warrior ranting away in anonymity and doing nothing about it. These people like Helen Flanagan and Andrew Sharwood achieve their 'fame' from use we feed them it.

On a lighter more positive note, the English Premier League is back and I for one couldn't be happier. No, I no longer have to pretend I like or have an interest in other sports like Tennis, Athletics, Golf, Gaelic Football etc. It's good to see David Moyes reign as the new Man. United boss got off to a flyer with a 4-1 thumping of Swansea. A lot has been made of United's failings a relatively untested new boss (with 11 years experience in the Premier League), an average squad which relies too much on the heroics of Robin Van Persie, no signings being made. United in the 'pundit's eyes' will finish no further than 3rd at best behind either a resurgent moneybags Man. City or the recently happily reunited that is Chelsea and Jose Mourinho. Moyes should use this dismissal of his team as Fergie so often did and show the English and foreign media who will be champions again come May (hopefully).

At hopefully my one true love (hurling) serves up another cracker today like the titanic tussle between Cork and Dublin last Saturday. I have a feeling today's game will match last weeks for intensity and skill and I fancy Clare to prevail, but then again I've often been wrong before.

Also good to see the Monkey's back. I love the video and look forward to hearing their 5th album soon AM -